Sermon or Lesson:  How Jesus Interacted With His Disciples, Part 12 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

Note:  The intent for this sermon or lesson is not to thoroughly explain the meanings of all of these passages and principles, but instead to summarize their meaning in order to bring them all together to support a unified theme.

TITLE:  Some Main Assignments To Be A Disciple

PASSAGES:  John 15:8,16; Matthew 28:18-20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTRO:  In most groups or organizations that have a goal they are working towards, there are functions or duties or tasks their members are expected or assigned to be working on.
     In the same way, being a “real” disciple of Jesus carries with it goal-oriented assignments that every disciple is expected to be working on.  Let’s look at some main assignments Jesus has for those of us who are His disciples.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Lesson Questions:
For each of these passages:
- - list each assignment cited for being a disciple,
- - summarize its meaning,
- - and briefly describe how it impacts an average believer.]

READ: John 15:8,16

SECTION POINT:  To be a disciple of Jesus, you are to be extensively doing the ministry work He has for you to do.

“bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be [His] disciples”:  (v.8)
- - “Bearing much fruit” signifies working to produce results useful for Jesus’ purposes often, in abundance, substantial, of good quality.
- - When you produce much good results in the ministry work God has for you to do, and thereby you are outwardly and visibly showing or proving yourself to be a real disciple of Jesus, God is glorified by you.

“I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last”:  (v.16)
- - Jesus has chosen you from amongst this world full of humans.
- - And He has given you an assignment to do ministry work for Him.
- - This ministry work by nature will have and retain its effect and value long-term - i.e. it will hold value eternally.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READ: Matthew 28:18-20

SECTION POINT:  To be a disciple of Jesus, you are to be in some way actively and continuously involved in the process of making other people into disciples of Jesus.

authorized by Jesus:  (v.18)
- - You have been given designation and authorization from the Supreme Being of the universe to accomplish the tasks He assigns you.
- - This designation and authorization additionally implies that God will supply support for you as you work on what He has authorized you to do.

to “go and make disciples of all nations":  (v.19)
- - A main assigned task is to actively reach out and connect with people in your vicinity and beyond, for the purpose of helping and training them to become an authentic disciple of Jesus.
- - This is a general goal or mission statement that every single believer disciple is to be busily and continuously engaged in contributing to in some way.

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”:  (v.19)
- - “Baptizing” involves making a public confession of one’s faith; therefore being an authentic disciple necessitates intentionally letting your faith be openly visible to everyone around you.
- - “Baptizing” is also a public declaration of one’s new allegiance to and membership in the Kingdom of God, specifically that of the “Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” - the 'triune' God.  ('triune' - three perfectly united as one)

“and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded you”:  (v.20)
- - A main element of the assignment is to pass on to the trainees all of the disciplines of the faith, to be learned and implemented with priority in their life.
- - Logically then, those persons doing the training need to be maturing in all aspects of the faith so that they can better teach the trainees.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIG IDEA:  Being an authentic disciple involves more than merely believing in Jesus, refraining from indulging in sinfulness, and meeting His qualification requirements.  Jesus has assigned that every authentic believer disciple is to be earnestly and consistently endeavoring to reach out to others and contributing to making them into productive appropriate disciples as well.  Failure to contribute to this in an ongoing tangible way is deficient from what Jesus is seeking and expects from His disciples.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPLICATIONS:

- - By nature, new believers do not possess the knowledge, understanding, training, or skills to properly engage in the activities for being a true fruit-bearing disciple.
- - By default and nature, new believers will not pursue gaining the knowledge, understanding, training, or skills to properly engage in the activities for being a true disciple unless someone spurs them on (Hebrews 10:24), provides opportunities, recruits them, encourages them, assists them, trains them, coaches them, and etc.
- - The process of an average believer picking up or absorbing these concepts with accompanying relating activities usually takes years or decades, resulting in much lost time that is essentially devoid of accomplishing what God wants for that believer.
- - Therefore, the process of transitioning new and average believers into fruit-bearing disciples is naturally essentially stagnant.  But, this process can be substantially accelerated in churches and ministries by implementing an active effective intentional disciple-making approach.  Additionally, the content of a disciple-making approach should primarily be application-al teaching on how to be a fruit-bearing disciple rather than primarily be social teaching on how to be a good Christian.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLICATIONS:

- - Are you in some way involved in or significantly contributing to the training of anyone to become a disciple?  How is that going?  Are you consistent, dependable, helpful?

- - If you are not significantly contributing in some way to the training of anyone to become a disciple, why is that?  What is hindering you?  (see Hebrews 12:1)

- - Is there something your pastor or ministry leader or church can do to assist you in getting significantly involved with them as they reach out and make disciples?  If so, can you let them know this week how they can assist you?
- - Perhaps, you need some more ministry training, or some spiritual counseling, or some coaching?
- - Or perhaps you need to do some serious soul-searching, and self-assessment, and repentance, and restructuring of priorities?
- - Or maybe you first need to become a true believer, like right now?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD‑ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyrights:
Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Copyright © 2015 Mel W. Coddington, and permission is hereby granted that this document may be used, copied, and distributed non-commercially to non-profit organizations, individuals, churches, ministries, and schools worldwide, provided the copies are distributed at no charge and retain this sources documentation as supplied herein. This document is not for sale, resale, or for use as a gift or premium to be offered in connection with solicitations or contributions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
File name: HowJesusInteractedWithHisDisciples12-SermonOrLesson.___ (.htm, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used: NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
Source: www.BelieverAssist.com