R527 Making Disciples

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and his message making disciples. As we study God's word mother were connecting right now on our website@twonline.org is the place to find resources like a new book control Stanley of the book about Dr. Billy Graham and it's all online and GW online.org or Don Wilton. I'm going to invite you take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to Matthew's gospel in chapter 28. I want to encourage each one to have a copy of God's word in front of you, Matthew chapter 28.

One of the most important questions we could ever ask of ourselves is, do we know why we exist. I think one of the things I appreciate about Scott's is that the scouting program across America and around the world helps young people to come to grips with why they exist is a great sense of purpose in what they do. The values that they are told and the principles upon which they stand, would serve them right throughout life. I think it's also true to say that there are many times when people find themselves a different walks in life and they end up not knowing why they exist now.

That happens to me there are times in my life that I wake up in the morning will they'll be something going on in my life and and it will diminish my sense of purpose say to myself now what in the world am I doing, why am I here what do I need to do while I am here sense of purpose is very, very, very important and it's no less important for the local church and for believers such as human made today that we know who we all and we understand why we exist. It's no less important for First Baptist Church as it would be for any evangelical church with the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is uplifted and held high. What we believe ourselves about ourselves is going to govern how we behave not listen to me friends.

If you have a weak theology you gonna have a weak lifestyle that will follow. If you are weak in your belief about who God is.

You gonna have a problem translating that into the exercise of your life. No different when it comes to the church if we are we in our sense of purpose. We are going to be weak in our sense of ministry and when again to be weak in understanding why we are here. We got to be multiweek in understanding what it is that we supposed to do while we're here.

The church is not just a place to catch whatever goes a church is not a group of people who just data kind of satisfy an addiction that occurs from time to time I church and God's church is therefore a specific purpose and God's place to stay.

You will remember in the first two messages.

The first one I preached on the church exists in our case first Baptist Spartanburg exist. Why does the church exist the second Sunday which was three weeks ago I preached on glorifying God. What is it mean to glorify God. What is our purpose when it comes to glorifying God. Now, this morning going to get into an incredible subject, making disciples I want you to look with me in Matthew chapter 28 and I'm going to begin reading at verse 18. Before we read this I want to tell you something. This statement that Jesus made must've been very, very, very important hydraulic is one of the lost occasions.

Jesus said anything. I remember a couple of months ago several months ago, a man who was very desperately ill.

I was visiting him in hospital. Actually, I wasn't visiting him. He wasn't a member of our church. I was visiting people in hospital and these family saw me there and they all asked me if I would come in and have a word of prayer. When I walked into his room. He announced to his family and they must've been 25 crammed in that hospital room. He said I need to control the doctor will open by myself and saw there was a general evacuation. Everybody laughed and I sat right next to him right next to his bed and he turned to me and he said some things to me that I'll never forget. He began to share things from his heart to know what he was telling me he was telling me his purpose for life because he knew that he had very limited time infected pasta way that not going to be the Lord with the Lord.

He was a fine Christian man and what he was telling me in those last few moments. He knew that he was about to die and he said to me pasta. I wanted tell you something, and he began to talk to me and I knew it was important because I knew that the man was very ill and he was about to parse on to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 28 folks.

We call this the great commission, but it was so important because it was one of the lost opportunities that Jesus had to say anything to those people that he loved so let's hear what he said. Verse 18 then Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me by the way, at this point in our Jesus is about to do.

Jesus is about to take that authority all authority in that power. And he's about to hand over.

He's about to commission all believers to carry on the work for which he carried the purpose for which Jesus Christ came to this earth.

He is about to hand that over. He's about to posses blessing his mental basic what he say he said in verse 19. Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even unto the very in of the age by the Lord writing his word upon our hearts. I want us to look from God's word this morning at this issue of making disciples not to submit to you today my friends that we as a church, as believers, as individuals who love Jesus Christ, we cannot ever make disciples. If we don't understand three things. Number one, we must understand what discipleship is. We believe that God has called us with the express purpose of doing three things and yeah they are seemly not gain understand making disciples it, we don't understand what discipleship is. God is called us according these were to do three things. Discipleship means three things number one it means salvation evangelism, salvation, evangelism, what is salvation. Salvation is knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior salvation. Evangelism has to do with people who brought to Christ Jesus.

