TEACHER TO TEACHER
One of my early mentors in the art of teaching was fond of saying, “review, review, review.” He knew that people learn new material by associating it with previously learned information. In other words, previously learned information provides us a “hook” upon which we can hang the hat of new material. So, let’s take a moment to briefly review some important “hat hooks” from lessons six and seven.
I stated in Lesson Six that the Apostles could have understood the Great Commission to “make disciples” only in light of (1) the way they themselves became disciples of Christ and (2) the example and teachings of Jesus.
The Apostles all were invited into discipleship with Jesus. Sometimes we say they were called to be His disciples. We discovered that Jesus used a welcoming invitation to His disciples rather than an authoritative command. Then we observed that the Apostles grew as they committed to follow Jesus and they “identified with Him, learned from Him, and lived with Him.” We concluded with the reminder that the Great Commission points us to invite others simultaneously into relationship with Jesus and into the fellowship of believers—the Body of Christ. And finally, as members of the Body, we invite them to learn to become spiritual mothers and fathers.
In Lesson Seven we reviewed several “famous invitations” and concluded:
1. Disciples who can truthfully testify to life-changing experiences with Jesus have the authority and power of Christ to compellingly invite others into discipleship with Him.
2. We need not be learned defenders of the doctrine of salvation to extend simple invitations.
3. Christian disciples bear the responsibility of inviting people from many different spheres of influence into relationship with Christ, beginning with their “Jerusalem,” which can be considered their family.
4. When people are introduced to Jesus and determine to become His disciple, they experience spiritual transformation.
Since the way Jesus went about making disciples certainly would have contributed to the way the Apostles understood the Great Commission, in this lesson I challenge you to view Jesus as the quintessential disciple-maker. He seemed to have a “recipe” or process for doing what He asked the Apostles and us to do— make disciples. I propose that there are six “basic ingredients” in His recipe: intersection, involvement, intercession, invitation, inclusion, and instruction.
Our learning objective for Lesson Eight is simple: Bible Fellowship members understand the six ingredients in Jesus’ recipe for making disciples and can recite them from memory by the end of the session.
In Lesson Nine, we will discuss how each of the “ingredients” is applied at Casas.
STUDYING THE WORD TOGETHER
M y wife, Lana, has fun telling people that she thought when she married me, she was marrying a cook. She thought that she was marrying a cook because I told her I enjoyed cooking. For some reason she interpreted “I enjoy cooking” to mean that she could expect me to cook several meals a week. Of course, that hasn’t happened. Lana is a great cook. Often when we sit down for dinner she will say, “This is an I wonder-if-this-would-be-good-together.” She also frequently makes up new recipes, saying “I’ve never made this, this way before, but….” I am amazed that she can do that. I do enjoy cooking occasionally, but I need a recipe. I have a couple of favorite cookbooks. One contains recipes from all over the world for preparing barbeque sauces and meat rubs, as well as instructions for grilling vegetables. Another is a collection of recipes written by my parents’ friends from their hometown in Texas. I remember some of the contributing “chefs.” Making dishes from these recipes transports me to another wonderful time and place.
As we study the Gospels, we discover what we might consider a “recipe” for making disciples. The ingredients in the recipe are really disciple-making activities. Before we talk about them, let’s expand our view of Jesus by thinking of Him as a “chef” of sorts, willing to share His recipes with us.
I believe the Gospels show us that Jesus was the quintessential discipler. He taught the crowds (Mark 10:1) from which He called and developed His disciples (Matt 4:19). What He publicly taught the crowds (Mark 4:2), He privately interpreted for His disciples (Matt 13:10-23). His disciples observed Him and assisted Him while He ministered (Matt 14:13-21). He sent them out to practice what they had learned from His example and then debriefed them when they returned, to further instruct and focus them (Luke 10:1-20). Finally, Jesus prepared His Apostles to do even greater things than He did (John 14:12). The foremost discipler made disciples of His followers and then commissioned them to make more disciples (Matt 28:18-20).
