D3
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Jamie Sharpe at 10:00am
Candi Hallam at 2:00am
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Introduction
Introduction
Discipleship is a life changing adventure
Imagine if Jesus made a classified ad for His disciples
Wanted: Men and women who are willing to follow the most radical Rabbi of all time. Duties include casting out demons, being criticized by the elite and spending time with people you currently don’t like.
Benefits include no pay, health insurance dependent exclusively on miracles, a death benefit of being crucified upside down, or a retirement plan that includes permanent exile on an island prison.
Must be willing to leave family for extended periods of time and walk several miles a day. Serious inquiries only.
Sign me up!
Almost as exciting as the side effects on a Cialis commercial!
Here’s the reality, most of us have been lied to
We’re sold on Christianity because it’s so cheap!
Eternity in heaven and it costs us nothing!
Actually, Jesus said this:
Matthew 16:24–26 (ESV)
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
It’s about forfeiting any and every desire Jesus asks us to
It’s about constantly pursuing Him despite ourselves
Billy Graham: “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have.”
It’s about becoming disciplines disciples of Christ
Don’t get me wrong, you cannot earn your salvation
Next week we’re starting a new series called “The Road Less Travelled”
Kinda of a take on the Romans Road to salvation
We’ll learn that salvation itself is a free gift from God
But for today, we’re closing out by looking at the work we have been given to do
YouVersion: D3: Multiplication
We’re in Matthew 28:16-20
Formula: (TW+K4)xD3
Formula: (TW+K4)xD3
TW is time with
K4 is Kavanah
Scripture
Prayer
Love
Worship
D3 is multiplication
D1 is alone, D2 together, D3 encouraging to go with others
D3: Multiplication
D3: Multiplication
We’re looking at the Great Commission again
Think big picture:
Jesus came to restore all of humanity - and He did it in 3 years with 12 guys over 300 sq. miles
12 guys out of roughly 105 billion
300 square miles out of 197 million
3 years out of at least 5,782 and counting
What about everyone else?
What about everywhere else?
What about every-when else?
It’s simple really - it comes down to the Great Commission
It comes down to what we’ve been talking about - DISCIPLESHIP
Let’s look at what Jesus had to say
Some of the last words Jesus said to His disciples
Matthew 28:16–17 (ESV)
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
We learn about humanity here
These guys have seen Jesus do amazing things
Control both spiritual and natural forces
Make things manifest, multiply and transform
Break laws from many different sciences
Physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics...
And yet, when they saw Him die on a cross - in their heads that was it
As with all of the others, they still can’t get their minds around it
They doubt what they are seeing
I’ve seen God do amazing things, but none of those things
So if these guys had doubts, do you think we’re going to have doubts?
John 20:29 (ESV)
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
There is a lot that goes on on the inside of a believer
We’re going to go out of order a bit here so bear with me
D1 discipleship involves internal wrestling and growth
D1 discipleship involves internal wrestling and growth
Sometimes we feel acknowledging struggle is weakness or a lack of faith
But faith is a growth process with seasons of ups and downs
Even Paul admits to this:
2 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV)
5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.
We’re fighting our persecutors on the outside
AND fighting our own fear on the inside
And you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with faith like Paul’s
J.C. Ryle: “Doubting does not prove that a man has no faith, but only that his faith is small. And even when our faith is small, the Lord is ready to help us.”
Don’t be afraid to challenge God, to ask hard questions, to admit when you struggle
God can handle your struggles, doubts and questions
Don’t pretend like you have everything all together
BUT also make sure you don’t give up
Struggles are not a reason to quit
Doubt will happen, but make sure you turn to God in those times
Give Him a chance to speak
Anyone watch “Lost”?
Jack tells a story of his first big mistake in surgery
He felt panic and fear, wanted to run out, he was terrified
But he said he had to do something, so he made a choice
He said he’d let the fear in to do it’s thing, but only for 5 seconds
1-2-3-4-5, and then it was gone
Accept that fear and doubt will come, and they will have their moments
But remember that you have to do something, and that something is to trust God
Why?
Charles Spurgeon: “Doubt discovers difficulties which it never solves; it creates hesitancy, despondency, despair. Its progress is the decay of comfort, the death of peace. "Believe!" is the word which speaks life into a man, but doubt nails down his coffin.”
Doubt is powerful, but nowhere near as powerful as God
Like the disciples struggled to do, remember what God has done
Even as the disciples doubt, Jesus goes on
He could address it, but it’s something they’ll probably always deal with
So He gives instructions:
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.”
Notice what Jesus says:
Authority is given to me, Go therefore and do what I taught you
Jesus has authority coming in, and instructions going out
Balanced discipleship requires inflow to overflow
Balanced discipleship requires inflow to overflow
There is a Kavanah Inflow to overflow
We study Scripture to know God
So we help others study Scripture to know God
We live a life of prayerfulness
So we help others embrace prayerfulness
We are loved extravagantly by God
So we love others extravagantly
We live a life of worship
As we help others with C323 living
There’s so much pressure to put out as Christians
Burnout in California
We had 538 things to do every year
LG every week, plus Sunday morning, Monday and Friday prayer, Wed Bible Study
Movie nights, Soul Food Sb and Memorial, Food Pantry all monthly
3-5 plays per year, Mexico house build 2 weekends per year, business meeting, Thanksgiving dinner, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving food drive, VBS...
538 things every year - and everyone was invited and they were sad if you didn’t go
People were getting burned out quickly!
