--Intro> In the movie, "The Karate Kid," the “kid,” Daniel, a high school student who is being harassed by bullies at his new school, meets Mr. Miagi, a quiet, Japanese custodian at his apartment complex who just happens to be a black belt in karate. Daniel asks Miagi if he will teach him karate. Miagi agrees, but only under two conditions: Daniel must be serious about learning, and be willing to do everything Miagi tells him to do. And, Daniel must never question Miagi’s methods or motives. Daniel agrees and shows up the next day very excited, eager to learn. To his chagrin, Miagi hands him a paint brush and paint bucket and has him paint a fence, with precise instructions in how to do it: only moving his hand straight up, then straight down. It takes Daniel several days to finish the project, while all the time he’s steaming on the inside, wondering what painting a fence has to do with learning karate. After finishing the paint job, Daniel reports back to Miagi, who then takes him around into the back yard and a filthy back porch. Miagi tells Daniel to scrub the porch, again describing precisely how he wants Daniel to do it, moving his hands in straight lines in parallel to the ground. Daniel scrubs the deck for several days, all the while growing more angry, as it seems he’s nowhere closer to learning about karate than he was before. Finally, he finishes the deck and this time Miagi takes him to a nearby piece of land where there sits three weather-beaten cars. Again Miagi hands Daniel an old rag and some car wax, explaining how he wants Daniel to do the job, showing him a circular motion with his right hand (“Wax on,” he says), and a circular motion with the other hand (“Wax off!”), then leaves Daniel to do the job. After several days of difficult work, Daniel finally looses his cool and defies Miagi’s second rule. He openly questions Miagi. “I thought you were going to teach me karate! Instead, all you’ve done is have me do your unwanted chores!” Miagi’s face turns angry. “Show me ‘paint the fence’, Daniel!” Daniel begins to move his hands up and down as Miagi throws a punch at him. Daniel fends it off with almost no effort, using the “paint the fence” motion. Next, Miagi shouts, “Show me ‘scrub the deck’!” Daniel begins to move his arms side to side. Again Miagi throws punches at him, but Daniel is able to easily divert them by using the “paint the fence” motions. Finally, Miagi orders Daniel to show him “wax on, wax off.” As Daniel begins to demonstrate the motion, Miagi unleashes a vicious karate kick, and then another one. Each time Daniel successfully fends off the attack. As Daniel stands still with his mouth open, in awe of having defended an attack from a black belt, realizing that he has learned by repeating these moves over and over for days. Miagi smiles, bows, and then walks away.
<>In martial arts, that’s called TRAINING.
--You choose a “sensai” (teacher) and devote yourself to him, learn from him, submit to his leadership. You join his “dojo,” his “house” or “school,” a socially-connected “family.” You even proudly wear his colors, his logo on your gee, your robe, and you’re unashamed to declare to the world how marvelously skilled your sensai is, and how you’re proud to be one his followers.
<>In the Bible, it’s called DISCIPLESHIP.
--Again, you willingly choose a “sensai,” in our case the Savior, to be your Master, your Teacher. You become part of His “dojo,” His extended family, called the church. You learn from Him, identify yourself as being one of His followers. You proudly wear his “robe” of righteousness, and speak to others of His abilities and marvelous attributes.
I invite you to open a Bible and turn once again to Ephesians 4:11-16.
Today as we continue our series, "Pursuing Purpose," we’re looking at the third of the five purposes of the church.
--We’ve looked at worship (Reaching Out and Connecting with God), and Evangelism (Reaching Out and Touching the World).
<>Today we look at Discipleship ... Growing Up and Maturing in our Faith.
<>There are many misconceptions of what discipleship is:
--Some think discipleship is sort of a general overview of everything the church does.
--Others view discipleship as a special course of study, where the participants carry around notebooks and fill in all the blanks.
--Some think discipleship refers to an intense training reserved only for preachers or pastors or deacons. They go to the seminary so they can be “discipled.”
--Still others view discipleship as merely a “churchy” word for what the secular world would call “mentoring.”
<>Today we want to give our attention and focus to what discipleship really is.
Let’s read Ephesians 4:11-16 again...
-- "He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 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. 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 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."
-->It would take a week to parse everything in those verses, but it comes down to...
THREE BASIC AREAS OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT DISCIPLESHIP LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT IT INVOLVES...
