Discipleship Process: Go to Everyone

Introduction

A few years ago, I was having lunch with a friend and told me the story of his friend who has served for a number of years as a missionary in Zimbabwe. One of the primary means of evangelism he utilized is he has this Land Rover retrofitted with a movie screen and speakers in the back, and he drives from village to village showing the Jesus Film in the native tongue of the people. One day, he was in a particular village showing the film, and a large number of people professed faith in Christ. There were two men there that day that were particularly stirred. Through tears, they began to plead with the missionary to come to their village. The trouble was there were no roads into this particular village. It was in the middle of the bush, and there were only footpaths used by the natives. So, he had to decline their urgent plea because he could not get there with the equipment to show the film. Busy with his work, he didn’t think of it again. Three weeks later, two men approach the missionary, obviously filthy and exhausted. It takes him a minute to realize who they are, but he eventually realizes that it is the two men that has just three weeks ago begged him to come to their village. You see, these two men had spent the last three weeks cutting a road through the dense Zimbabwean jungle dozens of miles to their village with machetes. They made a road were there was no road by their own blood, sweat, and tears so that their village might hear the Good News that had so delivered them.

What would compel two men to take on such a work? What would compel them to step into the middle of a jungle to make miles of road with nothing but machetes?

What would compel two men to take on such a work? What would compel them to step into the middle of a jungle to make miles of road with nothing but machetes? They had seen Christ, and they were desperate for their people to see Christ, too. Throughout history, this has been the picture of what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus. Being connected to Christ and his church, being discipled to know all that Christ has taught and to live as Christ lived, necessarily leads to a lifelong pursuit to bring more people to Christ. That’s the picture of our discipleship process. It is to enter into the lifecycle of Christ’s church. I must be connected. I must be discipled. Then, I must go and serve and share so that others might be connected and discipled and sent. That is, we must grow in the discipleship process to the point that we are bringing others through the discipleship process. So, it’s never over. It’s never finished. There’s always another step to take so long as there is more of Christ to know and more people with whom to share him.

God’s Word

Read

Go as Christ’s “Body”.

v. 24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake” In our text this morning, I want us to see three reasons that we must go to everyone (headline). First, we must Go as Christ’s “body.” Paul is giving us here the vision and thrust of his whole ministry. And, what he says is really stunning. Paul was in prison for preaching the Gospel as he wrote this letter. So, Paul says, “Am I suffering? Yes. But, am I rejoicing? Also, yes.” What he says doesn’t make sense. He says, “I’m rejoicing IN my sufferings.” Really, when you consider how Paul speaks of suffering throughout his writings, it’s stunning. Never one time does he lament his suffering. Never one time do we see Paul throwing a pity party because he’s in prison or because he has a physical ailment or because people are trying to kill him. Over and over again, we see Paul thankful for his suffering, praising God in their midst. Paul saw suffering as the gift of God to the Church. He instructs Timothy in 2 Timothy repeatedly, “Share in the sufferings of the cross. Be known as a man of the cross.” How could Paul live this way? Why did Paul view suffering this way?

v. 24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake” Paul is giving us here the vision and thrust of his whole ministry. And, what he says is really stunning. Paul was in prison for preaching the Gospel as he wrote this letter. So, Paul says, “Am I suffering? Yes. But, am I rejoicing? Also, yes.” What he says doesn’t make sense. He says, “I’m rejoicing IN my sufferings.” Really, when you consider how Paul speaks of suffering throughout his writings, it’s stunning. Never one time does he lament his suffering. Never one time do we see Paul throwing a pity party because he’s in prison or because he has a physical ailment or because people are trying to kill him. Over and over again, we see Paul thankful for his suffering, praising God in their midst. Paul saw suffering as the gift of God to the Church. He instructs Timothy in 2 Timothy repeatedly, “Share in the sufferings of the cross. Be known as a man of the cross.” How could Paul live this way? Why did Paul view suffering this way?

