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Study 4: Commissioned Disciplemakers

(Mark 16:15-20)

‘Only a disciple can make a disciple’ – A.W. Tozer

In the first study ‘A Call to follow’ – we explored how  Mark BEGINS his Gospel by emphasising Jesus’ calling of the disciples. Do you notice how Mark also  finishes his Gospel with this emphasis of discipleship?

Mark 16:15-20 (MSG): ‘Then he said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all. Whoever believes and is baptised is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned. “These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.” Then the Master Jesus, after briefing them, was taken up to heaven, and he sat down beside God in the place of honor. And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.’

As disciples, we have been COMMISSIONED. A ‘commissioner’ choses partners to empower with authority to fulfill a specific purpose with their mandate and authority. Jesus commissioned His disciples, and two millennia later, we are partners in His co-mission. He commissions us. Being a disciple means implementing the victory Jesus won on the Cross, by making disciples.

Francis Chan says, ‘Proclaiming the gospel to a lost world cannot be just another activity to add to the church’s crowded agenda. It must be central to who we are. It forms our identity… making disciples is far more than a program. It is the mission of our lives. It defines us. A disciple is a disciple maker.’

Explore Together

Have three group members read out each of the following points and Bible verse – then discuss and share:

  1. Disciple making is God’s PLAN A – there is no ‘PLAN B’! – ‘Go and make’ is a command. For a Christian believer, it’s an imperative – and certainly not optional! When Jesus says, ‘Go’ – He does so with AUTHORITY and EXPECTATION.
  • Discuss: How are you ‘going’ and ‘making’ disciples? How well (or not so well) do you prioritise this command? Do you have confidence in ‘multiplying yourself’ into others?

 

  1. Making disciples reflects God’s creative-genius (Matthew 28:19-20) – By including the word ‘make’ (Ancient Greek: ‘mathéteuó / μαθητεύω’) Mark emphasises the connection of discipleship with God’s creative genius and activity; as well as alluding to the unique relationship between ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’. As ‘Creator’ we are created in His image; this creative trait is embedded deeply within us. This creativity, command and partnership in Mark’s opening chapter is also mirroring the beginning of Genesis – where God makes man in His image (Genesis 1:27), then commands him to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28). It’s no coincidence that He chooses to redeem the world by partnering with us in His ‘making’ mission.
  • Discuss: ‘Making’ is a creative, active, expressive, ‘labour of love’, and can be a project of both ‘agony and ecstasy’. How do you think of these describing words when it comes to disciple-making – have you thought of disciple making in this way?

 

  1. Disciple making is a relational journey (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8) – Discipleship is a relational journey of evangelising someone, introducing and leading them to Jesus, baptising them, all the while sharing life together and teaching them (directly, or by example).
  • Discuss: Take turns together sharing how you are (or could be) discipling someone – supporting them with faith-encouragement, guidance, and prayer. These can be both positive experiences, and situations where you have had setbacks in discipling others.

Further Questions

  • How have these studies helped you with your faith and disciple making?
  • Where do you need to reorient your life to take up Jesus’ command to ‘go and make’?
  • How can you apply and share what you have learnt with others at Church?

Pray Together

Lord, help me have a deeper understanding of Your heart for this lost world. Many people around me don’t know You and desperately need You. Help me to see with Jesus’ compassion, as He saw those ‘lost and without a shepherd’. Help me ‘go’ to the places in my life I haven’t yet travelled with my witness and words; to grow in boldness to share my faith more readily with others around me – and with encouraging and guiding those whom I can help grow in their faith with deeper maturity and intimacy with You. Amen.

Going Deeper

This week, share these resources with your connect group, so they can explore and take inspiration from:

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