Opening Video Illustration: Sermoncentral.com – Are you Ready (4:15 min)
Theme: Time Management
“Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.”
? John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
Thesis: The world we live in knows the importance of Time Management but where they miss the mark is on what they prioritize - which usually is some of following: personal gain, financial success, fame and power. The Bible also speaks about Time Management but God through His Word prioritizes things differently than our world. His big four in regards to Time Management are faith in Him, fellowship with Him, relationship with others and sharing your story with others.
God wants us to use our precious time wisely and not foolishly. You may be thinking how do we do this? We do this by using our time wisely by investing it in eternal things rather than temporal things – those temporary things will rot a way, fade away and in the end have no eternal value. The goal of time management according to Jesus and His parables is to use your time wisely and not waste it on the wrong thing. We need to be focused on the Kingdom of Heaven/The Kingdom of God in our Christian lives. We need to build things that have eternal value and reward - not waste our precious time on things that have no real value.
So what is effective time management according to Jesus?
Paul answers that question for us in Colossians 3: 23-24: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
T.S. - Our current sermon is based on Jesus Parable and learning how to effectively use our time for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sermon: Discipleship
Scripture Text: Luke 14:25-35:
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 14:25-35 “The Message”
25One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them,
26“Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple.
27Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
28“Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it?
29If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you:
30‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’
31“Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other?
32And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?
33“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.
34“Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it’s useless, good for nothing. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Thesis: When Jesus speaks about counting the cost to be his disciple he made it clear that following him would cost us our life of ease, our money and our time. To be a disciple of Jesus means we are the salt the preserving force in this world in which we live in. If we fail to preserve our society for the Kingdom of Heaven then what good are we?
Introduction:
As I look around in our world today I see the church in America struggling to impact our wayward culture and downhill spiral as a nation under God.
Quote by Bill Hull: “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” 1 The reasoning behind this dramatic statement by Dietrich Bonhoeffer provides the rationale for this book. Without discipleship, Christianity doesn’t exist, because following Jesus activates the Christian faith. Bonhoeffer expanded his thought: Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical [detached] to the whole conception of following Christ. With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth that has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. A Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship. 2 Unfortunately non-discipleship “Christianity” dominates much of the thinking of the contemporary church. In addition to sucking the strength from the church, Christianity without discipleship causes the church to assimilate itself into the culture. And sadly, whenever the difference between the church’s and culture’s definition of morality ceases to exist, the church loses its power and authority.
Hull, Bill (2014-02-01). The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (The Navigators Reference Library) (pp. 15-16). NavPress. Kindle Edition.
Do you agree with this quote from Bill Hull? I do I look around at the American church and see a church without power or influence. The root problem I see in the church is a lack of discipleship which has created a spiritually immature and unhealthy church which does not practice Biblical Christianity! For the church to impact our world and society again will require a commitment to discipleship!
Quote: Willard both defines and describes discipleship this way: “Discipleship is the relationship I stand into Jesus Christ in order that I might take on his character. As his disciple, I am learning from him how to live my life in the Kingdom as he would if he were I. The natural outcome is that my behavior is transformed. Increasingly, I routinely and easily do the things he said and did.”
Hull, Bill (2014-02-01). The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (The Navigators Reference Library) (p. 16). NavPress. Kindle Edition.
Discipleship means we live for Christ and we bring others along with us as we both live and die for Jesus.
T.S. – Let’s take a moment and look at the process of discipleship by Jesus. The first thing we need to establish is that Jesus commanded us to go make disciples. We have to pass on what He has given us to others. It's a Kingdom of Heaven principle!
Christian Hills 7 step - Disicpleship Process: See Powerpoint
1. EVANGELIZE.
a. We at Christian Hills Church believe that lost people matter to God; and, therefore, the church needs to focus on reaching them with the Gospel.
i. Jesus our Savior gave us the command to make disciples - not Christians!
1. Matthew 28:18-20: 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 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.”
ii. Notice Jesus never said go and make Christians – no he said go and make disciples.