Following Jesus Means Suffering

v. 24 “I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” Paul didn’t rejoice in his sufferings because he was a glutton for punishment or because he was some type of self-loathing, miserable person. He rejoiced in his sufferings because of what they meant and what they accomplished. First of all, Paul’s sufferings meant that he was following Jesus. This is what he means by ‘filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.’ He doesn’t mean that Jesus’ cross was ineffective or insufficient. Jesus suffered in every way necessary to accomplish our full reconciliation with God forever. What he meant was that the suffering of Christ’s body wasn’t finished yet. All of the suffering wasn’t yet fulfilled. Jesus had went to the cross and suffered in his physical body, and now, his church, his metaphorical body would take their crosses up. And Jesus had told Paul this would be the case. After his conversion in , Jesus says: “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” And, Paul looks at his chains and looks at his health and looks at his persecution and he realizes that he is where Jesus would have him to be. He is fulfilling his responsibilities of the cross.

APPLICATION: Paul’s perspective is that Suffering is a temporary “marker” of an eternal “blessing” for a disciple. Disciples rejoice in sharing Christ’s suffering because they will share in his resurrection. What if an easy life is not a sign of God’s blessing but his judgement? What if an easy life is not the evidence of a well-lived life but rather a life that does not have the hand of God upon it? What if an easy life is God allowing us to build up our treasures here because we won’t have any in the next life? What if we are misinterpreting current circumstances and missing eternal realities? What if easy, prosperous living is evidence that you don’t share in the afflictions of Christ? What if happiness comes through sacrifice and God’s blessing is evidenced by suffering? Who is more blessed the broke missionary whose children are threatened that is protected and used by God to reach people that are lost and miserable, or the professing Christian who turns a blind eye to the world’s sufferings and enjoys a prospering career and prestigious address? Who is happier the woman who travels freely without inhibition or responsibility, or the woman who lays on her deathbed surrounded by the foster kids she gave hope?

Suffering Builds the Church

v. 24 “…for the sake of his body, that is, the church” But, it wasn’t just what they meant that caused him to rejoice. It was also what they accomplished. His sufferings were used by God to build up Jesus’ church. That is, his body suffered for the good and the expansion and the strengthening of his body. You see, the church was established by the suffering of Jesus’ body, his physical flesh. We were saved by his sufferings. We were healed by his wounds. And now, we take on, not only that mission, but also that method. Christ came to suffer so that we might live, and now, we go to suffer that others might live. We are the body of Christ, and in the fallen world, the body of Christ is pierced and lashed and beaten and reviled so that more might be added to his body. Do you see the way that we take up the cross? Do you see how Jesus uses us to mock his enemies? Satan intends to use our sufferings to crush the church, and Jesus uses our sufferings as a fulfillment of his promises and to build up his church. The suffering of the body does not kill the body. The sufferings of the body prospers the body.

“Ours is for Propagation”

Joseph Tson is a Romanian pastor that has endured horrific persecution throughout his ministry. He says it like this: “Christ’s cross was for propitiation (to make us right before God). Ours is for propagation.” David Platt says, “Christ suffered to accomplish salvation. We suffer to spread salvation.”

From the Cross and To the Cross

APPLICATION: We have to see this if we’re going to understand what Jesus has set before Iron City Baptist Church to accomplish. You see, our going comes “from” the cross, and leads “to” the cross. Jesus came so that He might suffer on the cross and secure your joy forever. That’s why we go. Jesus came; so, we go. And, Jesus’ cross was a cross of rejection, hardship, suffering, and affliction. He died so that we might live. Our salvation necessitated his suffering. And, that’s how we go. We go because Jesus came, and we go how Jesus came. Their salvation necessitates our suffering. We risk death that they might live. We are Christ’s body. We go as Christ’s body. And, Christ’s body suffers until the resurrection. This discipleship process is not about a smooth strategy to a big church. This discipleship process is about mobilizing the cross. It’s about Jesus’ disciples taking on Jesus’ cross so that more might be set free through Jesus’ cross. It’s us enduring the suffering of Christ that others might enjoy the salvation of Christ. This is not a rest-on-our-laurels, pat-ourselves-on-the-back process that lets us be finished and absolved from responsibilities. This is a process that takes us deeper and deeper in the cross of Jesus that the children of the world might become the children of God. This is a process that allows us to replace decaying treasures with eternal treasures. Oh, rejoice in your sufferings, Iron City! Rejoice in every, single hardship that comes upon you for sharing the hope of Jesus!

