• Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
INTRODUCTION:
A mother who was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake... Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”
Jesus has called us to make disciples. The process of discipleship is for believers to be transformed into the image of Jesus.
I. The crisis of discipleship in the American church.
1. We may have brought in the harvest, but the fruit has spoiled!
ILLUSTRATION: Imagine a farmer who works hard to prepare the fields for the seed. He nurtures the plant as it grows. Finally the harvest is ready and he starts up the big combines and works hard to bring in the harvest. But instead of storing the grain in silos or taking it to market he leaves the sitting unprotected outside the barn. Before long the autumn rains fall soaking the harvest. Then when the sun comes out the harvest rots and is lost. Such is the case of discipleship in many churches across America. We’re encouraging people to build relational bridges with non-believers. We invite them to our special services and revivals. Many of them make a profession of faith, but the church does little to protect the harvest of souls from being lost.
• Matthew 7:16-22 NIV
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
a) Jesus made it clear; we can recognize if someone is really a believer—a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ—by examining the fruit of their lives. Just because someone claims to be a Christian does not make them one.
b) Many American Christians are weak in their commitment to Christ. They falter in basic spiritual disciplines like bible study and prayer. They lack boldness in being an effective witness of Christ’s love outside the four walls of the church. Many so called Christians live lifestyles almost indistinguishable from people who make no such profession of faith. As a result the spiritual health and effectiveness of churches across America is average at best and in most cases is weak and diseased because of the condition of disciples who make up the local church.
2. Has the harvest really been lost? Has the church just let the fruit rot? Let the numbers speak for themselves.
a) From 1995 to 2005 the Assemblies of God in the United States reported 5,339,144 decisions for Christ, but attendance in our worship services throughout the same period grew by only 221,790 (14% increase). Of the over five million decisions for Christ only 4 percent or about 1 in 25 people attended worship regularly. When adjusted for other factors at the very best the A/G can say that we have retained 10% or 1 out of 10 people who made a profession of faith in our churches. What has happened to the other 90%? The harvest is being lost—the fruit is being spoiled! (Transformational Discipleship, Charles Crabtree; from chapter 1, The Crisis of Discipleship in the American Church.)
b) Fortunately our numbers as a local church are better than the national average. From 1997 to 2006 we have reported 72 decisions for Christ. Over these 10 years our Sunday morning attendance grew from 50 to 83—an increase of 33 people or 66%! By the numbers we retained 45.8% of those making a confession of faith. Now that sounds pretty good until you actually take a look at the names of people attending our church today. The fact of the matter is that most of our growth has happened because people have come to our church from other churches. Of the 72 reported decisions made only about 11 or 12 of those people are actually still a part of our church family today which is about 15%. That’s might be better than the national averages, but nevertheless what are we going to say about the other 85% that have been lost to our church family? Can we afford to let more than 8 out of 10 people who make a profession of faith in Christ not be discipled and made a part of our church family?
3. CONNECT, GROW and SERVE! We are doing life together!
a) We cannot afford to let the harvest of souls that God brings to us be lost. Instead of letting fruit spoil we want to see the fruit of the Spirit grow and mature in the lives of believers so that they can live an authentic Christian life. Our Life Connection small groups are the key to the growth we believe God for in Vision 2012, but even more importantly Life Connection is the key to turning around our lack of discipleship and having the harvest be wasted.
b) We want everyone who attends our church to be a part of a Life Connection group. Why? Because when we CONNECT, GROW and SERVE we will make Jesus smile! Why will Jesus smile? Because we are making a connection with God and other believers; we are growing in God’s word which produces faith and obedience; and we will serve in our church and community so that others can make their Life Connection. I want to see a minimum of 35 people involved this fall with more and more people participating in our Life Connection home groups. I’m believing for the day when we have MORE people attending our small groups each and every week than we have attending our celebration worship services! CONNECT, GROW and SERVE!
c) If people today living in the 21st century American culture are going to survive spiritually then they must be connected to a life-giving church. Attending a weekly worship service AND being a part of a small group is absolutely vital to the spiritual health of everyone who calls themselves a Christian. Regular attendance being together with other believers at church must be one of the highest priorities of your life. The church is the believer’s spiritual home, and to neglect church life can be spiritually fatal. God designed the church as the place for believers to join together to worship God and grow in their faith. When a Christian chooses to not be a part of a local church they are in effect saying, “God I’m smarter than you are because I can make it on my own.”
