Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore* and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NKJV
Introduction: Matt 28:19-20 has been dubbed as the “Great Commission” for the Church. In the broad stroke of this text we tend to over look the issue of disciple making. Even though of primary importance of the gospel it to bring people to Jesus. Once a person has given his/her life to a commitment of following Jesus (disciple) we must then begin to teach them what being a disciple is. It is simple to say follow Jesus but, what does that really mean? One would suggest that following Jesus is just a modification of how we live but, just as everyday living and our actions don’t cause us to be subjected to eternal punishment being a disciple means much more than that.
Colossians 1:25-29
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
NKJV
1. Being a disciple
a. To become perfect in Christ Jesus.
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Perfection only comes from developing the inter man/woman to by teaching them to be a disciple.
I have come to a place in my life that we should not teach or preach in order to correct how a person lives but to develop the disciple and that in the process of learning to be a disciple will change how we live.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV
b. Paul makes 3 statements in this text that relate to our “perfection” (Col 1:28)
i. Do not be conformed
ii. Be transformed
iii. Renewing of your mind
c. Do not be conformed
NT:4964 ýsusxhmati/zw ýsuschematizo (soos-khay-mat-id'-zo); from NT:4862 and a derivative of NT:4976; to fashion alike, i.e. conform to the same pattern (figuratively): KJV - conform to, fashion self according to.
i. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. NKJV
Illustration: When people look at us, our character and disposition should look like that of Christ. This story illustrates my point.
The Mirror: In Discipleship Journal, Carole Mayhall tells of a woman who went to a diet center to lose weight. The director took her to a full-length mirror. On it he outlined a figure and told her, “This is what I want you to be like at the end of the program.”
Days of intense dieting and exercise followed, and every week the woman would stand in front of the mirror, discouraged because her bulging outline didn’t fit the director’s ideal. But she kept at it, and finally one day she conformed to the longed-for image. ( Sermon Central-Contributed By: Donnie Martin)
Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. NKJV
James 4:4 Adulterers and* adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. NKJV
2. Be transformed- NT:3339 NT:3339 ýmetamorfo/w ý metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o); from NT:3326 and NT:3445; to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"): KJV - change, transfigure, transform. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Romans 12:2 …... but be transformed …..NKJV
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
NKJV
Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.NKJV
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. NKJV
Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
NKJV
Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — NKJV
Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, NKJV
Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, NKJV
Illustration:
SLOW AND STEADY -The power of the Holy Spirit is not just for salvation, but transformation, a process that might be slow and gradual. The difference might look like this:
You can take ten gallons of gasoline and release a tremendous amount of power and energy by just dropping a lighted match into it. It makes a dramatic onetime impact. But there is another way to release the energy in that gasoline. Place it in the fuel tank of a new Honda, designed to get 30 miles to the gallon. The high tech engine will use that ten gallons of gasoline to take a person 300 miles or more.
Explosions may be spectacular, but the sustained, controlled burn has staying power. You don’t want to be a flash in the pan, you want to make a difference in this world over time. You want to last for the long haul. You don’t want the Holy Spirit to just save you for heaven, you want Him to use His power to transform your life. You want Him to use you in this world for kingdom purposes. (Sermon Central-Contributed By:Troy Borst)
III. Renewing of your mind- NT:342 ýa)nakai/nwsi$ ýanakainosis (an-ak-ah'-ee-no-sis); from NT:341; renovation:
KJV - renewing. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Illustration: Paul said spiritual metamorphosis is accomplished “by the renewing of your mind.” The word “renewing” also means renovation. Think of a house.
You can make repairs. You know, the cosmetic kind – some paint and carpet – and it looks better, perhaps increases the resale value.
But Paul isn’t talking about repairing our minds. That may cover up some ugly defects for awhile, but it isn’t going to lead to transformation.
You can restore a house to its original historic condition. You take out carpet and refinish the original wood floors. You find windows, doors, woodwork and hardware in good condition from the period the house was built and install those to reverse someone else’s “modernizations”.
But Paul isn’t talking about restoring our minds to their original condition. We were born sinners and did not have the mind of God so what is there to restore?
Paul is talking about a complete renovation. This is not about cosmetic repairs or restoration. It’s like taking a house and completely gutting it. Walls, floors, wiring, plumbing, cabinets, bath and kitchen fixtures, roof – it’s all completely new. Anyone who’d seen the house in its previous condition wouldn’t recognize it now.
That’s what needs to take place in us according to Romans 12:2. Paul said something similar to the Ephesians; “Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through… Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal [renovation] of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness — righteous, holy, and true” (Eph 4:22-24, NLT)
(Source Sermon Central- Contributed By:Doane Brubaker )