That's the most profound involvement that you and I could ever have upon the face of the earth.

We need to understand that when Jesus said I want you to go and make disciples. He was trying to help us to understand the biblical mandate for discipleship and the biblical mandate for discipleship is in three equal parts number one salvation evangelism friends.

We need to get out into the highways and byways of our world and our community to introduce people to the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to know that I have been brought to Christ. I am a born again believer I have been born once by my parents are being born class of the spirit of the living God. And I'm only gonna die once because I'm gonna die physically.

I am someone who has become a recipient of salvation evangelism. I have come to love Jesus Christ. To love is life eternal, and I want to introduce you to the Lord Jesus Christ and by I want you to know him.

That's the beginning point. It's not the end points about the middle point. It's the beginning point. It's the start of everything you snow Jesus Christ and I want you to know that Jesus Christ loves you with all of these are any God for you and he gave his life for you any wants you to belong to him. That's what discipleship means.

It means number one salvation evangelism friends at First Baptist Church we need up all our heart and soul and everything that we have in reaching those who are not here yet. You see chart doesn't exist for those of us who are here church exists for those who are not here. Number two. The second component of what a disciple is is discipleship, evangelism, first of all, salvation evangelism, that's when you come to know Christ. People brought to Christ, discipleship, evangelism, people who belong to Christ not want to listen to if you today can say pasta before God. I know the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have reprinted of my sin. What is that mean means that I've acknowledged my sin not confessed my sin to Jesus Christ. I have trusted my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you've done that, you know that now you might say to me, will foster this alarm that are not owned, is yes and I'm saying to you today. If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ and you know it.

Raise your hand this morning, thank you. Put your hands down. I brought an announcement to make.

If you raise your hand. You are the soccer you are a disciple. A disciple is someone who is endeavoring to follow Jesus Christ to do what Jesus said to behave like Jesus beehives to talk like Jesus talks to minister like the Lord Jesus, you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and we will never understand what it means to make disciples.

If we don't understand what discipleship means discipleship means salvation, evangelism, people being brought to Christ. Discipleship means discipleship, evangelism of those who have given their lives to Christ with folks there is 1/3 component of discipleship and that is disciple making evangelism. You see friend evangelism is incomplete until the evangelized become the evangelists. What is God called us to do.

When Jesus said I want you to go in all the world and make disciples does what Jesus was say the site number one I want you to be about the business of leading people to Christ. Number two I want you to be about the business of discipleship, evangelism, which means I want you to be about the business of cultivating those who are in Christ. Number three I want you to have a clear-cut goal in mind and that is disciple making evangelism.

I want you to be about the business of cultivating disciples to the point at which they themselves become disciple makers they themselves are teaching others they themselves are leading others to the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't mind telling you this, one of the absolute greatest joys I have in this church is seeing the number of disciples who are becoming disciple makers, folks, not everybody in this church is a disciple maker. There are many hundreds of you who are disciples and I thank God for you, but you are still growing to the point at which you become disciple makers you have not matured in the faith you going to say to me pasta will how do I become a disciple maker. What do I need to do you doing it right now you're in God's house is studying God's word. Jesus said, make disciples, Jesus Messiah, and I want you to be about the mandate of discipleship. Please forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of today's message from Dr. Wilton in just a moment, but he wants to remind you we are here for you to pray with you keyboard keyboard on our website@twonline.org that's TEW online.org like to call our prayer lines available 24 hours today at 86689 that's 866-899-WORD 9673 now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton and I want to give you an imperative.

