A DISCIPLESHIP MENTALITY

A DISCIPLESHIP MENTALITY Acts 18:26 and Romans 15:14 February 4,  2001 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory About 5 years ago I got an invitation from Bob Claus to go flying with him. Bob had completed his course and was a licensed pilot. He told me we could go down to Parks and he would rent a Cessna and we would go to Bethalto where there was another small airport, land, have lunch and return by 2:30. In a moment of weakness I said, "Sure!" Within two weeks, Bob had the date set and called me to confirm our flight. "What have I gotten myself into?" Well, he was totally serious-and I was committed. Now, I trust Bob, really I do. Why, I've even ridden with him in a car. (Those of you who have ridden with Bob will understand the joke.) The appointed day came when I was to meet Bob and the worship center and drive to our destiny. I was up early that morning, checked to be sure my health insurance policy was paid, and then checked my life insurance policy to certify that airplane crashes were indeed covered and not included in some exclusion with suicide. It was included-in fact, it was double indemnity. So I went to meet Bob. Now, some people talk a lot when they are nervous. Not I-I'm the not-so-strong, silent type. Bob may not remember but, on the way to the airport, I don't think I said a word. We checked in at the desk and the man said everything was ready. (Secretly I had been hoping that something had happened to the plane which rendered it unsafe and out of service.) We walked across the tarmac and Bob started his inspection of the plane. I wasn't sure if that made me feel more or less confident. Fortunately he didn't say anything like, "Hmm, that's funny", or worse yet "That's unusual, but I'm sure it's okay." We lumbered into our seats and buckled up. Bob radioed in our flight plan. The response was a scratchy sound that vaguely resembled a human voice. Though it sounded to me like, "We recommend you not go-there's a storm front moving in," Bob assured me that we were clear for takeoff. As the engine warmed up, Bob did something I'll never forget. He took out a little book and started reading it aloud to himself. I thought to myself, "He's ready to take me up a couple thousand feet, and he's reading a 'how-to' book!" It turns out this was standing operating procedure. Well, off we went down the runway as I prayed. We lifted off and began an exciting and memorable experience. Actually, Bob is an excellent pilot. We flew to lunch and back and had a great time. There wasn't an in-flight movie, so I asked Bob all about his pilot training. He told me about the classroom training he had and the training flights with his instructors. I don't remember all he told me, but I was sufficiently impressed that this man was well prepared to fly an airplane-and it showed. We landed safely back at Parks after having seen the metro-east as I had never seen it before. You know, flying is a real act of faith in the laws of physics. Beginning one's life as a Christian is a bit like learning to fly. You make the most important decision of your life when you give decide to accept Jesus and live for Him. And really, it just about takes your breath away when you first realize what you've gotten yourself into. You're not finished drying yourself off after your baptism, and suddenly it hits you-you are no longer your own. The life you now live you live by faith in the Son of God. You know you have the Holy Spirit in you, but this is a whole new existence for you. The questions flood in: what do I do? How do I act? How do I explain to others what has happened to me? Will I be able to understand the Bible's teaching to help me? What if I sin? What if I goof up and fall into old patterns of living? What every new believer needs It is then that you realize, "I need a coach! I need a big brother or sister to help me out, answer my questions." And all too often, at this critical juncture, is the very time when the church simply stops helping. The reason for this is, I think. Because the church often sees the conversion of lost people as the end of their job. But in many ways, it's really just the beginning. I want to repeat my strong exhortation to us as a church that we are not to be evangelistic gunslingers with notches on our belt. People who come to Jesus need coaches, encouragers, big brothers and sisters, to help them become mature disciples. In Hebrews 5:12 there is an apostolic rebuke to those who have become Christians and have not grown into even a minimal level of maturity. "…though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again." The problem is twofold here: 1) the newer Christians have not been growing up in their faith to acceptable levels of spiritual maturity, and 2) there is a dearth of teachers for the newer believers. Now the foundational assumption is that such teaching should be going on, and the more mature should be teaching the less mature, who themselves should be gobbling up scriptural instruction. In another place in the first century church we have a different picture. Turn to Romans 15:14. Here the apostle Paul is corresponding with the Roman believers and he gives them, not a word of rebuke, but a word of commendation. "I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves   full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to   instruct one another." Which kind of church should we be-competent to teach or incapable? Let me suggest three reasons why we should be a church wholly committed to the ministry of discipleship 1. It is the purpose of the church to disciple others God has not chosen to draw unbelievers to Himself without the help of the believers. It is not His way to make a personal appearance to every person in the world and individually convince them that they ought to receive the forgiveness and eternal life He offers them in Christ. Although you may feel that would be a far more effective way to win people, God has His divine reasons for choosing to use His people, with all their imperfections, to reach others for the kingdom. That is why He commissioned His church to "make disciples" of all people. Permit me to clarify what it means to "make disciples". Making disciples involves two things: living godly lives before a watching world, and speaking God's truth clearly, with a view to attracting' others to a closer relationship with the Lord. Some people we influence are not yet saved and need to come to the place where they put their faith in Jesus Christ. Others have given their lives to Christ by faith and need more instruction and help on their way to maturity. What I am saying is, it is our JOB to teach others how to grow in their relationship with Christ. The problem in Hebrews 5 was that no one was growing, and they were therefore unable to teach others how to grow. We do our best to live for the Lord and instruct others. As we do, others will be DRAWN to Christ. We then continue to teach them so they will become influencers and teachers of others Let me add another biblical concept to this point. It is NOT the pastor's job to teach everyone. Biblically, it is every believer's responsibility. 