5 EMPOWER

Professionals or Volunteers?

1
And he called the twelve together and gave
them power and authority over all demons
and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to
proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
LUKE 9:1,2

DY
Jesus modeled an empowering leadership style. He was never content
for the disciples to simply follow Him as spectators but was intent on

U
empowering them to do what He had been doing. He went so far as

T S
to say that they would do even greater works after He had gone back

E
to the Father (John 14:12).

R S S
In order for us to empower disciples to make disciples, we must

O
understand three principles about empowering:

O
F RP
1. Empower as (1)
as possible.


U
Acts 9 tells the story of a man who in a matter of days went from

P
Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher. Imagine if Ananias, who
first discipled Paul, had told Paul that he needed to wait several
years to mature before he could preach the gospel. How different
would the story of the church in Acts be?

1
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and
asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or
women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. . . .
 18
And immediately something like scales fell from his,
eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was
baptized; 19and taking food, he was strengthened. For
some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
20
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the
synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
ACTS 9:1,2;18-20

2. (2)
happens before, during, and
after empowering.

Empowering people to take ministry responsibility without

Y
proper training and a well-established foundation is both unwise

D
and unfair because it sets them up to fail. So while we want to

U
empower quickly, we must never empower someone before they

S
are equipped.

S T E
Though Paul began to preach almost immediately after his

R O S
conversion, he did spend several days with the believers in
Damascus being established and equipped before he began

O
F RP
to preach.

18
. . . Then he rose and was baptized; 19and taking

U
food, he was strengthened. For some days he was
with the disciples at Damascus. 20And immediately he

P proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the

Son of God.”
ACTS 9:18-20

After equipping, empowering, and sending His disciples out,

Jesus always had debriefing sessions when His disciples returned.
They reported victories and defeats. They asked questions. Jesus
corrected their lack of faith and their selfish attitudes.

1
And he called the twelve together and gave them
power and authority over all demons and to cure

32 MAKING DISCIPLES
 diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the
kingdom of God and to heal. . . . 10On their return the
apostles told him all that they had done. And he took
them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida.
LUKE 9:1,2,10

The equipping process did not end when they were empowered;
it continued and intensified after they were empowered.

3. Empowering is risky but .

(3)

Often the underlying fear behind our hesitancy to empower

DY
disciples
is the fear that they will make mistakes in ministry. Of
course they will. Didn’t Peter? Didn’t John? Didn’t Paul? Didn’t you?

T U S
Mistakes in ministry are not optional—they are required. As

E
leaders, it is important to create empowering environments where

R S
believers are encouraged to take risks and make mistakes in an

S
effort to make disciples. In these kinds of environments, disciples

O
can learn from their mistakes, be equipped and encouraged, and

O
F RP
try again.

POWER TO BE A WITNESS

P U 48
”You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am
sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in
the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
LUKE 24:48,49

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

19

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:19,20

empower 33
Ultimately, the power to obey Jesus’ command to go and make
disciples comes from God. Without the Holy Spirit, obedience to this
command would be impossible.

SUMMARY
Because Jesus expects all disciples to make disciples, we must not
only be equipped, but also empowered to make disciples. Ministry
isn’t just for professionals. Rather, it is for every believer who has
been empowered by the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim Christ.

DY
U
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

S T E S
• Why is an empowering discipleship philosophy important?

R O S
• How effective are you at equipping disciples so that they can
succeed when they are empowered?

O
F RP
• Are you okay with mistakes? Why or why not?

P U

34 MAKING DISCIPLES
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U
KEY VERSES............Matthew 28:19,20 • 2 Timothy 2:2
GOAL..........................Make Disciples with Confidence and Competence
ENVIRONMENT.......Victory Groups • Leaders’ Convergence
TOOL..........................Empowering Leaders

EMPOWERING LEADERS is a class to empower disciples to

make disciples and train new leaders.

empower 35
 DY
T U S
S S E
O R O
F RP
P U