I want you to go out and deliberately make this I do not mean folks, it means literally what God is saying to me, as you will foster said I need to come to God's people in contrast and I need a look and I need to say to you, it is not good enough just to go to church on Sunday is not good enough just to go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings and I'm glad you do, you must submit also on going small group discipleship so that you can grow and you can be and you can been in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ wants you to be number two, number two, we never again understand we cannot make disciples.

Unless we understand what a disciple is a folks listen carefully number one we had to understand what discipleship is number two.

We need understand what a disciple is not talking about all the hundreds upon hundreds raise their hands. Just a moment ago you raise your hand. Your desire according to your client.

Who are you ready for this. I disciple is one who has a personal testimony-personal testimony you going to say to me pasta all nonruminant if I have to have a personal testimony.

What is a personal testimony and how do I know what a personal testimony is a personal testimony has three components to it. You can write this down. You want to know this morning whether or not your disciple.

You gonna be able to write these three things down number one. The first component of a personal testimony what you were before Jesus Christ came into your heart.

Can you testify to that what you were before Jesus Christ came in your heart Bible says all of us of sin outside of Jesus Christ. We are lost.

No semblance of righteousness in us, whatsoever we are unforgiving we have no eternal destiny. We all lost in our sinfulness frame. Do you understand what you were in your condition before Jesus Christ came into your heart. That's the first and foremost part of your personal testimony. That's what will determine whether or not you're a disciple number two second component what you did in order to meet Jesus Christ.

That's the middle part of your testimony, your disciple, you gotta testimony the second part of your testimony is what you do in order to meet Jesus Christ. Now listen carefully. There is nothing that you can do in order to come to know Christ because Christ has already done everything that needs to be done. When he died upon the cross in order that I might know him.

The Bible says there are certain things that I need to do in order to receive him, what I need to reprint of myosin. What is repentance me.

Repentance means three things, one that I'm willing to acknowledge myosin have you acknowledge us and number two I'm willing to confess that some of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you confessed your son to the Lord Jesus Christ yes or no number three. I'm willing to place my trust in Jesus and receive him into my heart. You place your trust in Jesus and receive them in your heart. You see friends. That is what you and I do in order to receive Jesus in acts chapter 3 and verse 19 we read repayment and then we convert to in order that all sins may be blotted so there's the second part of your testimony number one.

Who are you, what will you before Jesus came in your heart. Number two. What are you doing order to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. Number three. Garrett is one of you be, since Jesus came in your heart. What are you becoming present continuous stance folks listen to me, that's why I'm not a whole disciples are disciple makers because they have not grown in the Lord will they stay where they are they all stagnant. The Bible says my friends that if I am a disciple of Christ.

I am someone who has a spiritual testimony.

I can testify to what I was outside of Glasscock and testified what I did in order to meet Christ. And I certainly can testify on what I am becoming.

Since I met the Lord Jesus Christ Lord Joy floods my soul Jesus came into my heart. I had a wife in our congregation. I don't mind telling you she probably wouldn't even mind know what he came to me a couple weeks ago and she had tears running down her cheeks and she said to me pasta. She said I'm so glad that my husband gave his heart to Jesus Christ.

I said I am to. She said you would not believe the man I have in my home to the he is just different. He's different.

He's got a different attitude.

He's different for the children. He's in different were he just is different. They sought to enjoy Annie's heart and in his life. You know what she was telling me she was saying to me, pasta testimony, my husband's daughter testimony. He used to be like this is what happened when he accepted Jesus since Jesus enter his children when daddy is joy in our hearts and in our lives and that love that some of you may need to do an acid test right now. Turn your wives and let them tell you where the ready… Do that right now is an acid test is all right.

So Jesus said something dirty.

Jesus and I want you to going all the world and make disciples. Now it's put this to the test. Okay, what would you do if I suddenly changed all the rooms this morning and I'm not leaving.

