A. REVIEW
1. We were introduced last week to the two understandings of the term "church" as presented in the New Testament:
a. the Church U __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, that great assembly of all the saints who have ever lived, and
b. the Church P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, the communio sanctorum, the local congregation of believers -- sometimes referred to as the "v __ __ __ __ __ __" church -- who live in community for the purpose of making visible the "invisible" kingdom of God by bearing witness to Jesus Christ.
2. We considered the primary purposes for each as they are set forth in Scripture.
a. Christ's G __ __ __ __ C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to all His disciples is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20:
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and m __ __ __ d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 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 ]
b. The purpose of the local church in the fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission is contained in Ephesians 4:11-16:
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the s __ __ __ __ __ for the w __ __ __ of the m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ -- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. [ NKJV ]
3. Having given us this profound charge, God has also provided for us the power required for the successful pursuit of the church's mission: the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __.
ref: John 15:26 - 16:15
Acts 1:4-14
4. This powerful ministry is undertaken under the "umbrella" of God's g __ __ __ __ and is undergirded by the p __ __ __ __ __ of the faithful.
ref: Acts 4:43
Ephesians 1:7-12
James 4:6-10; 5:16b
5. We concluded last week that the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in and through a community of committed, obedient believers who are in full pursuit of the task to which Christ has commissioned His church will produce that for which most of us choose to attend a particular local church:
a. w __ __ __ __ __ __ in spirit and truth, and
b. authentic f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
6. As we continue our study of the church this morning, we want to discover what constitutes true discipleship. What is a "disciple?"
B. TEXT: Colossians 1:3-12
1. Bible scholars agree that the apostle Paul did not plant the church at Colosse. He had heard about the Christians there from Epaphras, their pastor. In the opening sentences of his letter to them Paul first commends their discipleship, then exhorts them to continue in it.
a. What Paul has heard about them:
(1) their f __ __ __ __ in Jesus Christ ( v.5 );
(2) their l __ __ __ for all the s __ __ __ __ __ ( v.5 );
(3) their f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ministry ( v.6 );
Note in v.6 that their fruitful ministry is the result of :
- experiencing the g __ __ __ __ of God, and
- knowing the t __ __ __ __ which had been delivered to them by their faithful minister.
b. How Paul exhorts them:
(1) that they be filled with the knowledge of God's w __ __ __ for them ( v.9 );
(2) that they gain w __ __ __ __ __ and spiritual u __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( v. 9 );
(3) that they live a life w __ __ __ __ __ of the Lord, p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Him in every way (v.10 );
(4) that they continue being f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( v.10 );
(5) that their k __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God increases ( v.10 );
(6) they be strengthened with God's glorious p __ __ __ __ ( v.11 ); and
(7) that this power in them would produce
- p __ __ __ __ __ __ __,
- l __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __,
- j __ __, and
- t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ( v.11-12 ).
2. Our text passage is useful to our sermon series for several reasons.
a. it portrays discipleship as an on-going "work in progress" in the lives of believers;
b. it shows that the out-working of disicpleship can be observed by others;
c. it indicates that discipleship will result in ministry that is fruitful; and
d. it centers both the development and the exercise of discipleship in the local church.
3. By no means does this passage constitute the bulk of the New Testament's teaching on the vital subject of discipleship. In order to put together a composite portrait of a disciple we would have to gather the "glimpses" God has provided in many different passages.
a. In the evangelical church of the past 150 years or so, it seems, the term "convert" has been emphasized over the term "disciple." This is the opposite of the two terms' places in the New Testament, in which "convert" appears only 3 times in the face of 266 references to the term "disciple." The reason for the disparity is proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20, where Christ commissioned His followers to make d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, not converts. Is there no place, then, for evangelism? Of course there is! But it must include discipleship, and God has seen fit in His plan to place the local church at the center of that process. We will consider the place of evangelism in the local church, God willing, on July 20.
b. What we say now is that discipleship is the missing ingredient in much of what passes for evangelism today, and that the local church bears some of the responsibility for that dismal truth.
