True Disciples: Understanding the Call to Discipleship [Mat 28:18-20]

Written By Adam Dragoon

Understanding the Call to Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20

Sermon Summary

As we embark on a new year, we are reminded of the importance of discipleship in our Christian journey. The theme for this year, "Decisions Make Disciples," calls us to reflect on the choices we make as followers of Christ. Discipleship is not merely about being busy with church activities; it is about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness. Just as a mule, despite its strength and hard work, cannot reproduce, we must ensure that our efforts in the church lead to the making of new disciples.

Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is a call to action for all believers. He has given us all authority to go and make disciples of all nations. This is not a suggestion but a commandment, a testament to His last will for us. Discipleship involves being a follower, a learner, and an imitator of Christ. It requires us to leave behind our old ways and fully commit to following Jesus, just as His first disciples did.

Being a disciple means being a student of Jesus, constantly learning and growing in our faith. It requires humility, recognizing that we do not know everything and that we must continually seek His wisdom and guidance. Moreover, discipleship is about imitation, striving to live like Christ in every aspect of our lives. This is why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, to empower us to become more like Him each day.

The church plays a crucial role in discipleship, not by saving souls, but by nurturing and guiding believers to grow in their faith. This involves a commitment to love one another, as Jesus commanded, and to work together in unity for the kingdom of God. Discipleship is a journey of surrender, where we lay down our desires and ambitions to follow Christ wholeheartedly.

As we move forward this year, let us embrace the call to discipleship with renewed vigor and dedication. Let us make decisions that align with God's will and purpose for our lives, knowing that true discipleship comes with a cost but is ultimately worth it because of the price Jesus paid for us.

“Discipleship involves being a follower, a learner, and an imitator of Christ.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:45] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[40:32] - Testimonies and Building Updates
[44:46] - Prayer for Comfort and Strength
[46:02] - Introduction to Discipleship
[47:20] - The Importance of Reproduction
[50:12] - The Great Commission
[50:59] - Authority and Purpose
[51:28] - Misconceptions of Church Growth
[53:28] - What is a Disciple?
[55:17] - Following Jesus
[57:36] - Personal Sacrifices
[59:00] - Continuous Learning
[01:02:20] - The Role of Humility
[01:07:13] - The Church's Role in Discipleship
[01:13:15] - The Cost of Discipleship

Key Takeaways

  1. Discipleship as Reproduction: Discipleship is about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness, not just hard work. Like mules, which cannot reproduce, we must ensure our efforts lead to making new disciples. This requires intentionality and focus on spiritual growth and multiplication. [47:20]

  2. The Great Commission: Jesus' command to make disciples is a testament to His last will for us. It is a call to action for all believers, emphasizing the importance of discipleship in fulfilling God's purpose. This involves going beyond mere church attendance to actively engaging in the mission of making disciples. [50:12]

  3. Being a Follower, Learner, and Imitator: Discipleship involves following Jesus, learning from Him, and imitating His life. It requires humility, recognizing our need for continual growth and transformation. This journey demands leaving behind old ways and fully committing to Christ. [55:17]

  4. The Role of the Church: The church plays a vital role in discipleship by nurturing and guiding believers. It is not about saving souls but about helping them grow in faith and become more like Christ. This involves a commitment to love and unity within the body of Christ. [01:07:13]

  5. The Cost of Discipleship: True discipleship comes with a cost, requiring us to forsake all for the sake of Christ. It involves surrendering our desires and ambitions to follow Him wholeheartedly. Despite the challenges, the journey is worth it because of the price Jesus paid for us. [01:13:15]

Bible Reading

  • Matthew 28:18-20: 'And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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.’

