Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Notes
Transcript
Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Introduction
Several years ago I had the privilege of going to England for School.
This was a trip where I could earn College Credit while studying abroad.
It was an absolute blessing. The trip was fully funded by family and friends.
One of the courses I took was in Evangelism.
For those of you who don’t know, Evangelism is simply sharing the message of Jesus with people.
The class went over the best ways to talk to people about Jesus.
How to understand that culture will influence how someone hears about or thinks about Jesus.
It was a good and helpful class.
But one to the assignments that I had while traveling was that we were charged with witnessing to people.
We were charged with telling people about Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection.
But the assignment didn’t sit well with me.
Not because I don’t believe that as Christians we are mandated by Christ to reach all people.
Not because I didn’t understand how to talk about my faith.
Not because I was afraid of how people respond.
My biggest obstacle when it came to telling these people about Jesus was that I didn’t have a local church to point them to.
I didn’t know of a solid bible believing church that would nurture these baby believers as they journeyed through the Christian life.
I have the same difficulty with the Billy Graham crusades and ministries like his.
I am not saying that Billy Graham didn’t have an impact on this country.
I am not saying that Billy Graham did point people to Christ.
I am not saying that if you came to Christ b/c of BG ministry that you were wrong or mislead.
I am saying that as Followers of Jesus we are called to be disciples that make Disciples, not converts.
Maybe we would benefit from a definition of Disciple.
We use the word a lot. You have heard me say it a lot, but what is a disciple?
Disciples are defined as students, pupils, or learners.
Think of an apprentice.
We are learning from the master in order to teach others.
We are all disciples of something/someone.
Who or what are you trying to emulate?
Who or what are you trying to mimic?
Who or what are you trying to become more like?
As the Church of Jesus we are called to teach, train, educate, correct, and encourage fellow believers.
That starts from the day someone turns from their sin and follows Jesus to the day they die.
We are always to be making disciples and being discipled.
Why is Discipleship important?
First, b/c Jesus Commands it
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If that isn’t reason enough,
Secondly, we need discipleship to grow in our knowledge of who Jesus is and how he would have us to act like him in the world.
How do we best model and reflect who Jesus is by being like him.
How do we know how to be like him, through learning, growing, and serving like him.
What happens when we don’t disciple people properly?
What happens when people say they are Christians but then do know what that actually means?
When discipleship doesn’t take place we get a dead, cultural, repulsive, and stagnant Christianity.
I don’t know if you have noticed or not but the culture at large doesn’t like Christians.
And many believe it is because of what Jesus said “They will hate you b/c they hated me.”
But what if…it’s not because they hate Jesus, but it’s b/c they hate Christians.
They hate Christian Hypocrisy.
They hate how closely Christianity is tied to the government.
That it seems Christians care more about nationalism than they do the oppressed, hurting, and outcast.
They hate that Christians don’t act like Jesus.
They hate that Christians continue to snipe at one another.
They are divisive, angry, and hateful.
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Rather than walking in the statutes and footsteps of God we tend to look more like his enemies than we do his followers.
This happens when discipleship isn’t made a priority in churches.
Where the Sunday Morning Worship Service is the demonstration that I am a Jesus Follower.
Rather than being marked by a changed heart and a renewed mind, I get to check off my participation in a 1 hour gathering.
Being a follower of Jesus means that my very life is changed.
That I have to take up my cross and follow him.
That I have to deny myself and follow him.
That I have to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
It’s ridiculous that the unbelieving world looks at us and hates us, and worse, hates Jesus because we are poor ambassadors of his.
Mahatma Gandhi once said “If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian.”
I know that this may sound like I am beating you up, but I want you to know the importance of what we are going to discuss this morning.
Saying a prayer, getting dunked in the baptistry, or coming to church does not a make you a follower of Jesus.
To be a follower of Jesus, You have to follow Jesus.
You have to be a student of Jesus.
You have to walk according to his law of love.
When asked what the greatest commandment was he said “Love God with all you have and Love your neighbor as yourself.
But you can’t do it alone. You can’t walk with Jesus with your own knowledge and power.
You will need help.
And God provides you with the help you need.
You receive help from the Holy Spirit and From other Christians.
That is what we are going to see today in our sermon text.
Let’s pray and we will get to it.
23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Strengthening Disciples
Paul makes a trip back to all the churches he had recently help to plant.
Why does he do this, because he loves the church.
He knows that the churches planted need to be encouraged and strengthened.