1. One is just a fan the other is a committed follower - a person who is becoming more like Jesus everyday.
2. Jesus dealt with people accordingly when they started following His ministry. He knew some were there for the miracles, for the food, for the excitement so Jesus challenged them personally –called on them to sacrifice and many of the fans left and quit following. When Jesus did something they did not like they left. So Jesus makes it clear in the Great Commission that we are not to make Christian (fans) but Christ followers or His disciples.
3. Disciples of Jesus have made the commitment to listen to Jesus command to "Go" and invest what they got from Him into others.
b. Jesus gave us a direct order shortly before he ascends into Heaven and that was -His followers were to go make disciples – fully devoted followers of God. Jesus even added that to be one of His disciples requires sacrifice on our part and the biggest things we choose to sacrifice for Him is our will, our life and our own selfish ways.
i. This is the huge cost of discipleship Jesus is speaking about in our parable today. It's the short story with the giant idea!
c. So you may be thinking how do we as a church accomplished this command by Jesus - here are a few ways we are seeking to do this at CHC:
i. By relational or friendship evangelism, which is a process that takes time and commitment. This does not happen by just one time sharing the gospel with someone but by establishing a relationship with the individual.
1. See Luke 5:30-32, Luke 15, and Matt. 18:14.
2. Share the story of Marlo and how you invested in his life for a year.
ii. By anointed Holy Spirit preaching and teaching because when He is involved lives are transformed and changed.
1. This Spirit empowered form of communication is God’s plan for explaining the who, what, when, where, and why of Christianity.
a. See Romans 12:7, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, and James 1:23-25.
2. Share how the pastor’s message impacted my life upon hearing it the first time I went to Outreach Church.
iii. By being culturally relevant to the lost community yet remaining biblical in our approach. This means we relate to the culture to help them see thenrelevancy of Jesus but in the process we do not no compromise Jesus message and or teachings in any way.
1. See 1 Cor. 9:19-23.
iv. By anointed praise and worship which we feel ministers to a person who is seeking Jesus. This venue opens up their hearts and minds to the awesomeness of Jesus!
2. REALIZE. When the message of Jesus is evangelized (shared) by the above process, individuals come to a realization that they need to become born again. This decision occurs as the Holy Spirit opens up their hearts and minds through the following means:
a. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to others like in the book of Revelation!
b. The Holy Spirit works internally in a Life as others share the truth of Jesus teachings.
c. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work with in individuals and are open to being used by the Holy Spirit we see others impacted for His Kingdom.
d. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings a heart to repentance and the person sees the necessity to repent.
e. Once the decision is made to surrender to Jesus, discipling enters the picture. This happens best in small groups and one-on-one relationships.
i. See Luke 6:12-13 and Acts 2:44-47.
f. We want to mentor new believers so as to help them grow spiritually.
3. BAPTIZE. Once the believer understands the meaning of their new birth, they will be encouraged here at CHC to be water baptized and also baptized in the Holy Spirit.
a. The two baptisms:
i. Water Baptism (Romans 6)
ii. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, Acts 19:1-22, 1 Cor. 12, 13, 14)
b. The process of the cross in discipleship is never easy but it is a command of Jesus.
i. Jesus made it clear to all who followed Him that they needed (we need) to pick up our cross if we want to be one of His disciples – that same challenge is relevant for today as well. Listen to what Jesus says:
1. Luke 14:27: 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
2. Luke 14:33: 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
3. Luke 9:23: 23Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
c. Jesus made it very clear that part of the discipleship process is to pick up and carry our crosses.
i. The symbolic picture made by Jesus is a willingness to die to ourselves and to surrender our entire lives, possessions, wills, and plans to Him.
1. It’s a willingness to follow His will and not our wills.
2. It’s the choice to deny our ego’s, our pride, our desires for His.
3. It’s the willingness to surrender everything to Jesus – to God!
4. It’s a lifestyle that focuses on pleasing God not men.
5. It’s a commitment to the Bible and its teachings no matter what society may do to you..
6. It’s a decision to let go of worldly pursuits-such as fame, fortune and self-centered focus.
7. It’s the choice to be what God wants you to be.
ii. Jesus role-modeled for us what it means to pick up our own crosses and carry them for the glory of the Lord.
