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Page 1 of 13The Call and Qualities of an Effective Disciple MakerActs 14:1-28Read Acts 14:1-28We are going to look at the call and qualities of aneffective disciple maker.Acts 14:21 They preached the good news in that cityand won a large number of disciples. NIVIt is important that we begin by explaining themeaning of some words.Let’s look carefully at the word “preached”.The Greek word that is translated “preached thegood news” is “euaggelizo” and it is a verb that means,to announce good news. It had a very positiveconnotation. It does not mean you are necessarily givinga speech to an audience. If you just tell one personabout Jesus the word “euaggelizo” would fit that. It iscritically important that we understand that all believersare called to “euaggelizo” (to tell the Good News.)The word preach in our modern vernacular doesnot have the same meaning as the Greek word“euaggelizo”. Preaching has a negative connotationin our culture. People in our society often see it as aself-righteous and condemning act. Here is onedefinition from the Encarta Dictionary: To give advice

Page 2 of 13in an irritating way. They may use a phrase like“Don’t preach at me!Preaching is also misunderstood as the exclusivedomain of the pastor of a church. Nothing could befurther from the truth.A better translation would be to announce or tell theGood News. These words better reflect the meaning ofthe original word given to us by the Spirit.Some may read about Paul and Barnabas preachingor telling the Good News in that city and winning alarge number of disciples and they think that Pauland Barnabas had a special calling from God that theordinary Christian doesn’t have.Many Christians think that making disciples issomebody else’s responsibility. It’s the pastor’sresponsibility or the deacons’ responsibility, but notmine. That attitude is unbiblical and is killing thechurch in America.Who is called to announce the Good News andmake disciples?1. All believers are called to make disciples.Jesus used the term “disciple maker” to describeevery believer’s calling and responsibility to a lostand dying world in Matthew 28:19.

Page 3 of 13Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of allnations, baptizing them in the name of the Father andof the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching themto obey everything I have commanded you." NIVThere's only one verb in that whole sentence. It'sthe verb "make disciples”. The word "go," the word"baptizing," and the word "teaching," are participlesthat modify the one main important verb "makedisciples”.Jesus gave the call to all believers to be disciplemakers.The only question is whether you're any good at it.Jesus was a disciple maker, Paul and Barnabaswere, Timothy was, Priscilla and her husband Aquilawere, and every follower of Jesus in the New Testamentwas a disciple maker.You are called to make disciples and I am called tomake disciples. The responsibility of every believer is tomake disciples.So it is very important that we all know what adisciple is and how to make one!T. S. What is a disciple?2. A disciple is a follower of Jesus.

Page 4 of 13It is someone that has put their faith and trust inJesus and they seek to live and act like Jesus. Adisciple follows the example of Jesus. He does whatJesus did. He seeks to do in every situation whatJesus would do.Jesus said in Mark 1:17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said,"and I will make you fishers of men." NIVA disciple is a fisher of men. If you are not fishing formen, you are not a disciple. Fishing for men meansseeking out people that are lost.Ill. A good fisherman does not wait for the fish tocome to him. He goes to where the fish are. We needto do the same for lost people.Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and tosave what was lost." NIVIf you are seeking to find people that are lost andseeking to lead them to faith in Christ, then you are adisciple.We see that disciples are followers of Jesus, but 3. How do you make disciples?T. S. To answer that question we need to look againat Matthew 28:19.Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of allnations, baptizing them in the name of the Father andof the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them

Page 5 of 13to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely Iam with you always, to the very end of the age." NIVThe first word that modifies “make disciples” is“go”, it is a participles that means, as you are goingmake disciples. Making disciples is to be a life style forthe believer. We are to constantly be making disciples.The second word that modifies “make disciples” is“baptizing”, it is a participles that means to immerseunder water. It was the culminating act of bring someoneto faith in Christ. “baptizing” was symbolic for winsomebody to faith Christ. In the New Testament theperson that won someone to Christ was often the onethat baptized them.(1.) You make disciples by finding people that arelost and telling them the Good News about Jesus andleading them to faith in Christ. Making disciples is to bea life style for the believer. We are to constantly dothat.Acts 14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usualinto the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke soeffectively that a great number of Jews and Gentilesbelieved. (NIV What do you think they spoke about?(Jesus)Acts 14:6 fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra andDerbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where theycontinued to preach the good news. NIV,

Page 6 of 13If the message was rejected by some, they just wentto others that would listen. Please don’t getdiscouraged and quit when someone is not interested.That means the devil gets the victory. Instead, findsomeone that is interested.Acts 14:21 They preached (or announced) the goodnews in that city and won a large number of disciples.NIVActs 14:24 After going through Pisidia, they came intoPamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the wordin Perga, they went down to Attalia. NIVThey just kept telling people about Jesus.The third word that modifies “make disciples” in(Matt. 28:19) is “teaching”.(2.) You make disciples by teaching them to liveaccording to the Bible.Acts 14:21 Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium andAntioch, 22 strengthening the disciples andencouraging them to remain true to the faith. NIVYou can’t make disciples by just teaching peoplewhat the Bible says, you have got to encourage themand help them obey it.