I am certain that the Holy Spirit inspired the Gospel writers to include in their record of Jesus’ ministry some of these accounts, so that in our time we would have His “recipe” for making disciples. This lesson is about the ingredients—the disciple-making activities—in His “recipe.” We will rely upon key points from previous lessons to define six disciple-making activities. So in some respects, this lesson will feel like review. What is new here is the discovery of the systemic nature of the relationship between the activities that we will review.
RECIPE FOR MAKING DISCIPLES
There are six disciple-making activities or “basic ingredients” in Jesus’ recipe:
1. Intersection
2. Involvement
3. Intercession
4. Invitation
5. Inclusion
6. Instruction
If we employ these six disciple-making activities, we can expect good results.
Intersection
You will recall from Lesson 6 that in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), Jesus issued one primary command to His Apostles: “Make disciples.” You also will remember that this primary command was accompanied by three secondary imperatives expressed with participles, the first of which is “while you are going.” When we combined these two commands, we were left with “While you are going, make disciples.”
In this section we’ll see that Jesus crossed paths with many people as He was going from place to place. At each intersection where His path crossed the theirs, He ministered to them, inviting them to believe in Him and become His disciple.
We know that Jesus constantly was “going.” He was often among the people to whom He had been sent by His Father. It is somewhat difficult to depict Jesus’ ministry both chronologically and geographically. Thus I have selected two maps 1
to illustrate Jesus’ frequent “goings” on a north-south axis between Caesarea Philippi and Jerusalem. The table below reflects how Jesus “intersected” with others as He was “going” from place to place.
Involvement
When Jesus crossed paths with others, He often found ways to “enter their world”—to become caringly involved in their lives in a way that demonstrated both His care for them and His interest in their lives. For example, Christ identified with those of His disciples who were fishermen by demonstrating an understanding of and an interest in their vocation.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20)
Jesus often entered into people’s worlds by socializing with them and their friends. For instance, after calling Matthew, He attended a party at his house.
As he walked along, he saw Levi [Matthew] son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Mark 2:14-15)
Christ became caringly involved in peoples’ lives by reaching out to them at points of:
♦ Pain
♦ Struggle
♦ Failure
For example, He ministered to Martha and Mary as they experienced painful grief following the death of their brother Lazarus (John 11:1-43). He freed two Gadarenes who had struggled for many years with demonic oppression (Matt 8:28-34). He reached out to Thomas in his unbelief to help him believe (John 20:27). He comforted and restored an adulterous woman who failed to keep the Law (John 8:2-12).
Involvement for Jesus meant finding ways of identifying with people; socializing with people; and ministering to people at points of pain, struggle, or failure.
Intercession
While we don’t know specifically how Jesus interceded for those whom God would give Him (John 17:6), we can imagine, based upon His own statements about His conversations with the Father, that He interceded for them at each step in their discipleship process. For example, recall that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees regarding His work:
“…I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)
I imagine that Jesus prayed about all whom He was to invite into fellowship and how He was to issue the invitation. We know for certain that He prayed all night before calling the Twelve to be His Apostles (Luke 6:12-13).
Jesus interceded for His disciples as they were growing in their devotion to both Himself and the Father. For example, shortly before His arrest and Peter’s subsequent denials, Jesus said to him, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).
Prior to His arrest, Jesus interceded for the followers who had been with Him in the upper room.
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word… I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours…My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one…Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:6, 9, 15, 17-19)
Then Jesus prayed for those who would become Christ-followers as a result of the Apostles’ work of “making disciples.” This, of course, includes us. He said:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Don’t miss the main point here. Because Scripture reveals to us Jesus’ compassionate heart and because we have record of the kinds of prayers He prayed, we reasonably can assume that He interceded for those whom God would give Him before ever inviting them to follow Him.
Invitation
We discussed “invitations” in both Lesson 6 and Lesson 7 of the study series. In Lesson Six we defined three distinct invitations: Believers invite others:
♦ Into relationship with Christ
♦ Into the fellowship of the Body of
Christ—the local church
♦ Through fellowship with other
believers, to learn to become
spiritual mothers and fathers
In Lesson 7 we witnessed Jesus extending invitations to people to follow Him as His disciple. He invited them into relationship with Himself and the Father. We learned that He extended invitations to a diverse group of people. He invited fishermen, a tax collector, and a zealous revolutionary. He numbered both men and women in His group followers. He invited the rich and the poor to be His disciples
We also learned that the call into discipleship often was extended with warm, non-threatening words of invitation like “Come,” “Come and see,” and “Follow me.” In addition, we observed that those who answered Jesus’ call to discipleship were forever changed.