• Hebrews 10:25 NIV
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
ILLUSTRATION: God designed the church to be like an ocean liner. It is the only ship that can safely carry believers in Jesus Christ over an ocean of sin and bring them safely into heaven. Unfortunately some Christians decide they don’t want to say on board the ship that God designed for them. So they sneak into a lifeboat and let it down the side of God’s ocean liner into the ocean. Now every good lifeboat comes equipped with supplies to keep you safe and alive until you are rescued, but the lifeboat is not designed to make the journey across the ocean. Believers think they are safe in the lifeboat. They may even have access to a radio to hear regular broadcasts from aboard the ocean liner. They have stocked their lifeboat with books and other supplies to help them survive their solo journey. But they are alone and just drifting in their lifeboat. Before long the waves of life will begin to crash around them. The lifeboat will take on water and worse still they may be thrown overboard. Fortunately God will send them a lifeline. The Lord will make a way for them to be rescued and brought back safely aboard the ocean liner. But will they take hold of the lifeline or will they try to make it alone in the ocean of sin?
d) Sound far fetched? Paul was aboard a ship that was being tossed by the waves. Everyone was fearful for their lives, but the Lord spoke to Paul and told him that only those who remained with the ship would be saved. Anyone who left the ship would lose their lives. Some of those onboard didn’t believe Paul and were about to leave the ship and try to make it on their own in the lifeboat.
• Acts 27:31-32 NIV
31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
e) This is more than just a story about how God rescued Paul from the sea on his journey to Rome. It shows us the importance of following God’s word and doing what the Lord tells us to do. God has told us to stay connected with the local church. Let’s cut the ropes that hold the lifeboats and make a commitment to stay aboard God’s ocean liner called the Church. We need each other!
II. What is a disciple?
1. In the Great Commission Jesus told us to make disciples. Do we even know what that means?
• Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
a) Jesus used four verbs in the Great Commission: go, make, baptizing, and teaching. What exactly are we supposed to be doing? Many people think the emphasis is upon the word “go,” but actually the verb Jesus emphasized is MAKE DISCIPLES. The Greek verb “matheteuo” (math-ayt-yoo’-o) literally means to disciple, instruct or teach.
• Matthew 28:19-20 God’s Word
19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.
b) Wherever we may go do this one thing: MAKE DISCIPLES—lifetime followers of Jesus. How do we make disciples? Baptize them and teach them to obey Jesus completely.
2. What is the starting point for making disciples?
a) A disciple is first and foremost a Christian. Sounds simple enough right? Unfortunately the world has no idea what it means to be a Christian, and even some people in the church don’t really know what it takes to become a Christian and be a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ.
b) People in the world have no idea why Christians are different from everyone else. They are just people—human beings like everyone else—but they have a different set of beliefs about God.
i. The world thinks you are a Christian by your bloodline. It’s nothing more than a family tradition. I’m glad I was born in a Christian family. I’m thankful that my parents took me to church every time the doors were opened. I’ve even joked that I have A/G as a birthmark, but growing up attending church and having Christian parents does not make me a Christian.
ii. A lot of people also think you become a Christian by the will of the flesh. Being a Christian is nothing more than individual determination or human resolve to live a certain way. They think being a Christian means deciding to join a church and be a good person. And of course this all takes a lot of human effort, but if you keep at it long enough you can even say you are a saint—a righteous person before God.
iii. Perhaps the most subtle deception of the enemy is that many people believe being a Christian is nothing more than being a part of a Christian sub-culture that forces adherents into their “Christian mold.” Well meaning parents and friends can coerce, persuade and even force others to attend their churches. Given enough time and exposure these people will pick up the Christian jargon and culture so they too begin to talk and act like other Christians. Such a Christian culture can dominate and even intimidate people, but it is powerless to transform their lives.
c) Christians—disciples of Jesus—are born of God through a powerful, supernatural, creative act. The Christian faith is different from any other religion because it demands the impossible—a new beginning through a spiritual birth.
(Transformational Discipleship, Charles Crabtree; from chapter 2, The Transformed Disciple.)
• John 3:3, 5-7 NIV
3 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
5 "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ’You must be born again.’
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
3. What is the ultimate proof of a successful church in God’s eyes?
a) A church that God approves of is not based upon the size of its building. It isn’t about how many people attend the worship services. God is not checking to see how much money the church has in the bank or how much they give to support missionaries. God does not evaluate a church based upon how big the pastoral staff is or the number of ministries that take place each week. All of these things are important, and if a church is successful in God’s eyes then each of these various areas will be positively impacted. But none of these things are how God judges a church and its effectiveness.
b) For God the proof is in the pudding—it’s the end result that matters. The purpose of the church and the only product that God is interested in is the kind of disciples the church produces. A successful church produces TRANSFORMED DISCIPLES—followers of Jesus who are growing in Christ likeness. The sole purpose of the church is to rescue people out of a world of sin and death and through the power of the cross, the Word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit enable people to live like Jesus. But this is not a human effort; it’s not what the pastor or anyone else can do. The church works with God in the supernatural transformational process of helping people live like Jesus.