By the way, and I was to come up back here somewhere, and I was to say all of those of you that raise your hand. Some of you to know I was so good. Looking back at the but if I was to come all the way back here and I was to go up to anyone of you could raise your hand and say to you what you just stand up and share word of testimony of folks you know I'm not going to do that to you on a Sunday morning. I know some of you are not public speakers and you not necessarily would want to get up and speak like I do and all those things and I would never embarrass you. But listen to what I'm asking you to die if I was to just jump over some of these peers inside.

Excuse me but you raise your hand a minute ago you said your disciple.

You have a testimony. What's a testimony. Testimony means that I can talk about what I was before Jesus came into my heart. It means that I can talk about how I came to know the Lord Jesus. Even though I might not know all my theology and my doctor now might get all mixed up. It doesn't matter, but I can talk about it, and most importantly, I can tell you that since Jesus came into my heart.

I've never been the same again. I'm a different person.

I'm not a perfect person.

Folks, let's let's not confuse this you not a perfect person you are not different. The Bible says in second Corinthians 5 and 17 therefore if anyone is in Christ Jesus you become a brand-new person. All things are pasta, wire, and behold, all things are become brand-new. So Jesus right there at the end of his ministry turns to his disciples and he says going all the world and make disciples what they mean well will never know what he means is we don't understand what discipleship is salvation, evangelism and discipleship, evangelism, and disciple making. Evangelism will never understand it if we don't understand what a disciple is a disciple someone has a personal testimony. Some of you might say to me will pasta.

How do I know if I'm a disciple if I know the Lord, you have a testimony if you don't have a testimony means that something is wrong and that means you need to go back to basics you need to go back to the book you need to go back later. The foot of the cross and say Lord something was wrong picture. I want to see clueless because I want to know that I know that I know that I know the Lord Jesus Christ but friend, there's 1/3 component to understanding discipleship. We need to understand what a disciple looks like what a disciple looks like. I guess where we come to where the water hits the wheel. This is this is the tough part. Folks if we this church believe that our mission is to make disciples.

What is the product that we looking for what is God looking for what is the disciple maker look for God to give you list your and I'm going to tell you there are hundreds of us disciples we we are trying to get. How do we get there we submit ourselves to the preaching and teaching of the word of God we sign up and get involved in small groups.

You not going to do it without it folks.

I'm just going to tell you now, you are not going to do it just coming to church on Sunday morning. That's very important, but that's just the beginning. You're not going to do unless you submit yourself to the systematic that's like saying to school.

Listen, I'm going to let you get educated but you don't need to go to school during the week for 10 years. Are you listening folks. We got to get you educated but you can just die at home with mom and dad we not even gonna homeschool you. We just gonna let you catch it. You don't have to go to school at 8 o'clock on Monday morning through Friday and you don't have to go through all these grades and type this folks, when it comes to the church. We look at God's word and we say God tells us to make disciples, but we are not willing to go to school in order to get when God wants us to go we say well look will just hang around for a while and try and capture frames. There are too many of us who are hanging around trying to catch something that God has given us a mandate about what we need to do so. What is a disciple of Clark well let me give you some things to think about number one the disciple is someone who loves the house of God. Number two. A disciple is someone who gravitates toward the people of God that we talking about the disciple maker someone who is growing from a disciple to a disciple maker someone who is maturing in the faith. A disciple my friend is someone who gravitates toward the people of God disciple is someone who hungers for the power and presence of God number four I disciple is someone who shares his faith in God number five. We strive to do the will of God. A disciple is someone who strives to do the will of God. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now they are gone. I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today.

I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my in Jesus name. My friend welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new made a decision praying along with Dr. Wilton while ago to give your life to Christ to rededicate your life. We have free resources. We want you to have if you call us at 86689 that's 866-899-WORD 9673 or meet us@twonline.org for your find great resources like this Encouraging Word fail phrases will start at six dollars that's right six dollars online tewonline.org enlarging the store located at the top of the pains appreciate your support in The Encouraging Word in February 20 ministry thinking for listening today at times gone to David Bristow connecting and sharing more great insight on line at tewonline.org G that's tewonline.org a large