Inclusion
My brother and I greatly enjoyed bringing our friends home. There always seemed to be plenty of food to share around the dinner table and Mom and Dad exerted extra effort to make our friends feel welcomed. Sometimes we would bring friends to our family holiday celebrations. After the family gathering, my brother or I often would hear our friends telling our parents things like, “Thanks for including me in your celebration. I felt very much that I belonged here. I can’t believe that I felt so much like a member of your family.” Many of our acquaintances moved from our circle of casual friends to our circle of more intimate friends. A few actually became “family.”
That’s inclusion—helping people feel that they belong in our midst or helping them feel like part of our circle of friends or a member of our family. The bottomline secret to helping people feel included is wrapped up in one word: acceptance.
I believe that many became followers of Christ because of His willingness to accept without condemnation. Many were startled by His love! Think about Zacchaeus. Like Matthew, he was a despised and dishonest tax collector. He was a short little man accustomed to ridicule and rejection. When Jesus entered Jericho, His path intersected with that of Zacchaeus. Look what happened.
Jesus entered Jericho…A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus… a chief tax collector and…wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he…climbed a…tree to see him…. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus , come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people…began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the
Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)
What a powerful word picture! Zacchaeus was so startled by the acceptance he received from Christ that he immediately repented and became a follower of Christ.
John tells a similar story of a an adulteress, caught in an act of sexual immorality and taken to Jesus, expecting condemnation. I think she was surprised by His acceptance of her. Look at what He said to her:
“…Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave
your life of sin.” (John 8:10-11)
Many have speculated that this woman became a follower of Christ. Jesus ministered acceptance rather than condemnation or judgment. I can understand why she would want to become part of the group that followed Him, particularly after she heard the very next thing He said:
“…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Instruction
Almost no one takes issue with the statement that Jesus was a great teacher. Many who do not believe that He was the Son of God acknowledge that He was a wise teacher. This section is devoted
not to what Jesus taught or the techniques He used when He taught. Rather, it addresses His “classrooms” or disciple making venues of choice. We find one venue mentioned 127 times in the Gospels: “crowds.” Jesus taught the crowds who gathered on a hillside and along the shores. The crowds flocked to Jesus for healing and teaching. We can think of the crowds as Christ’s large group venue for making disciples. Green and McKnight say:
As he taught and preached to them, individuals were moved to faith and began to serve Jesus as Lord (Matt 8:18-21; 17:14-15; 19:16-22).
Out of this neutral group referred to as the “crowd” came both disciples and opponents of Jesus. Making disciples from among the crowd was the object of Jesus’ ministry in Israel (Matt 9:35-38).
The people in the crowds did not experience much of an intimate relationship with Jesus. In the larger groups like the 5000+ (Matt 14:21) we can assume that most did not even know one another. Jesus also ministered to presumably smaller crowds in the synagogues (Matt 9:35-38). Here He “made disciples” by participating in the normal worship services:
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of fastened on him, and he began by everyone in the synagogue were Notes saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21).
Jesus’ teaching in the synagogues also resulted in people following Him (Luke 4:33-37).
In addition to the “crowds,” Luke tells us that Jesus had “many followers” (Luke 6:13). This venue or group may have exceeded more than a hundred people. We certainly know that Jesus appointed 72 from this group to go ahead of Him into the towns and villages where He wanted to preach (Luke 10:1). Included in this group of “many followers” were several women who apparently traveled with Jesus. The people in this disciple-making venue had met the two basic requirements of discipleship: they had counted the cost and paid the price. Most apparently were using their own funds to help support the costs of travel (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus obviously invested more of Himself in these disciples than He invested in the crowds. Finally, we know that “many” in this group turned back to their former way of life and no longer followed Him (John 6:66).