III. What does it mean to be a transformed disciple?
As a Christian—a believer, and follower of Jesus—what are you supposed to be like? I want to share eight qualities that is what it means to be a genuine transformed DISCIPLE. I’ve used the word DISCIPLE to outline what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
The transformed disciple has Jesus’:
DNA—Jesus’ DIVINE NATURE ANIMATED in you—CHRIST LIKE*
a) Above everything else the transformed disciple is empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to live their lives just like Jesus. Jesus’ Divine Nature is Animated in you. You are his hands, his feet, and his voice. When people see you they see a reflection of Jesus!
• 1 John 2:6 NIV
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
b) Every believer has the DNA of Jesus; His divine nature is animated in you through first as the fruit of the Spirit develops in your character and second as the gifts of the Spirit flow through your life; the gifts of the Spirit are not just for Sunday mornings in a worship service.
(See also 1 John 4:17 NLT)
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, and develops:
INTIMACY WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER*
a) Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Prayer is not a duty or a hardship. Prayer is spending time with our Father in heaven. Through prayer we develop a personal relationship with God. “The harsh reality and blunt truth is this: THE PRYERLESS LIFE IS A GODLESS LIFE.”
b) Jesus made it a habit to spend time daily in prayer with the Father. If the Son of God found it to be a necessity to take time to pray, then how much more do we need to spend time in prayer. Prayer, like discipleship is not an option but a necessity.
c) As Spirit-filled believers we have the opportunity for the greatest intimacy with God as we pray in the Holy Ghost. Tongues is a gift from your heavenly Father; receive it and experience the overflow of His love and power in your life everyday!
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, and third—D-I-S:
SURENDERS TO JESUS AS LORD*
a) It is not enough to just claim Jesus as your Savior. Jesus must be Savior and Lord. Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
• Luke 6:46
Why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
b) The believer will surrender their will to the Lordship of Jesus and live in obedience to His word. Jesus told the disciples to MAKE disciples, baptize them and teach them to obey everything He has taught them. Discipleship means we learn obedience to God’s Word as we make Jesus Lord of every area of our lives.
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, SURENDERS to Jesus as Lord, and fourth—D-I-S-C:
CULTIVATES GOD’S WORD*
• Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
a) God has given each and every one of us a timeless and enduring gift that will never fail—THE WORD OF GOD. “When Christians do not learn to anchor their spiritual life on the Word of God, they invariably live by their feelings. Every day becomes an emotional roller coaster.” Don’t live in the dark! Live in the light of God’s word. GOD SAID IT—THAT SETTLES IT!
b) CONNECT—GROW—SERVE: We are to grow in what? We grow in the word of God. As we grow in the word of God we will in turn grow in faith and obedience. In other words, through the Word of God we will grow up to be more like Jesus!
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, SURENDERS to Jesus as Lord, CULTIVATES God’s Word, and fifth—D-I-S-C-I:
INVESTS OF ONE’S SELF—stores up treasure in heaven
• Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
a) Transformed disciples will find joy in giving.
b) Transformed disciples know that they can give more than money. They give of themselves. CONNECT—GROW—and what is the last one? SERVE! Invest yourself in others just like Jesus did. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve others!
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, SURENDERS to Jesus as Lord, CULTIVATES God’s Word, INVESTS of one’s self, and sixth—D-I-S-C-I-P, the transformed disciple is:
POOR IN SPIRIT—HUMBLE
• Philippians 2:3-5 NIV
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
a) Jesus made it clear. If you want to see God then you must become poor in spirit. You must humble yourself.
b) Let’s stop putting ourselves first and think of others first in the same way that Jesus did.
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, SURENDERS to Jesus as Lord, CULTIVATES God’s Word, INVESTS of one’s self, is POOR in spirit and seventh—D-I-S-C-I-P-L, the transformed disciple is:
LOYAL TO THE LOCAL CHURCH*
• Acts 2:46 NIV
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.
a) “When Christians decide they do not need the local church, it proves they are in a very precarious spiritual state.” They won’t say it but their actions say it loud and clear that they think they know better than God.
b) Satan does not fear a large church, he fears a united church. Let’s walk in unity of faith together and remain loyal to our church family.
The transformed disciple has Jesus’ DNA, develops INTIMACY through prayer, SURENDERS to Jesus as Lord, CULTIVATES God’s Word, INVESTS of one’s self, is POOR in spirit, is LOYAL to the local church and finally—D-I-S-C-I-P-L-E, the transformed disciple:
EXALTS JESUS
• Philippians 2:9-11 NIV
9 God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(* Adapted from Transformational Discipleship, Charles Crabtree; from chapter 2, The Transformed Disciple.)
