In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells a parable about a nobleman who puts 10 servants in charge of his kingdom while he is gone. The nobleman gives them each a mina (this was about 3 months wages for a laborer) and says, “Engage in business until I come.“ The nobleman is Jesus and He has given His servants (us) the ability to participate in His Kingdom until it reaches the ends of the earth.
This is one parable to show what God is like and how we relate to Him. Of course, there are other relationship dynamics we have with God. Examples: Father/daughter, King/citizen, Husband/bride, Master/bondservant, Creator/image, etc. In Luke 19, we have nobleman/servant (employee). Jesus delegates the job to be done and gives the servants what is necessary to complete the job.
So, what is the business with which we are meant to engage? What is the “mina” we have all been given as our investment? Here is one way I believe this parable is tangibly applied.
I. The Investment
Jesus tells us that we have been given “minas” to invest in His Kingdom until He returns (Luke 19:11-7). He says in John 6:27 that we are to labor for that which is eternal. Therefore, what are the eternal things worthy of our investment?
1. People – Matthew 25:46
2. God’s Word – Isaiah 40:8
II. What It Will Cost
Your time, talents, treasure… your life
(See I Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 58; Matthew 25:31-46; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 8:34-35)
III. Return on Investment (not the “American” way)
A gifted evangelist leads 1,000 people to Christ per day every day of the year. End of year 1, the evangelist reached 365,000 people. End of year 2, the evangelist has reached 730,000 people total. Phenomenal!!
Compare to disciple-maker who leads 1 person to Christ per year. End of year 1, she has reached 1 person
But suppose the disciple-maker has not only led that woman to Christ, but discipled her… prayed with her, taught her how to feed herself from the Bible, held her accountable to the Lordship of Jesus, gotten her into a fellowship of Christians, shown her how to present the gospel to others, etc. At the end of Year 1, the convert is established in her faith, is able to lead another woman to Christ and follow-up with her.
Year 2 – the disciple-maker has doubled her ministry, 1 has become 2. Each woman goes out and leads and trains (not 1,000/day) one woman per year. At the end of Year 2, we have 4 people.
This is slow. But we have more than converts, we have disciples who can reproduce themselves. At this rate of one woman per year, the discipleship ministry will numerically overtake the evangelist at year 24 (16,777,216 to 8,760,000)… from then on the disciple-making, multiplying ministry will grow faster than the ministry of dozens of gifted evangelists.
We do need evangelists! But an evangelist alone can never complete the task of reaching a lost and dying world. Furthermore, “When we make disciples, we inevitably engage in evangelism” ~ Bill Hull
IV. Three Pillars of Discipleship
1. Prayer – Luke 6:12
2. Relationship (Agape) – Mark 3:14
a. Transparency
b. Accountability
3. Content (Word of God) – II Timothy 3:16-17
Discipleship is a relationship in which a person is investing into another person in order to help that person grow in maturity in Christ. It is a transformational process.
“Transformation occurs when we grapple with the truth of God’s Word in the context of transparent relationships… Honesty with God is not sufficient. We give God permission to reshape our lives when we risk self-revelation and confession to others. We cannot grow in Christ by ourselves. We are people made for community.” ~Greg Ogden, Transforming Discipleship
V. Selection
1. Jesus’s example:
a. Pray (Luke 6:12-16)
b. Go fishing (See the beginning of the Gospels)
c. Read Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman
2. Pray for one gal – See Jeremiah 5:1
3. Find a woman who is F.A.T.
a. Faithful
b. Available
c. Teachable
d. See II Timothy 2:2 and I Kings 19:16/II Kings 2:2
“I would rather have one man who is completely sold out for Christ than 99 who are lukewarm.” ~Cecil Bean
“The Kingdom of God grows by investing in a minority population… Obviously this method is not one that brings change quickly. It takes time. It doesn’t make the headlines. It is a person-to-person approach. We tell others the good news and people are publicly baptized. Then we teach them to do everything Jesus taught us, including how to make more disciples, all until the story is told to all the earth. When this is complete, Jesus says that he will return and make things right.” ~ Conversion and Discipleship by Bill Hull
I recommend looking up any unfamiliar verses from above. We want to be like the Bereans, who examined the Scriptures daily to validate what Paul was saying (Acts 17:11). Let this be our posture too! And let us engage in eternal business!
By the River Together 