Observation Questions

  1. What is the significance of Jesus stating that "all authority has been given to me" in Matthew 28:18? How does this authority relate to the command to make disciples? [50:12]

  2. In the sermon, the pastor compares discipleship to the inability of mules to reproduce. What point is being made with this analogy? [46:02]

  3. According to the sermon, what are the three key aspects of being a disciple of Jesus? [55:17]

  4. How does the pastor describe the role of the church in the process of discipleship? [01:07:13]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why does the pastor emphasize that discipleship is not just about church activities but about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness? How does this perspective challenge common views of church involvement? [47:20]

  2. The sermon mentions that discipleship involves leaving behind old ways. What might this look like in a believer's life today? [55:17]

  3. How does the pastor interpret the cost of discipleship, and why is it considered worth it despite the challenges? [01:13:15]

  4. What does it mean to "abide" in Jesus' word, and how does this relate to being a true disciple? [01:07:13]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did it align with the call to discipleship as described in the sermon? What might you do differently next time? [44:46]

  2. The pastor talks about the importance of humility in discipleship. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with humility. What steps can you take to seek Jesus' wisdom and guidance in this area? [59:52]

  3. Consider the analogy of the mule. Are there areas in your spiritual life where you feel busy but not fruitful? How can you shift your focus towards spiritual reproduction? [46:02]

  4. The sermon emphasizes the role of the church in nurturing disciples. How can you contribute to this process within your church community? [01:07:13]

  5. The pastor mentions the cost of discipleship. What is one specific thing you might need to forsake to follow Jesus more closely? How can you begin to take steps in that direction? [01:13:15]

  6. Think about someone in your life who might be open to learning about Jesus. How can you intentionally engage them in a conversation about faith this week? [50:12]

  7. The sermon highlights the importance of love and unity within the church. How can you actively promote these values in your interactions with fellow believers? [01:08:41]

  • So I want to ask you to open up your Bible with me as we look into the Word of God again. We are beginning a new year with a theme called "Decisions Make Disciples." We started our new Sunday school just this morning at 9:45, and each week we're going to be studying a decision that is demanded from those who choose to follow Jesus.

    Throughout this next year, it will be a series of decisions that we want to encourage you that the Bible calls us to. This message, I want to set the theme and the thinking of this coming year as we take a turn into discipleship.

    You say, why is this so important, Pastor? What is the deal with discipleship? Well, how many here have ever seen a mule? A mule is not a horse. A mule is not a donkey. A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, okay?

    And mules have great strength. They are hard workers. Mules have done a lot of amazing things on the farm. They can carry supplies. They can plow fields. They can pull wagons. They can transport people. But one thing that's true about mules is that they cannot reproduce.

    You cannot have two mules that are not mules make a baby mule. They only come about as a process between mules, between horses and donkeys, rather. And they do not produce more like themselves.

    I believe this is an unfortunate consequence of the world that we're living in, specifically many churches in the world today that are full of hard workers, full of people laboring, full of people doing a lot of good things. And we congratulate the workers, the laborers. We thank God for people who put in work. They teach classes. They serve the physical needs. They clean. They cook. We outreach. We do many, many other things.

    But let us never become like the mule, unable to reproduce who we are. Discipleship is about reproduction. It's about spiritual fruitfulness. Jesus said, I will build my church. But he also said, go and make disciples. And that is the job that each and every one of us have before us this morning.

    I want to focus in a message I've titled "True Disciples." Matthew chapter 28. This familiar text as Jesus sends his church into the Great Commission. Matthew 28, verses 18 through 20. Let's read together.

    And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and 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.

    Let's pray. Lord, we're grateful for the opportunity another year to serve you. I'm praying, God, that you would help us to catch the vision that you have laid before us for discipleship, to make disciples, to teach the nations. And God, we're believing you today. Help us to be fruitful and effective for your kingdom. We give you glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, amen.

    True disciples. Let's look at this call to make disciples. This is such a critical part of the Christian life. And this is a very strong statement. As you know, last words are important.

    We have in our leadership something called a last will and testament. And what that is, is a legal document that will communicate your wishes and your desires upon the day that you die. It's essentially your last words, your last desires.

