Fruitful Disciple-Making & Continual Coaching

ADD

January 12th 2025

Series: 8 Habits of a Fully Devoted Christian

Topic Tags: Disciple Making & Coaching

Sermon Title: Fruitful Disciple-Making & Continual Coaching

Key Passages: Matthew 22:37-38, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Timothy 2:2, Luke 10: 1-9 & 17, John 14:16

Sermon Blurb: In this message, we will learn how the importance of being a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples of Jesus and to never stop coaching others in that and being coached in it.

Preacher: Grace – Erik EBENEEZER – Keith S. REDWOOD – Adam Grill

***1st week ODD months add communion & target message at 15 pages.

***1st week EVEN months add space for dedication, baptism, or ministry highlight & target message at 15 pages.

***Green in sermons means illustration, something we are looking for a response from, and/or a picture that goes on the screens.

***Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Dedication, Baptism, or Ministry Highlight (1st Sunday, even months):

Sermon

Hello Family Church!!!

Welcome to Family Church… whether you are in person or watching online…

Family Moment (Share something personal to help people get to know you and your family)

Celebrate salvation / re-dedications / baptisms last week.

We are so glad you are with us today.

As we start every year, we look at habits critical to being fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

We do this annually because we believe it is important not to forget these things.

PAUSE

So, let me walk you through what we have talked about so far this month.

In Week #1, we examined the importance of reading our Bible and praying.

We also talked about how to study the Bible and how to pray.

In week #2, we examined the benefits of serving and being in the community.

Last week, in week #3, we will saw how we could be transformed by becoming generous people who fast not for health reasons…but spiritual reasons.

And today, we wrap up this series by looking at Jesus' call to be disciples who make disciples.

This whole month we have learned the 8 Habits of being a fully devoted Christian.

Our goal is for everyone at Family Church to be a healthy follower of Jesus.

We hope that you will walk away from church every week this month with some additional ideas you can put into practice immediately.

PAUSE

Let’s start, like we have every week…..by defining what a habit is…

Write this down:

HABITS are ingrained actions that have become natural because of continued repetition.

Repeat

Our hope is that these habits we are talking about will become just that for you.

Natural actions because you do them so often.

PAUSE

So, here is our Acronym for the series.

It’s an acronym for the word HABITS…and it shows us, in order, the topics we have been discussing.

On the screen AND in notes

H – Holy Bible A – Abundant Prayer B – Beneficial Serving I – Intentional Community T – Transformational Generosity S – Spiritual Fasting F – Fruitful Disciple-Making C – Continual Coaching

Do you see what we did there?

Habits at FC or Family Church!

PAUSE

Let’s jump into our message and talk about the HABIT of Fruitful Disciple-Making & Continual Coaching.

Let’s start with a question….

Who knows our mission statement as church…will you shout it out?

Family Church Mission: To help people learn how to FULLY: Love God, Love People and Make Disciples of Jesus.

PAUSE

And as smart as Pastor Adam is, you know this did not originate with him, right?

No, our mission statement came from the two “GREAT’S” Jesus gave to His followers in the New Testament.

The first is the Great Commandment...where we get our “love God and love people.”

Let me show you in the Bible….Matthew 22 says:

Matthew 22:37-38, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The second place our mission statement comes from is the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28.

In this passage we find the “make disciples” part.

Matthew 28:18-20 says, “The Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

We believe that God wants you to be a disciple who makes more disciples…..

And that you teach your disciple to make more disciples...

And so forth….

This is how our community, state, nation, and world will be reached for Jesus!

That is why this final message is about those two things.

Making disciples and coaching your disciples in making more disciples!

Consider this question... how did the first church….

The church we saw birthed in the book of Acts….

How did that church go from a small group of believers in an upper room (in Acts 1) to being the majority religion in the Roman Empire around 300 years later?

If you are not aware…

Christiany at the time of Jesus death was a frindge movement…

312 years after Jesus death…

In the year 312AD… The Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its main religion!

