Becoming a Disciple Making Church

TEXT: Acts 2:40-47

TOPIC: Becoming a Disciple Making Church

Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church of Icard, NC

Sunday morning, March 9, 2003

This morning, I want to talk to you about our church. I want us to spend our time together over the next few moments just thinking about and talking about what God is doing here at FBI. As your pastor, I want to help you fully understand where the Lord is taking us, why He is doing what He is doing, and what that will mean not only to our church as a whole, but also to you as an individual church member.

First Baptist Church of Icard is a disciple making church! A disciple making church places greater or higher expectations upon its members than do other churches.

What do we expect from our members? Let me say in the beginning of this message, that there was a time, not so long ago, that becoming a member of our church was very easy, with little or no requirements. Most people were given “the right hand of Christian fellowship” into the church without ever being told what it means to belong to the church here at FBI, or what, if any, expectations might be required of us as a member. Over the past few years, that has been changing. We are a Disciple making church.

What do we expect from church members? Here’s your answer. We expect our members to become fully committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! That’s it. That’s all we’re really after. We believe the Bible’s picture of a New Testament church member is far different from that of the typical church member today.

For example, please look at the first Christian Church found in Acts 2. Let’s read together beginning at verse 40 and reading through verse 47. (Stand and read together).

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:40-47, NKJV)

The very first Christian church was a disciple making church! What did the first church expect of it’s members (disciples)?

1) Verse 40 “Be saved” salvation and separation (church = “called out”)

2) Verse 41 “Baptism” identification

3) Verse 42 “Faithfulness in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.” Participation.

4) Verse 44 “unity”

5) Verse 45 “ministry”

6) Verse 46 “worship” small groups, intimacy (see Living Bible) They worshiped together regularly at the Templeeach day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness,

7) Verse 47 “growth” and “influence”

The first century Christian Church was a far cry from what the average church of our day! We have relegated Christianity to a mere head knowledge or intellectual assent, and church membership to simply having your name on a roll at some local church.

Is that what the Lord Jesus died for? Is that why many of the New Testament believers wrote their testimonies in their own blood? So the church of the 21st Century could pad its rolls with hundreds, even thousands, of members who flippantly acknowledge Christ as savior and rarely, if ever, attend the local assembly of believers they call “their church?” I don’t think so.

The discipleship that we Christians profess must be dynamic and devoted, not defective and divided. And yet, when one stops to think about it, the discipleship of today is a great contradiction to that which Christ wanted everyone of us to experience. Many of today's disciples are half hearted instead of full-fledged. They are fractional in their commitment, instead of full in the consecration. They are weak and wayward and not worthy and watchful.

Listen to me now. If the church is to survive the 21st Century, not only must we, but every true church of Jesus Christ must become a disciple making church!

1. WHAT IS A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

2. WHY DO WE NEED TO BE A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

3. HOW DO WE BECOME A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

A Disciple Making Churchis a church where “new members and new believers know their acceptance into the church is accompanied by clearly established expectations.”[i] They clearly understand the goal to become fully-committed, full-fledged disciples!

An Example……

Darryl Deaton is the pastor of Friendship Baptist Churchin Litchfield, Connecticut. This church has reached and baptized 99 people in just two years, and more importantly, they are keeping them. Three-fourths of those the church has reached in recent years are still involved today.

Friendship Baptist Churchis a disciple making church. Some of the expectations placed upon prospective members include the following:

· Attendance in a new member orientation class,

· Commitment to attend a discipling class,

· Commitment to tithe to the church,

· Regular attendance in worship services,

· Regular attendance in Sunday School classes, and

· Commitment to doctrinal guidelines.

Sounds a lot like Acts 2 church to me! I like what Deaton says about his church. “New members and new believers are discipled on their level and nurtured through the early stages of discipleship. Soon they begin choosing for themselves places of service, areas of involvement, and they become regular in worship and ministry-related activities.”[ii]2

What is a disciple making church? Did you know that in 1996, our church was featured in Dr. Thom Rainer’s book Effective Evangelistic Churches. Dr. Rainer is the esteemed Evangelism Professor and chair of Church Growth at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Also, in 1999 our church was once again selected, and featured in his book, High Expectations.

Listen to the expectations Dr. Rainer placed upon the churches that he selected to be in his study group. “We first determined that eligible churches must be reaching at least twenty-six persons per year. In Southern Baptist Churches, this number was represented by total annual baptisms. We further determined that the churches must have a baptismal ratio (resident members to total baptisms) of less than 20:1. In other words, the church reaches at least on person per year for every twenty members. (That’s better than the national average of 44:1 or 42:1 on a good year). Only 4 percent of Southern Baptist Churches meet both criteria.”3

Do you hear what Dr. Rainer’s studies say about our church? We are in the top 4 percent of churches in Americaalready when it comes to reaching and keeping members!

