Discipleship Class – 23 August 2026 | Sunday School

INTRODUCTION  

A.  The Church’s mission … To make disciples

Matthew 28:19-20  Go ^[a]therefore 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 all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ^[b]Amen.  

B.  The Church’s method … By teaching others who will teach others 

Matthew 28:19   Go [a]therefore 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 all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.  

• • “make disciples” … from one word in the Greek … mathéteuó …  To make a disciple, to teach, to instruct …
    • • according to Biblehub interlinear … , Having gone, therefore, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit   
  • “teaching” (v.20) …  after baptizing … but also before baptizing, as well.    

2 Timothy 2:2  And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  

• • Paul taught Timothy   
  • Timothy was to teach faithful men    
  • faithful men were to teach others   

C.  Our Discipleship PROGRAM … to equip members to be disciples  … involves equipping everyone, as if everyone were a potential evangelist …

• • 1 Peter 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason  for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;  

D.  Our Discipleship PROCESS … Attender to Believer to Christian to Discipler (A > B > C > D)  

• • Phase ONE … Discipleship 101 Class (for A to B) 
  • Phase TWO … New Believers’ Class  (for B to C) 
  • Phase THREE … New Members’ Class  (for C to D)  

E.  In the first phase (A > B) … the focus is on Gospel presentation … to help attenders to understand the Gospel and elements of the Gospel … with the hope they will become believers.  

F.  So far, we’ve looked at the Gospel … via The Gospel in Peas  and  the GCI Statement of Belief …

• • Purpose … Problem … Provision … Potential … Promise  
  • QQQ … The gospel is the good news of the kingdom of God and salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.   It is the message that Christ died for our sins and has made us his own before and apart from our believing in him and has bound us to himself by his love in such a way that he will never let us go.   Therefore, he calls on all humans to repent and believe in him as Lord and Savior.   

SPS … Today, we begin to look at elements of the Gospel that will help us understand the Gospel as a whole. 

In this session … we look at THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR SALVATION …  It is

1) by grace,

2) not by faith and

3) in Christ.  

1.  We are saved BY GRACE  

• Ephesians 2:8   For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 
• Ephesians 2:9    not of works, lest anyone should boast. 
• Titus 3:4-5  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy  He saved us,  through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,   
• 2 Timothy 1:8-9  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,  ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,   

2.  We are NOT saved BY FAITH.  

• Ephesians 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith,  
• Ephesians 2:8-9    For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  
• Titus 3:5  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but  according to His mercy  He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  

3.  Our salvation is IN CHRIST   

•  2 Timothy 1:8-9  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,   
• 2 Timothy 2:10  Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation  which is in  Christ Jesus  with eternal glory.  

• QQQ … The gospel is the good news of the kingdom of God and salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.   It is the message that Christ died for our sins and has made us his own before and apart from our believing in him  and has bound us to himself by his love in such a way that he will never let us go.   Therefore, he calls on all humans to repent and believe in him as Lord and Savior.   
• 1 Corinthians 15:21-22   For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.