(1) "Somehow we've been led astray, thinking we can grow toward maturity in Christ simply by listening to sermons or attending Bible studies, without also involving ourselves in the process of making disciples. We must come to grips with the truth that God's finest instruction comes through on-the-job training. His richest rewards are reserved for those who spend their lives in service to others -- in the process of making disciples." - Ron Kincaid: A Celebration of Disciple-Making
(2) "I maintain that the evangelical church is weak, self-indulgent, and superficial. I believe the crisis of the church is one of product, the kind of people being produced. I propose the solution to be the obedience to Christ's commission to 'make disciples,' to teach Christians to obey everything Christ commanded." - William Hull: The Disciple-Making Pastor
(3) "Perhaps the greatest single weakness of the contemporary Christian Church is that millions of supposed members are not really involved at all and, what is worse, do not think it strange that they are not. As soon as we recognize Christ's intention to make His Church a militant company we understand at once that the conventional arrangement cannot suffice. There is no real chance of victory in a campaign if ninety percent of the soldiers are untrained and uninvolved, but that is exactly where we stand now." - Elton Trueblood: The Best of Elton Trueblood: An Anthology
(4) "From the terrible instances I met here ( an indeed in all parts of England ), I am more and more convinced that the devil himself desires nothing more than this, that the people of any place should be half-awakened and then left to themselves to fall asleep again. Therefore I determine, by the grace of God, not to strike one stroke in any place where I cannot follow the blow." - John Wesley: Journal ( noted on March 13, 1743 in Tanfield, England )
c. Let us purpose in the Church of the Saviour at Myersville, Maryland to be aroused to be wide awake in God's purpose for this congregation and for every individual believer who becomes associated with it!
4. Discipleship defined:
a. "Christian discipleship is a teacher-student relationship, based on the model of Christ and His disciples, in which the teacher reproduces the fullness of life he ( or she ) has in Christ in the student so well, that the student is able to train others to teach others." - Keith Phillips: The Making of a Disciple
b. "A disciple is someone who learns from Christ and is following Christ." - Ron Kincaid, Ibid.
c. "disciple: (1) a pupil or follower of any teacher or school"
(2) an early follower of Jesus, especially one of the Apostles" - New World Dictionary
5. Discipleship portrayed
a. by Jesus:
(1) A disciple is one who a __ __ __ __ __ in the Word
John 8:31-32 [ NKJV ]
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in my word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(2) A disciple is one who o __ __ __ __ all that Christ has commanded.
Matthew 28:19-20
(3) A disciple is one who "d __ __ __" to self and f __ __ __ __ __ __ Christ.
Luke 9:23-24 [ NIV ]
Then He said to them all, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it."
(4) A disciple is one who l __ __ __ __ other disciples.
John 13:34-35 [ NKJV ]
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
b. by the apostle Paul:
(1) A disciple is one who w __ __ __ __ with God; this can be observed by others.
Colossians 2:5-7 [ NKJV ]
For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
This steadfast, rooted, built-up and established faith stands in stark contrast to that of the immature believer who is portrayed in Hebrews 5:12-14 [ NIV ]:
...though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(2) A disciple is one in whom the Word of Christ l __ __ __ __, and this spills over in that person's "w __ __ __ __ and d __ __ __ __."
Colossians 3:16-17 [ NIV ]
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
ref: Matthew 12:33-35
(3) A disciple is one who c __ __ __ __ __ __ to the w __ __ __ of discipleship.
Colossians 1:28-29 [ NIV ]
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.
2 Timothy 2:1-2 [ NLT ]
....be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.
ref: Romans 12:3-8
I Corinthians 12:12-27
(4) A disciple is one who I __ __ __ __ __ __ his or her w __ __ __ __.
Colossians 4:5-6 [ NIV ]
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
ref: Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 5:13-16
1 Peter 3:15
C. RESPONSE
1. We turn to what might seem an unlikely source for a strategy for discipleship: the teaching of John Wesley, the eighteenth century English evangelist. Early in his career he saw the critical need of "completing" the work begun in those who professed conversion. Wesley, as we read in his quotation earlier, felt that churches were filled with Christians who were "half-awakened." Some sort of aftercare was needed to bring the "baby" Christians to full maturity. He developed five convictions as a result:
a. the necessity of discipleship ( already set forth in this message );
b. the necessity of s __ __ __ __ g __ __ __ __ __ for discipleship;
(1) The Methodist Church grew out of John Wesley's Methodist "societies," established in communities throughout England and the colonies in America.