1. To pick something up is a decision on our part.
a. Recently I have been battling an injured back and every time I drop something on the floor “I think man I have to bend down to get that and it’s going to hurt!”
i. But if I really want that object then I choose to pick it up in spite of the pain factor.
b. I have had to make the choice to play and pick up my grandsons lately knowing that it would hurt but I choose to pick them up out of love for them and because I love when they hug me and love me back.
c. The same is true with the cross we all must bear – we should be compelled by love to pick it up for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
i. As a Christian disciple I understand that my cross can become heavy, weighty, it can hurt but because of my love –my commitment to Jesus I endure that for Him – I do it to say “Jesus I love you not my will or way but yours.”
1. Do you do that with your personal cross?
2. Are you carrying it?
3. Or are others carrying your cross?
iii. Part of being a disciple of Jesus means picking up our own heavy – even hurtful crosses and carrying them for the Lord. We do this motivated by His love and sacrifice for us.
d. The other part of the process of discipleship has to deal with wisdom, knowledge or learning about the One we are following.
4. REVITALIZE. This step has to do with the renewing of our minds.
a. The process of knowledge in the process of discipleship.
i. A lot of people pursue knowledge but that knowledge never impacts or is applied to their lives.
1. Mostly because it is head knowledge with no connection to the heart and to the Spirit of the Lord.
ii. Knowledge is not just to be accumulated but it’s to be applied to our life with God's wisdom.
1. Dr. Nichols states, “There must be a difference between the knowledge that comes from the gathering of information, and that which comes by revelation. The Pharisees and Sadducees had the best information anyone could have in their day. If you asked them, they would tell you they were in touch with revelation as well. But when revelation of the fullness of God stood in front of them with skin on, they called Him Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24)…How can this be? How can people who are trained in the Scriptures, some of whom are even anointed by God to perform their ministry, deny the revelation of the Son of God? There is a kind of zeal in the teaching gift when it is not submitted to apostolic and prophetic authority that is destructive. This zeal combines itself with pride in knowledge to oppose what cannot be controlled. And Jesus could not be controlled by the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Neither could the apostles in the book of Acts…In Acts chapter 1, Jesus handed off the task of advancing the Kingdom to His followers” (Page 17, 18- Who’s In Charge?).
2. Notice Jesus did not hand off the Kingdom to His fans! Jesus hands the Kingdom of Heaven off to His followers – His committed followers! Those who were disciples!
3. So are you starting to see the difference between a Christian and a Disciple?
iii. Titus 2:1-8:
1. 1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self–controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted too much wine, but to teach what is good.
4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5to be self–controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self–controlled.
7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
iv. 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
1. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
b. Knowledge without application and God's wisdom to one’s life does not make a disciple of Jesus.
i. It usually creates Pharisees and religious legalists who have head knowledge but no heart knowledge or spirit empowered experiences.
1. Thought from Blog site: http://treasurecontained.com/2011/01/11/heart-knowledge-vs-head-knowledge/: Have you ever been exhorted to take a truth from God’s word to the next level—from “head knowledge” to “heart knowledge”? It seems to make sense on the surface. Most of us have had times where we know something to be true, yet have a hard time feeling like it is true. I know God cares about me but… I know I can trust Him, but… I know he gives me the strength to resist temptation, but…So, how exactly do we go about taking something from head knowledge to heart knowledge?... The problem is not our inability to move truth to the proper location in our being, but our refusal to appropriate truth into our lives. In other words, the things we know to be true become faith when we live like they are true. If we sit around and wait to feel right about what we know before we live it, we are approaching things all backward. Emotions usually follow action and investment. It is perseverance in practicing what we know that builds faith and confidence in God. In this, we give God opportunities to show himself faithful…and he always will.
a. Colossians 1:9-10 (NASB)
… that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God
2. The point being made here is that head knowledge never acted on or applied to our daily life - does not change us – it does not cause us to be more like Jesus. There has to be an act of surrender on our part to do what we know we should do.
a. We have to take the teaching of Jesus and live it as well as believe it.
b. The difference between a fan (one who knows about Jesus) and a disciple a follower (One who has experienced Jesus and then lives out that experience in their daily lives).
i. The difference is head knowledge and heart knowledge combined with God's wisdom.