1) DISCIPLESHIP IS A MISSION OF LOVE.
--Matthew 19:27 -- "Then Peter said to Him, ’Behold, we have left everything and followed You;...’”
-->It’s a commitment to follow Jesus and let Him teach us.
-->In its basic and initial meaning, I want to be a disciple of Jesus because I love Him, I’ve committed my life to serving Him, and I want to become more and more like Him...to reflect Jesus in everything I do...to be a fully-devoted follower of Christ.
<>In other words, discipleship in its most basic form is a matter of devotion and identifying with Jesus...being His disciple.
--ILL> Years ago a sculptor was met in his studio by a guest. The sculptor’s work was on display everywhere: life-sized statues of a deer, of people, etc. The sculptor was busy chiseling away at a huge block of stone when the guest asked him the question, “What is that going to be?” The sculptor told him, “It’s going to be a horse.” “Wow!,” the guest replied, “How do you know what to do to turn it into a horse?” The sculptor answered, “Well, I just chisel away everything that doesn’t look like a horse, and the end result is a horse.”
-->That’s what Jesus does to us...He chips away at us, molds us into His image. He uses life experiences, things we learn, tests of faith, etc., to chip away all those things that don’t reflect His image in us...and as we mature in our faith we grow more and more like Him.
-->"Disciples” in the first century were devoted followers to a person.
-----They left their homes, jobs, even traveled without their families, devoting themselves to “sitting at the feet” of their teacher.
-----They “soaked up” what their Teacher taught, “shaped / modeled” their behavior, attitudes, goals, beliefs to their teacher.
-----Their goal was to extend and multiply the work and mission of their Rabbi / Teacher.
-----They did so because they believed in Him and His message, and they loved Him...to the point of being willing to die for Him.
<>In the same way, because we love Jesus, we’ve chosen to devote ourselves to growing / maturing, so that we will “conform” to the “image,” be like Christ.
-->You see, a mature Christian understands that our goal as Christians is not merely to see Jesus’ face in heaven.
-----That’s a done deal! That’s assured!
-->Instead, our goal is to be more and more like Jesus as we’re down here on the earth.
<>As we let Him mold us into His image, we begin to reflect the characteristics He demonstrated in His earthly life:
-->Being a servant.
----Ephesians 4:12 -- "...for the work of service..."
----Matthew 20:28 -- "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
----Martin Luther said it this way: ”A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”
----He has called us to serve...to put others’ needs ahead of ours.
-->Being an encourager.
----Ephesians 4:12 -- "to the building up of the body of Christ..."
----John 16:33 -- "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
-->Knowing what’s really true.
----Ephesians 4:13 -- "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God..."
----John 14:6-7 -- "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father."
-->Being mature, solid.
----Ephesians 4:13 -- "...to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."
----For a child to throw a temper tantrum, that’s one thing. For an adult, that’s something else.
----For a child to be selfish and always demand his own way, that’s one thing. For an adult, that’s something else.
----We expect adults to have matured, not just physically, but emotionally and intellectually, and in the ability to handle responsibility.
----Look at the last part of our focal passage today: "As a result we’re 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ."
<>We don’t achieve this kind of growth on our own, but through Jesus working within us, growing us, maturing us.
--Philippians 1:6 -- "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
--2 Peter 1:3 -- "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him..."
<>Discipleship is a mission of love as we seek to be more and more like Jesus, and fully devoted to Him.
2) DISCIPLESHIP IS A MATTER OF LEARNING.
--Luke 11:1 -- "...after He had finished (praying), one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught His disciples.’”
<>Spiritual growth / maturity doesn’t happen overnight or without effort.
----Some believe learning just a little bit is sufficient...no need to devote ourselves to being serious students.
---ILL> I’m reminded of the story of a theology professor who used to travel around the country delivering a lecture concerning theological issues. He spoke several times a week and each time a private chauffeur took him to the events. After several weeks went by, one day his chauffeur said to him, “Prof, I could do what you do. I could give that lecture. I’ve heard it so many times, I could do it as well as you.” The professor thought a minute and then replied, “Okay. Next time we’ll change places.” Sure enough, the next time the professor got in the driver’s seat and chauffeured the “fake professor” to the event, where the chauffeur, posing as the professor, delivered the professor’s lecture while the professor sat in the back of the room, disguised. The chauffeur actually did a great job of speaking. In many ways he was a better speaker than the professor. And, he was quicker. He finished the lecture about ten minutes earlier than usual. So, the host of the event, recognizing there was some extra time available, stood and opened the floor for questions! Sure enough, another theology professor who was present proceeded to ask a very difficult theological question. The chauffeur was now in unfamiliar territory. However, thinking on his feet, he said, “Professor, that question is so simple I can’t believe you even asked it. I tell you what, it’s such an easy question I think my chauffeur could even answer it, so I’ll refer that question to my chauffeur who’s sitting in the back of the room.”
