Discipleship - Keystone Project
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Good morning, my name is Aaron Kaufman - I am pastor of the church @ Rapid City, in Rapid City, SD. We are a Cavalry Chapel church, and our church isn’t named because we are the ONLY church in Rapid City, but like Paul’s letters, we’re to be a part of the greater church in Rapid City. We actively come alongside other ministries and churches in Rapid City to further the Gospel.
Which is part of why I am here today. How many of you have ever heard of the Keystone Project? They are an organization that saw a need that the church worldwide was lacking. Does anyone here know what the Great Commission is?
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus is about to ascend into Heaven, and He gives one last command. He says: you have seen that I have authority over everything, now, Go. The Hebrew translation of the “Go therefore” is lost in the english. The Hebrew is actually spoke “as you go.” Jesus is harkening back to Deut 6 where God is telling the Hebrew people to teach His commandments and laws to their children, so the generations will never lose the Word of God. He says Deut 6:7
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Everywhere we go, as we go, we should be teaching people. Everything we do, everything we say should point to Jesus.
Now, I hear some of you saying in your heads...why are you connecting Deuteronomy with Jesus? I’ll tell you why. In Deuteronomoy, people had actually heard God’s voice. They had seen the Glory of the Lord on Mt. Saini, and filling the temple. And thruout the years, the story was lost. Generation was not teaching generation of the goodness of God, or even how to follow anything but themselves.
That’s why we needed the book of Judges...the Israelites would fall away, a judge would come and restore things, then back into sin...over and over and over again. Today is no different. Jesus said:
30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Jesus is saying the kingdom of God started with one seed, Jesus, the most lowly of servant seeds. But it will grow up and around. If you’ve ever seen mustard, it grows in great groves, tall and wide. But, it’s a weak plant. Just a few verses before this in the parable of the seed and the sower, Jesus explains that the birds of the air represent satan.
What this parable is saying, is that the church will grow quickly. The seed will be sown by the wayside, on the rocky soil, amongst the weeds, and on the good ground. The seed has power and can grow in any environment...but the soil, which represents the condition of our hearts to hear the message of Christ crucified must be ready to receive it.
As it grows, however, the enemy may barge in and start making nests. It’s happening all over the world, it’s very prevalent in the American church. Wolves abound, false teachers, proud men are infilltrating the church, just as 2 Timothy 3 says will happen.
Why does this happen, though? It happens because Bible litteracy is at an all-time low, but also, because we followers of Christ have become lazy. What did Jesus say, Go and do what? Make Disciples of all nations. What is a disciple? It’s a disciplined learner. A modern day example would be if your company hired someone new and sat them with you to teach them everything you know about your job. You’re to teach them everything…they would be your disciple at work.
Do you get a lot of work done when you’re training someone? Not usually, right? Do you have to teach them the basics? Copies are made like this. Push the green button to make them. It’s hard work, isn’t it? To try to show someone everything you know. But it’s worth it. They succeed...and then they run into a problem. Who do they come to? You, right? You’re like: I thought I was rid of this person, don’t you know I’m busy!!
They come to you because they trust you
12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” 17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” 23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. 1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
