Setup:

There is a progression every Christian is invited into: Believer → Disciple → Disciple Maker.

Definitions:

• Believer: Someone who believes in Christ
• Disciple: Someone who has submitted their will to Christ, actually following Him and desiring to obey Him.
• Disciple Maker: Someone who helps others follow Jesus

The Reality: There are many believers, fewer disciples, and even fewer disciple makers. However, you can be a disciple maker.

Why don’t more people become disciple makers? Three reasons:

1. Reason 1: They don’t feel qualified
   1. They believe their life has to be perfect first, or that they need seminary or need to have it all figured out.
   2. This is not true; the moment you begin following Jesus, you can start participating.
   3. You don’t have to reach a certain age or certification. You just have to be one step ahead of somebody and willing to walk with them.
2. Reason 2: They don’t realize it’s their job
   1. They process Christianity as: the preacher preaches, the preacher does the work.
   2. They haven't gotten the revelation that Kingdom expansion is a team sport; we are all in this together.
3. Reason 3: They don’t know what it actually looks like
   1. The terminology has caused a loss of clarity, making the task feel big, vague, and undefined.
   2. This message will address all three of these barriers.

Bible:

Paul's Example

• Paul went all in on everything he believed, first on Judaism, then on Christ.
• He had mentors (Ananias, the apostles); he received before he gave.
• Paul’s best work was who he poured into: Titus, Silas, and Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:2 NLT “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

Did you catch it? Paul was asking Timothy to become a disciple maker. You heard me teach things (Timothy was a disciple), now teach these truths to other people (be a disciple maker). 

This verse shows four generations of discipleship: Paul → Timothy → faithful men → others

Generational discipleship is how you change the world. 

If everyone discipled one person a year, and that person did the same thing with someone else, within 35 years, every person on earth would be a disciple. 

Four Commitments of a Disciple Maker

1. Be a River, Not a Reservoir

• Paul told Timothy to pass it on.
• God is looking for CONDUIT! He wants to be able to pass something through you.
• Everything you receive, pass it on: your daily Bible reading, what you receive from sermons, what the Holy Spirit speaks to you, your faith..
• Bro. Roy and Gisela Heizer - Printed and gave to anyone who would take one! 
• The Dead Sea is a picture of a Christian who only receives (inlet, no outlet), becoming stagnant.

2. Get Your Hands on the Harvest

• Jesus used harvest metaphors a lot. 
  1. Matthew 9:37-38 — “The harvest is great, but the workers are few”.
  2. The harvest always represented people. 
• So... we are a team of harvesters. 
• Now imagine you’re in a field with a bunch of harvesters, and there is an urgency to get the harvest in. In a few days, the harvest could be lost if not in the barn. Then you look around, and there is a group of harvesters talking, and another group sitting on the ground staring in the sky, and another group arguing about something. If you were the foreman, what would you do?
• Growing up with siblings — we had a joke around the house
  1. When all the work was almost done somebody would show up, acting really anxious to help, knowing there was nothing left to do, never actually getting their hands on anything
• Do not be present, but not participating. Are your hands on the harvest?
• “Jonathan, you’re gonna have to grab a ‘holst to it”

3. Discipleship is Social

• We must all realize that discipleship comes from relationships. That’s how Jesus did it, and how it’s been successfully done for all church history. 
• TOGETHER → TIME → TEACHING → TACTICS
• There is simply no way to bypass being close to people and spending time with them. 
• Tension - We are living in an extraordinarily disconnected world. We can be in a room together, but want to pull out our phones. 
• You must prioritize gathering with other people; it is impossible to be antisocial and participate in discipleship.
• You cannot make disciples from a distance.

4. Start Right Where You Are

• The mission field is wherever you already are.
• Places to start:
  1. Marriage - Help your spouse follow Jesus
  2. Kids - Help your kids follow Jesus
  3. Friends - Help your friends follow Jesus
  4. Church family - Help your church follow Jesus
  5. Neighbors - Help your neighbors follow Jesus
• It comes down to a decision that YOU WILL BE A DISCIPLE MAKER! 

How?

Definition: Discipleship is simply helping others follow Jesus.

How to make disciples using the four core elements:

• God moments: Encourage them to take their next step.
• Spiritual rhythms: Encourage them in their daily rhythms.
• Spiritual relationships: Be present for them — unselfishly.
• Identity teaching: Use your words to build their identity in Christ.

Closing

Imagine a church where every believer is a disciple, and every disciple is a disciple maker.

• The more like Christ people become, the more like heaven earth becomes.
• We are literally bringing heaven to earth: one person at a time, one conversation at a time, one relationship at a time.
• I’m not asking you to START A CHURCH, PREACH A SERMON,I’m asking you a simple question, “Is there one person in your life who you could help follow Jesus?”

Salvation

• You must receive what you hope to pass on.
• The progression (Believer → Disciple → Disciple Maker) starts with a yes to Jesus.
• Call to action for salvation.