Discipleship and Sanctification
Deep Discipleship • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
The past 5 weeks we’ve been talking about teaching and the content of teaching in the realm of discipleship.
Discipleship and growth in the faith is a mindful work. By the renewal of our minds we are transformed. Our faith which fuels our growth and activity is rooted in an understanding of who God is, the gospel, and what God has called us to do. Teaching is essential and it occurs in a number of contexts.
Sunday morning (preaching)
Sunday morning ( institute)
Smaller groups
We teach by explaining Scripture,
Applying Scripture
Follow Me!
What do we teach? What is the content?
Scripture
Sound Doctrine
Sound Practice
At no point do we leave Scripture all of our teaching and doctrine and practice is rooted in Scripture.
What is all these leading to?
28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
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We’re in pursuit of maturity! We want to see growth!
This week and next I want to focus on the fruit we hope to see - How the church’s work of discipleship plays an integral though not independent role in the growth of the church. Next week we’ll look at discipleship for every Christian from the new believer to the pastor and elder.
Let’s start with a simple question that will help us synthesize what we’ve learned so far.
Let’s say a new believer comes to you and asks, “How do I grow?” What do you tell them?
....
The difference between, “How do we help that new believer grow?” “How do we help the church grow”
Let’s start with a few passages of Scripture to help us with a wholistic understanding of church growth.
1. What Kind of Growth?
1. What Kind of Growth?
Defends against
Numerical(Growth in numbers by salvation)
Numerical(Growth in numbers by salvation)
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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What kind of growth is this? Who causes the growth?
Spiritual Maturity/ Sanctification
Spiritual Maturity/ Sanctification
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
How would we characterize this growth?
Numerical growth is good.
Spiritual growth is good
Both are absolutely essential and they two are not against one another.
(Reaching and Teaching)
There are those who neglect teaching for reaching.
There are those who fall short of reaching after their teaching.
In our reaching we call people to repentance and faith through the gospel. Should they come to faith, we call people to a deep faith through teaching.
Reaching and Teaching are the ministry of every church.
Application:
When we engage in the work of discipleship it’s not counter to the reaching ministry of the church. Teaching in discipleship should result in a reaching disciple.
Jesus could have spent his entire ministry simply evangelizing, but he spent a lot of it teaching and equipping twelve men to do the work of ministry. Discipling that young believer, the ordinary believer or even the believer pursuing ministry, these all further the reaching ministry of the church.
We’re convinced! Both evangelism and discipleship are essential ministries of the church and discipleship actually creates evangelists. The next question is , “How?” What means are we going to use to grow this young disciple?
2. By Whose Means?
2. By Whose Means?
Defends against pragmatism.
God-given Means
God-given Means
28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
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The Gospel
The Word
The Church
Personal Spiritual Disciplines
Man-made Means
Man-made Means
What would you put in the category of man-made sanctification?
18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
One of the fundamental calls in discipleship and the pursuit of growth is to be a receiver! Very often it requires other people minister to you for growth to happen.
Be in a position where you can receive the preaching of the Word.
Be in a position where you can receive the ministry of the saints.
Be in a position where you can receive the leadership of wisdom of older men in pursuit of ministry.
Be in a position where you can receive correction when you wander.
Man-made growth is often self delivered and independent.
We have the means! We know what we need to do next.
“Is it just a matter of hard work from here on?”
Prayer!
3. By Whose Power?
3. By Whose Power?
Defends against performance.
The Power of God
The Power of God
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
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Who is Paul looking to to bring this sanctification about? He’s praying.
He’s teaching, being the faithful servant and steward that he is and entrusting the desired effect and results to God. If there is any confidence in the matter it’s the faithfulness of God.
“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
Paul doesn’t plant the seed of the gospel among the Corinthians and think that the planting itself equals growth. In addition to God causing the growth, he also gives credit to Apollos, but not even the watering of Apollos finishes the job, it God who bring life and belief to the church at Corinth.
Paul doesn’t send a letter to the Thessalonians and come away with the conclusion, now it’s only a matter of time until they’re sanctified, that letter should do the trick.
The Power of Man
The Power of Man
2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
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Human effort apart from prayer and faith is often just self-made religion.
This is why the gospel is so important in the early years of discipleship, but also for every step of our Christian walk. The gospel grounds our use of means in faith. It’s never independent of God it’s in response to God. The gospel reminds us of what has been done for us such that we can boldly approach the throne of grace in prayer and confidence for more of God’s power.
10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
From new believer to pastor, we all need to be reminded that we use God’s means by His power. We are strengthened through prayer and faith.
Young believer: “If I’m supposed to be a receiver of the Word, a receiver of the ministry of the church, and God is my strength when I’m weak, do I need to work?”
How would you respond?
4. By Whose Effort?
4. By Whose Effort?
Defends against passivity.
Christian Endurance
Christian Endurance
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
The effort of the Christian is not apart from the finishing work of Christ. He is working for us! He is going to finish the work and it is He who is at work within us to will and to work for His good pleasure!
The strength of God is not God handing us the tools and walking away. He’s right there with us making sure the work is brought to an end. But we are called to action.
A personal action:
Endurance
Evangelism
Ministry
Fighting
Finishing
Keeping the Faith
Running
Self-Control
Discipline
This is a work done together! God has taken responsibility for us, but we ought to take responsibility for each other. Paul’s desire is to here that the church is united and striving together. The labor of the church is not a bunch of individuals striving separately. It’s a united work for the perseverance of the whole body.
Growth in discipleship should result in:
An interest in reaching others
A commitment to the Word and the church.
A firm belief that God’s strength is greater than our efforts and our weakness.
A commitment to labor for good of our brother and sister and the glory of God.
