Course Title: Disciple-Making 101, Professor: The Apostle Paul Series

Course Title: Disciple-Making 101

Professor: The Apostle Paul

Acts 18

August 15, 2002

Intro:

A. [Finger of God]

An old deacon was leading in prayer using one of his stereotypical phrases, which was “Oh Lord, touch the unsaved with Thy finger.”

As he intoned this phrase in this particular prayer, he stopped short.

Other members came to his side and asked if he were ill.

“No,” he replied, “but something seemed to say to me, “Thou art the finger.”

1. It is true that Christ has called all of us into the ministry of leading others to Him.

2. Sometimes God will speak directly to someone like He did with this gentleman.

3. But all of us have the Words of Christ calling us into this ministry recorded for us in the Word of God.

B. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

1. It’s interesting as we read through the Bible that we never come across phrases like soul-winning or evangelism.

2. Although those are modern terms to describe the process of getting people saved, they are not found in the Bible.

3. Of course, getting people saved is an important thing that should be a priority of the church, but the truth is that conversion is only the first step.

4. When Jesus gave us this statement that we call, “The Great Commission,” what comes to our minds is getting people saved, but in actuality that is only part of what Jesus has commissioned us to do.

5. If we look closely at what Jesus really said, we see that there are three parts to this Great Commission…

a. First, Jesus said to go make disciples.

b. Second, He said to baptize them.

c. Third, he said to teach them to observe all things that He commanded us.

d. So go make disciples, baptize them, and continue to teach them everything Jesus commanded us.

e. We are not just to convert people.

f. We are not just to baptize people.

g. We are to disciple them.

h. We are to make disciples.

i. We get them to believe, we baptize them, and we continue to disciple them.

6. We often get confused into thinking that there were 12 disciples and may wonder how we could make a new apostle.

7. But there is a difference between apostles and disciples.

8. There were, in fact, many apostles—not just the twelve.

9. But Apostle is an office to which many are installed like elders and deacons.

10. However apostles is not what we’re talking about.

11. A disciple is anyone who is a follower of the prescribed teachings of the leader.

12. A disciple of Christ is anyone who is a follower of the teachings of Christ.

13. You and I are all disciples.

14. All apostles are disciples, but not all disciples are apostles.

15. So, according to what Jesus said, we aren’t finished when we get them saved.

16. Our real goal is to transform men and women and boys and girls into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

17. Christ has called us to go make disciples.

C. Today we are going to get an overview of the college course given by the apostle Paul in disciple making.

1. Today we are gong to look at Acts 18 and 2 Timothy 3 and get an overview of the course entitled: Disciple-Making 101 given by the instructor the apostle Paul.

2. Let’s begin by looking at the first four verses of Acts 18.

I. Paul made friends.

Acts 18:1-4 (NKJV) After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

A. Paul found a promising couple and began pouring himself into them.

1. Paul met a couple named Priscilla and Aquila.

2. Paul looked for ways to spend time with them.

3. Paul lived with and worked with these people.

4. Paul was a tent-maker by trade and so were Priscilla and Aquila.