For a long time I have heard church leaders express concern over a problem that I'm sure has existed as long as the church has. The problem is that of what seems to be a revolving door in many churches. It seems like every time you gain a couple of members you loose a couple. Many join and stay for a couple of weeks or months and disappear just as suddenly as they showed up. If you are a pastor reading this you surely know what I am talking about. If you are a regularly attending member you've undoubtedly noticed this trend in the church. This is what we call the "Back Door" in the church. We see them come in through the front door but somehow they slip out of the back door.

There is a solution to this problem. Most who come into the church are either unchurched or underchurched meaning that they have either not been in church or have been in church but have not been properly equipped. In Ephesians 4 Paul explains the primary function of the ministry leaders in the church Verse 12 says that they are given to the church, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,for the edifying of the body of Christ". Perfecting in this passage comes from the Greek word, "Katartismos" which means complete furnishing, equipping. Our job is to completely furnish and equip the saints with all that they need to become mature Christians.

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus is giving his disciples what is called the Great Commission, In the King James it is rendered, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In the New King James and many other modern translations the thrust of that command is rendered, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Jesus is telling us that we have a duty of not just bringing them in and preaching to them. We must make them into disciples. This involves a process of teaching, training,demonstrating, discipline, challenges, rewards, etc. All designed to produce a final product, a disciple.

In order to do this we must look to Jesus who was the first DiscipleBuilder. Jesus used a strategic 3 year training process to shape his band of rag tag followers into a force that would change the world.

The way to close the back door is to use the examples of Jesus' DiscipleBuilding plan as chronicled in the gospels to equip the saints to do the work of ministry and through their work build up the body of Christ. 

We call the method of making disciples that Jesus used DiscipleBuilding. In Matthew 28:19 when Jesus says for us to “make” disciples the use of the word make indicated that disciple building is a process. Any builder knows that in order to build a solid, sturdy, and dependable structure you must start by laying a good foundation. If the foundation is not firm the structure will shift and become damaged. If the foundation is not the right width and depth you limit how far you can go in building the structure. If the foundation is not laid properly it will soon crack because of the external pressures of moisture, temperature and time.

When we are building disciples we can’t just haphazardly throw them together, we must lay a foundation that will endure for the rest of their life. If the foundation is weak then when the storms of life come they will shift with the storm and eventually fall. If we rush the job and don’t make the foundation deep enough or broad enough by rushing them through a few new member classes teaching them about ‘OUR’ church and a few of our favorite doctrines, we’ll limit their potential and stunt their Christian growth. If we attempt to lay foundation without a proven process then the external pressures that life brings will cause them to crack and eventually crumble.

A Solid Foundation

The education of Jewish children was primarily the responsibility of the parents. When a boy became old enough to work, his father became his principal teacher. Being raised in the home of a carpenter Jesus grew up learning the trade of his earthly father Joseph. We see on several occasions in the gospels that Jesus would refer to the building process. Undoubtedly he understood that in order to build a good building you first need to start with the right foundation. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 7 and Luke 6 we will look at Matthews’s account of this teaching of Jesus.

24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

We see that what determines the quality of the house is the foundation that it is built upon. The first builder built his house on a rock. As a result the house was able to withstand the storm. If we want those who we disciple to be able to withstand the storms that life will throw at them they need to be given a firm foundation. The second builder built his house on sand. Unlike the first, when the storms came the house was destroyed.

The difference in the foundations of the two houses was that the first was a rock and the second was sand. A rock is a single entity and denotes strength. Sand is made of millions of tiny particles, which are related only by their close proximity to one another with nothing to hold them together. To build a house on millions of tiny shifting particles is a plan for disaster. While building a house on a single solid rock insures stability. When we try to build up new Christians using all of the many changing teachings and doctrines preached in the church today they are like a house built on sand. When the storms of life come they have nothing that holds them together and it all comes falling down.

If we look at this through our modern eyes, we lay foundations for buildings using concrete. Concrete is a mixture of cement, sand, and water. The difference between a sand foundation and a concrete foundation is the absence of cement and water. The sand foundation lacks the elements necessary to bind the grains together to form one strong unified foundation. When cement, sand, and water are mixed they form concrete but the concrete is not usable as a foundation until the water has evaporated from the mixture through the drying process. So the difference between the sand foundation and the concrete one is the presence of cement. In Matthew 7:24-27 the difference between the foundations of the two houses is that Jesus says that the wise builder,

heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them.

The cement that gives stability to the believer is that he hears, obeys, and applies the words and teachings of Jesus to his life. When we are making disciples we are moving them from hearers of the Word to doers. This is done through the building of a foundation through a process that takes the teachings of Jesus and communicates them to new believers in such a way that they can easily apply them to their lives.

Another place where Jesus stresses the importance of building upon a good foundation (rock) is in Matthew 16:13-18,

13. When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14. And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It is obvious from the question that Jesus asked at the beginning of this passage that this is clearly about his identity and the understanding that his disciples had of who He was. He started by asking them who others said that he was. One thing that we quickly learn about Jesus was that he knew what others were saying about him. Many times he responded to their thoughts and secret murmurings before they had a chance to express them. This question was used to set up his next question, which was,

But whom say ye that I am?

Peter answered:

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Which was to say that Jesus is the promised Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for and that he was the Son of the living God not just the Son of man. Impressed with Peter’s response he proclaimed that this was not just something that Peter came up with; it had to be a revelation from God himself. Jesus then reemphasizes the name that he had given him at their first meeting (John 1:42), which was Peter meaning rock. Upon this rock, the correct understanding of who Jesus is, he (Jesus) promises to build his church. He further states,

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The reason that hell will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ is that it is built on a solid foundation. This foundation is the revelation of who Jesus is.