We also know that from the “many followers” venue discussed above, Jesus called out twelve specific men to be “with Him” as Apostles for further training in disciple-making. For the sake of discussion, let’s call this disciple-making venue the Twelve. Let’s review this passage about them from Mark:
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles— that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3:13-19)
Jesus designated the Twelve to be Apostles—ambassadors to be sent out on behalf of one having authority. He appointed them for a reason. How many reasons do you count? I see three:
♦ To be with Him (v. 14)
♦ To be sent out to preach (v. 14)
♦ To be sent our to take authority
over demons (v. 15)
Too often we overlook the phrase “that they might be with Him.” I am convinced that it is a very significant phrase. The word with in verse 14 is a Greek preposition in the genitive case and is properly understood to denote accompaniment. The Twelve now were to accompany Jesus at all times in order to be prepared by the Master for the work He had chosen for them. This marks a deepening level of trust on Jesus’ part and an increased level of commitment on the part of the Twelve. While the Twelve were “with” Jesus He continued to instruct them (Matt 11:1).
A still smaller disciple-making venue is depicted in the Gospels and it is composed of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. This group often is called the Inner Circle by commentators and scholars. As part of their development as disciples and Apostles they experienced things with Christ that the others from the group of twelve apparently did not. This inner circle accompanied Jesus on special occasions such as the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37 par.) and the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2 par.); they were the audience of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:3)…and [they] were with Jesus during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37 par.).
The diagram below shows each of the above-mentioned venues in which Jesus developed or “made” His disciples.
Many authors have extrapolated methods of outreach or methods for grouping people in the church from this view of Jesus’ disciple-making venues. For our purposes, we shall simply conclude three things:
1. Jesus developed disciples within “community.” The relationships that existed between those in the community of disciples were essential to the growth of each individual. The smaller and more intimate the community (venue) became, the more He revealed of Himself and the Father.
2. It seems apparent that some began their discipleship with Jesus while in the outer venues and progressively moved toward the innermost venues as they counted the cost of discipleship and became willing to pay the price.
3. Not everyone who initially identified themselves as followers remained with Him after counting the costs of discipleship.
APPLICATION IDEAS AND QUESTIONS
When teaching the Bible, we look for transcendent truths to impart and transferable principles to apply. This lesson has been about the latter—six principles Jesus applied in His own ministry of disciple-making. These applied principles (disciple-making activities) include:
♦ Intersection
♦ Involvement
♦ Intercession
♦ Invitation
♦ Inclusion
♦ Instruction
Jesus was deliberate in making disciples as He was “going.” He was an itinerate preacher whose path crossed the paths of many others. His life intersected theirs. And when it did, He compassionately ministered to them and invited them to become His followers.
He often established relationships with those He met by becoming caringly involved in their lives by ministering to them at their points of pain, struggle, or failure. Because of His caring involvement and intercession for them, many accepted His invitation to discipleship. Those who did accept His invitation were included without prejudice or partiality into Jesus’ discipleship community. They were welcomed both by Christ and by the others in the community of disciples. New disciples were instructed both by Jesus and by the more experienced disciples. In this way, they became more fully committed to Christ as Lord.
The questions that we must ask ourselves at this point can be Notes all collectively as the Body of Christ we call Casas.
1. As we are “going,” are we compassionately aware of those around us who need Christ?
2. Are we making an effort to become caringly involved in the lives of those we know who need Christ—involved at their points of pain, struggle, or failure?
3. Are we regularly interceding for those we know who need Christ?
4. Are we simply and persistently inviting those with whom we are caringly involved and for whom we are interceding to “come and see?”
5. As they “come and see,” are we accepting them and including them in our circles of Christian fellowship?
6. As we include them in our fellowship, are we helping them become spiritual children, spiritual young men and women, and then spiritual mothers and fathers?
These questions are worthy of serious consideration.
Jesus used Capernaum as His “base of operations” for His Galilean ministry. He made two tours or circuits through the region before moving south to the region around Palestine. The tours seem to have been divided by sending out of the Twelve on their first missionary journey.
