An Introduction to Foundations

This is an introduction to that study to help you understand why we are going through this material as a church, and how it will be used in our future ministry.

Show the book and read the lessons- Tell how they can order a book, but will be giving handouts to start with

IMPORTANT!- There is nothing inspired about this book- it is a helpful tool for you to study God’s Word- and this tool will only be effective if you major on the Scripture presented throughout its pages.

Why are we doing this?

Ephesians 4:11–12 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

What is the work of the ministry?

Why do we exist as a church?

1). Glorify God in all we do!

Ephesians 3:20–21 NASB95

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

2). We glorify God by evangelizing the lost

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 NASB95

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

3). We glorify God by equipping the saints to grow together unto Christlikeness

Ephesians 4:12–13 NKJV

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

That is how we are going to Biblically define the work of the ministry

I believe we can best accomplish these goals by developing a disciple-making culture in our church.

Matthew 28:19 NASB95

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

What Disciple Making is NOT

Disciple making is not: A program

Disciple making is not merely teaching

Disciple making is not merely reaching

Disciple making is not merely discipleship

Disciple making is not bound up in a volume or class

Its responsibility is never placed upon para-church organizations

Disciple Making is not exclusively bound to a one-on-one relationship

Being primarily discipled by someone outside your local church

What Disciple Making IS:

A normative, local church, individual responsibility that God the Spirit empowers as Christ builds His church

It is each saint shouldering the responsibility to spiritually reproduce themselves

It is the commitment of a life to another life for life

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

What is the main verb of this passage?

μαθητεύω- to cause one to be a pupil, to instruct a disciple in the ways or teachings of a specific teacher or leader.

Verb- Aor, Act, Imperative, 2nd, pl

What are the subordinate verbs?

These are all participles- they modify the main verb- to make disciple- they tell us how we should go about making disciples

1). GO- we have to go to our Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth

2). Baptizing- Initial step of obedience in becoming a disciple- implies salvation through faith alone first, and then that saved person is saved for the purpose of obedience, and the first step of obedience is baptism

3). Teaching- what are we to teach them? All things that I have commanded you. What does that mean? What material does that cover? How long would it take to actually teach someone “All things that I have commanded you?” How long did it take Jesus? He is the Son of God and perfect in every way though. How long would it take us? Have we perfectly learned “All things?” It takes a lifetime.

Ephesians 4:12–13 NKJV

How long does it take to teach a person the things of Christ so that the become a mature believer? Define mature? The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ! Do we ever get there? NO- It is a lifelong process. This is what it means to make disciples!

Does the command to make disciples apply to all believers?

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

It requires that the pastor be the “chief disciple maker.”

If the pastor is not personally the most active, then . . .

So what is our hope in all this?

Our hope is that the way we do ministry begins to change from-

old model: the pastor in the pulpit preaching to the masses. Where only the pastor or the spiritually elite Christian were responsible to make disciples, to teach all things.

new model: the pastor/teachers equip all the saints to do the work of the ministry together. We become a team and it becomes many individuals training other individuals.

This is why we are going to go through Foundations together- it is the start of doing Eph 4.12-13. It is just the beginning of something that we will by God’s grace continue to do for the rest of our lives (not a program, a change in our culture).

No pressure, the Holy Spirit has to be moving you to be come a part of this. Not going to stop anything, still need everyone, no soul left behind. Not going to compromise on doctrine or moral standards. Just going to add this ministry mindset change. Saints equipped to do the work of the ministry for one another all the time, for the rest of our lives.

9 months to work through Foundations, at the end of those 9 months in a non pressured way going to form a core group of people who specifically feel moved by the Holy Spirit to start a disciple making core group. More on that to come.