Discipleship (5)

Tonight, I Just Want to Make Sure Everyone Understands…

What We’re Going to Be Doing with Discipleship Next Year

Ask Questions, Make Comments, Voice Concerns

Let’s Just Talk about it…

So We can Make Sure that We All Understand it

3-Tiered Approach to Discipleship

Whole-Church Discipleship

Half-Church Discipleship

Small-Group Discipleship

Whole-Church Discipleship

Worship

Monthly Fellowship Meals

Regular Gatherings for Activities/Services

(Seasonal Get-Togethers, Community Thanksgiving Meal)

(Gospel Meetings, VBS, Seminars)

Half-Church Discipleship

Lady’s Days, Trips, Classes, Retreats, Service

Men’s Days, Breakfasts, Classes, Retreats, Service

This Tier is Primarily Gender Focused

Like the 1st Tier…

These will Be Scheduled Events on Our Calendar

Either Every Other Month or Once a Quarter

Every Gathering should Consist of:

Prayer

Study of Scriptures and/or Spiritual Discussion

Decision on What the Next Gathering will Consist of

Small-Group Discipleship

Groups No Smaller Than 3 & No Larger than 12

Meet Together on a Frequent & Regular Basis

Ideally, Once a Week

We’ll Begin with Groups Meeting for a Quarter at a Time

Each Gathering Needs to Consist of:

Praying Together

Study & Discussion of the Scriptures Together

Or

Serving Together

Or

Sharing a Meal & Relaxing Together

Try to Fit All of These in the Quarter of Gatherings

Don’t Only Study

Don’t Only Serve

Don’t Only Eat Together

All of These Things were Important to Jesus’ Ministry

They Need to All Be Important to Our Small-Group Gatherings

1 Group Leader Per Group

Schedules the Where/When of Group Meetings

Plans & Leads Study

Plans the Activity/Service

Encourages & Participates in Deep/Intimate Discussions

It’s Very Flexible

Doesn’t Matter Where You Gather

Doesn’t Matter When You Gather (As Long as it is Each Week)

Doesn’t Matter How Long You Gather

Be Reasonable - Leaders, Don’t Hold Your Group Hostage

Doesn’t Matter What You Study

Doesn’t Matter What Kind of Service You Do Together

Doesn’t Matter What Kind of Activity/Hobby You Engage in

As Long as Your Gatherings are Spiritually Focused…

The Details are Up to the Leader of the Group

These Small Groups can Be Structured Around Anything:

A Shared Hobby:

(Ex. Sewing Group)

Hiking

Coffee

Cooking

Reading (Spiritual Book Club)

Sports (Watching or Playing)

Gardening

Serving:

Visiting

Card-Writing

Handiwork/Maintenance of Homes/Cars

Teaching (Learning How to Teach)

Cooking/Delivering Food

Evangelizing (Learning How or Practicing)

Stages/Circumstances of Life:

Widows/Widowers

Singles

Young Families

Married Couples

Study Interests:

Grief

Marriage

Eschatology

Bible Book Studies

Things To Talk About Tonight:

Here’s What the Discipleship Sheets will Look Like

I’m Going to Give an Example of a Small Group I Plan on Leading:

Group Leader will Put Their Name at the Top

Activity or Service

This Group will Be Structured Around Young Families

It will Be Primarily Focused on Studying

But Evangelism will Be Greatly Encouraged

Any Group Members that have Friends/Acquaintances…

Who are in the Young-Family Stage of Life…

Will Be Encouraged to Invite Them

Topic or Text of Study

This Group will Study the Topic of Marriage & Raising Children

And Because of the Nature of this Group & the Topic of Study…

The Service that this Group will Be Involved in…

Will Be of a More Personal Nature:

Putting What We Study & Learn into Practice at Home

I Also Want to Ask Some Older Couples/Parents…

To Come Speak Some Wisdom to Our Group…

About How to have a God-Honoring & Successful Marriage…

As Well as How to Raise Children in a God-Honoring Way

Being a Part of a Small Discipleship Group will Take a Lot of Commitment

Because of that, We Ask Everyone to Only Be in 1 Group at a Time

There May Be More than One Group You’re Interested in Each Quarter

But Try to Stick to 1 at a Time…

And Give it Your Full Commitment

You Don’t have to Be in a Discipleship Group Every Quarter

As I Said, it Takes a Lot of Commitment

If You Can’t Handle the Commitment that Quarter…

Then Don’t Join a Group

How Did Jesus Gain His 1st Disciples?

He Personally Asked Them to Follow Him

Leaders, Be Willing & Prepared…

To Personally Ask Others to Join Your Group

Especially Those You Feel May Be Interested/Gifted…

In the Areas that Your Group is Going to Be Structured Around

If You’re Interested in Being a Group Leader…

We’ll have a Meeting for Leaders Before January…

To Discuss the Small-Groups & Answer Any Questions You Might Have

Invitation

Paul, a Disciple of Jesus, Discipled a Young Guy Named Timothy

In this Letters to Timothy…

We See a Lot of Imperative Commands

Paul Commanded Timothy to Do a Lot of Things

Things that would Help Him Grow as a Disciple of Jesus

Let’s See What We can Learn as Disciples from Paul’s Commands to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:8–13 (NASB95)

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. 11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Paul was in Prison and was Suffering Greatly for the Gospel…

When He Wrote this Letter to Timothy

He Knows that Timothy will Suffer for Faith in the Gospel as Well

So He Gives Him a Very Important Command…

To Obey While Suffering as a Disciple of Jesus:

“Remember/Keep in Mind Jesus”

This is One of the Most Important Rules in Discipleship

Keep Jesus in Mind

What Specifically was Timothy to Keep in Mind about Jesus?

He’s the Christ - Messianic King of Heaven & Earth

He was Raised from the Dead

He’s the Descendant of King David:

Fulfillment of All the Prophecies & Rightful Ruler Over God’s People

Those Who’ve Died with Him will Also Live with Him

Dying with Jesus is a Reference to Being Baptized into Jesus

We Die to Ourselves and are Buried with Jesus

If We’ve Been Baptized into Christ…

We’ll Receive Eternal Life in the Age to Come

Those Who Endure (Remain Faithful Through) Temptation & Persecution…

Will Reign with Jesus Over All Things in the Age to Come

Those Who Disown Jesus, will Be Disowned By Him

Eternal Life is Only for Those…

Who are Not Ashamed to Confess Their Allegiance to King Jesus

If We are Faithless, Jesus Remains Faithful

We May Disown Him, But He’ll Never Disown Himself

His Promises will Still Stand

The Faithful will Be Rewarded & the Faithless will Be Condemned

These are the Things We Need to Remember about Jesus