Some scholars believe that He had a private dwelling in Capernaum. Others think that Peter’s family provided Him a room in their home. No one knows for sure. The material that follows was extracted from The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands. It will give you some insight into why Jesus may have chosen Capernaum as a base for His itinerate ministry.
Jesus’ Base of Operations
When Jesus emerged from the wilderness, having successfully undergone a period of temptation (Matt 4:1-11), He established the headquarters of His Galilean ministry along the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee at the city of Capernaum… . Though un-walled and small of size, the Capernaum of Jesus’ day was nevertheless a prosperous fishing village. This Jewel of the Sea of Galilee was located on the border between the domains of Herod Antipas and Philip the tetrarch, and so it had a customs station. Perhaps it was from such duties there that Matthew was called by the Lord (Mark 2:13-14), just as from the same vicinity He called Andrew and Peter from their fishing profession to become fishers of men (Matt 4:18-20). The archaeological remains exhumed from Capernaum have been impressive indeed. These include a synagogue that measures some 65 feet in length. Apparently dating from the third Christian century, the two-storied limestone basilica structure had a gable roof and galleries on three sides for women; benches for the synagogue hierarchy were built into the side walls, and a fountain for ceremonial washings was found in an adjacent portico. The synagogue faces south—in the direction of Jerusalem. The walls of the synagogue galleries were adorned with elaborate ornamentation. Decorations consisted of a frieze picturing a carriage, which is widely interpreted as a depiction of the ark of the law, similar to the Ark of the Covenant. Medallions of leaves encircling various floral and geometric patterns (including the swastika, bunches of grapes, pomegranates, and so forth) also adorned the walls. Immediately to the south of the synagogue has been found an octagonal building now defined as a fifth century church built over the supposed remains of the apostle Peter’s home (cf. Matt 8:14; Luke 4:38).
Scholars often express puzzlement over Jesus’ choice of Capernaum. Did He come to base His ministry in Capernaum because it was not a thoroughly Jewish city? Or did He settle there because this was where His message was readily welcomed? There is undoubtedly a measure of truth in both these ideas, and both differentiated Capernaum from Nazareth, although Christ seems not to have ministered much to the Gentiles of Galilee. But we suggest, moreover, that His reasons for choosing Capernaum may have included geography. Occupied as early as the Early Bronze Age, Capernaum rested astride the international artery of trade (Great Trunk Road) that ultimately linked Egypt and Mesopotamia .
Unlike the sleepy, obscure village of Nazareth, Capernaum was at a crucial junction, a conduit if you will, through which coursed a steady stream of humanity from many diverse sectors and countries. Being no isolationist, Jesus perceptively carried His message into Capernaum’s alleys and fields, which pulsated with the activities and congestion of internationalism.
One may ponder when considering, that the early apostolic movement swept in a northern and western direction from Israel, whereas some of the earliest Christian evidences, and in fact the earliest archaeologically-attested Christian church at Dura-Europos…, are to be found in Mesopotamian territory northeast of Jerusalem. Ponder, that is, until one realizes that such evidence is but one of the happy consequences of Jesus’ astute move to Capernaum.
Many Christians are familiar with the poem entitled “One Solitary Life.” This lovely literary piece expounds upon many things that Jesus never did and the many places He never went. But to take another tack, by anchoring His ministry at Capernaum, it became unnecessary for Him to travel great distances, because those who heard and believed His message in Capernaum became instant and far-flung ambassadors, men and women whose vocational travels would carry the message of Christ to the ends of the Roman world.
NOTE TO TEACHER: This suggested lesson plan contains many elements that, if employed, will help maximize learning for life-change in your Bible Fellowship. If you are an experienced teacher, you have freedom to create your own plan based upon the “Studying the Word Together” section. If you are less experienced, we suggest that you “stick to the plan.” However, even less-experienced teachers should feel free to modify the plan based upon the needs of your Bible Fellowship. This plan is designed to be presented in 45 minutes. It is important, therefore, that you carefully plan your presentation so that you communicate the main points with brevity and clarity.
Focal Scriptures:
♦ Matthew 28:18-20 (We continue to examine the implications of the Great Commission in this lesson. So while this passage is only referenced within the text, it remains the focal passage.)
