Hero Maker – Week 1
Ice Breaker: As a child, who in your life had the greatest positive influence on you other than your parents? Describe.
From Pastor Brian: “In Matt. 28:18-20 Jesus is calling on his disciples and us to live on a mission. He is commissioning us not to become heroes but to be hero makers, people who make disciples apprentices of Jesus.”
1. How did Jesus recruit his disciples (students)? (Mark 1:16-20, Mark 2:13-14, John 1:44-49)
Mark 1:16–20 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Mark 2:13–14 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 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.
John 1:44–49 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
2. What qualifications, if any, were required to be recruited? (Luke 9:23-25, 57-62, Acts 9:1-6)
Luke 9:23–25 (NIV) Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Acts 9:1–6 (NIV) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Luke 9:57–62 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
3. How did Jesus train his disciples? (Mark 3:13-15, Luke 9:16-17)
Mark 3:13–15 (NIV) Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.
Luke 9:16–17 (NIV) Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Matthew 28:18–20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
4. What did Jesus ask his disciples to do? What do you think making disciples means? (1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Timothy 3:10-14, 1 Corinthians 11:1)
1 Kings 19:19–21 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
2 Timothy 3:10–14 You (Timothy), however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
5. How is disciple-making more than sharing the Gospel? When do you think disciple-making begins?
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
6. What keeps us from living out our faith in front of others and training others to follow Christ?
In his sermon Pastor Brian stated that Jesus takes the initiative to call us to be “hero makers” (disciple-makers) and secondly that he calls regular people.
7. Do you feel you have been discipled and if not, what should your next step be to get discipled so that you can disciple others?
8. Being a disciple-maker includes many activities including evangelism, teaching, loving and serving one another, caring for the least of these in Jesus’ name among many others: How do you believe God has gifted you to make disciples?
9. How can you consider others as you become a disciple maker? (Philippians 2:3-5)
Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.
Andy Stanley in his book Visioneering talks about how important it is to “Speak to someone’s potential instead of their performance.” Pastor Brian said this means we must learn to see others in the concept of ICNU (I see in you).
I-C-N-U is twofold:
- There’s what I-C-N-U right now, which is huge because we often can’t see the good in ourselves that others can see in us.
- But I-C-N-U can also be about what I-C-N your future: what I-C-U becoming.
10. Who in your world could you build up by noticing the gifts, abilities, and strengths God has given them? What would that look like?
11. How can you help them to see their own potential for what they could become in Christ? What would that look like?