Disciple: Part 2

Introduction

Well, good morning! Listen, it feels good to be in the house of the Lord this morning…to be with my people…Amen? There’s just nothing like this the rest of the week. We get to come…we get to worship…we get to be around people that just get us, right? It feels good! I love this church…I love you…and listen, I’m just esthetic at what God’s been putting on my heart…I’m excited at what I know He’ll do here at FBC…and of course, what He’s already doing. I know it’s hard to see everything going on behind the scenes…to know everyone, to understand what’s going on in their lives…but guys, I have never seen more men on fire to dig into God’s Word…to grow…than I have at this moment. I’ve not seen God working more in people’s lives…than at this moment. God’s moving…and I believe He’s about to use us to do some big things all for His kingdom and for His glory here in Cambridge Springs! And guys, it just excites me!

And listen, if you were with us last week…we began this new sermon series, “Can You See It?” Our purpose, its to challenge you…can you see what God’s doing here at FBC…what He wants to do here? Can you see the vision…His vision? Because if we devote ourselves to His Word, and if we align our hearts with His, He’ll reveal His plans for us…He’ll reveal His mission and vision for First Baptist Church, right? And guys, He’ll do that for us as individuals as well when we walk in His will.

If you remember, we talked a little about our mission and vision statements here at FBC. Our mission statement…becoming a church without walls…that’s our goal, our aim…it’s who we wanna be, right? And if you remember, being a church without walls, it means we wanna be individuals that get out of these four walls and engage people in the different mission fields God’s placed us in. Kyler’s gonna expand on that idea next week while I’m off at school, looking at the idea of deploying…but guys, that’s our mission…to be a church without walls. And we can only do that with each of you. We can only be this kind of church when you buy into this mission and understand that you give us the ability to be this kind of church…because its at your jobs…in your neighborhoods…in your schools…in your families…that we’re able to actually be a church without walls.

And remember, we looked at this in detail last week…this isn’t Pastor Steven’s mission statement or the deacons…or some committee’s…this is the charge that Jesus gave us. Remember the only command…the only imperative that we see in the Great Commission passage…its not to go…its not to baptize or teach…but it’s what? It’s to make disciples. That’s our mission…and it’s always been the mission of the church and it should always be the mission of the church. Listen, if you move or you feel God moving you to another church, if that’s not their mission, you need to go somewhere else…because that’s Jesus mission for us and it will always be His mission. Now, we might write it out differently or come up with these catchy phrases to make it resonate in our hearts…but it should always be the same. Being a church without walls, its all about making disciples…its all about becoming fishers of men…advancing God’s kingdom.

But how we gonna do that…our vision statement…deliver, disciple, deploy…that’s what this sermon series is all about. We’re gonna become a church without walls by delivering the gospel message, discipling believers, and deploying them back out to replicate the mission. And even these goals that we’ve set…that we feel God calling us to, they help us to do those three things as we strive to become this church that Jesus commanded.

Last week, as we began diving into Matthew 28, looking at this mission Jesus laid out…we kind of focused in on that first part of our vision statement…deliver. You guys remember what it is we deliver? The gospel, right? Which is what? It’s the whole counsel of God’s Word…Genesis to Revelation. And what we said, we have to strive to know the whole counsel of God’s Word…we’re gonna push each other to dive into Scripture…to read…to meditate on it…it’s why we’ve put out a reading plan this year. We want you in Scripture. We want you learning it, because that’s how we’re gonna be able to deliver it, right? We said we’re gonna strive to teach the whole counsel of God’s Word in every ministry God allows us to have here at FBC. It’s important…it’s our foundation…God’s Word…and we have to devote ourselves to delivering that message…not just parts of it, but the entirety of God’s Word. That’s who we’re gonna strive to be. We’re gonna strive to deliver the whole counsel of God’s Word.

As we looked at Matthew 28, we saw that the only way to make disciples…to reach people with the good news of Jesus, its to deliver the gospel message to them, right? But listen, as we continue looking at that passage this morning…making disciples…it doesn’t stop at delivering the gospel to people…Jesus gives us more to disciple making. Of course, we go…we go into all the world and deliver…we baptize, right? And we what? We teach all that He’s commanded us? Guys, think about this…do you think it’s possible to teach “all Jesus has commanded us” in one sitting? Like, is this a one and done kind of thing? No! Guys, its a process…it’s discipleship. Discipleship, its all about helping someone understand what it means to follow Jesus. When someone’s reborn, spiritually, as Jesus says in John 3, it’s like they’re an infant in Him…they have no idea what it means to follow Him…they need help growing…they need to be taught…they need to grow from a baby, to a child, to a young adult, right? The problem with so many churches today its that they’re full of babies because they never really emphasize spiritual maturity…they never place any emphasis on discipleship.