----Well, it might have worked out okay for the chauffeur in this case, but in real life there is no substitute for learning the basics.
---ILL> Do you remember the movie, "The Music Man?" (Oh, you’ve got trouble, right here in River City...) “Professor” Harold Hill came into an Iowan town and proceeded to convince the residents that the presence of a pool table in town spelled trouble for their young people, and what they really needed was a high school band. Never mind that none of the students (or Harold Hill either) knew anything about playing an instrument. Professor Hill convinced the folks that if their students employed the Harold Hill method, just thinking the music in their heads, the boys and girls could play their instruments like they were pros.
-----Well, let me tell you as someone who has played musical instruments for many years, that idea is pure Hollywood, pure fantasy.
-----Mozart, Mendelssohn, and all the other greats of music began with playing scales and striking chords, and with finger exercises.
<>In order to mature, to grow spiritually, as Christians we commit ourselves to LEARNING and then DEVELOPING the fundamental skills and basic disciplines necessary for growth:
-->We need to learn how to pray.
-----We need to learn what prayer is, what it isn’t, who we pray to, why and how.
-----We need to know about prayers of praise, petition, intercession, and prayers of faith.
-----It’s basic stuff, and needs to be learned.
-->We need to learn how to study the Bible and memorize Scripture.
-----We need to learn how to study it topically, do book studies, character studies, verse by verse studies, chapter studies, contextual and application studies.
-----It’s not the same as studying for an exam in school.
-----In the end, we’re not necessarily going to be “quizzed” unless you’re on some short of game show.
-----The reason we study the Bible is to answer the fundamental question, “So what?” In other words, in what way(s) does this passage of Scripture apply to my life, or how CAN it apply?
-->We need to learn how to effectively communicate the gospel, be a witness for Christ.
-----Last week we emphasized we are to be His messengers / witnesses as eye-witnesses, as everyday ambassadors, and as “connectors” to Jesus.
-----We need to learn how various helpful tools can be employed (tracts, marked Bibles, etc.
-->We need to learn how and choose to become servants.
-----We need to learn how to face every situation in life with a servant-mentality.
-----We need to learn to be seeking to help others instead of living in such a way as to only seek our personal interests..and actually get involved in missions, in helping people.
---ILL> Clarence Jordan, author of the “Cotton Patch” New Testament translation and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Georgia, was getting a red carpet tour of another minister’s church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decoration. As the stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the church’s steeple. The minister, with a satisfied smile on his face, told Jordan: ”That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars!” Jordan responded, ”You got cheated. Times were when Christians could get them for free.”
----Jesus taught His disciples, even as late as the night of His betrayal, that being a servant is important.
-----The disciples were gathered in the Upper Room and were having a debate among themselves over which one of them was the greatest disciple. Jesus walked into the room and immediately threw a towel around Himself and began the lowly and dirty task of washing their feet. When they objected, He explained about true greatness, telling them that whoever wanted to be “the greatest” in the kingdom must be a servant.
-->We need to learn be encouragers of others.
-----Part of our role within the church, within the “body of Christ” is to lift one another up, to invest ourselves in others’ lives, and encourage them.
---ILL> I’m reminded of the story of a pastor after he had counseled with an eleven year old boy one Sunday morning during the public invitation time at the close of the service. The pastor happily told the congregation that the boy had just accepted Christ and wanted to follow Him. Then the pastor made an unusual request. In addition to asking the boy’s parents to come and stand with the boy, he asked also that all the teachers, department directors, mission leaders, choir directors, etc., who had invested their time and efforts in bringing the boy to this time in his life to also come and stand wit the boy. Among those who responded was a nursery worker who recalled singing, “I like to go to church,” with the boy when he was a toddler. The department superintendent of the boy’s 1st grade Sunday School department remembered the smiling face of a 6-year old as the child saw seed sprouting in their Nature Center. A 4th grade leader silently thanked God for the time he helped the little boy construct a picture of Jesus, and the superintendent of his 5th grade department rejoiced that he had made those extra visits last year to the home of the boy when he had been confined with the measles. Over a period of several minutes people moved to the front of the auditorium, 37 in all. Each gathered around the lad, because each had obviously played a role in the child’s decision for Christ that day.
