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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
DISCIPLE MAKING PLAN
Submitted to Professor Jonathan Geukgeuzion
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN-500
Discipleship Ministries
By
Howard Joseph
May 9, 2021
Contents
I. Introduction……………………………………………………………..……………1
II. Passages……………………….………………………………………….…….…….1
III. Principles…………………………………………………………………….……….3
IV. Philosophy………………………………………………………….…………….…..5
V. Practices…………………………………………………………….………………..7
VI. Proof………………………………………………………………….………………8
VII. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….……………...8
VIII. Bibliography………………………………………………………….………………10
II
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Introduction
It is important for us to follow the great commission that was left to us by Jesus. So as a
church we should have a plan to make disciples. This author is going to plan for making disciple
as instructed by Jesus. One way to accomplish the great commission is to be committed to God.
The accomplishment of any objective or reason requires commitment whether for great or for
evil. There are negative and positives manners in the Bible about commitment: "Committing
your way to the Lord" (Psalm 37:5). Every option includes settling on a choice, surrendering
oneself to a person or thing, an engaged and at times exorbitant persistence, and afterward
receiving the outcomes or benefits of our commitment. Getting committed and figuring out how
to submit our hearts, minds, and bodies is integral to an existence of faith. Indeed, faith without
commitment is dead. This author believes that the church leaders’ ultimate goal should be
making disciples and if that is not the case then they are not following Christ’s intentions of The
Great Commission. If as a ministries focus is on making disciples, we are going to have to have
a vision of what directions we are going and that direction should be based on the instruction of
Jesus, build up a strong viewpoint, fuse the techniques to the cycle, and track the achievement of
the plan. Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey gives us this insight, “The details of where and how we
make disciples may vary from person to person, but the big picture is the same: God’s will for
the life of every Christ follower is to make disciples.”0 This author will attempt to show through
the 5 P’s of ministry passages, principles, philosophy, practices, and proof to develop this plan.
Passages
Matthew 28:16-20 is probably the most observed scripture that describes the great
commission. “16 So the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had
designated for them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And
0 David Earley, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013, 2.
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Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have
commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.’” 0 We are
commissioned here to make disciples to everyone everywhere. According to F. W. Beare, “Now
His authority was worldwide and absolute, so their commission was also worldwide. The
commission was given to the Eleven as the representatives of the Church to be. This is not a
command to each individual (more are called to stay at home than to go) but to the Church as a
whole. There may be good reasons why this individual or that should not go, but there are never
good reasons for the Church’s failing to reach out and go.”0 Acts 1: 8 is a passage the is part of
the great commission, because we have to depend on the Holy Spirit for our help. The Holy
Spirits power isn't restricted to strength past the conventional. The Holy Spirits power
additionally includes several other strengths such as, mental fortitude, intensity, certainty,
knowledge, capacity, and authority. The disciples would require every one of these endowments
to satisfy their central goal. On the off chance that you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you
can encounter this force of the Holy Spirit in your life. Other passage is Luke 14:26-28; Luke
14:33; John 8:31-32; John 13:35; John 15:5, 7-8; and Acts 13:52. Although in Luke 14: 26 Jesus
talks about hating your entire family if you are going to follow him Louis F. Gough explains it
this way, “In light of the whole body of Jesus’ teachings the contradictions implied by these
questions are not in keeping with his unity of thought and action displayed throughout the New
Testament. An absolute absence of disunity is evident in all of his actions and words when
0 W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mt 28:16–20.
0 F. W. Beare, The Gospel according to Matthew (San Francisco, 1981).
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correctly interpreted and understood. A key to understanding Jesus’ words may be here: As true
of all great teachers, particularly of the Orient, Jesus did not intend that all of his teachings
should be taken literally. One of the methods which he used was of the sort that his words would
tend to seize the attention of his hearers and lead them into a search for the deep and rich
meaning which was to be found below the surface-meaning.”0 Being a disciple of Jesus does not
come easy, there are so things that we have to be ready to do and give up. Charles F. Stanley
defines, “Defining how a disciple must live causes us to hold hands up in protest and say, ‘Hey,
wait a minute! This is starting to sound like a lot more than I bargained for! It’s starting to
sound like I’ve got to sacrifice something.’ And that’s exactly what Jesus was saying. Becoming
a child of God will cost you nothing because it cost Christ everything. However, becoming a
disciple of Jesus Christ could possibly cost a great deal.”0 We have to depend on the Holy Spirit
to empower us and we must follow these recommended Scriptures that lead us to decide our
fundamental beliefs which are to become disciples by carrying on with our lives like Christ,
contemplating God's Word. We carry on with our lives in our communities by our leadership, and
helping other understand their gifts, showing Christ's love through our way of living through our
love of God.
