Helping Spiritual Young Adults Help Others Series

Making Disciples; Making a Difference

Helping Spiritual Young Adults Help Others

Mat 20:25-28

We started this series seeing that Jesus defined the win for us as making disciples. A disciple is someone who follows Christ, is being changed by Christ, and is committed to the mission of Christ. Then we looked at a disciples’ stages of growth. Then we described three keys to making disciples, Intentional Leaders + Relational Environment + Reproducible Process = Multiplying Disciples. Two weeks ago we started looking specifically at our mission, Win, Train, and Send. Kevin started out looking at Win, sharing with us the characteristics of the spiritually dead and their needs; then last week, I began looking at Train, by describing how we can help spiritual infants and children grow. This week we continue looking at Train, focusing on helping spiritual young adults help others.

Today’s passage tells us the key to greatness is serving others. Serving is central is to discipleship. We are blessed that a high portion of you who call CCC home, serve the body. We have spiritual infants serving, children, young adults and a growing group of spiritual parents.

Summary of stages:

SI- ignorance and dependence; SC - self centered and idealistic and pride; SYA – action/service oriented and zealous and God centered and independent; and then SP – intentional and strategic and mission minded and dependable.

SYA are more independent that SC, action/service oriented and zealous and God centered and independent, they want to connect with Gods larger purposes. SYA are starting to take the steps to be responsible for others. See need of others and desire to help meet their needs and not expecting others to do it. Let’s look at the three steps that an Intentional Disciple Maker/Intentional Leader does to train a SYA to serve, help others.

1. Equip to Minister (Eph 4:12)

The meaning of equip is broad and means to teach, disciple, train, coach, mentor, and anything else that helps a disciple along in their ability to serve others. An IDM/IL trains the disciple to serve and partner with God, developing the attitudes and behaviors of SYA. Many of you are discipling others. Part of the process is equipping them to minister to and serve others. Here are steps to help you equip them:

 Identify passions

Passion is God given desires to minister to a specific group or area of ministry. Passion answers the question where someone serves. When you have passion for an area of ministry, you are more enthusiastic and motivated to serve. Here are some questions to help you identify passions: If you could do anything and know you could not fail what would you do? You would love to look back at the end of your life and know that you have done something about ___? If I were to mention you to a group of friends, what would they say you were really interested in or passionate about? What I would most like to do for others is _____?

 Identify spiritual gifts

Spiritual gifts are God given abilities to build up the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts answer the question what someone does. Here are some ways to help you identify your spiritual gifts: As you read the spiritual gifts listed in Scripture (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10, 28; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 4:11), what gifts do you identify with? Better yet, what would others say are your spiritual gifts? If you have never taken a spiritual gifts test, here is a link to one that is helpful, http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/.

 Task or people oriented

Are you a task oriented or people oriented individual. Task oriented individuals are energized by doing things; people oriented individuals are energized by interacting with people. If you are task oriented then your ministry should primarily be tasks that serve people. If you are people oriented your ministry should be more involved with interacting with people.

 Hazards of ministry

A hazard in ministry is to lose perspective. If someone is fruitful or gifted in a public gift they can become prideful, thinking that it is all about them. In Luke 10, the disciples return form a very fruitful ministry trip excited that even the demons submitted to them yet Jesus responds to them not to rejoice in that but rejoice that their names are written in heaven. He wanted them to maintain perspective. The other way to lose perspective is from rejection, criticism, or failure. Jesus warns us that we will face rejection and criticism and to be prepared for failure. It is all part of the process of God shaping us. What keeps us going and is to put our hope in the rewards promised in heaven, not in this life.

2. Providing Ministry Opportunities

IDM/IL gives a SYA a place to serve and grow. It can be very destructive to place someone in an area of ministry without proper training.