They all look to Paul as their spiritual father and he sees the churches as his spiritual children.
He wanted to see them grow into spiritual maturity.
19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
He knew that it wasn’t going to be an overnight change so he continues to visit them to teach, train, and build them up.
He has Pastoral oversight over these churches.
He cares for the people of God.
How does he demonstrate it?
He goes out of his way to make sure that they are learning, growing, and loving Jesus.
He shows them the truth of Jesus and how to live a life devoted to Christ.
He shows them how to understand the Scriptures in light of Jesus’ coming.
Paul knows that following Jesus is a difficult journey.
He knows that the road is narrow.
He knows that fighting sin is difficult.
He knows that killing the desires of the flesh is a daily battle.
And to do all this he knows that the people of God need to be strengthened by the word of God and gathering with the people of God.
He doesn’t just leave these new Christians to fend for themselves, he trains them and he trains leaders to help them continue in the faith.
He keeps in contact with them through letters.
Christians need to be continuing to grow and know Jesus.
Paul knows the importance of this.
Paul desired for healthy and spiritually mature congregations of believers that would fulfill Jesus’ great commission.
But they can only do that if properly equipped.
After this simple verse talking about Paul starting his 3rd missionary journey, Luke transitions to two vignettes or stories about the importance of discipleship in the lives of people.
We will read and see in this passage the proper way to disciple people
And the effects of proper Word-Driven, Gospel-Centered discipleship.
He shows how only the truth that comes from the Word of God is powerful enough to transform the heart of man.
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.
25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Filling in the Gaps
Luke introduces us to Apollos.
He tells us a lot about Apollos with just a few descriptive words.
He’s From Alexandria, he was Eloquent, and he was Competent.
Alexandria, Egypt was a powerhouse when it came to thought.
Alexandria produced a multitude of brilliant minds.
Euclid, the discoverer of Geometry, was from Alexandria.
Many of the Ancient Church Fathers, like Origen and Clement.
Alexandria had one of the largest and most comprehensive libraries in ancient history.
The library had, as a modest estimate, a 200,000 scrolls from all the great minds of the ancient world.
To be from Alexandria meant to be one who was widely read.
One who had access to many great teachings from a wide variety of people.
So we read that Apollos was not only from Alexandria, he was also Eloquent.
He “talked good”.
People would come to hear him speak and defend his beliefs.
He was a joy to listen to and he said what he needed to say clearly, succinctly, and with authority.
Luke also tells us that he was Competent in the Scriptures.
Being an educated and intelligent Jewish Man we would expect this from Apollos.
He had studied the scriptures from childhood as most Jewish boys would.
He knew the storyline of Scripture.
He knew the stories of Scripture.
Most importantly he had been instructed in the way of the Lord.
He knew the teachings and sayings of Scripture as they pertained to Jesus.
We also read that he was fervent in the Spirit.
Apollos was empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach the things concerning Jesus.
He was accurate in his teaching of Jesus as the messiah.
As the Savior of the World.
He had an amazing resume.
Educated, Eloquent, Competent, Spirit Empowered Great teacher.
He would have been a great preacher or teacher for any church to scoop in and pick up.
He would have been sought after and desired to lead and teach any congregation.
In fact, some of you are probably looking at Apollos’ resume right now and thinking…We’d like a guy like that.
But even with this impressive resume he still has some gaps in his knowledge.
He still has some gaps in his understanding.
He still has some gaps in his teaching.
Priscilla and Aquila hear Apollos in the Synagogue and they are impressed, but they are also a little concerned.
They had spent time learning and growing in their knowledge of Jesus with Paul.
And they can hear some of these gaps in Apollos’ teaching.
So they take Apollos aside and they “explain the way of God more accurately” v. 26.
Notice they didn’t rebuke or correct him in front of everybody.
Rather they took him aside or as some translations render it to their home.
They approached him with knowledge he didn’t previously have.
The story tells us one aspect of this and that is that Apollos only knew the Baptism of John.
Meaning that he didn’t know the mandate given by Jesus to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a declaration of the new life that they are going to live.
But Apollos taught the Gospel of Jesus.
He knew about the need for repentance.
He knew about the need for grace.
He knew about the promise of new life he was just missing on the baptism portion of Christ’s teaching.
This goes to show us that baptism does not play a part in salvation, but it does play a part in declaration and obedience.
For discipleship, it’s important that we teach the whole counsel of the bible.
We can’t pick and choose what we want to talk about.
What we want to teach about.
What makes us feel good.