ii. Head knowledge or the aspect of learning without application to our lives will never make a disciple – for example when Jesus called His disciples they had to believe He was who He says He was then they had to apply that knowledge and let it change their life which in the beginning for them meant leaving their professions to follow Jesus for three years. They put their head knowledge into action and this is what distinguishes the difference between a fan and a disciple.
c. We grow spiritually and are revitalized by 5 ways and we must seek to grow in all five of these areas to renew our carnal minds:
i. By listening to practical preaching and teaching and applying it to our lives!
ii. By investing in providential relationships set up by the Lord!
iii. By doing private spiritual disciplines!
iv. By becoming involved and doing personal ministry!
v. By learning and growing through pivotal circumstances of life!
d. So in review we renew the mind by:
i. By striving toward continuous growth in the Word. See 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:14-16.
ii. By encouraging new believers to pursue a full devotion to Christ and His great commission.
1. See 1 Kings 11:4, Phil. 2:1-11, 2 Cor. 8:7.
iii. By placing an emphasis on everyone doing ministry.
1. See Col. 3:17, Mal. 1:6-14 and Pr. 27:17.
iv. By teaching all that the church is to be led by men and women with spiritual leadership gifts.
1. See Neh. 1-2, Rom. 12:8 and Acts 6:2-5.
5. SPIRITUALIZE. Christian Hills believes that Christians are to demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit which include love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, patience, goodness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)and by being authentic followers of Jesus.
a. Living by the Spirit is done by following Jesus teaching such as is found Matthew 18 - which deals with how to handle conflict with others.
b. This is done by by modeling Christlike character.
c. This is achieved by modeling 1 Cor. 13.
i. See also Neh. 3, Luke 10:1 and John 13:34-35.
d. This is accomplished by not allowing spiritual hypocrisy and dealing with as Jesus Christ dealt with it in Matt. 23.
i. See also Eph. 4:25-26, 32; Heb. 12:1; and Phil. 1:6.
e. By worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in truth through praise and worship.
i. We worship in the spirit because of our connection to the Holy Spirit.
f. By practicing and giving the three t’s to God: Tithes, talents and treasures.
6. MATERIALIZE. Christian Hills believes that a Christian church is made up of servants, men and women serving each other with their gifts. This happens primarily by the following ways:
a. We will all seek to choose to lose to God and our own selfish desires. See John 13.
b. This will be accomplished by unity being emphasized and modeled. Note: sometimes we may disagree on subjects, but we can still disagree and be united as one. See 1 Cor. 1.
c. Spiritual gifts will be taught, demonstrated released and monitored by leadership. See 1 Cor. 12, 14; Rom. 12; Eph. 4; Ps. 133:1.
d. By having a worship which is anointed and flowing in the Holy Spirit. This worship will change and transform hearts and create an open heart to the Gospel.
7. EVANGELIZE. The individual who has been evangelized and discipled now reproduces themselves by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
a. This the process of multiplication in discipleship and what Jesus wants to happen in His church - in our church.
b. Jesus modeled for us the process of multiplication by mentoring, teaching and equipping his disciples. we must do the same at CHC.
i. He focused on 12 people during his 3 years of ministry time.
ii. Then they focused with him on the 70!
iii. Over time the process of discipleship has reached into the billions coming to Jesus!
c. It’s the concept of establishing relationships with other like Jesus did with his 12.
i. Eddie Snipes states, “Discipleship = friendship with a Christ centered focus. The relationship is the most critical today. This is not because it is the most important, but it is the most neglected…Most people are intimidated by discipleship.”
ii. Proverbs 27:17: 17As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
1. Eddie Snipe adds, “Friendship is the key for accountability.”
2. It’s also the main key in the discipleship process.
d. 2 Timothy 2:1-3 – The “Timothy Principle” modeled by Paul is noted in these few verses.
i. 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
1. Paul’s relationship and friendship with Timothy shows the importance of discipleship and a need to connect relationally with others.