Page 7 of 13Ill. That is why we have Connection Cards, outreachevents, and small groups. They encourage us andhelp us to obey God’s word.(3.) You make disciples by emulating Christ.Paul and Barnabas emulated Christ by makingdisciples.You make disciples by being an example of what adisciple is to be. If you are obeying (Matt. 28:19), thenyou are emulating Christ. If you want to makedisciples, you have to show them what one looks like.T. S. All believers are called to “make disciples”, sohow can we be effective? What are the qualities of aneffective disciple maker?We can learn a number of qualities of an effective“disciple maker” from studying how Paul andBarnabas did it.4. Qualities of effective disciple makers: "makedisciples(1.) An effective disciple maker has courage.Look at Acts 14:1,2 They proclaimed the GoodNews in the synagogue in Iconium. Some peoplereceived Jesus and some people rejected Jesus andgot mad. That was a pattern that happened over and

Page 8 of 13over. They knew some would get mad and they stillhad the courage to tell people about Jesus.Look at verse 3. So when the persecution began,they spent considerable time there speaking boldly.That is amazing courage. Persecution always makesChrist the issue. So the more the persecution grew,the more opportunity there was to talk about Jesus.An effective disciple maker isn't daunted byadversity. He doesn’t quit because he met a closeddoor. He won’t say, “Well, I tried to talk to myneighbor, but he turned me off so I better quitwitnessing.” If you go to a person and they reject themessage, then go to someone else.They finally had to flee the city of Iconium and theyjust go down the road 18 miles to Lystra and Derbeand start telling people about Jesus.You develop courage by spending time with Godand with people of courage. We also developcourage by being obedient. Make disciples and God willgrant you His marvelous grace and courage.(2.) An effective disciple maker has spiritualpower.Anybody who's going to be an effective disciplemaker must have spiritual power.Acts14:8, Is a beautiful illustration of power.

Page 9 of 13Here's a man whose feet have never worked. He has nopower in them. They are totally paralyzed and no doubtthe muscles were all atrophied because he was crippledfrom birth.Paul spotted the man in the crowd and God revealsto Paul that he had faith. So look what Paul does. Infront of that group Paul calls out, "Stand up on yourfeet!”Paul went out on a limb. Do you think he had a battlein his mind like we do when God gives us opportunities totell people about Christ?Because God had promised him power, Paul simplyacted on it. You and I do not have the promise of thepower to bring physical healing, but we have beenpromised the power to bring eternal salvation.God promised in Acts 1:8 But you will receive powerwhen the Holy Spirit comes on you NIVWhen we don’t believe God’s promises, we arecalling Him a liar. It is truly an affront to God when wewon't do what we've been empowered to do.Ill. Most Christians have more faith in their car thanthey do in God. We just get in the car and expect it tocrank. We expect the power to be there. Wedemonstrate the same faith in God when we step outin faith and make disciples.

Page 10 of 13His power is always there for the believer that actsin obedience.An effective disciple maker is somebody who believesthat the power of God is his and claims it and steps outon faith.(3.) An effective disciple maker keeps the focus onJesus.This is illustrated beautifully when the people wantedto start worshiping Paul and Barnabas. Watch whathappened.Acts 14:11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done,they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods havecome down to us in human form!" NIVThey had a polytheistic religion and they believedin many gods. They thought Barnabas was Zeus andPaul was Hermes. When Paul and Barnabas realizedwhat was happening, they did everything to point themback to the one true God. It would have been easy tolet the people think they were something special.An effective disciple maker keeps the focus onJesus.(4.) An effective disciple maker speaks to people inthe context of their own culture.Acts 14:15 We are bringing you good news, telling youto turn from these worthless things to the living God,

Page 11 of 13who made heaven and earth and sea and everythingin them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their ownway. 17 Yet he has not left himself withouttestimony: He has shown kindness by giving yourain from heaven and crops in their seasons; heprovides you with plenty of food and fills your heartswith joy. NIVThey told the people about the God of creation.Every person on the planet is aware of God because ofcreation.Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God'sinvisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from whathas been made, so that men are without excuse. NIVNotice they did not start with Abraham and Isaac orMoses. They would have had no idea who they were.An effective disciple maker speaks to the people inthe context of their own culture.(5). An effective disciple maker is persistent.Acts 14:19 Then some Jews came from Antioch andIconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul anddragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. NIVSome of them came as far as 118 miles and theyprobably walked the whole way. That'll give you someidea of the fervor of the persecution.