Other Important Scripture References:
♦ Mark 2:14-15
♦ John 17:20-23
♦ Luke 19:1-10
Teaching Goals:
♦ Learn: Bible Fellowship members will understand the six ingredients in Jesus’ recipe for making disciples and can recite them from memory by the end of the session.
♦ Experience: None for this lesson
Before Class Begins:
♦ Draw four concentric circles for use in Step Four.
♦ Set up—and enlist helpers to serve— whatever dish you use for Step One.
♦ Enlist helpers to distribute handouts at the end of Step One.
STEP ONE: GETTING READY TO LEARN (5 MINUTES)
Lead your group in an exercise or game relating to recipes. Here are some ideas:
♦ Option One: In separate containers bring fresh fruit pieces, nuts, yogurt, and seasonings. (Create your own fruit salad recipe.) As you begin your lesson, combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Name each ingredient, smell or otherwise savor it, and tell why you included it. Then serve the salad to your classmates.
♦ Option Two: Prepare (or have someone else prepare) in advance and bring a food containing a number of ingredients and serve it to each of your classmates—either as they arrive or as you begin your lesson. Ask them to guess the ingredients in the food’s recipe. You could make something as common as brownies or as exotic as taboule. Do make it something delicious that they will enjoy analyzing with their palates.
STEP TWO: INTERSECTION
AND INVOLVEMENT (10 MINUTES)
♦ Transition Statement: Would you be surprised if I told you that Jesus was the Great Disciple-maker and that He had a “recipe” for making disciples? Today we are going to talk about the six basic ingredients that blend into His recipe: intersection, Notes involvement, intercession, invitation, inclusion, and instruction.
♦ Lead your class to see Jesus as the quintessential disciple-maker. (Refer to introductory comments, p. 8-2.)
1. He taught the crowds (Mark 10:1) from which He called and developed His disciples (Matt 4:19).
2. He taught the crowds through parables (Mark 4:2) and then privately interpreted the stories for His disciples (Matt 13:10-23).
3. His disciples observed Him and assisted Him while He ministered (Matt 14:13-21).
4. He sent them out to practice what they had learned from His example and then debriefed them when they returned, to further instruct and focus them (Luke 10:1-20).
5. Finally, Jesus prepared His Apostles to do even greater things than He did (John 14:12). The foremost discipler made disciples of His followers and then commissioned them to make more
disciples (Matt 28:18-20).
♦ Briefly review the primary command of the Great Commission and the tense of the verb go (refer to Review from Lesson 6 on handout).
♦ Intersection. Use information from Figures 7, 8, and 9 to help your class see that while Jesus was “going,” His path intersected with others.
♦ Involvement. As He intersected with them, He became involved with them in a way that encouraged or helped them take a step toward becoming a disciple. For example (pp. 8-3 to 8-4):
1. Jesus became involved as He entered people’s worlds by identifying with them (Matt 4:18-20) and by socializing with them (Mark 2:14-15, on handout).
2. Jesus became involved with others by reaching out to them at their points of pain, struggle, and failure.
STEP THREE: INTERCESSION AND INVITATION (10 MINUTES)
♦ Intercession
1. Mention that Jesus prayed all night before He called The Twelve (Luke 6:12-13).
2. Briefly demonstrate that Jesus interceded for His disciples as they followed Him (for Peter, Luke 22:31-32; for the Apostles, John 17:6-19).
3. Show that Jesus interceded for all who would believe—including us— before they were disciples (John 17:20-23, on handout).
♦ Invitation (Review of “invitation” material from Lessons 6 and 7)
1. Disciples invite others into relationship with Christ and into fellowship with other disciples.
2. Maturing disciples invite new disciples to learn to become spiritual mothers and fathers.
3. Jesus used a warm and nonthreatening language of invitation to invite a diversity of people to be His disciples: men and women, rich and poor, fishermen, tax collectors, and revolutionaries.