Listen, the only way we can be the people we’re commanded to be…the only way we can become a church without walls and reach the people around us…we have to be discipled and we have to disciple others. You understand? And guys, that typically happens outside of Sunday morning. It typically revolves around doing life with other believers…learning from them and turning around and pouring into other people. It’s why we’re pushing home groups and KNOT groups. It’s why its a part of our goals over the next 7 years.

And so, that’s our purpose today…to examine this second part of our vision statement, disciple…But before we do that, let’s turn back to Matthew 28 and read again what Jesus said to His disciples before ascending to the right hand of the Father. Let’s stand together as we read. Starting in verse 16, “16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Thank you, you can be seated.

Listen, this morning…I wanna look at what it is we disciple…why we disciple…and how we disciple.

1.) What Do We Disciple?

So what is it that we disciple? We disciple those that follow Jesus…that have been transformed by His power…those that have been given a new heart…been reborn…we disciple those that are brothers and sisters…children of God. We disciple believers…those that have turned from themselves and turned to Jesus…that have asked Jesus for forgiveness. And if we go back to last week…we looked at what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in his letter in chapter one…he explained what a real believer looks like. Do you remember? It’s people that have been adopted, formed, changed, empowered by God for life and mission. That’s what a disciple of Christ looks like.

And it’s those that strive to model the example of Christ…to adopt the same mindset as Him. That’s why Paul says in Philippians chapter 2, “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

And so, according to Paul…not just are Christians adopted, formed, and empowered by God…but their new life, it models one of humility and self-denial. It’s one that places the needs of those around them over their own. A disciple of Jesus is one that cares more about other people than themselves.

That’s why Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The purpose of following Jesus is to become what? A fisher of men! You understand?

And so, before you can disciple someone, you have to understand what it is we disciple, right? Our purpose is to disciple those that have already turned to Jesus. Listen, I know this sounds elementary…but this is something that churches in our country really get wrong. You can’t disciple people who’s hearts haven’t been changed. You can’t disciple people who still seek their own self-glorification. They’ll never understand the truths you cling to. For those people, we deliver the gospel to ‘em, right? We deliver the message that has the ability to change them. We talked about that last week.

But listen, we disciple…or we teach all that Jesus has commanded us…to those that have already been changed by the good news we delivered. It’s a process. Once a person turns to Jesus…honestly, that’s where the real work begins. That’s some of the hardest things to do…because again, we’re dealing with babes in Christ…we have to be patient and understanding…we have to be gracious…just like we would our own kids.

But guys, that’s who we disciple…it’s those that have been transformed by the power of Christ. When we’ve reached someone, our next goal should be to disciple them. And guys, this is something that happens with all of us. We all need to be discipled and we all need to be discipling someone else. Meaning, we should allow someone more spiritually mature than us, to disciple us…and we should be discipling someone less spiritually mature than us. And listen, I’m not trying to guilt you…but if you’re not doing that…you’re not following Jesus’s mission for your life or His church. And if you’re one of those people that think you don’t need to be discipled…then you’re probably one of those babies I was talking about…because unless you’re dead and in the presence of Christ, you’re got growing to do. You understand?

And so, here at First Baptist Church…our vision…one of the ways we believe we’ll become a church without walls…its to focus on discipling each other....teaching each other what it means to follow Christ.

2.) Why Do We Disciple?

That’s who we disciple…but why do we disciple? Because again, it goes beyond Jesus just commanding us to do it…of course we do it because He told us to but there’s so more to it than that. So why do we commit ourselves to discipleship?

Jesus says in John 14, “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

And so, first off…Jesus tells us again who we’re discipling, right? Those that the Spirit of truth resides in. Those in the world, they can’t receive Him because they neither see Him or know Him. But look at what He says first…He says, “If you love me, you’ll keep my commandments,” right? And so, in our passage in Matthew Jesus says, “Teach all that I’ve commanded you to those that turn to Me.” And then in another place He says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

And so, why do we disciple? This one’s easy…it’s because we love Jesus. We understand everything He’s done for us…we understand the core of the gospel message…and it causes us to love Him. That new heart He gives you at regeneration…the day you turn to Him and believe in Him…it causes you to love Him. And guys, that love for Him…it causes you to follow Him. It makes you wanna do all that He’s commanded you. And the reason for that…outside of just simply loving Him…its because you understand the heart of God. You understand the things He’s listed out in Scripture…they’re good for you.

Guys, obedience, its the hallmark of genuine saving faith and love for God. Those who are truly saved, by grace alone, will invariably respond with a life of submission and service. Listen, with our hearts regenerated and with our minds renewed…genuine Christians, we can’t help but outwardly reflect who we are on the inside…We can’t help but show there’s something different about us…that we’ve been made new creatures in Christ. And guys, that change that’s occured in us…it drives us to obey all that Jesus commanded us. We obey Christ because we love Christ.

