Together we can make disciples

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

(falling short picture inserted here)

I have, continue to fall short, sin is not what I’m talking about right now, but in not being diligent in the commands of Mt28:19-20

Fall short in making disciples beyond what was needed for original salvation. (expand on this)

Discipleship needed to cure spiritual immaturity (Heb5:12-6:3)

Hebrews 5:12–13 NASB95

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

Hebrews 5:13–14 NASB95

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Hebrews 6:1 NASB95

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 6:2–3 NASB95

2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.

This series aim is to look at discipleship in the church, personally and communally. Let me give you some Barna and Gallop statistics I have found, they may shock you.

Barna studies have show that:

“Only one out of six adults who attend Christian worship services is involved in a group or relational process desired to help the grow spiritually.”

So, in other words, discipleship.

20% of the 17% listed above commit to bible study, bible class, 14% are involved in one on one mentoring, 3% are involved in training for discipleship, leadership.

According to Barna, fewer than one in five born-again adults have any specific, measurable goals related to their spiritual development. He went on to state that

“Not one of the adults we interviewed said that their goal in life was to e a committed follower of Jesus Christ or to make disciples of the entire world - - or even their entire block.”

We as Christians can talk the talk, but lack the action at times. Maybe that is why Paul speaks of spiritual discipline of the disciple of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship is and takes spiritual discipline (1Cor9:24-27)

1 Corinthians 9:24–25 NASB95

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Corinthians 9:26–27 NASB95

26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Greg Ogden in his book Effective Discipleship said this

“Many observers have concluded that the church, far from being countercultural, does not look much different from the unchurched.”

We are to be different, we are to be peculiar people as Peter says.

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We have been called out, named and challenged. Challenged to make disciples, to teach, to show forth praises to the one who called us out of the darkness and into the kingdom of the beloved Son (see Col1:13)

Jesus challenges and commands (Mt16:24-28)

Matthew 16:24–25 NASB95

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:26–27 NASB95

26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

Matthew 16:28 NASB95

28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

It is not enough to say, claim you are a Christian, your life should be lived out and show you are a Christian. you do not find in the N.T. any separation between Christian and disciple, as well as the Christian fellowship and development. We were created to be in commune with one another, not to be lone Christians; this series will delve into all different aspects of discipleship. Still want to draw attention to a few more facts.

An area of concern within the church is bible knowledge.

Gallup has written

“Americans revere the bible - but, by and large they don’t read it.”

60% of Americans believe the bible is totally accurate in all that it teachers.

53% of born again Christians in Barna survey claims that “God helps those who help themselves as a bible truth.”

61% believe that the Holy Spirit is not a living entity but a symbol of God’s presence and power.

58% believe Satan is just a symbol of evil and is not a living being

55% claim to have shared their faith with someone in the last year in hopes of leading to salvation.

Only 1 out of 5 answered that they have built a relationship with a person to make them a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Are you shocked by any of these statistics?

Christianity can be world changing like it was in the first century.

Mt28, Mk16 does not call us to be just followers of Jesus but to be disciple makers, and to be that you need to be a disciple yourself first. Our series will look at being a disciple who can together make disciples because of the discipline of discipleship.

Identifying problems in discipleship

In the Church over the years there have been areas of concern that divert from making disciples and fulfilling the great commission. You cannot fix a problem unless you identify it. Let’s look at some root causes of problems when it comes to discipleship.

There are many books, many resources regarding discipleship that are out there, all you have to do is Google it and you can find many, go into a Christian book store and you can find shelves of books about it. So if that is the case there must be something to discipleship, since we are called to make disciples, what can hinder us from doing that?

Diversion from primary calling (Eph4:11-16; Act6:2)

Leadership, Pastors (elders), evangelists, teachers, are called to equip the saints.

Ephesians 4:11–12 NASB95

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Ephesians 4:13–14 NASB95

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Ephesians 4:15–16 NASB95

15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Did you know we can get side tracked in ministering that we do not keep focused on the equipping, building up the body? It was a problem that was identified by Peter in very early church (Act6:2)

While ministering is needed, it is good work, but it cannot, should not be an enemy of the best work, preaching the gospel and making disciples.

Discipleship through programs (Mt16:24; Pro27:17)

Discipleship cannot be accomplished through “programs” it is accomplished through relationships.

Jesus called people to be His disciples by following Him.

Matthew 16:24 NASB95

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

Now programs and help grow people in the word, in knowledge, even in wisdom, but discipleship calls for following (application)

Discipleship is iron sharpening iron. And you cannot do that from a distance, it happens up close and personal.

Proverbs 27:17 NASB95

17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

in a book by Greg Ogden, I think I mentioned him before, he points out some points regarding programs and the weakened state of discipleship.

Programs tend to be information, knowledge based

There is an assumption here that knowledge automatically will equate to transformation.

Transformation happens when there is personal application. James says faith without works is dead, so all the information equates to nothing unless you do something with it.

