A Call for Disciple-Makers

Amos 8:11-13

Amos 8:11-13“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. “In that day “the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst.”

Matthew Henry in his commentary stated that Amos 8:11-13 lays out “a token of God's highest displeasure. At any time…a famine of the word of God is the heaviest judgment.”

Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

There is no greater, more compelling imperative for spiritual growth and maturity than the fact that God wants to use you to reach the lost who matter so deeply to him.

Three Myths the Dock UsMyth #1: There is a difference between being a Christian and being a Disciple.

Myth #2: Salvation, not discipleship, was the work Christ came to complete.

Myth #3: If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time and haven’t grown in your faith, it’s too late.

Three Myths the Dock UsMyth #1: There is a difference between being a Christian and being a Disciple.

Myth #2: Salvation, not discipleship, was the work Christ came to complete.

Myth #3: If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time and haven’t grown in your faith, it’s too late.

“Discipleship isn’t a program or an event; it’s a way of life. It’s not for a limited time, but for our whole life. Discipleship isn’t for beginners alone; it’s for all believers for every day of their life. Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does; it is what the church does. It’s not just part of the advancement of God’s kingdom; the existence of serious disciples is the most important evidence of God’s work on earth. Without enough of these workers, the task languishes and the work remains incomplete.”

--Bill Hull, The Disciple-Making Pastor

“The common teaching is that a Christian is someone who by faith accepts Jesus as Savior, receives eternal life, and is safe and secure in the family of God; a disciple is a more serious Christian active in the practice of the spiritual disciplines and engaged in evangelizing and training others…”

“…But I must be blunt: I find no biblical evidence for a separation of Christian from disciple.”

--Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship

“Christianity without discipleship is ALWAYS Christianity without CHRIST.”

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the Cost of Discipleship

Three Myths the Dock UsMyth #1: There is a difference between being a Christian and being a Disciple.

Myth #2: Salvation, not discipleship, was the work Christ came to complete.

Myth #3: If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time and haven’t grown in your faith, it’s too late.

“In one recent nationwide survey we asked people to describe their goals in life. Almost nine of the ten adults describe themselves as ‘Christian’… But not one of the adults we interviewed said that their goal in life was to be a [disciple] or to make disciples.”

--George Barna, Christian Pollster

John 17:3-4, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

John 17:3-4, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…”

John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…”

“…because I am going to the Father.”

“Jesus aimed to start a movement which would reach the whole world. He had three years in which to do it. And He deliberately devoted Himself to twelve men… It occurred to me that such a strategy could not be improved upon.”

--Richard Halverson, Pastor and Teacher

Revelation 2:2-5, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary….

Revelation 2:2-5, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary….

…Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

Three Myths the Dock UsMyth #1: There is a difference between being a Christian and being a Disciple.

Myth #2: Salvation, not discipleship, was the work Christ came to complete.

Myth #3: If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time and haven’t grown in your faith, it’s too late.

Psalm 27:4, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the lord, and to seek him in his temple.”

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

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The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

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The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

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Establishing

The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

The Disciple

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Establishing

The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

The Disciple

Evan

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EstablishingEquip

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The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

The Disciple

The Laborer

Evan

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EstablishingEquip

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The Baseball Diamond Illustration

The Non-Believer

The New Believer

The Disciple

The Laborer

Evan

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EstablishingEquip

ping

Engaging