A Culture of Discipleship and Disciple-Making

Turn to Acts chapter 2 with me please.

Not too far into the book of Acts we begin to see a culture of discipleship and disciple-making.

There’s a difference.

Discipleship is that life of the church where we grow together in the Scriptures, in holiness, praying for one another, encouraging, repenting, worshiping, counseling, fighting against sin and doing this all TOGETHER AS disciples of Jesus.

Disciple-making, on the other hand begins with evangelism, and is also a calling placed upon every believer…to bring the news of what Jesus did on the cross, and his resurrection, and His ascension to glory where he reigns as king today…bring that news to everyone…calling everyone to repent from sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness and to become a new citizen of His eternal Kingdom.

So what kind of a church are we?

I see both in us, but I see it still in seed form, and I desire it to grow and mature.

And this is what it looked like.

Acts 2:42...And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

So, from this amazing text that really serves as a foundation for our mission and identity as a church, let me give you 4 exhortations to help us evaluate our culture as a church, and then just one warning at the very end.

Do you want a culture of discipleship and disciple-making?

Devote to letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

This will not happen in any of us by accident. The people of God are called to be a devoted people…devoted first to the Word of Christ, to be a Sola Scriptura people, committed to what Acts 2 called “The apostles teaching”.

So, devote yourself to reading Scripture. Devote yourself to being taught the Scriptures in the context of the church when we gather. Devote to letting the Spirit of God be your teacher. Devote yourself to developing a worldview that is shaped by Scripture, not society. Devote to intentionally meditating on Scripture until you become that tree that is firmly planted by raging waters.

The word, richly, means “a copious supply.” And this will be one way you and I stand out as different in the world. We can lack in physical supply, we could suffer the way the first apostles did, and yet have the abundant and life-sustaining Word from Christ dwelling RICHLY in us - making us thankful, and filled with songs, willing to warn and be warned, not hard hearted, but living wisely in the Lord.

Devote to letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

If we want a culture of discipleship and disciple-making...

2. We must strive for Christian fellowship and unity

When Acts 2 says they were devoted to THE fellowship, we must first understand that the fellowship of believers is only what it is because Christ did what HE did.

HIS LOVE, and sacrifice, and grace to reconcile sinners to the Father, and adopt us into His family forever, is our motivation for being a family with each other.  

1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

This says that Christ is even proclaimed for that purpose, so that fellowship can happen between US, and between God and His people.

When we fellowship together as Christians we have opportunity to show love, and grace, and patience, and kindness to brothers and sisters, and we elevate others needs above our own, and in this we disciple each other, and become a winsome culture for new disciples as we invite others to come and see what the Lord is doing.

Are there hard things to work through in a church family? Yes, because we’re sinful, and we have weaknesses. So the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

Because it takes all of these for it to work, and it takes Christ in us, and His power, to make this possible.

We must strive for Christian fellowship and unity

What is needed for a culture of discipleship and disciple-making in this church?

HAVE MORE POTLUCK SUNDAYS!

Just kidding -

3. Make 2022 a year for breaking bread together.

What did it mean for the first disciples to be devoted to breaking bread?

We know that it’s definitely talking about the bread of the Lord’s supper for sure. But based on v46, we can see that it also meant other food too.

Acts 20:7 “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them...”

Very early on we see a weekly gathering of God’s people in order to hear the Scriptures taught, and in order to break communion bread together. Acts 2 says they were also breaking bread in their homes, and receiving their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.

New City, I charge you in the name of Jesus to eat meals with people in this Church to the glory of God. How can you do this?

One way we seek to do this as a church is through our City Groups. There is a time for the Word, and for prayer, but we always eat together.

Some bring a lot. Some bring a little. But we eat. We share. We practice thanksgiving and gratitude together. We acknowledge and enjoy the provision of God together. And in that place of sharing, walls DO come down and life becomes real, relationships deepen and become more meaningful, and the gospel is allowed the place it is supposed to have within the church.

