Making Disciples

 

Making Disciples

 

Making disciples starts with being a disciple! We must be disciples of JESUS, John 8:31, “Then JESUS said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.’”

James 1:25-27 “But he who looks into the Perfect Law of Liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Work, this one will be Blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before GOD and The Father it this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

 

Luke 14:25-27 “Now great multitudes where with Him and He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone come to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’”

 

It is clear that being a disciple of JESUS takes 100 percent of our life, so before we can disciple any new believer we must be a disciple of JESUS. Matthew 16:24-27; Mark 8:34-38; Study Proverbs 3.

 

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for Righteousness’ sake. For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

2 Timothy 3:12-17 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in CHRIST JESUS will suffer persecution…But you must continue in the things you have learned…All Scripture is given by Inspiration of GOD…that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

So before making disciples we must be a disciple of JESUS, we must study The Bible regularly, we must pray without ceasing, we must fast to know GOD (not to just get answers or things) regularly, Isaiah 58 “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression…’Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls and You take no notice?’…Is this not the fast I have chosen: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?...If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and a spring of water whose waters do not fail…Then you shall delight yourself in The LORD…” Fasting is not about us it is about GOD!

 

Once we have a strong, committed walk with GOD then we can begin to disciple others into The Kingdom. Some will be eager and desire to learn and grow in the SPIRIT and The Word, but some will be slow or even lazy, they are distracted by the cares of the world and living a happy life. Matthew 8:18-22; 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

 

We must be one step ahead of those we are discipling, we must seek GOD’s SPIRIT, Who JESUS said would be our councilor and teacher. He will quicken our understanding of The Bible so that we can explain it to others. The more you read and study The Bible the more you will understand it and recognize when it is being misquoted and misinterpreted. John 14:15-17, John 16:5-15; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Timothy 4.

 

We must teach truth when others are teaching lies, we must not teach doctrines of men over The Bible:

Hear and keep GOD’s Word! Luke 11:27-28

Humility! Luke 18:9-14; Matthew 6:1-4

Prayer! Matthew 6:5-8

Fasting! Matthew 6:16-18

Forgiveness! Matthew 6:12, 14-15

Tithing! Matthew 23:23

Rulers! Matthew 20:25-28

Sabbath! Mark 2:23-28

 

So to make disciples we must be discipled; by someone more mature in GOD’s Word and by GOD’s SPIRIT!

But, ultimately we will stand before GOD and be judged for what we do and say, not what others do and teach. Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 7:1-2, 13-14, 15-20, 21-23; 12:33-37.

 

To make disciples of JESUS we must be a disciple of JESUS! Proverbs 11:14, 30 “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety…The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” Matthew 28:16-20 (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, 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.” Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see The Day approaching.”