Title: Making Disciples
Text: Acts 2:41-47
All this month we have been looking at discipleship. Jesus said “We were to go into all the world and make disciples!” (Matthew 28:19). In fact Jesus never said we were to make anything other than disciples! He never said go into the world and build churches.He never said go into the world and start ministries. He never said to go into the world and start schools. He said go into all the world and make disciples!
Now in order to make something you first need to have an idea of what it is supposed to look like when it is finished. So we started out this series finding out what a disciple is supposed to look like. Jesus said a disciple is supposed to be someone who is committed to Him, competent, a person of character and be a person of conviction. In other words a disciple is a committed, competent follower of Christ who has character and conviction!
Now that we know what a disciple is supposed to look like the next step is to ask ourselves; "How are you supposed to make a disciple?" Where do you look to find the answer?
I believer we just have to look in the Book of Acts.
In Acts 2:41-47 we find the pattern that the disciples used to make other disciples.
“Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer. 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 as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread together 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 numbers daily those who were being saved.”
Here is a 3 step process for making disciples.
Step 1. They taught those who had just been saved the Spiritual disciplines
"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (v42)
The disciples began the discipleship process by first teaching the people the spiritual disciplines. We are told that they taught them the scriptures, they taught them about prayer,they taught them about the importance of fellowship and they taught them the meaning of the Lord’s Supper
What an original idea! Where did the disciples come up with this idea of making disciples through first teaching people the spiritual disciples?
My theory: We know that the apostle Peter was married. Being married he probably had children. Children often like to play sports; like soccer. Peter takes Pete Jr to his first soccer practice. He asks the coach “What does my son need to do in order to make it as a soccer player?" That coach knew the answer! Because he hears that same question from every other dad. The coach tells Peter; "We always start by teaching the kids the basics". We start by teaching them to dribble,…to shoot, …to pass! Peter never forgot that advice! You always start by teaching the basics!
Years later 3000 people get saved- How in the world are we going to make them into disciples?
Peter says "Let’s start by teaching them the basics (the spiritual disciples)"
That’s the Children’s church version!
The truth is ….
Jesus told them to start the disciple making process by first teaching the spiritual disciplines!
In Matthew 28:19-20 “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
They already baptized them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So what do we do next? Peter takes out his Bible and reads Matthew 28:20. What did Jesus command us to do after we baptize them?
“…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Baptize first and teach next! Teach them what? Teach them to obey what I have commanded you to do! What have I commanded you to do?
The Disciples have a little meeting…
1.Jesus commanded us to remain in my word! So we definitely need to teach the Scriptures. What else did Jesus command us to do?
2. He commanded us to love one another! We definitely need to teach on fellowship!
What else did he command us to do?
3. He commanded us to remember his death! We definitely need to teach on “the breaking of bread.”
What else did he command us to do?
4. He commanded us to pray about everything. He said “ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.” We definitely need to teach on prayer!
So they taught on the scriptures, they taught on fellowship, they taught on the breaking of bread
and they taught on prayer!
Yet they remembered that Jesus said ”teach them to obey what I have commanded you.”
The key word is obey…
They not only taught the people the spiritual disciples; they taught the people how to practice the spiritual disciples for themselves!
"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer."
They didn’t just hear teaching on the Bible…They studied it for themselves
They didn’t just hear teaching on fellowship..They fellowshipped!
They didn’t just hear teaching on prayer…They prayed!
All 3000 of them!
How did the disciples get all 3000 people to devote themselves to practicing the spiritual disciplines?
Step 2. They showed all the people what God could do when we devote ourselves to practicing the spiritual disciplines!
“Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” (v43)
Why does it say that many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles?
Why doesn’t it say that many wonders and miraculous signs were done by GOD?
Maybe God wanted to show the people what He could do through those who practiced what they preached!
Why are we supposed to devote ourselves to scripture?
Why are we supposed to devote ourselves to fellowship?
Why are we supposed to devote ourselves to the breaking of bread?
Why are we supposed to devote ourselves to prayer?
Is it because we can check a list off?
Answer: So that God can do miracles through us!
illustration: The Song "History Maker"
Is it true today that when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and queens will shake
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you
Is it true today that when people pray
We'll see dead men rise
And the blind set free
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you
I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into your arms, into your arms again
Into your arms, into your arms again
Well it's true today that when people stand
With the fire of God, and the truth in hand
We'll see miracles, we'll see angels sing
We'll see broken hearts making history
Yes it's true and I believe it
Are signs and wonders only for the New Testament era? Can God still do signs and wonders through his people today? Yes He does If we devote ourselves to the practice of the spiritual disciplines!
I’m going to pray and not give up until God answers and does a miracle! I’m going to study God’s word until I know all the promises God has for me!
Step 3. Every day the believers were given many opportunities to put into practice what they had learnt.
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need .Every day they continued to meet 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.” (v44-47)
First of all we are told
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need.
This is powerful when you compare this verse with the previous verse where we are told "Many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles." We are not told what those miracles were, but we do know from this verse what miracle wasn’t done by the apostles…the meeting of financial needs!
God wanted to use another way for meeting financial needs!
He wanted the believers to put into practice what they had learnt!
We learnt we should love one another! Let me sell something I have so that you can have something you need!
It would be easier to just let God take care of it!
They meet in each others homes…breaking bread! Where did they get that from?
They were practicing what they had been taught! The disciples were making disciples before their eyes!
And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved!
Why? So they would never run out of opportunities to practice what they had learned!
All this because they devoted themselves to the practice of the spiritual disciples!
Conclusion
How are we doing with the spiritual disciplines?
Do we as a church need to do a better job teaching people how to practice the spiritual disciplines?
How many of our members are devoting themselves to the study of the scriptures?
How many of our members are devoting themselves to fellowship?
How many of our members are devoting themselves to the breaking of bread and prayer?
How many disciples are we really making?
