7/6/14 – The Role of Community in Discipleship, Mission, and Multiplication

Passage

Matthew 10:1-15 ESV

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

I. JESUS PRACTICES COMMUNITY (1-5)

A. Jesus selects 12 to form a micro-community who will be discipled and then sent out to repeat the process.

II. THE POWER OF COMMUNITY IN DISCIPLESHIP

A. Modern church sees discipleship as being educated about God so it disciples in the classroom. B. Community is superior to the classroom for discipleship because it has everyone take responsibility for the growth of all. C. Community allows for what is being learned together to be practiced together. D. Community allows for accidental discipleship. (Deut 6:4-9) E. Community forces us into diversity, which challenges & grow us.

III. THE PURPOSE OF DISCIPLESHIP: MULTIPLICATION (5)

A. Jesus does not just pray for laborers. He builds & sends them out. B. The discipleship relationship is about sending and not dependency.

IV. THE MULTIPLYING STRATEGY OF JESUS (5-15)

A. Jesus instructs them to start where they are comfortable. B. Jesus encourages them they are ready and do not need to know anything else in order to go and multiply. (2 Cor 4:6-7) C. They had been invested in freely. Multiplying should not be big business for them. D. If they lived in community with others and invested in them their needs would be met.

APPLICATION:

1. Jesus sent “the 12” out in pairs. The mission is not your responsibility alone. It is meant to be done together. (Mark 6:7) 2. The seriousness with which you pursue community demonstrates how serious you are about discipleship and multiplication. 3. We do what we are passionate about. What does your devotion to community reveal about your passion to be discipled and make disciples?