The Biblical Basis For Discipleship Series

“THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR DISCIPLESHIP”

Matthew 9:35-10:4

FBCF – 1/9/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – The word “Why”, means “For what? For what reason, cause, or purpose?”

- Can be a one-word response to a statement or a request – “Can you stop by my office?” “Why?” Asking, “What’s the reason?”

- Take car to mechanic – “Why is my car making this noise?” “What the cause of this noise?”

- You’re asked to join an organization or group of some kind. Before you do, you ask, “Why was this group formed?” “What’s its purpose?”

Bible verses use the word “why”:

- Psalm 10:1 – “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

- Psalm 42:5 – “Why are you cast down, O my soul, & why are you in turmoil within me?”

- Matthew 14:31 – “Immediately Jesus reached out His hand & caught him. ‘You of little doubt,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?”

- Mark 15:34 – “At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out w/ a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Today, I want to ask WHY in a question for us to consider: WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO IN THIS CHURCH? What’s the reason, cause, or purpose for what we do? That’s what we want to answer today as we look at “The Biblical Basis for Discipleship.”

EXPLANATION – Matthew 9:35-10:4 (pg. 814)

Jesus had a 3-fold ministry while on earth: teaching, preaching, & healing (Matthew 9:35).

- Matthew 4:23 – “Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (CSB)

- Luke 6:17-18 - “And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.”

These 3 things that Jesus did in His ministry are the 3 basic things that Church does now.

- Preaching ministry – from the pulpit to “the multitudes” – personal preaching through witnessing

- Teaching ministry – Life Groups, various Bible study groups, one-on-one discipleship

- Healing ministry – through prayer, laying on of hands, anointing w/ oil. Also spiritual, emotional, & relational healing through pastoral care & counseling

How desperately we need to do these 3 things in our day w/ all the turmoil, trouble, uncertainty, unrest, despair, & deception that is happening in so many areas of our lives! We must preach, teach, & heal more intentionally, more courageously, more passionately, more frequently, & more tenaciously than ever before, which means that we need to be making disciples like never before!

As Jesus was going about His 3-fold ministry, He saw the crowds of people all around Him & He was moved w/ “compassion” (v. 36) – His heart went out to them – felt moved for them from deep w/in His heart. “That sympathetic compassion is unique to Christianity b/c it is unique to Christianity’s God” (John MacArthur). The reason He was so moved was b/c of their desperate condition – “harassed & helpless, like sheep w/out a shepherd.” Such a perfect description of the desperation of our world.

APPLICATION – The biblical basis for discipleship involves every Christ-follower in Great Commission work.

WHY question: Simple reason – Great Commission – People are lost & need Jesus, & we are called & commissioned to go. 3 components of that:

GOD’S GOT A PLAN – “Plan your work & work your plan.” God always has a plan & He has been working His plan since the beginning of time. Not a fickle, careless deity who just things in a random, haphazard way.

- Jeremiah 29:11-13

- Isaiah 46:11b – “What I have said that I will bring about; what I have planned, I will do.”

He had a plan for creation, a plan for redemption & salvation, a plan for His Church, & a plan for discipleship. Most know that plan as the Great Commission, our memory verse.

Bible also details God’s purpose for discipleship

- Spiritual growth - Peter Waldo, religious leader in 12th century: “Look to Jesus! Listen to Jesus! Learn of Jesus!”

- Sharing Christ

- Serving others

GOD USES PEOPLE – Last week’s message was “Win1 – Disciple 1”, challenging all of us to win 1 person to Christ this year & disciple 1 person in their walk w/ Christ this year. That’s the Great Commission boiled down to 4 words. For that Great Commission plan to work, He’s got to have some folks who are workers for Him. He could do it w/out us, but His plan is to use His people to accomplish His purposes. Jesus told His disciples to pray for workers to be sent out into the harvest field. He answers their prayers by calling the 12 disciples to embark on their mission (10:1).