1 Peter 2:9 says of all believers that we are all "priests" or ministers to those around us. Listen, if you are a disciple, you are a minister! So, what is the role of the pastor? Ephesians 4:11-12 clearly teaches that some people with particular gifts are called to EQUIP the rest of the church for the works of ministry. That's my job. And, by the way, that is what I am doing today, right now. 1. It is the purpose of the church to disciple others 2. It is the particular need of the newer believer to be instructed, or "grounded" in his faith In 1 Peter 2:2 younger Christians are described as being like newborn babies in that they "cave pure spiritual milk." Spiritual milk here means instruction in the basic truths of scripture which serve as the foundation for future growth. Not only does Peter command the younger believer to crave the spiritual milk, but God puts this incredible hunger in them for the Word. They long for instruction; they thirst after it; they crave it. Even when a person is in the earliest stages of becoming a disciple of Jesus, while faith is being born in them, they have a strange desire for the Bible. Personal testimony of weeks of reading, studying, and being infatuated with the Word of God even while I wasn't a Christian. Especially when the disciple gets to the point of committing his life to Jesus does this "craving" become important. Now the crime is that this is often the very time that the church stops ministering to the new believer. It's what I call the "notch in the belt" syndrome. We must pay particular attention to what the will of the Lord is, and disciple the people He allows to come our way. *Vision statement quote out of Lesson 2 of Sponsor Training Jesus said, "make disciples of all people, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you." 1.    It is the purpose of the church to disciple others 2.    It is the particular need of the newer believer to be instructed/grounded in his faith 3.    It is the Lord's will that we all grow to maturity Very simply, we don't grow without time and energy put into the study of the Word of God. "Crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." I ran across this little poem not long ago: I spent a fortune on a trampoline, A stationary bike and a rowing machine, Complete with gadgets to read my pulse, And gadgets to show my progress results, And others to show the miles I've charted, But they left off the gadget to get me started! Like anything worth anything, it takes effort to learn the Word of God. Time and again the Bible itself acknowledges that it takes effort to become proficient at handling the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." It is the responsibility of every Christian to know and teach the Word. Let me share an important secret with you-you will grow immensely yourself when you take the time to disciple another person. There's nothing like being a teacher that will make you a good student. We have finished as of February the publication of our own MECF course of foundational Christian study. It is entitled "Beginnings" [Click here for Overview] and is the first phase of a multi-phase program of growth for the disciple of Christ. The book is designed to complement cell ministry and approaches discipling others in a way that agrees with our vision as a church, and in a way that I think honors the New Testament model. The course is designed for two people at a time, a Sponsor and a Sponsee. They meet together weekly, one-on-one, for ministry. The Sponsee is given a series of five individual study lessons to complete during the week (taking about 20 minutes per day, 5 days out of the week). Then, s/he meets with her/his Sponsor for an hour or more each week to review what the Sponsee learned, answer questions about what was not understood and to encourage the Sponsee in the new walk in Christ. The course includes eight weeks' worth of material, and should be completed within a three month period. There is some memorization of Scripture involved. Currently there are 13 volunteers from our congregation who are going through a Sponsor-training course, being equipped to take on one Sponsee at a time for Phase One ministry. They are simultaneously going through the course themselves, so that they are totally familiar with what is involved. These thirteen will complete their course by May and by that time will each be sponsoring one other person whom they are leading through the course. This summer we hope to recruit another dozen who will go through the Sponsor Training program and be likewise equipped. They, too, will commit to lead at least one person through the "Beginnings" course as they finish their program. Then, again in the Fall, another ten or so will go through the Sponsor Training and take on their first Sponsees as well. Our goal is to see at least 75 believers complete the "Beginnings" course. As well, we hope to take at minimum of 25 through the Sponsor Training course. To sponsor someone through "Beginnings" you do not need to complete Sponsor Training. This is our method to help jump start a strong cadre of Christians who are our first official Sponsors. Anyone who has completed the "Beginnings" course himself can sponsor a new believer or new member through the course. Why? Because we must be ready to disciple new believers in this personal one-on-one fashion. What would we do if the lord would suddenly honor our prayers and fifty new believers came to Christ and needed to go through a foundational study of their faith? We want to be ready by having a large percentage of our members ready to take them through what promises to be a very helpful course of primary Christian principles.   [Back to Top]   "Beginnings" Phase One of our full program entitled "Design for Discipleship" Eight week course on Christian Fundamentals Week One Week Five New Life, New Lord Good News is for Sharing New Power Your Personal Testimony New Understanding Ready to Give an Answer New Family Conversion-Whose Job? New Growth Helping People Commit Week Two Week Six New Nourishment God is the Only Owner New Relationships Clocks, Calendars & God New Expressions Stewardship of Money New Devotion Spiritual Gifts/Abilities New Lifestyle Stewards of the Gospel Week Three Week Seven New Values, 1 The Holy Spirit's Role New Values, 2 Cooperating with Spirit New Commitment Filled with the Spirit, 1 New Mind Filled with the Spirit, 2 New Self-Image In Step with the Spirit Week Four Week Eight A Look at the Book, 1 Serve the Lord A Look at the Book, 2 Serve Other People A Look at the Book, 3 Being Served A Look at the Book, 4 Relationships in the Body A Look at the Book, 5 Balance in Body Ministry     [Back to Top]