“The Cost Of Disciple-Making” #2 Message Notes (Luke 9); Pastor Curt Audet 11/9/25
10th in the 14 message series: The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples
BI: Disciple-making requires an all-in effort to faithfully invest into the next generation for the Kingdom of God.
Last week I gave part one of the ‘cost of disciple-making’. I emphasized from the seven popcorn parables of Matthew 13 that ‘Disciple-making’ is the basic core activity of the church founded by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. It is the specific task we as Christ’s disciples and Christ’s followers are given:
The Command (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Imperative (Mark 16:15-16)
Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16:15-16)
The Empowerment (Acts 1:8)
Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Every person is called to be born again in Christ. Each of us, then, is called to be a disciple, that is, a careful follower of Christ our Lord. And then Jesus Christ calls each one of us disciples to follow Him in to being engaged in disciple-making. Who are you engaged in discipling? Disciple-making has 5 basic components. We should be able to see individuals we are investing in, pouring into, discipling, and growing together with.
Components Of ‘Disciple-Making’ You Are Engaged In?
- Sharing your Gospel testimony and faith.
- Guiding a person from unbelief to belief in Christ.
- Helping to mature a new believer in the Biblical content and application of the faith in daily living.
- Partnering with a new disciples of Christ to reach others with the Good News.
- Growing together in the community of faith.
A lot of smaller tasks are in these components: Praying. Loving. Repenting. Teaching. Leading. Baptizing. Modeling. Verbally walking through the Gospel message. Answering questions. Gently persisting.
In AWANA you are discipling. When you testify to unbelievers about the mercy that God has shown you, you are participating in disciple-making. You can speak and make disciples. You can write and make disciples. You can demonstrate the love of God, and attribute your actions to the love of God shown to you and at that moment you are disciple-making.
If your only function as a disciple of Christ is ‘filling your own soul’ ‘going to church’, then, it is possible—and likely—that you are not a disciple of Christ at all. Jesus leads us into being His disciple and making disciples out of others who come to Him. Nothing about the discipleship in Christ is a ‘spectator sport’. The focus I’m speaking about is not busyness or activity to fill time, but determined, intentional elevation of Christ in our lives, leading to the making of disciples in the relationships the Lord gives to us.
Every relationship you have with another person will have a level of disciple-making happening. Not manipulation. When you are open about being born again and forgiven by Jesus Christ. Men, when you love your wives ‘as Christ loves the church’ you are discipling your wife. Parents, when you season your speech with grace and kindness and patience and peace in the name of Christ, you are discipling your children to follow and walk with the Savior.
Nearly every moment and nearly every act of your life becomes a form of disciple-making when you do everything that you for the glory of God with the love of God. It is not my aim to make you feel like you are ‘doing nothing’ in terms of disciple-making. Rather, I strive to help us intentionally apply all of our lives to lifting the name of Christ in word and deed, and all with intentional disciple-making.
Disciple-making is always intentional; disciple-making is never accidental. We want to live like Christ so the Holy Spirit can use our testimony to lead others to their much-needed relationship with God.
If you are not intentionally discipling, its time to stop and think about why Christ has called you into His Church. I encourage you to get involved in the various disciple-making opportunities that are available in and through this church. Feel free to ask me.
A couple weeks ago, the young Moody Theological Seminary student Daniel Geddam guided us through Luke 14 where Jesus calls us to ‘count the cost’ of following Jesus:
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple . . . 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple . . . He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Daniel summed up Jesus’ call in a quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a German pastor martyred in the battle against the evil Nazi regime in the 1940’s—in his book, The Cost Of Discipleship “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” Jesus highlights this again in John 12:24-25,
“I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
What does this mean that we must ‘die’ in order to bear the fruit of disciple-making? The picture of the wheat falling into the ground where it dies, and in its death becomes a new wheat harvest!
“It is not a dying that takes your life; it is death-in-Christ that gives you life. On the other side of surrender is satisfaction. On the other side of sacrifice is strength. On the other side of the cross is the crown. Yes, the cost is high, but the reward is eternal (DG sermon notes 10/26) We must die to ourselves so God can bring forth unimaginable fruitfulness.
Today, in the Gospel narrative provided by Luke, in chapter 9. Luke records Jesus’ interaction with His disciples between two important events. The first is Jesus’ sending of The Twelve disciples on their first disciple-making mission found in Luke 9:1 and the second is Jesus’ sending the wider group of 72 disciples on their seminal disciple-making mission found in Luke 10:1.
In between these two important commissions, Jesus identifies principles that demonstrates this cost of disciple-making. In so doing, Jesus prepares, builds up and girds up His disciples for their endeavors to ‘make-disciples’. He speaks not only of the cost of discipleship in following Christ, but even more specifically, the cost of disciple-making as they follow Christ’s lead, His order and His direction and traveled to cities all around them proclaiming the Gospel. In that period between the two mission trips, Jesus taught His disciples what the cost of their life’s pursuit was:
PRINCIPLE #1 – The Disciple-maker must stand alone in declaring who Jesus Christ is. (9:18-20; 28-36)
Dying to fear. Peter answer boldly Jesus’ question. Jesus asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” . . .
Dying to popularity. Who do you know Jesus is? We live in a world that identifies Jesus as a ‘great religious leader’; He is not this. ‘A great moral example’? He is not this. He is so much more. Verse 28 and following exposes the fullness of who Jesus – God the Son in what’s known as the ‘Transfiguration’. The one and only begotten, not made Son of God:
28 . . . He took with him Peter, John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 and as Jesus was praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw His glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him!”
Principle #2 – The Disciple-maker must deny himself as he follows Jesus. (9:23-27)
Dying to human ambition. Take up the active, daily suppression and crucifixion of your own selfishness. Become Christ-centered rather than self-centered.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Dying to life dreams. Do a calculation of the cost.
24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Dying to self-esteem. Saying we ‘believe’ in Jesus and not disciple-making is an expression conflict at our heart-level. ‘I don’t was to identify with Jesus if this leads to losing influence and clout in this world.’
26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
PRINCIPLE #3 – The Disciple-maker must see he is promised nothing of great worldly value. (9:57-62)
Dying to comfort-driven living. Jesus promises no worldly comfort. If we have it, it is a blessing, but not a promise. If we pursue comfort, no longer are we following Christ. WWJD? What would Jesus do? He would live for eternal values.
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Dying to earthly priorities. Eternal priority over earthly priorities. 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Dying to people pleasing. Jesus takes precedence over every other relationship. No turning back.
61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Closing Prayer
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