-->We need to learn how to practice responsible stewardship.
-----This is why we’re hosting the Crown Financial Ministries study.
-----In fact the reason we have all of our L.I.F.E. Groups and Bible Studies is so we can learn, and become effective disciples of Jesus. Plus, we get to enjoy life and encourage better fellowship with one another as we “share life” with each other.
<>The way to become skillful is to do things over and over until we can do them perfectly, without thought or effort.
<>And the way to become able to do GREAT things is to do the LITTLE things with endless repetition, increasing dexterity, and carefulness.
<>And yet, just knowing a lot of stuff is not enough.
---ILL> A retired pastor recently reflected: "I used to pastor an elderly fellow who would brag about how many thousands of sermons he had heard. However, I ask you, what good will it do to hear thousands of sermons, go to thousands of worship services, read thousands of good Christian books, listen to thousands of good Christian instructional tapes, listen to good Christian music, etc., if you never serve God? Don’t tell me how much you know, or how long you’ve been a believer, show me how you live for Jesus! Don’t claim to be a Christian unless you plan to act like it! The Christian faith today has become to many merely a matter of the mind rather than a matter of the life!
3) DISCIPLESHIP IS A MATTER OF LIFESTYLE.
--John 8:31 -- "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”
<>Discipleship is a matter of what we do every day, every minute of the day.
<>And being an effective disciple, living our faith 24-7 requires...
-->We are to be motivated.
-----1 Corinthians 10:31 -- "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
-----2 Corinthians 5:15 -- "And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."
-----The early Christian reformer, John Hus, believed the Bible is the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his 42nd birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, his last words were, ”What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”
-----Our motivation of bringing glory to the Lord in all we do is not just to be now and then, but it’s a lifestyle of commitment.
-->We are to be multipliers.
-----Matthew 28:19 -- "Go therefore, and make disciples of every nation..."
---John 15:8 -- "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."
-----Simply put, if we’re not reproducing, not bringing others into the kingdom, we’re not being true disciples.
-----If we’re being faithful to everything He’s commanded us to do, we’ll produce fruit.
-----If we lift Him up, live our faith every day...as a lifestyle, then He will do the drawing of people to Himself.
-----He will bring people across our paths “as we go” that need to hear what we know.
-->We are to be mentors.
-----Titus 2:3-5 -- "Older women likewise are to...encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."
-----1 Peter 5:5 -- "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
-----Like Miagi coaching Daniel in karate, God’s plan for discipleship is simple: mature believers are to mentor, pour themselves into training / teaching younger believers in the faith.
-----The business world has discovered this principle in recent years...Leadership studies have focused their attention here also.
-----It’s a simple principle, but a dynamic one: When an older, more experienced leader takes the time to “groom” and raise up a younger leader, the younger leader reaches his potential much faster.
-----And sometimes the younger leader wouldn’t ever have even become a leader without a mentor.
---In the days ahead we’ll be “matching up” mature believers to “mentor” new believers, new members, to disciple them.
BRINGING IT HOME...
<>Are you a disciple of Jesus?
-----Have you committed your life to Him, received Him as Savior and Lord, placing your eternal destiny safely in His hands?
<>If so, how committed are you?
-----Are you a fully-committed, devoted follower of Christ?
-----Or are you trying to be “casual Christian” with a so-so commitment to growing in your faith?
--Frankly, being a “casual Christian” is as much an oxymoron as saying you’re on a world championship football team, but then revealing you play for the Arizona Cardinals! -- The phrases “champions” and “Arizona Cardinals” are as incompatible as the idea that you can be a “casual” disciple of Jesus.
-----Are you submitting yourself to learning and growing?
<>Are you mentoring anyone else?
<>Would you be willing to commit yourself to mentoring a younger believer?
We need to worship, connect with God; we need to be evangelists, reaching out. -- But we also need to GROW UP and mature in our faith.
