Decision or Disciple
The Next Step
Life after the Decision
The Word of God refers to your conversion as a new birth.(John 3:3) When you prayed the sinners prayer and asked God to forgive you and come into your life you were born again. It is a spiritual birth, and like your physical birth it is the beginning of life in the world. However, being born or born again is not enough. Spiritual babies just like physical babies need to grow in order to stay healthy. And if they don’t get the required food, drink, and attention they will quickly die. If they just get a little of what they need they will be spiritually stunted. The church is full of spiritual babies that have never matured or grown up spiritually. They may have gotten older physically, but not more mature. God’s desire for all his new babes in Christ is for them to grow up.
11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. Ephesians 4
So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. Hebrews 6:1
“Spiritual Growth is the process we go through here on earth of becoming more Christlike. The goal of spiritual growth is more than just improved behavior. Self-help programs improve people; God’s intent is to transform us into replicas of his Son”. J. Wimber p3 Power Points (CS LEWIS)
John Wimber tells in his book entitles Power Points about a new housing development that came and replaced the old houses in his poor neighborhoood. In a short time the old families from the neighborhood moved back into the new homes. It wasn’t long before he noticed the new buildings abused and run down. He said, "Even though I was only a young boy, I concluded that you can change people’s surroundings, but if you do not change the people themselves, their surroundings will soon reflect their inner state. People must be changed from the inside out. Changed From the Inside Out ? P10 Power Points, Wimber
I The FIRST THING -Being Sure Your Saved -Faith not Feeling
1. Witness of the Spirit- Romans 8:16 (comes after faith not before)
2. Witness of Change of Life (Matthew 3 fruit of repentance
-desires change
3. Witness of the Word - God is always true
II The FIRST Steps
John 3:3 Spiritual Babies and Physical Babies have 5 traits or needs in common.
1. Milk- just as babies need milk the Word of God says spiritual babes need spiritual milk from the Bible.
2. Growth- just as babies need to grow physically, new converts need to grow spiritually.
3. Dependent- Just as babies can’t make it without help, new converts need other Christians.
4. Love-Just as babies need love from adults, so new converts need love from older Christians.
5. Environment - Just as babies need to be in a healthy environment, so new converts need a Christian environment.
1. Public Confession (Matthew 10:32-33)
"If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. 33But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.
2. Prayer-Talking to God 1 Thess. 5:17
“Keep on praying”
1. God wants us to talk to him about everything
2. All day long, but also at a special time.
3. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (Requests)
3. Read the Bible -1 Peter 2:2 Listen for God -John, 1 John, Acts
2You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk,
1. Begin with prayer asking God to help you understand
2. Begin with a passage in John.
3. Meditate on it.
4. Write down questions or insights
5. Reread it
6. Pray the things the passage talks about to God.
7. Eat everyday.
A. Get a Translation you like
B. Life Application Bible (KJV, NIV, NLT)
4. Attend Church- Hebrews 10:25 , Acts Other believers
25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
While we are in the church, our spiritual batteries are recharged so that we can be sent into the world to let our lights shine before men.
5. Be Baptized Acts 2:38 Deliverance
Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Water baptism identifies our desire to be joined to Christ (Romans 6:1-4). We have no way to show to others how we are placed into the body of Christ when we are saved, except through the symbolism of water baptism. Being baptized shows that when Christ died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. And when He rose from the dead, we rose from the dead--to walk in newness of life.
Water baptism indicates our desire to follow Christ (Romans 6:4). It symbolizes our final break with our old life, with the past and its sin. And although we will sin even after we are saved, being baptized tells the world we are headed in a new direction; we are on a new road, and we are taking the first steps on that road.
Baptism is going public for God. It is saying to the world, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."
6. Witness - Mark 5:19 Tell someone else about Jesus
But Jesus said, "No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."
III Your New Identity (In Christ)
Who I Am In Christ
I am accepted...
John 1:12 I am God’s child.
John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ’s body.
Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
I am secure...
Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
I am significant...
John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God’s temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10 I am God’s workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"
(From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)
From Maxwell’s Firm Foundation
IV The Internal Step (Put off the Old Man and put on New)Ephesians 4
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
Discipleship begins after the decision to follow Christ. In this passage likens it to taking off things from the old life, and putting on things from the new life.
God helps us by showing us one thing at a time we need to remove. If he showed us it all at once we couldn’t handle it. Being a disciple isn’t just about quit doing things, it also must include replacing old behavior with new behavior.
Conclusion: We need to help people understand the decision to follow Christ is only the first step in a lifetime of being transformed into a new creation of God. As long we will cooperate with God he will bring us to completion.