STEP FOUR: INCLUSION AND INSTRUCTION (12 MINUTES)
♦ Inclusion. Tell a personal story about how others have included you. Then define inclusion as “helping people feel that they belong in our midst or helping them feel like part of our circle of friends or a member of our family.” Tell them that the bottom line secret of inclusion is acceptance.
1. Tell how Zacchaeus was “startled” by Jesus’ acceptance of him. (Luke 19:1-10 is on handout.)
2. Tell how the adulterous woman (John 8:10-11) might have been “startled” by Christ’s ministry of acceptance rather than the condemnation and judgment she expected.
3. Demonstrate that in every case it is believed that each became a disciple. They most likely were included in the fellowship of those who followed Jesus.
♦ Instruction. Finish Fig. 10 as you explain how Jesus instructed or taught the crowds, His many followers, the Twelve, and the Inner Circle (pp. 8-6 to 8-8). Be sure to conclude this section with the following points:
1. Jesus developed disciples within “community.” The relationships that existed between those in the community of disciples were essential to the growth of each individual. The smaller and more intimate the community or venue became, the more He revealed of Himself and the Father.
2. It seems apparent that some began their discipleship with Jesus while in the outer venues and progressively moved toward the innermost venues as they counted the cost of discipleship and became willing to pay the price.
3. Not everyone who initially identified themselves as followers remained with Him after counting the cost of discipleship.
STEP FIVE: CLOSING (8 MINUTES)
♦ Lead your class to read in unison from their handouts the “six basic ingredients” in the recipe for making disciples: intersection, involvement, intercession, invitation, inclusion, and instruction.
♦ Ask your classmates to reflect upon how fully they participate in each “basic ingredient” (see Application Ideas and Questions, p. 8-9).
♦ Next, have them divide into pairs or groups of 3 to 4 people. Have them take turns covering their notes and attempting to quotethe six ingredients from memory. Celebrate with those who can name all six!
♦ Finally, ask everyone to cover their notes and repeat the six ingredients, in unison with you, from memory
Today’s Scriptures
Mark 2:14-15: As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
John 17:20-23: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Luke 19:1-10: Jesus entered Jericho…. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus…a chief tax collector and…wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he…climbed a…tree to see him…. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people…began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Daily Reflections
Begin each daily reflection by meditating a few minutes on the suggested Scripture passage. Seek to listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you. Then consider the comments and questions about the passage. Be aware of both your thoughts and your feelings. Respond to God through both.
Monday—Intersection and Involvement: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers… Peter and Andrew… they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20) There are two things to note in today’s passage. First, see that while Jesus was walking, His path intersected with that of Peter and Andrew. Next, notice how He “identified with them” or “entered their world” by telling them that He would make them fishers of men. Whose path crossed with yours or who entered your world and helped you become a disciple of Jesus? Express your thanksgiving for them. Whose paths currently are intersecting with yours? How are you entering their worlds or making an effort to identify with them? Invite Jesus to teach you how to become a “fisher of men.”
Tuesday—Intercession: … I pray…for those who will believe in me…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me…. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23) What does it do to your heart to know that long before you were born, Jesus interceded for you, asking the Father to unite you with Himself? What does it do to your heart to know that your experience of unity with other believers is proof of His love for you? Ask Jesus to help you reflect His love to others so that you can help them become one with Christ.
Wednesday—Invitation: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9)
What does this passage suggest to you about Jesus’ heart for men and women whom society looks down on? What does it suggest to you about His heart for you—a sinful person? Thank Him for His love and ask Him to give you a heart to invite those you know to follow Him.
Thursday—Inclusion: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:10-11)
This is Jesus’ response to a woman who was caught committing adultery. Can you imagine how she felt when she experienced acceptance rather than condemnation from Him? In what ways has He accepted rather than condemned you? Ask Him to give you His heart for accepting others in their sinful state.
Friday—Instruction: After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,… . (Matthew 11:1)
Make a brief list of words or phrases that might describe what you would have felt had you had the opportunity to sit before the God-man Jesus. Imagine what it would have been like to hear the stories that the Apostles told of their experiences with Christ. How have you been impacted by the faith stories of other believers? Ask God to show you how your personal faith stories might help someone you know to become a disciple of Christ or to grow in their faith.