    In the scripture we read, this is a form of Jesus' last words to his disciples before he returns to heaven. These are our marching orders. This is our standing commandment. And that is to go and make disciples.

    Now, Jesus starts with a statement. He says, "All authority has been given to me." How much authority is that? All authority. In other words, there is no power that God has that Jesus does not have.

    Jesus has been given all authority in his resurrected condition. It seems right to God to put all power into the hands of his son, Jesus. All authority has been given to him. The work of the cross has sealed his position as the king of the universe. His death and his resurrection was enough to be glorified to the place of power and prominence.

    Jesus said in Revelation 1:17, "Do not be afraid. I am the first. I am the last. I am he who lives and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death."

    How much power does Jesus have? All power and all authority and all strength. There is no strength that the Father has that Jesus does not have. That's a lot of power. That's a lot of authority.

    My question I want you to think about: What does Jesus do with that authority? There's a lot of things that he could do. There's a lot of potential that he has. There's a lot of opportunities.

    But there's one thing that Jesus said that he was going to do with this powerful authority. He is not going to go and entertain the nations with great music. He's not going to go and fill buildings with smoke machines and fancy lights.

    This is a time when the church has thought that the way to build an audience is to become a place of entertainment. We'll just entertain people better than the world can, and that will draw people in. We'll stir up emotions. We'll make people feel good. We'll give them a little religious scratch for their itch.

    It's a generation of mega churches. And if you don't have a hundred people, then it's not going to be a good time. And if you don't have a hundred, it must be a failure.

    I want to tell you, Jesus is not interested in the huge crowds. In fact, sometimes Jesus made sure the crowd was smaller when there were those who were following him for the wrong reasons.

    Jesus could have used his authority and his power to do many wonderful things, to go build houses and send doctors and win favor and people be open to the gospel. And these are strategies that parachurch organizations have used over time, and none of these things are evil. But these are not the purpose, the point of the church of Jesus Christ.

    Jesus' words, his last will and testament, was this: I want you to take my authority that I have received from the Father. I'm giving it to you for one reason, and that is not to preach sermons, not to have big, large cathedrals, not to be popular. The strategy is this: Make disciples.

    This is the plan. This is the goal. This is what the church should be doing every day. Our focus is winning souls and making disciples. We can't save anybody. Is that true? Evangelism is us planting seeds. We should be involved in that.

    But when those seeds sprout, the church's goal, the church's desire, the church's purpose by the authority of the Lord Jesus is to make disciples. What's your focus this morning? What's your desire? If it is something else, then you've missed the desire of Jesus, his last will and testament.

    Acts chapter 6, verse 7 says that the word of God spread. And listen, the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and many of the priests were obedient to the faith. When the word of God spreads, discipleship should soon follow.

    So that brings up a very important question then: What is a disciple? What is a disciple? What do you mean? What does the Bible mean when we think about disciples?

    So the Jews in the first century that Jesus would be speaking to would have had a much better understanding of what it meant. The Greek word disciple normally means to follow a particular teacher or a religious philosophical school of thinking. It was the task of the disciple to learn, to study, and then pass along the sayings and the teachings of their teacher.

    In rabbinic Judaism, a disciple is one who is committed to the interpretations of scripture and the religious tradition given him by his rabbi or his teacher. And through a process of learning, through a process of following, through a process of understanding and revelation, they would set meetings and time for question and answer, instruction, repetition, memorization.

    A disciple is one devoted to the teachings of their teacher. Does that make sense, everybody?

    So what can we conclude? A true disciple, number one, is a follower. This is the first definition of what it means to be a disciple.

    When Jesus came to his first followers, isn't it amazing? We call them followers, right? What were the first words he said? He said, "Follow me."

    So our first way that we find to become disciples is to follow. Ten times Jesus commanded his disciples to follow him. Mark chapter 1, as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

    They immediately left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther from there, he saw James and John, his brother, who were in the boat mending their nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with hired servants and went after him.