That should make you all ask….How?

How was that possible?

America….is almost 300 years old….

We were founded on Christian principles…

However…we are heading away from God not toward God in about the same amount of time…

So HOW did the early church do the OPPOSITE of what we see happening in America?

PAUSE

I’ll tell you what was NOT a key for the early church...

They did not have big budgets or large buildings.

They did not have modern technology.

They did not have the printing press with access to tons of great Biblical commentaries.

They did not have the Bible in audio for to listen to.

They did not even have donuts!!!!

They didn’t have MOST of the things we take for granted in our modern world…..

Those things weren’t needed to reach their world for Jesus.

What they DID have was:

A DEEP and PASSIONATE personal belief that Jesus meant what He said in the Great Commission!!!!

ALL the early church attenders BELIEVED they were disciples of Jesus CALLED by Jesus to make more disciples,

that would make more disciples,

that would make more disciples,

that would make more disciples,

that would make more disciples!!!

Hence our sermon topic today!!!

Here is the point…write this down….

Disciple-making starts with me believing that the Great Commission is for me personally.

Repeat

That’s how the first church reached their families,

community,

and nation for Jesus!

Everyone in the early church knew that they were called by God to multiply!

No matter their age, gender, race, status, or giftings.

Every member was a disciple-maker!

That’s what was going on in the early church!

It was everyone making disciples WHO ALSO made disciples!

WHO ALSO made disciples!

That’s the way that the Roman Empire was reached for Jesus by 312 AD.

PAUSE

We need to see this in contrast to the model the American Church has used up until now, which is addition.

With addition, we emphasize evangelism or leading someone to faith in Jesus.

Now, this is great, but if that new convert is not discipled to become a healthy follower of Jesus, they will not reproduce or make more disciples and the movement of the Kingdom will stop.

And, that is precisely what has been the problem with Christianity in America.

The other problem with the American church has been our emphasis on who we are seeking to add. The focus has been converts.

For too long we have focused on preaching the Gospel and getting people saved, but not making disciples who are healthy and mature enough to replicate.

This emphasis on converts rather than disciples has made the church anemic unable to replicate or multiply.

The church in America is losing ground.

Less Americans are identifying as Christians,

going to church,

reading their Bibles,

praying,

than ever before in the history of our country.

You may say, “Well, not here at Family Church!”.

And yes, praise God.

Family Church is in the minority of churches in American that are actually growing right now.

But, the only way to reach our nation again, is through the power of multiplication!

That is why you hear our pastors preach consistently on the importance of DOING something with your faith!

That is why Pastor Adam is getting his doctorate to study how to become a church of true disciple makers!

Evangelism is necessary to bring new people to faith in Christ.

Discipleship is necessary to help people grow in their faith to become multipliers!

To become a people who can not only lead someone else to faith in Christ, but who can also help them grow to lead others to Christ and on and on.

PAUSE

The Apostle Paul gives us glimpse into what this looked like in his ministry with a young man named Timothy...

2 Timothy 2:2 says, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

Now leave that verse on the screen…

I want to point something out.

Here we have Paul discipling Timothy.

Then he commanded Timothy to pass along what he learned to OTHER trustworthy people.

Then those trustworthy people were to also pass them along to others.

Look at that VERY clearly in your Bibles….

Generation 1 – Paul

Generation 2 – Timothy

Generation 3 – Trustworthy people

Generation 4 – Others

Here we have 4 generations of disciples multiplying!

Look in your Bibles…

Write this in your Bibles…

Paul….Generation 1…discipling Timothy!

Timothy…Generation 2….discipling other trustworthy people he knows…

People that Paul does NOT know…

These are disciples of Timothy NOT Paul…

Then the call from Paul to Timothy to make sure those trustworthy people…Generation 3…. Invest in OTHERS…

Others THEY know NOT timothy!

These “Others” as also going to be called to be disciple makers!

PAUSE

Do you see it clearly church????