Another Example….

Dr. Rainer covers certain traits that are typical in churches like ours which are doing an effective job of reaching and keeping members. One trait that seems to be similar among disciple making churches is the tenure or long-term pastors. He says, “The average tenure of a Southern Baptist pastor is just over two years. For all churches in the United States, the tenure is only slightly better at three years. But the average tenure of pastors in the high-assimilation churches is 9.83 years.”4

“Donald Sharp is pastor of Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church, an African-American congregation in Chicago. The church averages about 400 in two morning worship services. The church is retaining 90 percent of the new members that have come into the church in recent years. The church is clearly a disciple making church. Expectations are set regarding new member classes, tithing, attendance, participation in Sunday School, and adherence to doctrinal guidelines.

Faith Tabernacle has transitioned to disciple making in part, because of the congregation’s trust level of its pastor. Pastor Sharp has led the church through many changes, and the church has followed its leader who has been pastor for over thirty-three years.”5

WHY DO WE NEED TO BE A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

1. It’s Biblical. Acts 2; Acts 4:32f; Acts 5:12f; Romans; Eph., Galatians 5; Rev. 2-3

2. It’s Practical. To be a true “church,” we need to follow the NT model.

3. It’s Needed. Churches today have very low expectations of members. As a result, very little is accomplished.

Two quotes:

“If we continue to do the same things the same way we will continue to get the same results.”

“Disciple making churches do what non-disciple making churches fail to do.”

Rainer – “Effective assimilation churches have one primary characteristic that sets them apart from churches that do not keep their members in active involvement. Effective assimilation churches had high expectations of all of their members.”6

Churches tend to receive in commitment what they expect from their members. If we expect little, that’s exactly what we will get. If we expect much, then members in disciple making churches respond accordingly. “A church that communicates no expectations or commitment levels to its members is much more likely to lose members from transfer or membership or inactivity.”7

Like most churches of the 20th Century, FBI is top-heavy when it comes to membership. Our total membership now exceeds 700 members! But how many of our members can be described as “fully committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ?” Not nearly enough.

If our purpose as a church is to “make disciples who glorify God,” and it is, then we must continue to declare through our statements, and structures, through our ministries, and strategies, through our goals, plans, and even our budget, that we are all about making disciples, not just members.

Last of all,

HOW DO WE BECOME A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH?

Well that’s the hard question to answer. If it were easy to understand, or easy to implement, or maintain, then far more churches would be doing it. But it’s hard work, making disciples that is. Not to sound to simplistic, but we become a disciple making church be placing higher expectations or commitments on our members and prospective members. We raise the bar. Let me list a few ways we have raised the bar here at FBI for our members (our disciples):

1. Our prospective members are required to attend a one time membership class before they are allowed to join our church. This is our Membership Class 101. In this class, members and prospective members alike learn about the expectations of our church. Prospective members then have a better understanding of what our church is about, what we believe, what we expect of them should they decide to join.

2. Members and prospective members here are asked to sign a Membership Covenant before joining FBI or in the case of someone who is already a member, the Membership Covenant becomes a renewed affirmation of that member’s commitment to become a fully committed disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Our church’s Philosophy of Ministry states very clearly that our members are expected to commit to faithfulness in attendance to four things: 1) the Celebration, Sunday morning worship time, 2) a Congregation, or fellowship in a Sunday School Class or Adult Bible Fellowship also on Sunday mornings, 3) a Cell or a disciplemaking small group which might meet at anytime, anywhere during the week, and 4) to do some little something, some service, or ministry within the church since we believe “Every Member is a Minister” here at FBI.

4. There are other expectations we have such as agreeing with our basic church doctrines which are also taught in Membership 101. Walking in unity with other church members, living separate, holy lives, church discipline and tithing, for example, are stressed.

Before I close this morning, let me say this. Being a disciple making with higher expectations for our members does not make us a legalistic church. We still operate under grace. We’re not going to call your name out from the pulpit for not attending SS or failing to tithe. Although some of you feel we already have!

Please remember, disciple making churches, are NT churches that honor and exalt Christ. First Baptist Icard is already one of the top churches in America. Statistics prove it. But I believe the best is yet to come! What about you?

[i]Rainer, Thom S. High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church. Broadman and Holman Publishers, Nashville: Tennessee. 1999. Page 3. 2 Ibid, pages 2-3. 3 Ibid, page 6. 4 Ibid, p. 13. 5 Ibid, p. 13. 6 Ibid, p. 23. 7 Ibid, p. 106.