Disciples are Mission Ready - Part 2
Dare to Be a Disciple • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsExplain the expectations of discipleship from the viewpoint of Jesus and inspire believers to live as disciples more fully.
Notes
Transcript
Disciples are Mission Ready
Disciples are Mission Ready
Keith Miller[1]
Keith Miller[1]
Dare to Be a Disciple
Focus:
Focus:
[1] Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[1] Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Explain the expectations of discipleship from the viewpoint of Jesus and inspire believers to live as disciples more fully.
Disciples are Mission Ready
Disciples are Mission Ready
True Life Discipleship at GC
True Life Discipleship at GC
I used my story of deployment to make a couple points:
1. The disciples were on a mission to announce that the Kingdom of Heaven had come with Jesus.
2. Jesus described the Area of Operations for the mission as a hostile world. As disciples of Jesus we need to be aware of the Area of Operations where we have been sent by Jesus. This is not to intimidate us because Jesus has equipped us, it is just simply wisdom.
3. Jesus explained that the ROE for the mission required that they be both shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
The last two points were
4. The disciples would be directed by the Spirit – Specially Equipped
5. And the instructions of Jesus to Fight On!
True Life Discipleship at GC
True Life Discipleship at GC
Discipleship is Still Jesus’ Method
Discipleship is Still Jesus’ Method
At Grace Chapel we make it easy to connect. At the front door, each person is warmly greeted and offered a connection card. Once the card is filled out and returned to the Connection Center host, the card is passed to one of the pastors. Pastor Mark will follow-up with a letter, card, or phone call. The guests will receive an invitation to come back and be a part of our connection groups.
New Life Meeting
New Life Meeting
Our new life meetings are scheduled every other month immediately after the morning service. At these meetings Pastor Mark and others will provide the vision and mission of the church. The guests will be informed of how to become a part of community groups, iServe teams, and membership.
True Life Class
True Life Class
Our true life class will reemphasize our mission, vision, and values of the church. In addition, the class will cover the basic doctrines of the Assemblies of God. The class will also offer the opportunity to do an assessment of the spiritual gifts and be encouraged to begin to use their gifts in the ministry of the church. Membership can be a result of this class but is not required.
True Life Encounters
True Life Encounters
True Life Encounters are designed to be a time of spiritual saturation. Emphasis is placed on praise, worship, prayer, and hearing individually from the Holy Spirit. We take time to pray for one another and believe, in faith, for miracles.
Discipleship is Still Jesus’ Method
Discipleship is Still Jesus’ Method
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:1
“Discipleship isn’t a program or an event; it’s a way of life. It’s not for a limited time, but for our whole life. Discipleship isn’t for beginners alone; it’s for all believers for every day of their life. Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does; it is what the church does.” ―Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [1]
I think that Bill Hull and Paul Tripp capture the necessity of discipleship very well in their comments:
“Discipleship isn’t a program or an event; it’s a way of life. It’s not for a limited time, but for our whole life. Discipleship isn’t for beginners alone; it’s for all believers for every day of their life. Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does; it is what the church does.” ―Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ
“The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed.” ― Paul David Tripp
Disciples are Soldiers for Christ
Disciples are Soldiers for Christ
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Disciples Fly the Flag of Jesus Openly
Disciples Fly the Flag of Jesus Openly
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
Disciples Fly the Flag of Jesus Openly
Disciples Fly the Flag of Jesus Openly
“The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him” - D.L. Moody
Jesus tells the disciples to raise his flag. I enjoy watching and listening to the Royal Rangers go through their pledges every Wednesday night. I realize that it may be simple recitation of the pledges to the Christian flag and to the Bible, but it gets into the heart of the child. Who knows what impact that simple pledge could be in the heart of that child? Perhaps it will become the basis for a disciple who will whole heartedly identify as being a disciple of Jesus.
This reminds me of a famous quote from D.L. Moody:
“The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him” - D.L. Moody
Matthew 10:34-
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
During the afternoon of the day of conference Mr. Moody asked me to join him in the vestry of the Baptist Church. We were alone, and he recalled the night’s meeting at Willow Park and our conversation the following morning.
“Do you remember your words?” he said.
I replied, “I well remember our interview, but I do not recall any special utterance.”
“Don’t you remember saying, ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him?’ ”
Disciples Understand the Conflict of the Gospel
Disciples Understand the Conflict of the Gospel
“Not the actual sentence,” I replied.
“Ah,” said Mr. Moody, “those were the words sent to my soul, through you, from the Living God. As I crossed the wide Atlantic, the boards of the deck of the vessel were engraved with them, and when I reached Chicago, the very paving stones seemed marked with ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.’ Under the power of those words I have come back to England, and I felt that I must not let more time pass until I let you know how God had used your words to my inmost soul.”
People have a clear choice. Everyone who acknowledges Jesus Christ (that is, publicly confesses faith in or declares allegiance to him) will be acknowledged by Christ before his Father in heaven. Jesus’ followers would face earthly courts of law where they would have to publicly claim to belong to Jesus Christ, usually at their peril (10:17–25). But for the disciple to acknowledge Jesus means that Jesus will claim that disciple as his own before the Father in heaven.[2]
Let’s read on
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ i
Disciples Understand the Conflict of the Gospel
Disciples Understand the Conflict of the Gospel
The message of the Gospel will be vehemently opposed by the world. Brace yourself for it.
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Matthew 10:37-39
We know many people who think of Jesus as a good teacher and lover of peace. In fact, He is both but that is insufficient to understand Him. One commentary points this out:
Actually, the word peace is used very little in this Gospel (only in v. 13 and here), but the general tenor of Jesus’ teaching and actions is such as to lead us to expect him to be a bringer of peace. And there is, of course, a most important sense in which he came to bring peace. But the peace he came to bring is not simply the absence of strife; it is a peace that means the overcoming of sin and the bringing in of the salvation of God. [3]
Disciples need to understand the nature of true peace and that the message of Jesus is divisive because the flesh wants no part of it.
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
Let’s look at verses 37-39
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Disciples are Exclusively His
Disciples are Exclusively His
“Until you have given up yourself to Him you will not have a real self…” –C.S. Lewis
Jesus expects loyalty from His disciples. He is not saying that his disciples shouldn’t love their families. He assumes that they do. He is simply saying that their relationship with Him should be the priority and because it is, it will cause division.
We had an Iranian family move into the neighborhood a few years ago. They came into the office in the middle of the week with a knowledge of God but having never accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Leaving a Muslim heritage meant that their families would disown them and that they could never go back.
The cost of discipleship is high but to know Jesus is such an amazing privilege and an eternal opportunity!
[Operation Kayla Mueller]
Are You Mission Ready?
Are You Mission Ready?
It has never ceased to amaze me that we Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities and yet almost totally pagan in the day-in, day-out guts of our business lives … and never realize it. - Keith Miller[4]
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Do you…
1. Fly the flag of Jesus
Matthew 10:40-4
2. Understand the conflict of the Gospel
Jesus Has the Backs of His Disciples
Jesus Has the Backs of His Disciples
3. Love Jesus more than any other?
I hope you can say “Yes!” Assuming that is so, let’s go on to our final verses…
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Jesus Has the Backs of His Disciples
Jesus Has the Backs of His Disciples
Link this passage to
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
He’s got your back! He’s got my back!
Embrace the name tape – U.S. Army!
Embrace the relationship – Christian!
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew (p. 212). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 266). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
[4] Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.