Programs are the one preparing for the many

Programs oftentimes go from the work, sweat, effort of the one or the few to be applied to the many.

Preaching/teaching alone does not a disciple make. It takes relationship with application. Jesus did not call the disciples to follow a 12 step plan, a program, a method. He called them to follow Him! Paul called for the church at Corinthian to imitate him, as he imitated Jesus.

Programs are characterized by regimentation or synchronization

Mass reproduction does not equate to personal growth rate, development.

Growing disciples has to come from meeting people where they are at and going from there.

Making disciples requires a personal customized approach for each person.

Programs have low personal accountability

Do you have someone who holds you accountable for your growth, your transformation in Christ and for Christ?

Programs have very little accountability to personal growth.

(Transition) now discipleship does have some elements of program such as all come from the word of God for the glory of God to fulfill the purpose of God, to go make disciples.

Minimizing Christian life (Lk18:18; Act8:18; Mt28:19; Gal6:2)

Give me, give me, give me. That is what our society says and even in the church oftentimes it is see me, see me, see me.

Discipleship is reduced when we try to get focus off of Jesus and put on ourselves or look for the benefits for us instead of fulfilling the Great commission that by the overall standard these days is the Great Omission.

Luke 18:18 NASB95

18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

This man is not really asking the question he is saying look at me, I do everything I’m supposed to do. He has pride and we know that God hates the proud (see Pro16:5)

Colossians 3:17 NASB95

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

We are to do all things in the name of the Lord, for the Glory of God through Jesus Christ not for glory for us. For God deserves all the glory.

Then there is the example of Simon, a baptized follower of Jesus

Acts 8:18 NASB95

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

Acts 8:19 NASB95

19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

It was about him, not the benefit of the body or the sinner you are trying to bring into the body.

Discipleship is weakened when we think it is about us at all. Discipleship is all about others. Yes we need to be personally discipled too, to grow, but in fulfilling the great commission it is about others!

Discipleship is weakened when we forget about picking up others crosses and bearing other’s burdens too.

Galatians 6:2 NASB95

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Dallas Willard said this:

“Reducing the Christian life to embracing the gift of forgiveness has made obedience to jesus in daily life an irrelevance”

We have not been called just be forgiven, blessed, but into an apprenticeship (Discipleship) to Jesus Christ to be a blessing to others.

Wrong understanding of discipleship (Lk9:23; 1Cor3:1-3)

I read these two questions and it made me think about the state, or the understanding of discipleship and being a disciple of Jesus. Let me pose the questions for your consideration.

“How many of you can say, in humble confidence of your heart, that you are true disciples of Jesus?

Ok, next question.

“How any How any of you can say, in the humble confidence of your heart, that you are convinced that you are a true Christian?

Maybe a tour into authentic Christianity would be in order, a study of 1John, but that would be another day, a series of sermons.

True Christians receive the gift of salvation and are seen through God eyes with the eyes of grace through the blood of Jesus. Whereas a true disciples of Jesus is the true Christian who is committed to not just be a follower of Jesus but one who is transformed by Jesus through the Word and by the Spirit, it is being a disciple (an adherent follower)

Dwight Pentecost wrote:

“There is a vast difference between being Christian and being a disciple. The difference is commitment.”

Poor call to discipleship (LK9:23)

I mentioned earlier that I feel that I have failed in some areas when it comes to discipleship. And this is one of the areas.

We are called to “go make disciples” (mt28:19)

Christian leaders, including myself, have been lax or reluctant to call people to true discipleship as it says in Lk9:23.

In our post-Christian culture leaders want to appeal to peoples comfort more than to conformity to image of Christ. A message of happiness instead of teaching about eternal joy only found in obedience to Christ regardless of circumstance. True discipleship calls others to discipleship.

I found this quote by Chuck Carlson and it was very convicting to me.

“Finally, the unwillingness of leaders to call people to commitment may reveal something frighteningly personal. Perhaps our unwillingness to put Jesus’ term on the line is rooted in our reluctance to live a no-holds-barred commitment ourselves.”

Ouch, a pretty convicting thing to personally look at. I do have to say I am a blessed man, I came into the body in a disciple making church. Disciples making disciples. Discipleship is costly (Jesus told us such)

Fully devoted followers of Jesus, disciples of Jesus, authentic Christianity only comes through commitment and investment. It does not come through listening to sermons, or attending bible classes alone. It is found when we are highly accountable, relationally transparent, and truth-centered.

George Barna in another survey concluded this.

“A majority (55%) of the adults who indicated their interest in hearing advise on how to improve their spiritual life also said that if the church matched them with a spiritual mentor or coach, they would be more likely to pursue the changes suggested to them.”

So, discipleship it is necessary if we are to fulfill the great commission and that is what we are challenged and commanded to do.

So, here is the challenge today:

(Encouragement slide; Chose to commit picture inserted here)

Expand on that for 1-2 minutes

(Song) (Prayer) (Exit)

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