We teach what God has revealed in his holy word.
But when we are teaching or correcting individuals we don’t necessarily need to correct them publicly.
Don’t get me wrong. There is a place and time for public correction, but most of the time pulling someone aside and showing them the truth and gently correcting them is the way to go.
Be like Priscilla and Aquila. Be gentle. Be loving. Be patient. Be knowledgeable.
Be ready to disciple.
But also be like Apollos.
You have to hand it to him
He could have reacted to their teaching in the same way that many react to correction today.
“Do you know who I am? Do you know what I know? Who do you think you are coming at me like that?”
He could have degraded or dismissed Priscilla and Aquila as simple tent makers, but he was open to hearing them.
So rather than being bold and stubborn, Apollos was humble and teachable.
He knew that he didn’t know everything.
He knew that there are people who may have more knowledge and experience than he does.
Even with his credentials and flawless resume he had a teachable spirit.
We are never too knowledgeable to be discipled.
We are never in a position to be above correction.
He was more interested in being right about God than he was about being right.
No matter how skilled, how gifted, how eloquent, how learned, how old, or how long you have been following Jesus, you will never know it all.
Be open, willing, and teachable when it comes to the things of God.
Humility is a definitive and key marker for the Christian.
If you think you know it all. I can guarantee that you don’t know much at all.
After P&A helped to fill in the gaps of his teaching and knowledge, he went on to minister in Corinth.
27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,
28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
Helpful and Bold
Apollos made his way to Corinth.
Priscilla and Aquila sent him to Corinth with a letter or commendation.
So that when he arrived the church there would be open to receiving him.
This was a pretty common practice in the early church where they were concerned with the enemy sneaking in.
Apollos had a great ministry in Corinth.
His ministry had such an impact that Paul mentions him in his letters to the Corinthians.
What did Apollos do in Corinth?
He was an evangelist and an Apologist.
He was a teacher and a preacher.
He taught the word of God.
Remember he was skilled and easy to listen to.
He also encouraged the believers there.
He pointed them back to the grace they had recieved in Christ.
But he also refuted the Jews.
He was bold in his belief.
He understood how the Scriptures fit together and how to prove that Jesus was the long awaited messiah.
His ministry was very similar to Paul’s ministry.
Apollos was able to refute the Jews.
He was one studied in the Scriptures and every time the Jewish people or leaders would come at him he would push back and argue the truth of Scripture and the reality that Jesus is King.
Apollos was one to the early Apologists for Christianity.
An Apologist is one who defends the faith against attacks from the outside.
Here’s the bottom line, Apollos is using the gifts God has given him to strengthen and encourage the church.
He is able to do this because discipleship has taken place.
As a follower of Jesus, you have been equipped and blessed with the gifts and privilege to serve the church.
We as a church body need to disciple one another so that we can serve one another.
We need to encourage one another in our walk with Christ so that we can enable one another to do what he has designed us to do.
But we can only do that if we are able to learn, grow, and teach one another.
Do you see what I’m saying.
We do better when we are together.
We are stronger when we are together.
We are more influential in our homes and neighborhoods when we are devoted to one another.
If you aren’t a part of the church or you aren’t serving the church with the gift God has given you then you aren’t just hurting yourself you are hurting the church.
Discipleship benefits everyone.
Following Jesus closely benefits all those you come in contact with.
Apollos is a picture of how discipleship is done right.
Luke then shows a picture of poor discipleship that took place in Ephesus. And Paul needs to step in and make some corrections.
1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
Almost Christian
Paul goes into Ephesus and he discovers some men who are called disciples.
However, from the context and questions asked by Paul we can determine that these men were not Disciples of Jesus, but rather they were simply called disciples.
These guys were only baptized in the baptism of John.
They had never heard about the HS.
And unlike Apollos they were empowered by the HS.
It’s interesting that they had never heard of the HS.
Because if they were versed in the Scriptures they would have heard about the Spirit of God.
They would have been knowledgeable about the things of God.
So whoever had discipled them had only discipled them part way.
They didn’t know Christ, the HS, or the basics of Christian discipleship.
They knew they needed repentance b/c that was the baptism they recieved, but they didn’t know that grace that Jesus has given.
One Commentator put it this way:
The Message of Acts a. Paul and John the Baptist’s Followers (19:1b–7)
In a word, they were still living in the Old Testament which culminated with John the Baptist. They understood neither that the new age had been ushered in by Jesus, nor that those who believe in him and are baptized into him receive the distinctive blessing of the new age, the indwelling Spirit.