Filling to Empty Illustration
Many people filled until they had nothing left to pour out
When you’re empty, you’re burned out
Know what the symptoms are of burnout?
Feelings of failure and self-doubt
Feeling helpless, trapped and defeated
Detachment and feeling alone in the world
Loss of motivation
Increasingly cynical and negative outlook
Decreased senses of accomplishment and satisfaction
Your spiritual tank is empty and you’re running on fumes!
And you’re not taking time for yourself - specifically time with God!
I have to get this lesson done, no time for prayer!
I have to call these volunteers, no time for Scripture!
I have to clean up after our dinner, no time for conversation!
If you want to fill others, you have to be filled by God yourself
Constantly transferring illustration
This is how it should be, God fills you as you fill others
But be aware there’s another problem too
Only self filling illustration
You’re constantly filling yourself, but never helping anyone else
You’re a spiritual glutton, spilling God’s investment on the floor
When you could be reaching others
Discipleship is about finding that balance
Seeking and serving God
Time alone with God and time with others with God
Work and rest
Going back to the core, discipleship has to have TW
Again, we are to go to all nations and teach them the ways of Jesus
D2 Discipleship is a shared experience
D2 Discipleship is a shared experience
I used to work with a guy named Frank Torres
Frank had a wealthy upbringing in Nicaragua - dad worked for the governor
In the late 1970’s a group called the Contras stood against the Marxist govt. after the revolution
In his teens, it became dangerous for him to stay
Some accused his father of working for the Contras - he fled to the US
Suddenly he was a nobody
Not much money for America, couldn’t speak English, only knew his brother
Frank worked developing photos in a dark room in a camera shop
When Frank got off work, he went home and turned on the TV
He was out of school, didn’t take any English courses, never hired a tutor
Frank learned English by watching others speak English on TV
Eventually, he started using English with acquaintances at the camera shop
He became an American by living life around other Americans
You might even call it American discipleship!
Proverbs describes it this way:
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
Jesus has always wanted the church to be a community
Even still, Jesus spent time with individuals or very small groups
Often we we Jesus talking to one or three disciples at a time
That’s why sitting in here as a group is not the only way to do “church”
This is important, but personal interactions is where growth takes place
When I coached football, we did drills as a team
Then we broke off, and I’d go work with just the defense
Then we broke off and I worked with just the corners and safeties
A lot of very important stuff was worked out in that group of 5 or 6 guys
Stuff that couldn’t happen as a big group
So if your whole church experience is just in here, your development is stunted
I don’t see a way around that
It’s important that you have time with Christians just 1 on 1, 1 on 3 at a time
Notice Jesus says, “Teaching them all I have commanded you.”
He teaches, then they teach what He taught, then they teach what they were taught...
D3 discipleship is meant to be repeated
D3 discipleship is meant to be repeated
If you think about it, that’s what Paul did!
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Paul alone is D1!
Paul imitates Christ, that’s D2!
Now watch this:
16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
That becomes D3!
And then that keeps going too
1 Corinthians 4:16–17 (ESV)
16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
He trained Timothy, who will go and continue with them again!
That’s what I encourage you to do as well, church
This starts a process of multiplication
Last year, Tim mentioned that we are obsessed with addition
We had 5 people come to Christ yesterday, whoo!
Then what? I don’t know… we added 5 more. Done. Let’s celebrate.
How many are going to stick? I don’t know...
Where do they go next? I don’t know...
Are they going to share the gospel now? I don’t know...
But we added 5!
Show chart
This chart shows the multiplication method
Let’s look at my addition in a crazy fictitious way...
I’m going to add a new person to the church every day (I know it’s unrealistic)
That’s 365 people per year
After 16 years, I’ve brought in 5,840 people
But what if I discipled someone else for 1 year
And encouraged them to do the same thing the next year
First year is only the 2 of us
Then it’s 4
Then it goes exponential and hits 8 in year 3
But after 16 years, instead of reaching 5,840 with addition
We’ve reached 65,536 people!
You know what’s crazy about that?
365 people a year is crazy - never gonna happen!
But one person a year? That’s very doable...
But you know what? People don’t want to do that - why?
With addition you get to say “Oh yay! I’ve reached 365 people this year!
Or 20...
With discipleship you say, “Oh yay, I reached one!”
With addition you say, “I built a church of 5,000!
With discipleship you will never actually see how many you’re a part of reaching
Do you want to see the Church grow, or your ego?
Do you want to see the kingdom spread, or do you want to be king?
Do you want to see Jesus glorified, or do you want the glory?
Conclusion
Conclusion
I want to end this series with a simple reminder
If you are a believer, you should be making disciples - period, no exceptions
It’s not a program, it’s not a hierarchy, it’s not complicated
It’s (TW+K4)xD3
You spend time with someone
You intentionally focus on Scripture, Prayer, Love and Worship
And you encourage them to keep doing it
As you keep doing it with others
And that’s it - it’s simple!
But you do have to do it
The series is done, but this isn’t going away
We will have constant reminders
Eventually we’ll spruce up the lobby, it will be in there
It’s on the website
I’m even talking to Bill Allison about doing a training in early fall
Disciplemaking is the process that has been building the church for nearly 2,000 years!
Jesus has ALL authority, therefore GO!
So, are you gonna build the church or ain’t you?
If you are, ask yourself
Who is that person God wants you to pull close for a Jesus-like disciplemaking friendship?
When you know, pursue it and it will change both of you
I’ve seen it with the guys I’m meeting with
I know you will too
Prayer
Prayer