Principles
Some of the core principles in this authors’ ministries are as followed:
Truth: John: “17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”0 A disciple of Christ
gets unadulterated and heavenly through accepting and submitting to the Word of God
according to Hebrews 4:12. Christ’s sacrificial death is what causes a person to
0 Louis F. Gough, “A Study of Luke 14:26: Jesus Calls His Disciples to A Life of Supreme Commitment,”
Ashland Theological Journal Volume 3 3 (1970): 24.
0 Charles F Stanley, The Glorious Journey Insight, Encouragement, and Guidance for Your Walk of Faith.
Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson Inc, 1996, 460.
0 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 17:17.
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effectively acknowledge forgiveness. A day by day use of God's Word is what purifies
our mind and heart. Sacred text brings up transgression, propels us to admit,
reestablishes our relationship with Christ, and aides us back to the correct way.
Fellowship: Heb 10:24-25 “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and
good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging
one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”0 We have critical
advantages related with our new life in Christ, we have individual admittance to God
through Christ and can gravitate toward to him without an intricate framework, we can be
fill with confidence, beat questions and doubts, and develop our relationship with God,
we can appreciate consolation from each other, we can love one another by worshipping
together.
Worship: PSALM 95:6 “6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the
LORD, our Maker!”0 The cry rings out once more, come into the sanctuary and pay
loving praise to Yahweh. He it is who made Israel into a public element: because of
God's grace this chosen nation owed Him there all. Our God–his kin, the two-sided
pledge equation is appreciated with relish. These people of his pastures, his flock, he is
the Good Shepherd. All His contract care is evoked by the pastoral symbolism. Whether
we gather in the church or our homes we are to worship God and God alone. Small
groups are a great way of worship and a way of making disciples. Jim Putman, Bobby
Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman says, “Making disciples is the main reason why a
church exists, so everything in a corporate body needs to funnel people toward a
relational small group in which discipleship can best happen. While small groups are not
0 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 10:24–25.
0 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 95:6.
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the only ministry in the church, they are the primary means of making disciples who
make disciples.”0
Philosophy
The church is where we gather up to find out about and worship God. Today, "church" is
the most widely recognized term utilized for a group of believers. In any case, that was not
generally the situation. Not until the New Testament times did this term come about. In the
Gospels (Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:17) it is only mentioned a couple of time. Luke
utilized it a ton, be that as it may, in the book of Acts, so by then the term more likely than not
become more normal. Paul additionally expounded on the church in a large portion of his letters,
and it is a typical term in the Revelation of John.
The most important ministry perspectives are Evangelism, Disciple/Discipleship and
Leader/Leadership.
Evangelism: Jesus needs laborers who realize how to handle other individuals' issues. We
can comfort others and show them the lifestyle choice since we have been assisted with
our issues by God and his workers (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).
The crowd that followed Jesus was referred to as a group ready for harvest. Numerous
individuals are prepared to give their lives to Christ in the event that somebody would
show them how. Jesus orders us to ask that individuals will react to this requirement for
laborers. Regularly, when we appeal to God for something, God answers our petitions by
utilizing us. Be ready for God to utilize you to show someone else the best approach to
him.
0 Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church
to Make Disciple Who Make Disciple. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2013, 134.
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Matthew 28:16-20 "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to
obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even
to the end of the age."
Disciple/Discipleship: This involves following the instruction that Jesus left us. There are
several ways of going about fulfilling this task and I feel that Earley and Dempsey give a
great explanation of the process when they elucidate, “Going: The Great Commission
cannot be fulfilled without intentionally pursuing the lost. Preaching: It is not enough
to go; we must also tell. Baptizing: The third action that must be taken in fulfilling the
Great Commission is ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit’ (Matt. 28:19). Training: The fourth action in fulfilling the Great
Commission is ‘teaching them to observe everything’ Jesus commanded.”0 This author
feels that this is essential for making disciples and discipleship.