(2) These societies were divided into three small group "types:"
- Classes were groups of 12-20 disciples who gathered not for teaching or Bible study ( Wesley felt that this should be done under a pastor or teacher in church ), but for mutual confession of sin, accountability for growth in holiness, and the collection of money for distribution to the poor. All Methodist Society members were expected to participate in a class.
- Bands were groups of 5-10 men or women who met weekly for a deeper accountability and pastoral care. Their meetings included worship and singing, prayer, and the personal testimonies of each in which the trials, tribulations and victories of the past week were reviewed. Questions, criticisms, and exhortation of the other band members were invited at the end of each one's confessional / testimony. Wesley himself estimated that no more than 20% of his society's members were fully engaged in one of the bands.
- Select societies structured much like the bands, but always had "clergy" leadership. Their meetings were intense, and they became the "nurseries" of future leaders.
c. the necessity of training l __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ for discipleship ( He specifically referred to "lay leaders" as opposed to "clergy." I am ready to dispose of both terms! )
d. the necessity of making a "double goal" of discipleship:
(1) personal h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and
(2) s __ __ __ __ __ __ to others.
e. the necessity of d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ as the key to effective discipleship.
For inspiration in this Wesley turned to the example of the German Pietists, particularly the Moravians, whom he had seen first on his missionary journey to the colony of Georgia in America. They were among the first Europeans who turned back again to the model of the communio sanctorum established by the early church in Jerusalem under the ministry of the apostles. They banded together in non-celibate communities called "cells" wherein were emphasized the importance of Bible study, worship, pastoral ministry between all the saints, and, eventually, missionary zeal to bear witness to Christ through the establishment of these "cells" in other lands.
2. Our desire at C.O.S. as regards discipleship:
a. We will seek to make small groups a priority, not for the purpose of "church growth" but for the purpose of "growth within the church."
b. We will endeavor to pursue our primary purpose of "equipping the saints for the work of the ministry" by
(1) proclaiming the gospel of Christ through p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and ministration of the sacraments of b __ __ __ __ __ __ and the L __ __ __ '__ S __ __ __ __ __;
(2) applying to truths of the gospel to the lives of all members and attenders through didactic t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ in classes, retreats, seminars and small groups;
(3) expanding our ministries here to provide arenas for the faithful exercise of individuals' Spiritual gifts within and without this local body of believers; and by
(4) providing opportunities for leadership training -- both in and through our local congregation -- through specific leadership classes and the providing of scholarships and fees for participation of our members in training and ministry locally, nationally, and "to the uttermost parts of the earth."
2. There is today no shortage of books on "How to Do Church in the 1990's." I do rather like one of the models proposed by Peter Wagner of Fuller Theological Seminary, one of the seemingly innumerable "Church Growth Experts" who have sprung forth in the last two decades. Wagner offers this formula for a healthy, growing local body of believers:
Celebrations + Congregations + Cells = Church
a. Celebrations are the public worship services of the church.
b. Congregations are the mid-sized group meetings, i.e. Adult Sunday School classes and children's' ministries.
c. Cells are the small groups - six to twenty members, according to Wagner -- where significant relationships can develop and each individual can be truly known and discipled. Each group provides a level of Christian ministry, but each believer's participation in all three is necessary to "fully shape" believers into disciples. The goal of our church must be to provide the proper balance of worship, nurture, and outreach to -- with the power of the Holy Spirit and by the grace of God -- produce balanced and fully equipped disciples, all to the glory of God!
3. Our "flagship" text passage for this sermon series, the one to which we will refer again and again in the coming weeks, enlarges the canvas of our "Portrait of a Disciple" to reveal what a local church filled with such disciples will look and feel like.
Ephesians 4:15-16 [ NLT ]
Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