Go to Present Christ’s “Bride”.

v. 28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Next, see that we must Go to present Christ’s “bride”. So, we go as Christ’s body. That’s the method. Then, we go to present Christ’s bride. That’s the motive. That’s the driving force. Man, if we get this, there’s not amount of suffering we can’t rejoice our way through. There’s no cost too high to frighten us away from faithfulness, no treasure more alluring that can steal away our hearts. In verse 28, Paul really gives us the aim and vision of his ministry. Paul has in his mind the judgement day, as believers are being lined up to stand before the risen Christ. And, here you can see how personally Paul takes his ministry. He thinks of all of the people that were lost and without Christ, all of the people that we were worshipping false gods and under condemnation, and yet they’ve been saved. Never mind the suffering Paul’s endured, never mind the prison cells that he’s sat in, never mind the hardships he’s faced, God has used him to save people. So, Paul envisions presenting to Jesus his bride. He sees himself as the presenter of those he’s discipled, and he does not want to present them in shame. It’s like Paul can see himself taking people one by one to Jesus, and saying “See, your cross was worth it! They’ve been made mature! They’ve been made perfect! Jesus, your cross was not in vain!”

Presenting the Birthright

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage.” So, he proclaims Christ to all peoples that he might present all peoples to Christ. This the defined mission of every disciple of Jesus: “Proclaim” Christ to all peoples that all peoples might be “presented” to Christ. says that the Father has promised to his Son the nations as his heritage. There is a day coming in which Christ will return in his power and glory, riding on a white victory horse, and on that Day, the Father will present his Son his birthright, his inheritance, his Bride. Every nation will beneath his rule, and from every nation is a single Nation, a greater Israel that is in the very image of Christ that will fellowship with Christ and glorify Christ forever. And, this is the part that blew Paul’s doors off. You are God’s plan to present his Son with his Bride. You. Wimpy, unreliable, inconsistent, timid, selfish you is being used by Almighty God in his sweet providence to present his Son with his bride. Imagine, Church, bringing to Jesus the disciples that you’ve made in his glory one-by-one. That is, God has designed his Kingdom in such a way that you have something to give Jesus. You can take part in the presentation of the Bride.

“mature in Christ” And so, Paul made it the mission of his ministry to work toward that vision. Paul made it the mission of his ministry to help as many people as possible to mature in Christ. It’s interesting the way Paul phrases this, isn’t it? It’s interesting that his toiling and laboring and suffering is not merely for conversion. Paul does not say, “I toil and labor and suffer so that as many people as possible might make a confession and be converted.” No! Paul is not content to present immature, apathetic, biblically illiterate converts to the resurrected Christ on judgment day. Paul is laboring and suffering and toiling so that they might be as ready as possible and mature as possible before the day they are made perfect in Christ.

“mature in Christ” And so, Paul made it the mission of his ministry to work toward that vision. Paul made it the mission of his ministry to help as many people as possible to mature in Christ. It’s interesting the way Paul phrases this, isn’t it? It’s interesting that his toiling and laboring and suffering is not merely for conversion. Paul does not say, “I toil and labor and suffer so that as many people as possible might make a confession and be converted.” No!

Cyclical Discipleship

“mature in Christ” APPLICATION: Going isn’t just “telling”; going is “investing”. Paul is not content to present immature, apathetic, biblically illiterate converts to the resurrected Christ on judgment day. Paul is laboring and suffering and toiling so that they might be as ready as possible and mature as possible before the day they are made perfect in Christ. You can’t present everyone mature in Christ by only telling them that Jesus saves. You can’t, as Jesus commands, teach them to obey all the Christ has commanded through an elevator pitch. Going requires investing your life to be a disciple so that you might make disciples. The discipleship process is designed to be cyclical. You connect, you’re discipled, and then you go so that others can be connected, discipled, and sent. You keep growing so that you can help others keep growing. You go to Salt Lake City to make disciples there, and you take people with you to Salt Lake City to make disciples here. You use your spiritual gifts of hospitality and generosity and mercy and teaching to invest in your church so that you might present them to Christ as mature. Iron City, I do not want us to be another biblically bloated, spiritually stagnated church. I don’t want us to learn and study and sing and preach, but never live and do and serve and go. Faith without works is dead! Faith without works is joyless! Faith without works is discontent! Faith without works is empty! But, what if God uses your going to change the life of a child or a mom and miserable man? What if you put your faith in gear by taking a new step toward maturity and God uses you to save a young man without purpose? Would that energize your faith? Would that renew your worship? Oh, can you imagine presenting him to Christ on the last day!