They were ignorant of the new life that Jesus Gives.
They were ignorant of the power found in the HS.
They were ignorant that the old had passed and the new had come.
So Paul, told them about Jesus.
He showed them what they were missing.
He proclaimed to them the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
And these men believed.
And they were baptized.
And they recieved the Spirit.
Much like the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost.
Let’s pause for a second.
There are some who try to use this passage to teach that there are levels to Christianity.
That there is profession of Jesus as Lord, but you aren’t truly saved until you speak in tongues and prophesy.
Obviously if you have been with us through our study of Acts you would have see multiple times people come to faith in Jesus and then they were able to speak in tongues and prophesy.
But on the other hand we have seen people come to trust in Jesus throughout Acts that didn’t receive the Spirit in the same way.
So what do we do with that?
First, we have to know that the book of Acts is not normative for the Christian life.
By that I mean that everything that happens in this book is not the standard for Christian living.
God is doing things during the early church that we may never see again.
God is doing something special to help jump start the church and it’s influence on the world.
Secondly, part of the reason that this is happening in Ephesus is to solidify Paul’s calling as an Apostle.
This incident is very similar to what happened with Peter and John in Acts 8.
Here’s the reality:
Acts 2. Paul’s Witness to the Disciples of John (19:1–7)
As throughout Acts, there is no set pattern. The Spirit came at various times and in various ways. What is consistent is that the Spirit is always a vital part of one’s initial commitment to Christ and a mark of every believer.
Thirdly, there are no different classes of Christians.
If you are able to speak in tongues. Praise the Lord.
If you aren’t able to speak in tongues. Praise the Lord.
If you are able to preach or teach. Praise the Lord.
If you are hospitable and love to serve. Praise the Lord.
Regardless of your gifting don’ think that you are any better or further along than anyone else.
If you are in Christ then we are all brothers and sisters.
We are all called to serve in whatever capacity that we have been gifted.
Use your gift to disciple. Use your gift to encourage.
Use your gift biblically and for the uplifting of one another.
Many Scholars believe that the reason that this Pentecost like event happened in Ephesus is b/c Ephesus is about to become the Home base for Paul’s ministry.
I don’t think that its any accident that there are 12 men here that receive the HS and accept Jesus as Lord.
I don’t think that it is any coincidence that Ephesus is going to impact and influence the surround towns and cities b/c of Paul’s work there.
In fact, we see that Paul spends a great deal of time in Ephesus.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.
10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Discipleship in Ephesus
If you’ll remember back to the end of Paul’s 2nd missionary Journey he passes through Ephesus.
And the Jewish people in Ephesus really want him to stick around, but Paul has to get back to Antioch.
He tells them in Acts 18:21
“I will return to you if God wills.”
Now he is back there and he is doing what he always does.
He goes and preaches in the synagogue.
This time they let him teach/preach for 3 months b4 they kick him out.
He was speaking boldly, reasoning, and persuading them to know and Love Jesus.
He is telling them that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom.
But the Kingdom that Jesus established through his sacrifice and that it’s citizens are those that Love and follow Jesus.
Eventually they started to get hostile and stubborn in their ways so Paul moved to the hall of Tyrannus.
For Two years he trained and discipled believers there.
For Two years he continued to proclaim the good news of God.
This is the single longest time that Paul has spent in one place.
This is the home base for Paul’s ministry.
Out of this church.
Because of Paul’s Discipleship
“All the residents of Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”
That’s my hope for this church.
That through discipleship and commitment to the gospel all the residents of Louise and Wharton County will hear the word of the Lord.
All people.
How can we start on this way?
Start with your five.
Start with those you know that don’t know Christ.
Start with Prayer.
Start with Love.
Start with compassion.
Start with recognizing that if some of these people in our community died tomorrow they would have to face the wrath of God and that they would not be able to see him face to face for all eternity.
Start somewhere. Just start.
We have been placed here and God has sustained us not so we can be idle, but so we can proclaim the truth to those who are perishing.
If you don’t know this Jesus we proclaim.
Know that he wants you to admit that you are a sinner.
That b/c of your sin you can never be in the presence of God on your own.
No matter how good or moral you think you’ve been you cant be good enough.
But Jesus was, Jesus Is, and Jesus will continue to be.
He sacrificed himself so that you can be in a relationship with you.
He gave his life so that you can be restored.
He is calling out to you. Will you answer him?
LORD’s Supper
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”