Let’s get to our passage. Turn over to Matthew 28. This passage might be pretty familiar to you, but that’s ok. When you get to Matthew 28, we’ll read verses 19-20. Pay attention to this passage…as it lays the foundation for what we’re studying today. Let’s read our passage for today…again, it’s Matthew 28:19-20.
It says: 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Now, today we’re going to be talking about disciple making in a way that we might not normally think of it. Usually when we hear Jesus’ Great Commission, we automatically think of going off into the farthest reaches of the world…to the darkest corners…to the least reached people…and make disciples and baptize them and teach them. And that’s certainly needed.
Or…ok…maybe you don’t go that far. Maybe for you it means going out to the community around you and making disciples and baptizing them and teaching them. Which…that’s certainly needed as well.
So while we need to do those kinds of things to live out Jesus’ instruction to us as his disciples today…we also need to recognize the value of discipling in the church. In fact…if we don’t disciple within the church, then that might hurt the disciple making we try to do out in this world.
*It also needs to be stated that discipling in the church isn’t the only discipling we do in our lives. It’s part of it…but not all of it. But we can’t ignore what scripture says about the need for disciple making in the church. So before we really get into how we can follow Jesus’ command to go…let’s look at making disciples…here.
**Let’s start this morning with where discipling in the church needs to start…with the elders and deacons. Disciple making in the church means that we trust our leaders.
There are a few passages in the New Testament that lay out the qualifications for elders…also called “overseers”…and deacons in the church. The one that you could argue gives the most detail is 1 Timothy 3:1-13. We won’t read that now, but it talks about how elders need to be above reproach, a husband of but one wife, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, and must manage his own family well. For deacons, they are to be men of respect, sincere, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They too must be the husband of one wife and manage their children and household well. Again, you can read more details there, and in Titus 1:5-9 and I encourage you to do so.
It is their role…their calling…to shepherd the flock…the church… and to ensure the needs of the people are met…both physically and spiritually. That’s what we read in 1 Peter 5:1-9. It says: “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
The leadership sets the tone for the rest of the church body. If they lead by the Holy Spirit, the church will be filled with the Spirit. If they lead by their own desires and leave the Holy Spirit out of most of their leadership…the congregation will flounder. If they put disciple making as a priority…the rest of the church should follow suit.
Now, notice…I said the rest of the church…should…follow suit. That’s because the members of the congregation need to trust their leaders. If they don’t…then they’re not following the instructions given in scripture. What kinds of instructions? Turn to Hebrews 13:17. There, it says: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
*And that’s not all. In the verses following what we already read in 1 Peter, we read about the importance of submitting to those who are older…and to be self-controlled and alert. Because our enemy the devil prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. But if we resist him…which will happen if the leaders lead and the congregation trusts them…he will flee from us. … But if they leaders don’t lead…or the people don’t trust…then there will be troubles.
**With that in mind, let’s move on to another instruction we’re given for discipling in the church. Along with trusting our leaders, we also need to keep each other from straying.
This is vital to the growth and sustainability of the church. We need to keep one another from straying from the path. You remember that path, right? It’s the road that we talked about back at the beginning of this year. It’s the narrow road that’s hard to find and not easy to stay on…that leads to a gate which opens to everlasting life.
We…as a body…as a unit…are given the purpose of helping one another stay on that road. We can’t just worry about our own eternal destination. Our concern for our brothers and sisters isn’t merely about their health or helping with finances or praying for their loved ones who are sick. No…we are also called to help care for each other’s spiritual well-being.
Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Galatians. There, in 6:1-2 he wrote: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens (again…not just hurting when someone else is hurting physically or emotionally)…carry each other’s spiritual burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
We as a church…as a local congregation…need to help the ones who might be straying. We need to carry one another along, no matter how difficult that might be at times. … Think to yourself. How many people do you know who have been a part of this church…but have stopped coming regularly for whatever reason?
