In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). I read a Southern Baptist book entitled A Passion for the Great Commission, and the main emphasis centered on evangelism; however, there’s actually more to Jesus’ command than just winning souls.
Like the authors of the book I read, Christians and churches alike can become hyper-focused on “fishing for souls” (evangelism), and forget the all-important task of “cleaning the fish,” which is called discipleship. In an article on “Missional Discipleship,” Jonathan Dodson correctly observes, “We’re called not merely to soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship.”(1) Distinctive discipleship – this is one of the purposes that Christ intended for His church.
Commentator Jon Tomlinson says, “In the [Great] Commission, the main verb, meaning ‘to make disciples,’ is critical to understanding the language of the Commission itself. It is much more than simply to proclaim. It does not mean to present or offer only a message, but rather to lead to a close personal relationship, modelled on the relationship between . . . Jesus and His own disciples.”(2)
He continues to tell us, “The verb [‘to make disciples’] means to turn converts and confessors of Jesus from among Jews and Gentiles into disciples, people walking the way of righteousness, trees bearing good fruit . . . Thus, according to Matthew, it is . . . evangelism through Christian education of each generation, learning the way of the kingdom at each state of life.”(3)
A huge part of Jesus’ Commission – and thus, part of the church’s mission – is to make disciples; and the Great Commission defines discipleship as teaching Christ’s commands (Matthew 28:20). This teaching, as we already know, was a crucial purpose demonstrated in the New Testament church, as “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine,” according to Acts 2:42; a doctrine that the apostles, no doubt, based on the teachings of Christ Himself.
We know that we’re supposed to be teaching people how to live according to Christ’s commands – both the seasoned veterans and new believers alike – but our message this morning will address the following two questions: “Where are we supposed to be doing this?” and “How are we supposed to be discipling others?” – as we look at making an effort to “Disciple on Purpose,” which is being intentional about growing people in their Christian faith and walk with the Lord.
Paul Taught in the Temple (Acts 20:17-21)
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Right here, we find the Apostle Paul addressing the elders of the church at Ephesus concerning his ministry efforts; and in verses 20-21, he spoke about his declaration of the gospel, and about how he preached both “publicly” and “from house to house” the message of repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. The first thing I want us to focus on is how Paul taught people “publicly” (v. 20).
So, where was this public teaching done? Back in Acts 2:42, we read that the believers “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine,” which speaks of teaching; and, according to Acts 2:46, their activities (among them being discipleship) were done “in the temple.” Acts 5:42 confirms this fact, saying this: “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” More than likely, Paul’s venue as he taught “publicly” was inside the temple. This tells us that part of our discipleship efforts must be done within an established meeting place, or what we know as a church building.
Here, in Acts chapter 20, Paul tells us a few things about his ministry and teaching. In verse 19, he testifies to having served among them in humility. So, humility is required as we seek to teach and lead others in Christlikeness. In verse 20, Paul says that he “kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it.” This means that we should share as much information from the Bible as is helpful; and since all of it’s helpful, this means that we must be driven to teach as often as possible, making sure we take advantage of every opportunity to disciple people while they’re still under our watchcare. In verse 21, we see the primary message that Paul taught; which is “repentance” and “faith.”
Jesus Taught in the Temple (Luke 2:46-47)
17 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
Paul isn’t the only one who taught in the temple. Jesus did too! When we look at the full account presented in Luke chapter 2, we read about how His parents went to the Passover feast held at Jerusalem, taking Jesus along; and when they departed, Jesus decided that He wasn’t going with them (vv. 41-43). His parents went an entire day’s journey before they even realized He was missing (v. 44). When Mary and Joseph finally returned to Jerusalem searching for Jesus, they found Him sitting in the temple with the teachers of the law, which was the Sanhedrim.
The principal leaders of the Sanhedrim at this time “were Hillell and Shammai, the one [being] the president, and the other [being the] vice president of the council; and Rabban Simeon, the son of Hillell, who succeeded him in his office.”(4) Jesus sat in a learning format with the greatest religious minds of His day. He sat among them listening intently, and making inquiry; however, He did more than just listen and question. Luke stated, “All who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers” (v. 47). So, Jesus also provided the leaders with “answers.” He intentionally sought to teach and disciple them. Where? In the temple; which, when applied to us is the church building.
So, let me ask, “What was His discipleship style? And what can we learn about Jesus’ ministry and teaching?” Well, we see that Jesus listened, asked questions (v. 46), and then answered them (v. 47). This is an ideal model for teaching. We need to first of all be willing to listen to another person’s heart, showing our genuine love and concern. Secondly, we should ask questions to invoke contemplation or introspective thought. And thirdly, we should teach the person what the Bible has to say about a certain topic.