2. Paul mentored Timothy into the man of God Jesus wanted him to be.
ii. Eddie Snipes in “3 Principles of Discipleship” stated: The ultimate goal of mentor discipleship is to give our ministry away. We see leaders jealously guard their position because they forget that it doesn’t belong to them, but has been entrusted to them by God for His glory. If God exalts someone over me or raises up someone who takes my place, that is His will. If I fight against God, what value does my position hold outside of God’s plan? How do I know that God isn’t raising up someone because he has bigger plans for me? Even if God doesn’t, the greater benefit is not the position I hold, but the fruit God produces through my life for His eternal purposes. What could be greater than to be chosen by God to touch someone’s life that will go where you cannot go and do what you cannot do? Who led Billy Graham to Christ? Consider this chain of God’s providential events: A layman by the name of Edward Kimball led Dwight L. Moody to Christ. Dwight went on to be one of the greatest preachers of modern history. It was D.L. Moody that impacted F.B. Meyer and Meyer touched Wilbur Chapman. Chapman partnered with Billy Sunday and Billy Sunday had a major impact on Mordacai Ham. Mordacai Ham felt like a failure in his ministry and decided to quit. He felt burdened to do one more revival circuit. A sixteen year old boy with little interest in the revival was persuaded to go on one of the last days. That boy was named Billy Graham. From: http://www.exchangedlife.com/Sermons/topical/discip-2.shtml
1. We see how it is imperative that we connect with others to create disciples and raise them up – disciples are mentored, trained, taught, encouraged, corrected, and loved by another person who wants to see this person be all they can be for the Lord.
e. Ephesians 4:11-17:
i. 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
f. The biological process of cell multiplication:
i. Each of us began as a single cell. This cell couldn't move, think, see, or do things like laugh and talk. But the one thing it could do, and do very well, was divide—and divide it did. The lone cell became two, and then four, then eight and so on, in time becoming the amazing person that is you. Think of how far you've come. You can laugh at a joke, stand on your head, read a book, eat an ice cream cone, hear a symphony, and do countless other things…cells divide, a topic that has fascinated scientists since they first observed it through a microscope more than 100 years ago.
ii. Scientists can actually watch cells divide under the microscope, and they have been able to figure out the rules of division by carefully observing the process, much as someone could gradually learn the rules of a game like football or chess by watching it played repeatedly.
iii. There are two kinds of cell division: mitosis and meiosis.
1. Mitosis is essentially a duplication process: It produces two genetically identical "daughter" cells from a single "parent" cell. You grew from a single embryonic cell to the person you are now through mitosis. Even after you are grown, mitosis replaces cells lost through everyday wear and tear. The constant replenishment of your skin cells, for example, occurs through mitosis. Mitosis takes place in cells in all parts of your body, keeping your tissues and organs in good working order.
2. Meiosis, on the other hand, is quite different. It shuffles the genetic deck, generating daughter cells that are distinct from one another and from the original parent cell. Although virtually all of your cells can undergo mitosis, only a few special cells are capable of meiosis: those that will become eggs in females and sperm in males.
3. Summary: So, basically, mitosis is for growth and maintenance, while meiosis is for sexual reproduction. The above from http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethecell/chapter4.html
iv. My-tosis is a word that was coined in our staff meeting this week as we discussed the process of discipleship.
1. The idea behind this term is You-me-i-my must be willing to reproduce ourselves if we want to stay healthy as a spiritual body. My cells reproduce to keep my body healthy replenishing and replacing cells which die daily. The same is true in a church setting – we need to be reproducing ourselves and passing along the spiritual cells of God’s Word to others. Why? Because if we fail to do this then we start to die.
g. Why Cell Multiplication is Necessary? BY Joel Comiskey
i. When John Wesley died in 1791, he left behind a church of 10,000 cell groups and 100,000 members. Cell groups were so important to the Methodist Church that a person could not enter the celebration service unless he or she showed a ticket that proved he or she was in a cell group during the week. God transformed people through Wesley’s structure of cell, bands, and celebration. Many believe that God used Wesley and the Methodist movement to save England from spiritual, moral, and even physical destruction. Yet, the emphasis on cell and celebration died out 100 years after Wesley’s death. Why? A Ph.D. student explored this question and determined that the main reason the Methodist cell structure died was by allowing the cells to become too large. Instead of maintaining the intimate size of approximately ten people, the cells grew to 30, 40, or more and eventually became Methodist churches. The cell/celebration strategy disappeared because the cells grew too large. Transformation takes place in a small group atmosphere. Even timid people can share in a group of 3-15 people. When the group grows larger, only extroverts are confident enough to express themselves. At the same time, cells must evangelize and reach out to unbelievers and unchurched people. So how can a cell grow larger while maintaining intimacy? The only way is through multiplication. Cell groups must multiply to stay faithful to the mission of intimacy and growth through outreach.