Go to Spread Christ’s “Glory”

v. 27 “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Lastly, we must Go to spread Christ’s “glory.” If we are tempted to be satisfied with our tiny corner of the Kingdom, if we are tempted to rest thinking we’ve done enough, Paul reminds us of the scope of our mission. This is what he’s saying when he talks in verse 26 and 27. The messiah was promised to the Jews but the mysterious reality that they had not realized was that it was not meant to stay with the Jews. It was meant to spread to the Gentiles. It was meant to go out from them and multiply to the ends of the earth.

The Gospel Multiplied

You see, the Gospel was meant to “multiply”. That is, it is meant to spread the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth. Everywhere we go, the ‘hope of glory’ goes with us. Christ is ‘in us’, and so everywhere we go we go with ability to increase Christ’s Kingdom. The Gospel was meant so that every person whoever comes to know Christ would take on the responsibility to tell others. It’s an unstoppable strategy, if we do it. How can we reach everyone in our community? It seems impossible. Except that there’s 400 of us. It’s impossible if it’s the job of a few or an event that needs to pull off, but it’s not impossible if each of you go and tell those you know. It’s not impossible if your faithfulness is matched with God’s energy so that we aren’t just spinning tires. How can we reach Salt Lake City when the Mormon church has such a stronghold? We just need to reach a couple who reach a couple who reach a couple. How can we take the gospel to the whole known, Gentile world? We connect, disciple, and then go together. We connect unbelievers, disciple them in Christ, and send them to the nations.

65,000 in 16 years

Greg Ogden, in his book Transforming Discipleship, expounds this point by graphically illustrating the contrast between someone personally seeing one person come to the Lord every day for a year, as compared to investing in the same two people for an entire year. The evangelist hits the streets everyday with the goal of sharing the gospel with as many people as needed to see God save one person. In contrast, the disciple-maker walks two people through a year of intensive discipleship.

The slow-moving discipleship process creeps forward with only four people being impacted in two years compared to 730 converts through the solitary work of a busy evangelist. However, this radically changes with the passing of time. After sixteen years of the same activity, the evangelist would have seen almost 6000 people come to faith in Christ, while the disciple would have impacted 65,536 people. Every person on the planet would be reached multiple times over after thirty years.

The slow-moving discipleship process creeps forward with only four people being impacted in two years compared to 730 converts through the solitary work of a busy evangelist. However, this radically changes with the passing of time. After sixteen years of the same activity, the evangelist would have seen almost 6000 people come to faith in Christ, while the disciple would have impacted 65,536 people. Every person on the planet would be reached multiple times over after thirty years. It is a ministry shift from a strategy of addition, where the clergy performs the ministerial duties, to one of multiplication, where believers are expected and equipped to personally participate in the Great Commission.

A Multiplying Church

APPLICATION: Iron City, we have a multiplying “gospel”, and we must be a multiplying “church”. Naturalism and atheism are spreading aggressively across our world and bringing with it spreading hopelessness and despair. We must be more aggressive with hope than they are with hopelessness. And, we can’t do it with a build-it-and-they-will-come mentality. We must multiply so that Christ’s glory might multiply with us. What’s stopping us from planting church or new ICBC campuses up and down the Hwy 9 corridor? What’s stopping us from multiplying our services so that more can grow in the gospel? What’s stopping us from sending 25 people to Salt Lake City to live alongside Lifepoint Church and get them off the ground? What’s stopping us from raising up a new church in Swaziland? We have the power of Christ in us and with us to spread the glory of Christ to the ends of the earth. But, we have to go. We can’t just connect. We can’t just be disciple. We must go if we are to be who Christ has called us to be.