Be A Disciple Who Makes Disciples

Sermon for CATM - Being and Making Disciples - The Way of Jesus # 6 - February 18, 2024

We have been looking at the Markers of the Way of Jesus

What are the first 5 markers of the way of Jesus that we have been looking at?

I have begun..following Jesus...and am depending on the Spirit of Jesus in my journey.

I am being...sent by Jesus to...bless others and invite them to follow Him.

I am becoming...like Jesus in my...attitudes, behaviours, and character.

I am learning...to love God and love...others.

I am learning the...teachings of Jesus.

And today’s Marker is this: I am helping someone and someone is helping me to be a reproducing follower of Jesus.

Today, the Way of Jesus marker we will look at is: “I am helping someone and someone is helping me to be a reproducing follower of Jesus”.

You might ask, how is this, why is this a part of the Way of Jesus. And you may wonder about the word “reproducing”.

Well, let me explain. Jesus gave the church, which is all believers, the Great Commission:

In Matthew 28, after His crucifixion and His resurrection, Jesus is talking to his disciples and he says: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We’re called to “go”. We’re called to “make disciples”. What’s a disciple? A student of Jesus, a follower of Jesus.

A Disciple is one who has a desire to learn from His Master.

A Disciple is a committed learner - One that attaches himself to a given teacher.

The original word was used first of those that learned a trade under a master teacher.

If you wanted to become a craftsman in a certain trade in Biblical times you would apprentice yourself under the discipline and instruction of a master craftsman of that trade. You would copy, mimic the actions and attitude of the master.

There can be a difference between being a student and being a disciple.

A student may learn things from his teacher, but not fully believe those teachings. Whereas a disciple fully believes and acts upon those teachings.

The teacher and writer Soren Kierkegaard once said “To become an ‘admirer of Jesus’ is much easier than to become a follower.”

There are many admirers of Jesus. There are many who profess to believe in Jesus. That’s a very good thing. But it is critical for all believers to become actual followers of Jesus.

We are not called to be fans of Jesus we are not called to be People who are in name only Christians. We are called to actually follow Jesus.

A Christian leader told the story of what happened while he was driving in a rural area in Russia. He saw on the road ahead of him two shepherds who came together in the middle of the road with their herds of sheep.

They had 300 sheep between them that all became one group. He had to wait as the shepherds talked.

Finally, he wondered how would they ever separate all those sheep? But as the one shepherd was leaving, in a low voice he bade his sheep come. The two groups separated instantly and went their ways.

And Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

In the movie Karate Kid, young Daniel asks Mister Miagi (Mee-A-GEE) to teach him karate.

Miagi agrees under one condition: Daniel must submit totally to his instruction and never question his methods. Daniel shows up the next day eager to learn.

To Daniel’s chagrin, Mister Miagi has him paint a fence. Miagi demonstrates the precise motion for the job: up and down, up and down. Daniel takes days to finish the job.

Next, Miagi has him scrub the deck using a prescribed stroke. Again the job takes days. Daniel wonders, What does this have to do with karate? but he says nothing.

Next, Miagi tells Daniel to wash and wax three weather-beaten cars and again prescribes the motion.

Finally, Daniel reaches his limit: "I thought you were going to teach me karate, but all you have done is have me do your unwanted chores!"

Daniel has broken Miagi’s one condition, and the old man’s face pulses with anger.

"I have been teaching you karate! Defend yourself!" Miagi thrusts his arm at Daniel, who instinctively defends himself with an arm motion exactly like that used in one of his chores.

Miagi unleashes a vicious kick, and again Daniel averts the blow with a motion used in his chores.