Are names…faces…families coming to mind? Now, we’re not talking about the folks who maybe moved or started attending another church. We’re talking about the ones who have allowed sin to infiltrate their lives and have strayed from the path. Are we just going to let them go to the wide road that’s “easier” to navigate but leads to destruction? Are we going to promise to pray for that one? Or are we going to do some actual discipling and go to the one that has strayed and talk to them?! Interact with them! Take on their struggles while making sure we don’t fall as well?!
*Church…it’s not just up to one person or to the leadership. It’s up to every one of us! We need to hold one another accountable to our sins. That means we care about more than just what is happening in each other’s lives and we make sure we’re where we are supposed to be spiritually…in our lives of faith. If we don’t help keep each other from straying…then there won’t be a church left before long. … Ask yourself…are we going to be responsible for the downfall of Antioch Christian Church because we don’t help those who are straying? … …
**Now, going along with that is something else we need to do as we disciple in the church. This has more to do with those who are doing better in their spiritual life than those who we’ve just talked about. Discipling in the church also means that we encourage one another.
Acts 2:42 sums up how the early church did this after 3000 joined the apostles on the day of Pentecost. It says that: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
The earliest Christians were all about Jesus…and they were all about each other. They encouraged each other. Together, they were encouraged by the apostles’ teachings…which were the teachings of Jesus. They fellowshipped with one another…they hung out…they built each other up. Then they encouraged one another through communion…by remembering the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus… the act that saved them from their sins and eternity in hell. And they encouraged one another through prayer.
Those are things that we do too. We have the teachings of Jesus presented through sermons and Sunday School and Wednesday night prayer meetings. We fellowship with each other…just being here together…and the occasional pot luck that I know I enjoy. And we pray together during our services. …
But before we get too full of ourselves…how can we be better about encouraging one another as an act of discipling in the church? Well…going along with what we talked about a few minutes ago…the encouragement we give needs to be more than surface deep. It needs to be about more than just physical things. We need to encourage each other spiritually. And the prayer…we have our prayer before Sunday School…could more than the usual 3-4 people show up? Yes. The answer is yes.
*You see, it’s important that we encourage one another in every way so that we can remain strong. That’s what we read in Hebrews 10:24-25 which says: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” If we aren’t encouraging one another, then we run the risk of not meeting together with purpose at all. … Encouragement is a necessary part of discipling in the church.
**Which brings us to our last point for this morning. Discipling in the church means trusting our leaders, helping each other from straying, encouraging each other…and it means we care for believers and share with unbelievers.
We care for other believers physically, emotionally, and spiritually…and we share the gospel with those who have yet to come to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Continuing what we read in Acts 2, we see how they did this. In verses 43-47 it says that: “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone has he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
We need to be caring for each other as fellow believers. This is something we do well…but again…how might we improve? Or what areas of care for one another might we be leaving out? That’s why we’ve talked about helping each other stay on the path and encouraging one another spiritually…because that’s an important part of the care we provide each other.
Then…and we’ll get into this in the coming weeks…then we also share the gospel…the good news…what it means to be a part of the church and to live for Jesus and to be baptized and make disciples and teach them what his word says. … And…when that happens…the Lord will grow his church…just as he did back in Acts 2.
*But are we going to take the time to truly care for one another within the church? Are we going to share the gospel with those who come but have not yet given their lives over to God through his Son Jesus? That’s something we need to ask ourselves this morning.
****Because…as we’ve seen today…there’s value in the local church. We’re all part of a much bigger church that spans the globe, yes. But there is value in being Antioch Christian Church.
So are we going to treat it as the valuable part of the body that we are? Will we trust our leaders? Will we help keep one another from straying and encourage one another? Will we care for each other in every way…and share the gospel with unbelievers? It’s an important part of disciple making…discipling in the church. But if we aren’t going to do it…then there won’t be a church left to follow Jesus’ instruction to go into all the world and make disciples. So will we disciple here… now…with one another?
Invitation
