Sermon Tone Analysis

Shepherding the Heart of a New Believer

By;  Rev.

Tat Stewart

 

*                                    The Challenge of making disciples*

            Our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the church to make disciples of all nations.

(Mat.

28) To do that we must not only understand what a disciple is but how one is made.

A disciple is one:

            Who has been born again into a newness of life through faith in Jesus Christ and who is learning what it means to embrace the truth of the Gospel under the Lordship of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and to live a life of surrendered obedience.

The question then is, “How does this transformation take place and what are the most effective methods to use in discipling those from a Muslim background?”

To better understand how the Gospel penetrates and transforms a person in the context in a particular cultural and religious system of though it is vital to understand the path that the Gospel must travel.

There are cultural layers that one must identify and work through.

What are these and what are the implications for the disciple maker?

1.   Embracing Christian practice:  The question here is what is Christian practice?

At this level a person adopts Christian activities related to worship and patterns of behavior and has a basic understanding of Christianity as a set of guidelines to be followed.

At this level, discipleship can become little more than religious behavioral modification rather than deep character change that should result from regeneration.

Discipleship insights (what a person  might believe):

            1.

God is pleased when there is right practice;

            2.

God can be manipulated through ritual;

            3.

God is angry at me when I fail to perform the correct rituals; and

            4.

God is only interested in my outward performance.

2.  Embracing Christian beliefs:  The key question here is “what is true?”

At this level a person is encouraged to accept Christian beliefs as truth.

This approach assumes that if people believe the right things they will grow and change.

There is no doubt that correct doctrine and clear understanding of Biblical truth are vital to the discipleship process, however, when confession of belief becomes the lone model for discipleship and even the goal of the discipleship process the result can be converts to a belief  system of religious doctrines and not to a true relationship with  Christ.

Having Christian beliefs is not enough to produce character transformation and Christ likeness.

Discipleship insights (what a person  might believe):

1.

That Jesus is not the Son of God and does not have a divine nature;

2.      That Jesus did not die on the cross for the redemption of mankind;

3.      That the New Testament has been tampered with;

4.      That a good Muslim is first a good Jew, then a good Christian and then finally a good Muslim;

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5.

That the decadent culture of the west is the fruit of Christianity;

6.

That the existence of many denominations and translations of the Bible is evidences of the confused beliefs of Christians;

7.      That the political actions of the United States are motivated by a desire to destroy Islam; and finally,

8.

That Christian workers are agents for their governments

3.  Embracing Christian values:  The issue here is, “What is bad, good and best?”

Values are deeply embedded in the inner life of a person and just because a person practices Christianity and even confesses to believe in the tenets of the Christian faith does not mean that he has adopted Christian values.

Values are formed within the context of one’s family and culture and in most cases have greater influence on a persons thinking and action than the tenet of ones’ professed religious faith.

Discipleship that brings true transformation will have to address these deep issues of values.

In reality the values of a person are the issues of the heart and Jesus taught us that a man’s heart is where his treasure is.

*Therefore discipleship methods which do not address the heart will fail to bring character transformation*.

The heart issues that must be addressed in a biblical model of discipleship are the sinful diseases that attack the human heart.

Types of Biblical Heart Disease

            a.

A calloused heart (Matthew 13:14-15)

            b.

A choked heart (Hebrews 12:14-15)

            c.

A cheating heart (Matthew 6:19-21)

            d.

A churning heart (James 1:6-8)

 

4.

Embracing a Christian worldview:  The driving issue of a person’s worldview is, “What is real?”

This is ultimately answered by, “What or whom does a person worship?”

Who or what is their God?

The object of one’s worship shapes ones worldview; thus the perception of reality a Christian has is derived from the nature of the Triune God who has revealed Himself through the person and work of Christ.

The MBB has a worldview derived from the character of Allah so the nature of God must be addressed to ensure the development of a healthy Christian worldview.

Ten lies that a person  might believe about God

1.      God is sovereign so I am not responsible

2.      God is not immanent so I can not know Him

3.      God is both the source of good and evil therefore I am on my own to live a holy life

4.      God does not love me as I am so I must earn His love through good works

5.      God is against those who disobey him, so I am encouraged to take revenge on those who are again me.

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6.

God never humbled himself to reach out to mankind but sent others (prophets) so it is a weakness to show humility and be vulnerable.

7.      God never provided a clear way to be reconciled to him so I have no real hope of eternal life.

8.      God never provided a way to be reconciled to him so I have no way to be reconciled to others.

9.      God is Almighty and does whatever he pleases to serve his own purposes so I am free to use whatever means I can to advance my own good.

10.

God did not provide a means for human nature to be changed  but rather provided a way for sinful human behavior to be sanctified so I have no real hope of ever really changing.

*                                    Shepherding the heart of a new believer*

1.

The peace of the assurance of salvation:

            /Key spiritual concept/:  A believer must have an assurance of his salvation

                                    In order to grow in grace.

A.

The causes of lack of assurance

                        1.  A good works view of knowing God   (Ephesians 2:8-9)

                        2.  A self effort understanding of following God (Galatians 5:25)

                        3.  A track record of living under the control of sin (I John 2:1-2)

                        4.  A distorted view of grace

            B.

The cures that lead to an assurance of salvation

                        1.  Salvation is the work of God (Ephesians 1:3-14)

                        2.  Justification is by faith alone (Romans 5:1)

                        3.  Understanding that the Holy Spirit is God’s seal of ownership

                                    (Ephesians 1:13, Romans 8:1-4)

            C.

The course that true salvation takes (II Corinthians 5:14-21)

                        1.  A new motivation (v.14)

                        2.  A new master (v.

15)

                        3.  A new measurement (v.

16)

                        4.  A new meaning (v.

17-19)

                        5.  A new ministry (20-21)

2.  The joy of living in the presence of God: the power that transforms.

/Key spiritual concept:/  A believer must understand how to maintain intimacy with God in order to produce the fruit of righteousness.

A.       How fellowship with God is broken

1.      Quenching the Holy Spirit  (I Thessalonians 13:14-15)

a.

An unbelieving heart  (Matthew 13:14-150

b.

An unsurrendered heart (Matthew 6:19-21)