PAUSE

Here is the point….write this down….

Disciple-making is helping other people learn the Bible,how to apply the Bible to their lives, and then helping them go on to do the same with others.

Repeat

That is why Pastor Adam is writing an entire series of books for you all to help you teach people about the life of Jesus and how to apply it to their lives!

All you need to do it stop by the Bible Stand any Sundy and grab 2 copies of his book for FREE…

And walk through that book with someone else!!!

It is SUPER simple!!!!

PAUSE

Let’s talk about Coaching as well….

We want you all to be a coach for someone else as they make disciples!

Think about this…

Why do we have coaches???

Why do we allow others to speak into our lives? Why do we allow others to guide the direction of certain areas of our lives?

We need someone who will help make us stay focused.

Coaches teach us things.

They train us up.

They push us and help us achieve goals.

And, when they are good, they help us become better.

Tom Landry was one of the best NFL coaches in history. He was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys for 29 seasons and won 2 Superbowl Championships. He was also a believer in Jesus. So, he knows a thing or two about coaching!

Listen to how he defines a coach...it’s my favorite definition. He said,

A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so that you can be who you’ve always known you can be. - Tom Landry

I love that so much because it is so true!

Write this down, Coaches will MAKE us do what we don’t want to do so we become the best version of ourselves.

And today my goal is to help you understand why you need a coach in your spiritual life as well.

In the same way that we know, we need coaching in other areas of life….

To get physically stronger.

To get mentally healthier.

To get lose weight.

To get better at a sport.

To learn a new skill.

We also need coaching in our spiritual lives!!!!

Especially if it is our goal to be a healthy disciple who is making more healthy disciples of Jesus!

PAUSE

Write this down...

Jesus coached His disciples.

Repeat

Jesus spent time teaching, training, and modeling ministry for His disciples.

In Luke 10, Jesus sent them out on their first short-term mission trip...

Let’s read part of that story…

Luke 10: 1-9 & 17 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.

7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Jesus also sent out 72 disciples 2 x 2.

But, BEFORE Jesus sent them out, He coached them!

He said things like:

- Pray

- Go

- Take nothing with them (no money, no extra clothes etc)

- Find peaceable people and stay with

- Heal the sick

- Preach about the Kingdom

Doesn’t that sound like the role of a coach?

He had trained them up.

Then He sent them out to do what they were trained to do.

So, they went out on this impossible mission.

And let’s read about what happened.

Luke 10:17, The 72 returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

They come back to coach Jesus, and they are PUMPED!

The mission was successful!

God did amazing things through us!

We stepped out in faith!

We did the crazy things Jesus coached us to do and it worked!

They are all fired up!

Wouldn’t you be excited?

PAUSE

Now, I am sure some of you are thinking, “This is great for the first disciples...they had Jesus to coach them personally. But, I do NOT…What about us now?”

Great question.

And here’s the answer...

Jesus did not leave us alone.

He left us with another Coach...

The Person of the Holy Spirit....

Turn to John 14:16,

Before we start reading, let me give you the context...

The disciples were upset because Jesus was talking about how He was going to leave them.

So, Jesus began to comfort them with the truth that He would send them the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16, And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Now, here’s what’s really cool...

Circle the word for “another” in verse16 and write next to it, “of the exact same likeness.”

So, Jesus was saying, “In the same way that I have been with you and helped you in every way...

I will send another Helper who is exactly like Me!

And He, the Spirit of Truth, will live within each of you and be with you everywhere you go!”

And this is a MASSIVE change!

Jesus is saying….

Rather than only a FEW people that live around Jesus during His life time that get to learn from him…..

In the future…..

Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to LIVE within every follower of Jesus!

So, we are never alone!

Jesus will be always with us!

But, here’s what is also really amazing!

That word for “helper” in v.16, in Greek actually means: “to come alongside as an advisor, a defender or a comforter”.

Here the word “helper” could easily be COACH!