In terms of the vision for this year, I’m convinced that this is a key component to our success within the great commission. You can win souls to Christ, but the church is called to mature IN Christ and be a family together, showing hospitality.

Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Will you take that to heart, family? Men, lead your families to City Groups. Sit down together and talk about who you will show hospitality to that week. If you’re not in a City Group

Make 2022 a year for breaking bread together.

4. Commit to a prayerful dependence on God together

What does this look like? Acts 2 says “and to the prayers.”

This would be the prayers which Christ taught them, and modeled for them. Jesus modeled that prayer was the way that we say to God, I need you. I can’t do this without you.

A culture of discipleship and disciple-making, one in which we win souls, AND strengthen each other, is going to come from a people who pray, “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be done, Lord.” In Acts we see them praying together in such a way that the places in which they prayed, shook. I’m not saying we should expect a literal shaking of things, but at the very least, a spiritual disturbance of all that we trust in.

In Acts 4:24-31 Peter and John were nearly arrested for preaching Christ. When they were let go and returned to the believers, this is what they prayed.

they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

26  The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

New City, let’s commit to this kind of prayer together, individually, with your families, with our city groups, when things are good, when we need boldness and wisdom, and when we go out to win souls to the Kingdom by the preaching of the Gospel.

Commit to a prayerful dependence on God together

What is the common thread through all of this? The Holy Spirit!

5. If we’re going to have a culture of discipleship and disciple-making, we need the Holy Spirit.

We don’t wait for him as they did in Acts 1, because He’s here now. We Ask for him, but with confidence - because He’s already here indwelling the church. We live our lives out in faith that the God of heaven is in the midst of us in the person of the Holy Spirit.

So here’s the one warning I want you all to hear, and for all of us to take heed to.

Want to make new disciples this year? Pray to God, not to give you His Spirit, but that you would not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit with sin.

Want to grow deeper as disciples with other disciples, loving better, forgiving better, enjoying God more than the pleasures of the world? Then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up, and to strengthen you for daily repentance from sin…all those sins that drive a wedge between us and the fulfilling of the commission - gossip, slander, busybodies, idleness, sexual sin. These don’t just upset the mission, but more tragically, they grieve the heart of God who loves us and died for us.

The prayer of the elders here at New City is that our mission and territory would enlarge in many ways this year…to see God’s will be done, to see God’s blessing upon each person and family, to see sin conquered, to see Christ glorified in the healing of relationships, and to see the Kingdom of God multiply.

If you’re here today, and you’re new, and what you have heard this morning speaks to your soul, you need to know that if God calls you to grow with us as a church, to become a part of this family, it’s not going to be easy, but it is going to be beautifully rewarding as we obey Christ together.

The Vision of New City is a massive one that we cannot do alone. TO see THIS vision multiply across the state of Maine, to see a network of disciple-making churches built up so that we can saturate our state with the Gospel of the Kingdom is no small task, but with God all things are possible.

And why does any of this matter? Why isn’t it good enough to just go to church on Sunday’s and then say to everyone, “Leave me alone the rest of the week, I’ll see you Sunday.”?

Because what we see happening, and the culture that is evident in the disciples of Jesus Christ in Acts 2 is a result of what the Gospel undoubtedly does to a person and a people.

The second person of the trinity, God the Son, stepped down from heaven to join our messed up world, leaving the glory of the Father and the Spirit, and perfect community with them, so that he might die for sinners who are separated from God, and in doing so reconciling us back to the Father. And because of this we are changed, and transformed from the selfish, self-centered, sin-loving people we once were, to be made day by day into the image of Christ.

IF you’re here today and you’re still in your sin, and have not turned to the Lord, Jesus Christ for the saving of your soul, then do that today. Join the Kingdom that is without end.

And this, being the common ground of God’s people, makes us one with each other in Christian community. In this pursuit together, we become a culture of discipleship and disciple-making.

Will you pray with me that God would do this?