    Again, our theme this year is "Decisions Make Disciples." I want you to see that we all, if we are serious about serving Jesus, the first call is this: follow him. Where is he going? I want to go there too.

    His call was for them to follow. And to follow Jesus means we're not following other things. Is that true?

    So some of us in this place, we made a decision to marry, right? When I was 19 years old, I married my wife, Taya. Isn't she beautiful over there?

    When I made the decision to marry Taya, there were a whole lot of other decisions that came along with that, right? That one decision means I am not pursuing any other women. And I have not been pursuing any other women for the entire time. That was a decision that I made.

    I'm following her. I'm following her needs; the needs of our home and our household. As a husband, as a father, that's what I am called to do. I'm not responsible for your house. I'm responsible for my house because I made that decision.

    To follow this purpose of my life means that I couldn't follow other things, right? There was a time in my life when I was struggling with the call to preach the gospel, to become a pastor. There was a time that I believed that this was God's will, but I was struggling about whether to do that or not.

    In order to follow the calling that was on my life, that means there were other things that I had to give up. There were other dreams and desires and careers that I could not do because I was following the will of God to where God was taking me.

    I want to say for every single one of you, the decision to follow Jesus means that there will be something to give up. For Simon and for Andrew, they gave up their nets. For James and John, sons of Zebedee, they left their father. It was very personal. They left their father mending the nets. That means the labor that they were doing now had to be put on somebody else.

    Can I ask you, are you following? What have you left behind to follow him? Following means we are leaving behind something.

    Some people, we enjoy the religion, we enjoy the songs, we enjoy the fellowship, we enjoy the preaching perhaps, but when it comes time to lay something down for the sake of the gospel, we become unwilling. That's not what disciples do. Disciples are followers.

    This is not just a one-time decision. Oh yeah, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, I decided. No, it is an ongoing decision. I am following him, and sometimes he doesn't go where I want him to go. Sometimes I have to subvert my will for his. I have to give up my desires for his. That's what it means to be a follower, a disciple.

    Are we actively leaving our nets, our boats, our father, like James and John did, to follow Jesus?

    The second thing we learn about the gospel is that they are learners. This is the most basic definition of the word disciple. Someone who is a learner. Maybe a better word is a student.

    So a disciple is a follower. A disciple is a student. In other words, he is studying. He is learning. He is gaining information, but more than just information, revelation.

    Do you know what you need in order to learn something? Now we're going to talk about the Bible. Do you know what you need in order to learn something? In other words, you need to learn something: humility. You have to understand that you don't know everything.

    Have you figured it out yet? In fact, I think the longer I live, the more I figure out how little I know. There are things that we know that we don't know. There are also things that we don't know that we don't know.

    And the purpose, the point of this is for all of us to figure out this morning that we still have things to learn from Jesus. Is that true?

    Which one of us has figured it all out? Anybody here? Have you reached the pinnacle of achievement of knowing all that there is to know from Jesus? Of course not.

    No matter how long you've been saved, either five minutes or five decades, we still need to learn from him. And guess what? Sometimes we need to relearn a few things because we'll learn them and then forget them. And God has to teach us again.

    So a disciple has to stay in the position of humility, which says, I am still learning. I am still gaining. I am still trying to understand. I haven't figured it all out.

    When we reach that point, when you are the smartest person in the room, say, I've got it. Yeah, I've heard that one before. You reach a point where you cannot learn, and that is not what disciples do.

    Matthew 10, verse 24, a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. When the church begins to critique and criticize the methods and the teachings of Jesus, we are no longer able to learn.

    He is still our master. He is still our Savior. He is still our Lord, and he is still our teacher. I want to tell you, we are not only learning from the Word of God, from the pastor, from the sermons, from the teachings, from YouTube. We are learning from Jesus.

