Discipleship Vision Expansion

YFC Quarterly Training—Nov 12, 2011

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THIS CLASS IS ABOUT EXPANDING YOUR VISION FOR WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE CAN DO IN AND THROUGH YOU

THE FOUR STAGES (FOUR KNUCKLES) – Four stages of “Life Change” after accepting Jesus   (maybe only spend 5 minutes max on this)

1) I want to know Jesus (salvation) – Romans 10:9

2) I want to know Jesus bad (Lordship) – Phil 3:10

*most college folks pinball between stage 1-2 due to selfishness

3) Whoa, it’s not about me, it’s about others (service) – Matt 20:28

4) I want to give my life away (surrender) – Gal 2:20

* goal is live at Level # 3-4 (Surrender – LIFE AS MISSION – for Others)

* fulfillment lies in giving oneself away for the kingdom sake

*“others” is where fulfillment lies

*“others” is where evangelism and discipleship take place

 

SHOW ADDITION / MULTIPLICATION TABLE (TWO overheads)

Mission of Tacoma YFC: To make lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Compare different ways of doing this…

1) the solid believer who practices addition (30 years – 30 folks born again)

2) the mass evangelist – 30 years, 300,000 born again (30 years – 10,000 saved per year by addition)

3) the clerk (a “nobody”) – 30 years – 1B touched (33 yrs – 6B whole world: 1 at a time by multiplication)

Concern- After many years, number’s will be small – True, however, live for future (multiplication kicks in progressively)

Christianity = struggle on this planet. However, you live for the future – Romans 8:18-23  (vs 18- “our present sufferings not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed”)

The benefit of multiplication over addition (biblical discipleship) is also a picture of the reality of Christianity. Personal Christian growth “feels” slow. However, if you persevere, growth and wisdom multiples over time

Someone will say, “I’ve tried Christianity and it is not all it is cracked up to be”

Problem- never tried “real” Christianity. If you had, you’d never be the same

Problem not Christianity – problem is the “Christian”

Christianity, when lived obediently (which means for others) is life that is truly life (I Timothy 6:19 and Deut 30:19), and in eternity is more than we could ever ask or imagine (I Corinthians 2:9)

Only Jesus is made to fulfill us in every way – not money, power, a great job, a great mate and family……only Jesus can fulfill us;

1) deep within our souls

2) for a long time (for the length of our lives on this planet, and eternity beyond)

1 MINUTE TO STAND UP AND STRETCH

DEFINITIONS

Disciple – “Learner” or “Follower

Discipler– “Disciple- Maker” (one who disciples / makes followers of Jesus)

Discipleship– act of making disciples (followers of Jesus)

Evangelism– proclamation of the “good news” of Jesus (his birth, life, death, resurrection, return)

Biblical Discipleship – the kind of discipleship Jesus did with the 12 (close association over a quantity of time)

Difference Biblical Discipleship and American church discipleship?

Biblical discipleship = multiplication

U.S. church discipleship = addition (get them saved – limited attempts to train for life – virtually zero attempt to educate to reproduce themselves – discipleship

 

Evangelism and Discipleship – two sides of the same coin (can’t have marriage –discipleship – without a

Wedding– evangelism –  though you can have a great wedding (conversion) and an average or terrible

Marriage (Christian walk). Bottom line – prepare for both to finish strong)

1) wedding / marriage

2) birth in Jesus / life in Jesus

Clarification (mine) – difference between a discipler and a mentor

Discipler is like a father/mother in the faith

Mentor is like an uncle/aunt in the faith:

one is responsible (discipler/parent), the other available (mentor/uncle/aunt

WHY IS BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP NOT PRACTICED?

Reason #1 – too time costly

Reason #2 – very few people have been biblically discipled themselves

* how can you train others if you were untrained yourself (you can’t give away what you have not received yourself)

GOALS

1) make time for others and give your life away to multiply it for eternity

2) break cycle of selfish Christianity and begin a selfless legacy for others

MULIPLICATION WAS JESUS WAY WITH 12 to reach the world

What way will we choose in response?

3 MINUTE BREAK

WHY PURSUE A FULL LIFE IN JESUS THROUGH PRACTICING EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP?

Because we are COMMANDED to do so!!!!

Jesus said “Go and make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20)

These verses focus BOTH on evangelism (go MAKE disciples) and discipleship (TEACH them to obey)

a) not “optional activity”      b) minimum standard of obedience (not for the “pro’s” only….the full-time ministry persons)

Commandment– “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28)

Jesus said, “Go make disciples”, NOT go make “converts” (multiply, don’t add)

In American Christianity we celebrate evangelism (converts) but often make no serious provision for spiritual growth (discipleship)

In American Christianity we celebrate converts (like notches on our belts) but make little provision for the new converts to live a mature and godly life

In America, a promiscuous man who “makes babies” from multiple women but does not provide for their care goes to prison

However, In American Christianity, a person who evangelizes (makes spiritual babies) with great skill is exalted by the church, regardless of his interest in their spiritual growth or longevity in the faith

It is spiritually criminal, in my opinion, to emphasize evangelism over discipleship. It’s as foolish as inordinately emphasizing the wedding day over the marriage (preparation)………. which America does also, to it’s shame and to the destruction of the family unit

People make virtually no investment into the marriage prior to the wedding. Instead, we focus on a “great wedding day” rather than upon a great marriage

In the same way, we make virtually no investment (of time) into the training of new believers. Instead we fixate on “getting them saved”

THE NEED: BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP (to be trained by mature believers)

We all need someone to stand upon (to bring us along; physically and spiritually)

Without the ability to stand upon (depend upon) others, we would die or grow up disabled (true both phys and spirit)

We all stand on shoulders of others – whose shoulders are you standing upon?

Biological families are built in community (the “extended family” chain)

Christianity also built in community (the “local church”)

Spiritual extended family; parents (disciplers), uncle/aunt (mentor) – bro/sis

KEY VERSE DISCIPLESHIP – II Timothy 2:2 (4 generations – 1 verse)

Paul was the “father” – Timothy was the “son.”

*Coaching point – Discipleship is done men to men and women to women (shown by biblical precedent and also for practical reasons

Find someone to disciple you, per the biblical model of Jesus and the 12

In due time (once you have experienced minimal maturation), find a person to pour your life in Jesus into

first be discipled……….then disciple

 

* GET ON WITH IT

If you say, “I’m not ready”. I say, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”

YOU HAVE ONE EYE…………FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN’T SEE (unbeliever or “orphaned”(untrained) believer

If you are discipled and discipling (at the same time, it will be an insurance policy against arrogance and ignorance, the twin curses of life, especially when you are in your 20’s

PUSH / PULL PRINCIPLE = being discipled and discipling at the same time

Your discipler “pulls” you (expands your vision and empowers you) as your disciples“push” you (keep you sharp)

·     ensures maximum speed of growth

– However, within those realities, certain core values exit

 

DISCIPLESHIP