According to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 7, Luke 6, and Matthew 16 Disciple Building is a process that begins by building, within believers, a solid foundation consisting of an understanding what Jesus taught and of who is. Without this foundation any Christian is an unstable house built on shifting grains of sand never stable enough to endure the storms of life and destined to fall under the pressure that those storms will bring.

Through the accounts of the gospel writers we actually are given an indication of some of the things involved in the disciple building process.

First, in Acts 1 we are told that after we receive the power from the Holy Ghost that we are to be witnesses. In Luke 24 46-48 he explains what they are to witness of:

46. And said unto them, Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem

48. And ye are witnesses of these things

In Mark 16:15 Jesus says.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

We are commanded by Jesus first to be witnesses. As witnesses we are to preach repentance, remission of sins, and the gospel.

In order to understand what we are to preach we first need to know what these words mean. Repentance derives from the Greek word Metanoeo which means,

1. to change ones mind, i.e. to repent

2. to change ones mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of ones past sins

Remission is from the Greek word aphesis which means,

1. release from bondage or imprisonment

2. forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty

Gospel means,

The glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God.

From these definitions we see that we are to preach repentance or a change of mind concerning sin, remission of sins or release from bondage to and penalty of sin and the gospel, which is the good news of the kingdom of God, Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return and what these mean to all who will hear and believe.

From the four accounts of the Last Commandment we can also see what happens as a result of our witnessing. In Mark 16:16 Jesus tells us what will happen as a result of our witnessing.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Our witness to the unbeliever is so important that what they decide as a result of that witness determines their eternal salvation or damnation. Because of this many of us get involved in convincing instead of witnessing. We are like a used car salesman who will stop at nothing to make a sale. We also are hurt and take it personally when someone doesn’t receive the gospel. Do you remember when we said that the power of witnessing is the Holy Spirit? He not only provides you with the opportunity and words, but as we witness to the unbeliever, He is also working on their heart Jesus says of the Holy Ghost in John 16:8,

And when he is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

As we are witnessing the Holy Spirit is convicting the unbeliever. It is up to them to believe or not to believe.

The next thing that the great commission tells us is found in Mark 16:16,

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved

For those who choose to believe the next step is for them to be baptized. This is emphasized in Matthew 28:19,

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

The new believer is to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The next step in the Disciple Building process is found in Matthew 28:20,

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you

We not only have been commanded to witness and baptize, we are also commended to teach. The question is what to teach. You can turn on Christian television or radio or go into Christian bookstores and find teaching on prosperity, finances, healing, deliverance, spiritual warfare, tongues, and the list goes on and on. If we try to teach new believers all of that stuff they would be so confused and frustrated that they would just give up and say forget this. Although this sounds extreme it’s what has been happening in the church. Many churches are good at going out and getting them saved and on the membership roll but have not established a means of making new members disciples. The reason that so many churches are dealing with high new member turnover is that they just throw them in with the congregation to hear about all of the Christian doctrines and teachings without first building in them a solid foundation. The new believer becomes so overwhelmed that they eventually leave. Many then go back to the life that God wants to draw them out of. Many in the church today refer to this as the back door. We bring them in through the front door through evangelism, outreach, conventions, etc. Many of them come for a month or two then we look up and they’re gone out of the back door. When this happens we mobilize committees to call them and send letters but they don’t return. The most effective method for closing the back door is immediately laying a firm foundation in the new believer. Jesus talked about this in Luke 6. In verse 49 he says,

But he that heareth (the word), and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

In verse 47& 48 of Luke 6 Jesus tells us how to build.

47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

The foundation that we are to lay in new believers is an understanding of Jesus and what he taught. As we see in Matthew 28:20 we are to teach them all things that Jesus commanded His disciples. We see Jesus speak more on this in John 8:31,

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed

Here Jesus was speaking to new believers. He told them to continue in ‘his’ word. As I was meditating on these verses I realized that all that is needed to disciple new believers is found in the teachings of Jesus. I have been commanded by God to create a disciple-building program that is based solely on the process that Jesus used to build the original disciples, changing them from ordinary people into the leaders of the greatest movement of God in all of human history. If we follow this process we can become and build disciples that will, through the power of the Holy Spirit, impact the world for the kingdom of God.

We all are called by God to play a very important role in the establishment of his kingdom. As Jesus left this earth he gave us what I call the Last Commandment. This is also referred to as the great commission. We see it in Matthew 28:18-20

18. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Here Jesus begins by explaining that He now has all power. In the account of the Last Commandment in Acts 1:8 Jesus says

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

In Mt 28:18 he declares that He has ALL power and in Acts declares that we will receive power. He continues in Mt. 28:19 with a command. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations.” This can also be interpreted "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations.” The power that Jesus has and has promised us is to enable us to make disciples of all the nations.

The word disciple, as used throughout the New Testament, is the Greek word mathetes. Mathetes means learner or pupil. It derives from the word matheo, which means to learn; understand. Looking at these 2 words it is obvious that our modern word mathematics also comes from them. Mathematics is the study of numbers and symbols. A disciple then is a learner or pupil. A disciple not only learns but understands. The only way that one can learn is for something to be taught. We are not truly teaching if the pupil or learner is unable to understand what is being taught. As disciple builders we are to teach the people of God in a manner that is easily understandable.

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