So, in the same way that Jesus was a Coach in the lives of the first disciples, the Holy Spirit, is a Coach to each one of us today!

Here is the point…write this down,

The Holy Spirit is our resident coach today.

Repeat

Here’s what that means.

That means that we can be coached directly by God via the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

And, that means that we can be coached by other Christians who also have the same Holy Spirit within them too!

How cool is that?

PAUSE

So, let’s look in our Bibles for some of the ways we can see the Holy Spirit will coach us…

John 14:16 - He will help us

John 14:26 – He will teach us truth

John 14:26 - He will remind us of truth

John 15:26 – He will testify of Jesus

John 16:13 - He will guide us into truth

Acts 1:8 – He will give us power to testify about Jesus

So clearly, the Holy Spirit has been given to every believer to coach us toward becoming healthy disciples of Jesus.

PAUSE

Church….do you see your need for a coach in your life as a disciple?

Do you see that God has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit who is continuing the coaching ministry of Jesus in your life?

Do you understand that God desires for you to be coached by other spiritual leaders in your life, as well?

If we are to grow into healthy disciples of Jesus who will make more healthy disciples of Jesus, we will all need to employ Continual Coaching in our lives.

We ALL will need spiritual coaches in our lives.

PAUSE

So church, in closing, I want to share something with you…

I want you all to think about something.

I want you to ponder who could happen if EVERY person who attends Family Church did this…

What could happen in our town?

What could happen in our state?

What could happen in our country?

Think about this….You will see this question in your notes…

What could happen if EVERYONE who calls Family Church home made 1 disciple per year and then trained them to do the same?

If we ALL took seriously Jesus charge to “Go and make disciples” seriously.

Let me show you….

We average around 3,000 people in person attendance every week.

So look at the next slide…

What is 3,000 people made 1 new disciple per year and helped them learn to do the same… Year 1 – 3,000 Year 2 – 6,000 Year 5 – 48,000 Year 10 – 1,536,000 Year 15 – 49,152,000 Year 30 – 1,610,612,736,000

And for those who cannot read that last number…

It is over 1 TRILLION people…..

Church….

If everyone here said ok…let’s do this!

There are 10+ Million people that live in Michigan…

Which means we could reach EVERY person in Michigan with the Good News of Jesus in LESS than 10 years if we ALL did this and taught 1 person per year to do the same!

10 YEARS we could reach our entire state!

There are almost 400 Million people in our country….

In LESS than 17 years…we could reach the entire country…

In the world they estimate there are around 8 billion people….

Which means in less than 21 years….we could reach the entire world….

That is CRAZY is you pause and think about it…

If we ALL would just make a choice to say….

I will become a disciple of Jesus.

I will find 1 person per year to help become a disciple of Jesus and teach them how to do the same with someone else….

In OUR LIFETIME!!!!!

We could reach the world for Jesus!!!!!

Which leads us to our life application today….

If you are new, or newer, to Family Church we LOVE to end our messages with something for you to talk about with someone else.

Something to help you apply the message to your life.

So here is this week’s Life Application…

Life Application: Commitment today to becoming a disciple of Jesus who makes more disciples of Jesus. As a result of today’s message, I Will __________________.

Let me say one last thing and then we will pray….

If you want help becoming a disciple of Jesus who can make more disciples of Jesus…

Please fill out the connection card in the seat in front of you.

And write down…I WANT TO LEARN MORE!!!!

OR if you are watching online

In our app just click Connect at the bottom and Connect with us…

On our website click Connect and Connection Card…

And we will GLADLY help you start this journey…

We would also encourage you to stop by any of our Bible racks and take home two copies of Pastor Adam’s book for FREE to help you do this with someone else…

Let’s pray….

Prayer:

Make sure to do a salvation call!

Offering:

Thank you all for being here today!

If you would like to continue your worship through giving, there are offering boxes by the doors as you exit, or behind me on the screens. You can also see other ways to give here at Family Church.

You can also place any connection cards you filled out in there.