And listen, in those verses, I love the shift from speaking about the disciples’ love for Jesus…to Jesus’s love for them. He says He’s gonna give us His Spirit. Ultimately, we disciple others because we want others to experience the fullness of God. We know the power of God…we’ve experienced the power of God…and if we’re growing in God, we know the work He’ll do and the blessings He’ll allow us to experience…That’s the same reason that Paul prays in his letter to the Ephesians that they’d grow in their love for Christ…growing in their knowledge…all so that they can experience Him more.

Guys, we shouldn’t be satisfied with just turning to Jesus…we should have this constant desire to grow in our relationship with Him…why? Because we love Him. We wanna be closer to Him. It’s just like every other relationship we have now…we wanna nurture and grow the relationships in our life…maybe with our spouse or kids or whatever, right? Guys, if you have no desire to grow that relationship with Jesus, then you probably never had one to begin with because He gives us a regenerated heart that desires Him above all things.

And guys, we want that for other people…we get excited as Christians when our brothers and sisters grow closer to Him. That’s the why in discipleship…we do it because we love Him. And ultimately because we love Him…we love His people. This is the very reason He brought us together as His church…He knew we couldn’t do the things He commanded us to do on our own. He knew we needed others to edify us and build us up…to encourage us. Listen, delivering the gospel is our mission in the world…but discipling, its our mission in the church. We disciple because we love God and we love each other.

Paul says in Ephesians 4, “15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Discipleship, according to Paul…it grows the body up in love…it draws us all closer to Christ…and it happens in the church context…which leads us straight into this last point.

3.) How Do We Disciple?

How do we disciple? Well, first off…we do it together…we do it as God’s people. Listen, if you remember…I’ve been charging you to dig into Scripture, right? To have a reading plan that walks you through the Bible…but guys, you can’t do that alone. You need those more spiritually mature than you, walking beside you…helping you discern what it is your reading…challenging you. That’s why Jesus said, “teach others all that I’ve commanded you.” Guys, are you allowing people to teach you…to walk beside you…to disciple you?

And listen, some of you are sitting there thinking, “Well, that’s why I come on Sunday mornings…so that you can disciple me, Pastor Steven. That’s what we pay you to do.” Guys listen to me…it’s impossible for me to disciple every one you. And while I hope you take things away on Sunday mornings, this isn’t intended to necessarily disciple you or keep you fed. You need a better diet than just this. Discipleship goes beyond just teaching…it involves doing life…being intimate…vulnerable with other people. Which for the record is why it should be men discipling men and women discipling women, right? But guys, we have to do life with one another…and I can’t do that for every one of you.

That’s why Paul writes in Titus chapter 2, “1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

Listen, what Paul’s saying…its that we’re called to be role models for one another. That’s why we’re to pour into one another. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2, “1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

Guys, we have to constantly be walking through life with another Christian…Look at this passage again, Paul poured into Timothy constantly…and this never stopped as far as we can tell…Paul was always Timothy’s mentor so to speak…but then Timothy always poured into other men as well. You understand?

We should always be walking through life with someone that’s pouring into us…and then people that we’re pouring into, all at the same time. And listen, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to find someone older than you to pour into you and someone younger than you to pour into. Your physical age, it has nothing to do with spiritual maturity. There are plenty of people from the older generation that are spiritual babes still…and guys, there’s plenty of people from the next generation that are spiritual adults. You understand? The goal in discipleship, its to find people that you can walk with that will help you continue growing and find people that you can help continue growing. And there’s both of those types of people at First Baptist Church for you.

And so, real quickly…what’s that look like for us? How do we disciple each other? Well, we have to start becoming intentional with one other. We have to start making time to meet with those types of people…And guys, that doesn’t mean that you’re gonna be super close with everyone in the church, right? It’s even impossible for me to be super close with everyone in the church. Even Jesus had His inner circle that He poured more into…but guys, we each need those people in our life that do those two things…help us grow and allows us to help them grow. And guys, we do that by meeting together in those smaller groups…discussing God’s Word and praying together…for each other…encouraging each other…building each other up.

And listen, that’s exactly what our KNOT groups here at FBC are all about. We wanna connect you to one of these groups so that you have people to pour into you and so that you have people to pour into yourself. And real soon, we’ll have a workshop to discuss what that looks like…so that you can better understand these groups. But guys, that’s how we do it…we meet together with others to grow…because we understand that we can’t do it alone…and we understand that others can’t do it alone. It takes us coming together. And guys, if we don’t start doing this…if we don’t start coming together and growing together…we’ll go no where as a church....we’ll do nothing God’s commanded.

