INTERACTION
- To what extent was I able to put the last lesson into practice?
- What challenges me?
- Who did I tell about Jesus?
STUDY:
Goal: You recognize the importance of Jesus' multiplicative mandate and that God personally wants to use you to save other people.
📖 Matthew 28, 16-20
Questions:
- Why is this text so important?
- What is Jesus saying here?
- To whom does this command apply?
📖 Acts 1,1-8
Questions:
- What will we be in the whole world?
- How do I share my testimony of Jesus, and who will help me do that?
At the very end of his life, Paul writes the following to his disciple, whom he had trained:
📖 2 Timothy2,1-2
Questions:
- What does that mean specifically?
- Who trains you to be a disciple maker?
- Who can you train to be a disciple maker?
For further study:
Here I explain the basis for discipleship based on Matthew 28:18-20:
Jesus is risen and now speaks to the disciples. The first thing Jesus says is that he now has all power. Jesus officially begins his reign as king. He speaks about his power as king. He then concludes with a promise. He makes this promise as King, namely: He will always be with them, because he is present and not absent. In between, Jesus announces his intention as King. This commission is therefore embedded in the reign of the king, because it stands between the word of power and the promise.
The commision includes four verbs:
- Πορευθέντες (porevthéntes): to go away,
- Μαθητεύσατε (mathetévsate): to make disciples,
- Βαπτίζοντες (baptízontes): to baptize,
- Διδάσκοντες (didáskontes): to teach.
Interestingly, the verb "to make disciples" is in the imperative mood. The other three verbs are participles, which describe the verb in the imperative mood more precisely. In other words, Jesus is telling the disciples to make disciples by going, by baptizing and by teaching them what Jesus has done and said. This is the mission that we still have today! Nothing else is as crucial as making others his followers! To do this, we have to set out, leave our comfort zones and our familiar surroundings and go away. As we know, I can't go away if I stay at home and keep still. Going is part of Jesus' mission and will. Going can mean that someone goes to their neighbor, goes to their family, goes to the city, goes to another place or to another country. In this, as in Jesus' other commissions, it is never about being in one place, building big houses and inviting others there. A follower of Jesus is on the move and "goes" or is not faithful to the commission. Can it sometimes be uncomfortable? Yes. Can it sometimes be exhausting? Yes. But a king's mission is not about me, but about the mission and the king himself.
When we walk, we meet people who want to respond to Jesus' invitation. They also want to follow him. This conversion is radical and is expressed in baptism. Everyone who follows Jesus and makes disciples is empowered and authorized to baptize others. Baptism is not about becoming a member of an organization. Rather, in baptism we die together with Jesus and rise with him to a new life (Romans 6:3-7). Something radically new begins in people's lives when they are baptized. Baptism does not take place at the end of a successful and holy life, but at the beginning of following Jesus.
However, no disciple is made by simply being baptized. The point is not that someone has already reached their goal. Rather, discipleship continues and everyone should now be taught what Jesus did and said in order to be able to do the same. The word "didáskontes" is often translated as "to teach". Unfortunately, "teach" implies something wrong; that someone simply receives information. But the meaning of the word is to teach or train so that the "student" can do something. So it is not about knowing, but about actively doing. Every follower is trained to do the same as Jesus did, by going again himself, baptizing and teaching others what he has learned and put into practice. For this reason, it is crucial to study Jesus' life and commands carefully and teach them to others. "A disciple of Jesus produces new disciples of Jesus. It's that simple to understand." (Schindler 2010:35).
The goal of Jesus' commission is therefore multiplicative discipleship. People like you and me who follow Jesus are called to go and call others to repentance. We are now to baptize those who also want to follow Jesus and teach them EVERYTHING that Jesus said and did so that they will do this again and also go.
What is your next step now?
WIN
Just as you have come to faith in Jesus yourself, you can now win your friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. to faith in Jesus Christ by spending time with them, praying for them, telling them your story and about Jesus.
You can work through the first section "Becoming a disciple" with your friends and then baptize them.
BUILD UP
You strengthen the young faith of your friends by showing them your faith and allowing them to see into your life. Together, you can study the "BUILD UP" section.
TRAIN
Invest in your "disciples". The best way to do this is to form a small group with them. Train them in life as followers of Jesus. Motivate them to study and implement the "Train" section with you so that they can continue to grow.
SEND
Instruct your "disciples" to set up their own group and help them to do so. The section "Send" serves as preparation for this.
Who are you specifically discipling?
ACTION STEP
- Who specifically are you discipling?
- What is your next step now?
- When is the next time we meet?