Leaders/Leadership: The world's arrangement of authority is altogether different from
initiative in God's realm. Common leaders are regularly self-centered and self-important
as they work their way to the top. A few kings in the old world gave themselves the title
"Advocate." But among Christians, the leaders is to be the person who serves best. There
are various styles of leadership some lead through open talking, some through regulating,
some through connections yet every Christian leader requires a worker's heart. Ask
individuals you lead how you can serve them better. Earley and Dempsey define
leadership as, “God wants all the parts of His body working, to Christians leadership is
about developing every individual member to become and do all God desires.”0
0 David Earley, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013, 4-5.
0 Ibid., 199.
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Practices
The practices that this author uses will have driving forces that will monitor the success
of the ministry. It will tell what needs to be kept and what needs to be dropped. This is not a
system that will focus on addition of the church, but if the church is multiplying.
Discipleship Coaches: These discipleship coaches will have a system in place to monitor
how well they are helping newcomers to use the gifts God has given them. They will see
to it as James 1:23-25 says, “be does of the word and not hearers only.” It is imperative
to hear what in particular God's Word says, however it is significantly more critical to
submit to it and to do what it says. We can gauge the viability of our Bible studies by the
impact it has on our conduct and perspectives. It is monitored by putting in motion what
you have learned. Earley and Dempsey tells us, “We must not preach and teach the
Scripture without a systematic plan to help train listeners to become doers of the Word of
Christ.”0
Counseling: An experienced counsel utilizes God's Word as a reason for counsel. For one
to be an authentic instructor/counsel one has to have a relationship with the Lord. The
Lord empowers the genuine advisor to talk with astuteness and wisdom. With this God
given wisdom and direction the counsel offers loving guidance.
The counsel system ought to include recognizing the issue, tuning in to current realities,
and giving an answer. Earley and Dempsey given this advice, “Encouraging, equipping,
and empowering people to grow in their love for God, love for one another, and love for
neighbor are some of the most challenging aspects of ministry.”0
0 Ibid., 113.
0 Ibid., 166.
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Small Groups: All that have been mentioned above should be happening in small group
sessions. The “Got Group” in Earley and Dempsey’s book caught the attention of this
author, because I had not experienced this type of small group sessions. After reading
and studies small groups this writer feels that it is imperative that if the church is going to
accomplish the task that Jesus left, then small group will be the answer.
Proof
The proof that we are doing what Jesus has commanded us to do, then our lives, our
church, community, city, state, country, and world will line up with scripture. If we were all on
the same page with disciple making God will guide us in the directions, we should go. Putman,
Harrington, and Coleman give Five Key Components that this writer think is at least a starting
point to follow: “(1) A clear goal of discipleship, (2) An intentional leader who makes disciple,
(3) A biblically relational environment, (4) A reproducible process, and (5) A supporting
organization.”0 These five components cover most of the bases for good disciple making
programs.
Conclusion
The information above will assist in helping this authors church do much better at
following the Great Commission left by the master himself Jesus Christ. It will assist in bring
the lost to Christ, those who have slipped away to return and encourage those who are strong not
to get discouraged. This plan will develop the gifts of disciple to go about making disciples.
This writer pray is that all plans in the church for God’s work will come to fruition and disciple
will be made all over the world.
0 Jim Putman, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help Your Church
to Make Disciple Who Make Disciple. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2013, 177-178.
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Bibliography
Beare, F. W., The Gospel according to Matthew (San Francisco, 1981).
Earley, David, and Dempsey Rod. Disciple Making Is… How to Live the Great Commission
with Passion and Confidence, Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2013.
Gough, Louis F., “A Study of Luke 14:26: Jesus Calls His Disciples to A Life of Supreme
Commitment,” Ashland Theological Journal Volume 3 3 (1970).
Harris III, W. Hall et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press,
2012).
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
Putman, Jim, Harrington, Bobby, and Coleman, Robert E. DiscipleShift Five Steps That Help
Your Church to Make Disciple Who Make Disciple. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
2013.
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Stanley, Charles F, The Glorious Journey Insight, Encouragement, and Guidance for Your Walk
of Faith. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson Inc, 1996.
