When engaging the gospel with new people outside of the ‘walls of the church’, the question often asked is – how do you keep connected with them?
Do you take their contact details and follow up? Do you give them your telephone number or email address and hope they get in touch with you?
What’s the best way to follow-up?
Well, I wrote an article a while ago that argued against the practice of ‘Follow-Up’ often employed by evangelists and those who go out witnessing (You can read that article HERE!)
So, if Jesus didn’t follow-up…what did He do?
The First Disciples
Jesus went out preaching ‘Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!’ But how did He stay in touch with those he’d won?
I wrote about how Jesus made his First Five Disciples HERE! That’s the account as told by the apostle John…
However, Matthew, Mark and Luke all start at a different point. They all share the episode at the lake where Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, then James and John to ‘Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17, Luke 5:1-11)
That’s an interesting starting point. Rather than follow up, he tells them to follow him! And not only that, he tells them he will show them how to fish for people. These new disciples were not only to be the recipients, but they were to be contributors to the mission. They were called to Follow AND Fish.
He didn’t tell them he would be in touch with them later. He didn’t tell them to attend the local synagogue – he told them to follow him and he would show them how to do something…
In John’s account – Peter, Andrew, John, Philip and Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) were told to ‘Come and See’ (John 1:35-2:12). Whereas here – Peter, Andrew, James and John were told to ‘Follow Me’
New contacts can easily turn into strong discipling relationships when you welcome those you’ve won into your home (‘Come and See’). Or take them with you on the road (‘Follow Me’)
Going to Simon-Peter & Andrew’s Home
As well as inviting his new disciples to the place where he was staying (‘Come and See’), or taking them with him on the road (‘Follow Me’), he also went to their homes (‘Houses of Peace‘)
Not long after Jesus called Simon-Peter to follow him, we see Jesus going to Simon-Peter and Andrew’s home. Whilst there, Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and shares a meal with the family. Many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus from the village and the whole town gathered at the door to watch… (See Matthew 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-39, Luke 4:38-44)
So we see, through the example of Jesus, a Three-Pronged Strategy for Making Disciples:
‘Come and See’ (your place)
‘Follow Me’ (on the road together)
‘House of Peace’ (their place)
Picking Up Matthew-Levi Along the Way
We’ve seen how Jesus began making disciples of John, James, Peter, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael/Bartholomew – The first 6 disciples…
Let’s now turn our attention to the Calling of Matthew, which appears in all three synoptic gospels, Matthew 9:9–13, Mark 2:13–17 and Luke 5:27–28
Jesus met Matthew-Levi at his workplace (he was sitting at his tax collector’s booth). Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me and be my disciple.’ So Matthew got up, left everything and followed him
Later, Matthew-Levi held a banquet in his home and invited Jesus and his disciples to his house as dinner guests with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Matthew’s fellow tax collectors and other disreputable sinners also ate with them
We’ve now seen how Jesus connected with his first 7 disciples!
Is this how we follow-up with the people we share the gospel with?
Choosing the Twelve
Jesus said; ‘People can’t come to me unless the father gives them to me’. (John 6:65)
He then goes on to say; ‘I chose the 12 of you, but one is a devil’ (John 6:70)
So the father, gives the people to Jesus and Jesus chose the 12 from among them. Jesus chose 12 apostles who would learn from him and assist him in his mission…
But how did Jesus choose the 12?
‘Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed 12 of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons’ (Mark 3:13-19)
‘Jesus called his 12 disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness’ (Matthew 10:1-4)
‘One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose 12 of them to be his apostles. Here are their names:
Simon (whom Jesus named Peter)
James (son of Zebedee)
John (son of Zebedee) – James and John were brothers whom Jesus nicknamed ‘Sons of Thunder’
Andrew (Peter’s brother)
Philip
Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Matthew (Levi) – also known as ‘the tax collector’
Thomas
James (Son of Alphaeus)
Thaddaeus (also known as Judas son of James and Lebbaeus who is called Thaddaeus)
Simon (who was called ‘the zealot’ or ‘Jewish Nationalist’)
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)
Luke 6:12-19
In our journey so far – we’ve tracked how Jesus recruited the first 7 out of the 12 disciples. That leaves us with the last 5 disciples – Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon and Judas. Little is known about how Jesus met them – but a little more is revealed about the character of some of these 5 disciples in the latter parts of the Gospel of John!
The mission of The 12 was Fourfold:
-To be with Jesus
-To Preach
-To Drive out Demons
-To Heal Sickness
One of the primary ways The 12 did the above was through dividing into pairs and going to various towns in search of the Household of Peace
Praying all Night
‘One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose 12 of them to be his apostles.‘
Notice how prior to choosing his 12 apostles, he went up on a mountain to pray to God for the entire night until daybreak…
To birth Israel, Jacob wrestled with a man until the dawn began to break and said; ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’
The man replied, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, from now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with man and have won’ (See Genesis 32:22-32)
How desperate are we to see workers emerging from the harvest?
Are we prepared to spend a night in prayer for this?
On the Job Training
When crowds gathered – Jesus had his newly recruited team of 12 from the harvest, with him. When the disciples saw that the crowd needed food and told Jesus – Jesus said to his new disciples – ‘You feed them’ (Luke 9:3)
How fast are we in giving responsibilities to the new people we’ve won for Christ?
Jesus then instructs his new disciples;
‘Tell everyone to sit down’ (John 6:10)
‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted’ (John 6:12)
This is might be akin to hosting an event where a large crowd are present, the gospel is preached and food is served. The new disciples would be involved in solving practicalities such as where to get food from, logistics and crowd management and catering
The Women Who Followed…
‘Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his 12 disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples’ (Luke 8:1-3)
In this passage we see 3 women who were part of the group of women who also followed Jesus. We know a little more about Mary Magdalene from scripture
Are those Jesus has used you to set free, contributing to the mission from their own resources?
Sending out the 12 and the 72
In Matthew 10 and Luke 10, Jesus sends out his new disciples in pairs, like lambs among wolves. These are some of the instructions he gave them:
–Whenever you enter a new town or city, Search for the Person of Peace
–When you enter that household, give it your greeting of ‘Peace to this Household’
–Eat what is set before you
–Heal the sick in that household
–Drive out demons
–Proclaim the Kingdom has come to that house
–Do not move around from house to house – but stay in the house of peace that welcomes you and the message
–If the house or town does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them and the peace will return to you
Can you imagine sending out your new disciples in 2’s in this way?
The Wider Circle…
Those who Jesus related to in the wider circle included Nicodemas (John 3:1-20), Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42, John 11), The Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-30), Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), The Man Born Blind (John 9) the Man with the Legion of Demons (Mark 5:18-20) and Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38-42)
Your Disciples
Are you calling disciples to follow you as you follow Christ?
Does this involve inviting new disciples to your home, taking them with you on the road and going to their place?
Have you spent the night praying for your core 12 disciples?
Do you have a group of disciples who contribute to the mission out of their own funds?
Do you have a wider circle of disciples?
Have you sent your disciples out to find more disciples?
Related Articles
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Paul’s First Five Disciples in Corinth
Staying with the House of Peace