    That is the mark of a disciple. There would be times when Jesus would set aside simply to teach, to simply begin to unveil revelation to his disciples. They would sit at his feet and listen.

    That story of Mary and Martha, where Jesus was at their house in Bethany. And he's teaching, and the wisdom of God is pouring out through him to the disciples. And Mary has chosen to sit at his feet and hear his teaching.

    Martha, she's busy with all the household chores. She's cooking and cleaning and being the hostess with the mostess. And there are some of us in here that tend to be more like Martha. If I'm busy, that means I'm doing something for God.

    But just because we're busy doesn't mean we're doing God's work, and doesn't mean that we're disciples. Jesus said that Mary has chosen the better part. Mary has chosen to be a disciple, a learner.

    Martha, why don't you come leave the dishes? The dishes can be done later. Come sit and hear what I have to say. Can you hear that this morning? The call to continue your journey of learning.

    The third thing a disciple is... is an imitator. A disciple is a follower, a learner, and an imitator. It is said that if you want to have success in any field, you should find someone who is already successful and then make yourself like them.

    If you get hired at a new job, what you should do is look for the best employee who's doing your job, figure out how they do it, and then make yourself like them. If you get hired at a new job, what you should do is look for the best employee who's doing your job, figure out how they do it, and repeat their success.

    Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Don't try to start over from scratch. If you want to be a good chef, maybe you're baking cakes. Well, you should do a search of Virginia Beach and find the best cake shop in Virginia Beach and go observe.

    Say, I'm not here to take anything from you. I just want to see what has made you successful. How do you do this? I want to observe. I want to see what has made you successful.

    Now, I would say it again and try to make yourself like them to fail with you really. Volunteer my time. Young people, it's a great opportunity. You want to learn how to do a certain job. You look up on Google, Virginia Beach, and find the top-rated place that is doing what you want to do. Go offer to be a volunteer and see what it is that makes those people successful.

    As you do that, you will learn what they do, and so you will learn how to be successful yourself if you imitate. Too often, the church is trying to recreate the methods, trying to supplant what Jesus taught us.

    Disciples are not just called to learn and to follow, but to be like Him. Is that true? Again, Luke 6:40, a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

    Jesus is encouraging us to be like Him. Isn't that the definition of what it means to be a Christian? It means to be like Christ, to live the way He lived, to speak the way He spoke, to think the way He thought, to treat people the way He treated people, to love what He loved and hate what He hated.

    This is the definition of what it means to be a Christian. This is why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, by the way, because in our own strength and in our own ability, we cannot do this.

    But by the power of His Spirit, He enables us each and every day to become more and more like Him. That is discipleship. Discipleship is a work of the church.

    We saw this in the movie last night. Thank God that He saves us. Thank God He sets us free. There are things that only God can do. We're not trying to take that place. The church cannot save people. The church cannot reform the heart, the inner man.

    But what are we called to do? When the Bible said, when Jesus says to us, "You go and make disciples," what does that mean? It means that we, as the church, we have a part to play in the discipleship of others.

    We have a part to play. We have a part to play in the discipleship of others. When it comes to submitting and surrendering our lives to others around us, together we are seeking with one accord to do the will of God.

    And this is all in a work of love. This is not a power play. This is not politics. This is not one person having authority over another. This is servanthood.

    I, as a pastor, my job is to equip you to do what God has called you to do, to reproduce. I don't just want a bunch of busy robots doing church business. I want disciples of Jesus, and I want my life to be a blessing to you in that way.

    Jesus taught in John chapter 8. He said, "If you abide," John 8:30, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed." It's a whole interesting thought here that we don't have time for, but the word abide means to rest in or to make your home in.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Adam Dragoon
Previous

Why Plant?: Planting Seeds of Faith for Kingdom Growth [Acts 13:2-3]
Next

The Need for Warriors: Training disciples for Kingdom rescue [Genesis 14:14-16]