And I get it…you’re busy…its just another thing to put in your calendar…but guys, we have no problems doing the things we care about…I’m asking you to care about growing closer to God this year....I’m asking you to make that the priority above everything else…because I promise you, if you do that…it’ll positively impact every other area of your life. I promise! It’ll improve your family life…it’ll improve your work life. It’ll help your marriage…or whatever it is.

Closing

And so, I’ll close with this…what does your obedience look like when it comes to the idea of discipleship? How are you being discipled at FBC…and listen, how are you discipling others at FBC?

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Guys, it’s simple…we pray…ask God to put someone our hearts…and then we ask those people to walk through life with us…this could mean you meet weekly…or every other week…I have some groups of men that meet monthly…but we all do the same thing, we talk about God’s Word and we pray together.

So here’s what I want you to do…Guys, right now, we have 11 people in these KNOT type groups. What I want you to do…I want you to pray that God would place someone on your heart, right now, that you could disciple…someone here at FBC. And then listen, I want you then to pray for someone that you know could pour into you. You understand?

Listen, I’m gonna give you time to do that…and when your finished…maybe its on your way out today or on your way home…but I want you to talk to those people and extend the invitation. Okay? Can you do that? And remember…I’m talking about people at FBC…believers. But guys, I’m asking you to care about growing in your walk with God…and doing something about it here at FBC…and maybe you have no idea who that person is but you know you wanna grow…then listen, come to talk to me…let me plug you into a group. Let me get you connected.

Alright...so guys take some time to do that.

But listen, some of you…you’re here but you’ve not been regenerated…you’ve not been changed by the power of the gospel. And you’re still broken…you’re confused…you’re hurting…maybe experiencing some kind of real pain and suffering. Listen to me, there’s a God out there that loves you and when you were still a sinner, Christ died for you. Jesus was the perfect picture of joyful sacrifice…He was the perfect picture of selfless service and costly love. The God of the universe He came, not to be served…but to serve. He came to give His life as a ransom for others. There’s never been a more joyful sacrifice than Jesus on the cross. Think about that, He endured the cross, experienced the pain, took the shame…with joy! Because He knew what He was buying…He knew with His payment, He was purchasing your salvation. He was taking on the punishment that you deserve…that’s the gospel…It’s the heart the gospel. It’s that on your own…you’re rebellious, sinful…separated from God…and that you need a Savior because your decisions, they’re leading you down a path of destruction…and if something doesn’t intervene now, you’ll have to experience that punishment and eternal separation from God. And guys, you realize…you’ve experienced your helplessness on your own…That’s why Jesus came. He came to take that burden from you…to give you new life…to restore you.

And guys, when that truth, when that good news captures your heart, you know what it does? It begins to change you, it begins to transform you…it melts your heart into this condition where you can be completely reshaped into the image of Jesus. Our response, the only reasonable response to this gospel, its to make our lives a living sacrifice…a life of joyful sacrifice, presented to God....a life of selfless service to others…one of costly love. That’s the measure of greatness in this earthly life…one that’s defined by Jesus…one that’s been changed by Jesus.

And listen, if that's you today…you say, “I need Jesus…I need salvation…I realize I’m hopelessly lost…I’m doomed.”...would you just repeat after me right now? Listen guys, these words, they don't save you, they don't really mean anything...they're just words, it's about what's going on in your heart. But all I wanna do....I wanna help you process that feeling you have and I wanna help you turn to Jesus because that’s all there is to it…repent and believe. And so, if that's you, would you just repeat after me?

"Lord Jesus...I believe you are who you say you are....I believe you came into this world and I believe you lived a perfect and sinless life...I believe you went to a cross and wore the weight of my sin....I believe you experienced the punishment met for me...I confess to you now that I am sinful and wicked....I am in need of grace and mercy and forgiveness...Jesus come into my life and fill me with your Spirit....Help me live in your ways and grow me to be more and more like you....I pray this in Jesus's name...Amen!"

Listen, if you prayed that and you met those things in your heart...The Bible says that you've been given a new life...you've been reborn. You now have hope and assurance in your salvation and even hope in death. It tells us that the Spirit of God has now taken up residence in you. He dwells with you. But guys, you don't need to keep that to yourself...you need to let someone know. You need to come alongside of another believer just like we’ve been talking about this morning and you need to let that person disciple you. You need to grow and learn what it means to follow Jesus.

And so, listen…whatever it is this morning....I’m gonna give you a few minutes to pray…to seek God…to ask Him to put people on your heart…These steps are open for you…I’m down front if you need me…and so, you come and I’ll close us in just a moment. This is your time…you come.

[Prayer]