Discipleship – way of life

You must be inundated and saturated with the word “discipleship” already!  Our church has awakened to the simple command of Jesus to go and make disciples.  Are you doing it?

John. C.Maxwell puts it this way: Legacy=Message + Method

Jesus’ legacy to the world, to Christianity is twofold: the Message, the Gospel of Salvation, and the Method, discipleship, investing in people in small groups of influence.  If we disconnect the Message from the Method the Legacy does not, will not, work!

We all know and lover the Message.  We all call ourselves Christians, followers of Jesus.  Are we committed to His method?

The Methodist church organized by John Wesley is called so because they bought in to the Method – Small groups for accountability and support was their mode of operation, and it produced revival, conversions, transformation of society.  And then the method was forgotten.  Our movement emerged from Methodism with the same method – small groups! And around the world today wherever there is a revival, there are small groups.

I had written to you last week that only truly becoming a disciple of Jesus, and discipling others guarantees the Revival to go on. How busy are you?. What are you busy with?. What can you let go to find time in discipling your family, find time to be discipled in a group of like-minded believers opening the Word of God?

Our Church is tasked with organizing an active discipleship plan as a part of our Vision for the future.  There are many slogans and formulas as others have done it already… Like “Know-Grow-Go-Show”. We have had an additional doctrine, No.11, introduced to the church in 2005 entitled “Growing in Christ” which was focused on the Discipleship and is our Present Truth for today. Yet it will make a difference only when an individual decides to take seriously this “discipleship”

Do you have disciples? Are you being discipled? As you read the book of Acts you will notice that early believers were called “disciples” (Acts 1:15, Acts 6:1,7; Acts 9:1, 19, 25-26, 38; Acts 13:52; Acts 14:20-22, 28; Acts 15:10; Acts 18:23,27; Acts 19:1,9,30; Acts 20:1,7,30..and the list goes on!. Can the same be said about our church? “The Disciples in Windsor, the disciples in Belle River, the Disciples in Amherstburg, the Disciples in Essex, the Disciples in Ontario.”

A revival of true godliness among us takes place when we return to do church as Jesus designed it – a discipleship of believers, not just an institutional formality.

Please prayerfully consider yourself in God’s discipleship process.

Discipleship – Our Greatest need in Evangelism

This week we had come together every night, hearing the Word preached.  Commitments were made, and we will celebrate baptisms this afternoon.   It was a Revival week, even though some called it a “crusade” J.  Revival of commitment is needed to become passionate about soul winning.  During this same week leaders of our church gathered together for the spring council and the opening weekend was dubbed “Nurture and Retention Summit.”  Since 1965 15,132,555 people (over fifteen million!) have left the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  These are not numbers. These are people. They are our families. We’re talking about our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Why did they leave? He asked. They left because they weren’t loved.  These words belong to David Trim, our church archivist and research director. I concur, as I meet people at funerals who had been disconnected from our local church.

As I am preparing for the Board meeting I am reviewing the Church Manual and noticed the significant change in the latest edition (19^th).  The chief concern is having an active discipleship plan in place, which includes both the spiritual nurture of the church and the work of planning and fostering evangelism.  We are realizing that Jesus’ Method – discipleship – cannot be neglected!

Last week I had written about 4 stages of the Evangelism work. And after reflecting on it I must add one in the middle – Nurturing.  Between planting and harvesting there must be the work of nurturing, providing necessary environment for what is planted to produce.

1.     Cultivation.  We need to be present in people’s lives, mingling, making friends, building relationships, connecting with people to win their confidence, to develop a trust, so emotional barriers will be opened.  Friendship is the necessary capital before you talk faith, before you ask questions!  Go make friends is the first step of discipleship!

2.     Planting.  This is where a dialogue begins, this is where you can explain what you believe, and answer your friends questions.  Your presentation in words and deeds of God’s Love opens intellectual barriers.  You must believe and know yourself the Gospel.

3.     Nurturing. Teaching, answering questions that come up as people apply Biblical teachings into their daily lives and situations. Providing resources they need to make sense in their lives.

4.     Harvesting.  This is the work of Prayer and Persuasion.  People may like you and may be convinced and convicted with truth, but conversion is their personal choice.  This is where volitional barriers come up, the barriers of choice. The Goal is to trust Christ they meet with you.  This is where only God can draw one to Himself through Christ by the Holy Spirt.

5.     Multiplication. The only way to preserve the harvest is to put it to use.  Involving new believers in witnessing, giving full participation will now produce new growth cycle.  It is through new believers that we overcome social barriers, as the new believers widen their circles of friends.

Think of your relationships with people in these term and make your discipleship real.