1. The above from http://www.joelcomiskeygroup.com/articles/evangelism/WHYcellMULTIPLICATION.html
2. The key to remember - Cells multiply to keep the body alive!
ii. The church members of the Body Christ must also be focused on intentionally multiplying so as to stay alive and thriving because when you quit multiplying you start dying as a church.
h. So Discipleship must be an intentional process – we must encourage – command-and be committed to discipleship.
i. http://www.examiner.com/christian-apologetics-in-national/george-barna-s-new-book-maximum-faith-offers-insight-for-spiritual-maturity
1. Barna reminded us earlier of the current state of the church: What are some of the more specific findings from his latest research? About 80% of Americans say that they are Christian, but only about 67% say further that they are “religious or spiritual.” Of all professed Christians, only 20% say that the most important decision they’ve ever made was to invite Jesus to be their savior. Even fewer (14%) make their relationship with God their highest life priority. What can explain the lack of importance placed on eternity by so many professed Christians? Jesus, quoting Deuteronomy and Joshua, said to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). So why is this generally not happening amongst American Christians?
a. Barna listed eight reasons why American Christians are not making God their priority, which reflects a lack of transformation into new creations (Galatians 6:15).
i. American Christians follow the cultural norm of comfort and security
ii. Churches measure attendance and maintain tradition rather than focus on individual transformation
iii. Successful faith bears fruit but what “American Christians and their churches measure is . . . knowledge, activity, and emotion”
iv. We don’t give ourselves up to become servants and to let God control our lives.
v. There are few Christian role models, and those who have been models in more recent times aren’t really viewed as “normal”
vi. There are a great many “distractions and distortions” in our culture, and we want to conform
vii. Church leaders are not addressing the spiritual battle in Christians’ lives.
viii. American Christians allow their children to “embrace the objectives of the society we are called to shape” – parents and churches do not really focus on godly transformation.
ii. What is needed to change this?
1. Motivation –Motivation-Motivation!
2. The Bible calls us to participate in our own transformation by being living sacrifices.
a. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).
b. “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
3. Barna wants to help his readers to become transformed and to persevere along their journey to spiritual maturity. “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3).
4. Sources from above and recommended reading: Spiritual Maturity – A Definition ; Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity ; Research on How God Transforms Lives Reveals a 10-Stop Journey ; The Roadmap for Becoming Transformed ; US Religious Knowledge Survey among top 2010 stories
Conclusion:
When the church is accomplishing the above discipleship process, we will continue to repeat this seven-step discipleship process over and over in individuals’ lives, in the church, and community.
We need to commit as a church as a body of believers that we are going to start to disciple 1 person this year and meet with them at least 12 times this year. We also need to be intentional about making friends with 12 others who do not know Jesus so that possibly a discipleship relationships could be developed in the future.
So you may be thinking: How can I grow as a believer? and How can I be disciple so I can disciple? There are several ways to grow and to be disciples – See our list of small groups starting up (See list). Be faithful to services, to prayer, Bible reading, make a connection with a mature Christian and start meeting with them.
Question: How do you disciple someone?
1. First you have to have a personal relationship with them!
2. You need to make sure they have a relationship with Jesus.
3. You need to help them renew their minds with truth and even correction.
4. You need to be willing to provide information for the one you are discipling using the Bible.
5. You need to teach them were to find wisdom for decisions in life- The Bible.
6. You need to promote specific skills and effective behaviors from the Bible.
7. You need to be willing to provide feedback to the one you disciple.
8. You need to coach them through stages of crisis, growth and life situations.
9. You allow the disciple to ask questions and you become a sounding board for them.
10. You need to be willing to be a safe person for your disciple.
11. You need to be willing to assist the disciple in devising their plan for life.
12. You need to nurture curiosity, possibilities and opportunities with your disciple.