The Church Taught in Homes (Acts 2:42, 46-47)
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers . . . 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
I have already touched on Acts chapter 2; however, we need to review these verses, in order to learn about another important venue for discipleship. Verse 42 says the believers “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine,” which speaks of teaching; and, according to verse 46, their activities (among them being the breaking of bread) were done “from house to house.” Teaching was probably done from house to house as well. Acts 5:42 confirms this fact, saying, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
In Acts 20:20, which we already read, we saw how Paul stated, “[I] taught you publicly and from house to house.” In addition to discipleship in the temple, the people of the early New Testament church also met in one another’s homes for teaching, and “the Lord added to the church daily” (v. 47) as a result. There were actually some congregations that met in homes on a full-time basis, which are called “house churches.” For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:19, we read, “Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” Meeting in homes is commonly done today as an extension of an already established local church through home Bible study groups, which are commonly called “life groups.” These groups are not meant to replace established churches; but rather, supplement the fellowship and discipleship.
The Disciples Taught in Homes (Luke 10:5-7)
5 But whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house.” 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
When Jesus’ disciples traveled around sharing the message of the kingdom, they were supposed to stay in the homes of the local countrymen. As they entered these homes, Jesus said that “your peace will rest upon it” (v. 6). He meant that they should stay in these homes sharing the gospel and teaching the Scripture; and when Jesus said, “Do not go from house to house” (v. 7), He meant they needed to “stay put” until their time there was completed, before they moved on to another house.
The disciples could only stay and teach in a home if they encountered a “son of peace” (v. 6). A son of peace is a welcoming individual who’s receptive to Christ’s evangelists and teachers. He will open his home to the teaching of the gospel, and he will be a key individual in meeting other prospects in the area.
Church planting theory says that once you become familiar with a “son of peace,” you can then have him introduce you to his friends; and after you become acquainted with the person’s friends, you can soon begin growing a home Bible study. In church planting, this technique is used to start a new church; however, this practice can also be used by an established congregation to start a home Bible study; which will in turn, bring new people into the church building for Sunday morning worship.
The main purpose of small groups is to build fellowship. Listen as I share an excerpt from an article written about the New Testament house church: “The house-church of the New Testament was a conducive setting for developing the kind of interpersonal family relationships demanded by [the] New Testament theology of community . . . The meetings of the New Testament church were meetings of families . . . Their meetings reflected intimacy not only with their heavenly Father, but also with each other.”(5) Rick Warren tells us, “We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves.”(6)
Allow me to share one more observation. Being that there were some full-time house churches; if a congregation, for some reason or another, lost its church building (i.e. tornado, fire), the Lord would not be disappointed if those believers came together still in either a house or some other venue. In fact, the Lord would expect it and be pleased with it!
Time of Reflection
So, this morning, we’ve learned a lot about “where” and “how” we should be teaching people. Both the apostle Paul and Jesus taught in the temple; which tells us, that part of our discipleship activities must be done within the church building. Paul’s teaching method was to approach others in humility; making sure to teach from all parts of the Bible; with his two main emphases being to lead people to faith in Christ (which is repentance) and to grow them in their daily walk with God (which is faith). Jesus’ teaching method was to listen to people, building trust through genuine love and concern; asking questions, in order to get them to start thinking; and then teaching people the words of the Scripture.
In addition to teaching in the temple, there was discipleship going on in people’s homes. Jesus’ own disciples and the believers in the early New Testament church taught from house to house. There were even some congregations that met as full-time house churches. This information tells us that part of our discipleship activities can be done in people’s homes, perhaps as home-group Bible studies or life groups; or perhaps even some other venue outside the church walls, such as a community center. Now, if a congregation is uncomfortable with this idea, then small groups can meet within the church building instead. The thing to remember is that the purpose of home Bible studies and church-based life groups is to promote fellowship and accountability within the body of Christ.
We must not forget that the main purpose of discipleship is to help people grow in their relationship with God and become more like Christ in all their choices and actions. In Ephesians 4:12-13, Paul writes about discipleship, saying that this is God’s will for every believer, “that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (NIV). Discipleship is all about making disciples, and developing people into fully committed followers of Christ.
Now, the first step to becoming a follower of Christ is to ask forgiveness for our sins and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord.
NOTES
(1) Jonathan Dodson, “Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commission,” Boundless: www.boundless.org/faith/2008/missional-discipleship-reinterpreting-the-great-commission (Accessed April 22, 2014).
(2) Jon C. Tomlinson, “The Great Commission: Discipleship and Followership,” Regent University: www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/innerresources/vol2iss1/tomlinson_discipline.pdf (Accessed April 22, 2014), p. 2.
(3) Ibid., p. 2.
(4) “John,” John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Bible Study Tools: www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-2-46.html (Accessed August 29, 2011).
(5) “The Advantages of the House Church Model,” taken from the Internet in December of 2005 at http://www.patriarch.com/church14.html. Editor’s Note: “This article is taken, with slight editing, from the NT Restoration Newsletter, August, 1991; 2752 Evans Dale Circle, Atlanta, GA 30340.”
(6) Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), p. 130.
