Pator Wayne Cordeiro and Pastor Jon Burgess
October 30, 2016 - W1644

Pastor Wayne Cordeiro:

Good morning. I want to talk about discipleship. It was here in beautiful Philippi that Paul came and introduced the Gospel to Europe.  He landed at a port down here called Neapolis, and it was in Troas across the Aegean Sea that he got the Macedonian call. 

You see, there were doors that were closing; Mysia, Bithynia, Phrygia. But when he went to Troas, the doors began to open.

Did you know that sometimes the direction of your life isn't what you want but what life wants from you? It’s not what you expect of life, but what life is expecting of you - what others need.  I think part of it was God saying to Paul, “I want you to be a part of not only bringing the Gospel into this area, this country, but I want you to do it with people individually. 

I think we miss that with our kids, our friends and our families because we're in such a fast paced, fast forward world where we can give out the information and tracts, but we can't give out heart. Remember, a mind will reach a mind, but only a heart will reach a heart.  And that's the essence of discipleship. 

Pastor Jon Burgess:

2 Timothy 2:2 says,

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

In fact, when Jesus gave The Great Commission, He said to go into all the world and make disciples.

What are three principles in discipleship?

1. Discipleship takes a village.

   If you've been trying to do discipleship all on your own, no wonder you're frustrated. Or maybe you gave up on it all together. But I got good news for you. Discipleship takes a village. It's supposed to be all of us discipling others together.

   So let’s see how Paul encouraged his spiritual son Timothy to

do exactly that:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus to Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”  (2 Timothy 1:1-5)

And here's the question that I want us to be able to answer before the end of the night. Who makes the best disciples of others?  The one who pursues being discipled by others.  You see, you're never going to get to the place, no matter how long you've come to know Christ, where you don't still need to be discipled and still make disciples. Discipleship is a two?way street.

Here's a couple ways that you can make a disciple in a village called New Hope. You can get involved in a small group and make disciples.  We've got so many different kinds of small groups.  All you got to do is find one that fits you and start making disciples.  You can get involved in our One Generation youth ministry, you can get involved in our Children's Ark, or you can just say, “I'm not really sure, but I know that I want to start making disciples.”

  2. Discipleship needs a vision. 

You see, we have to have the big picture, what it is that God's calling us to build.  

1. The Bible says,

   "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us a power, love and self discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

   The reason why every one of us needs someone discipling us is that we forget. Four times within four verses Paul tells Timothy, “I remember,” “I recall,” “I'm reminding you,” and “I'm reminding you again this is what you're called to do.” Why? Because when we get hit upside the head by life - and all of us do – we forget the big picture. Marriage is not easy. Raising children is not easy. Going to work is not easy. There is nothing easy about this life, and when we get hit by life over and over again, you know what happens? We forget the big picture. We forget what it is that we've been called to. And I'm talking even to those of you in this room tonight that have been Christians for all of your life. I think some of us have forgotten the big picture. Some of us have forgotten that we still need someone discipling us.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 says,

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”

That will haunt your dreams, won't it? Here's why.  If we don't have a vision, we just make versions of our self.  If it's just vague what it is that God's called us to do, we end up trying to make everybody like us.  And this next picture proves that every single one of our boys is different. They all require a specific different vision to be able to reach them.

 3. Discipleship releases a voice.

Look at how Paul released the voice of Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:11?14 says,

"Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you."  

Paul is saying, “Hey, Timothy, so people are trying to tell you have no right to talk, but if you're listening to my voice, I'm telling you that you have a voice, and there are people who need to hear it.”

It is written,

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you …” Romans 16:20-21

Timothy started as a convert, and then he became a spiritual son, and then he became a disciple, and now he's a co?worker standing shoulder to shoulder with the Apostle Paul himself. Paul is saying to the church in Rome, “Hey, guys, his voice is the same as mine. When he shows up, it's as if I'm showing up.”

Can I just be really honest with you? There's no way you and I are going to get there alone.  We need each other.  I need you.  You need me.  We need each other.  I need someone speaking into my life.  I need to be speaking into your life.  The discipleship is the wall that God's going to build around this move of God that's going on in New Hope. 

And you know what's so exciting about that is that when we get our parking lot and when we get all the additional rooms, all the space here, God is going to be so ready to bring more people to us because He's not just bringing them to a building. He's bringing them to a group of people that are on fire for Jesus Christ because we haven't been spending two years twiddling our thumbs.  We've been spending two years going back to the Word of God and investing the Word of God into others.  And you're not just waiting for the guy on stage to get up there and tell people. No.  Every single one of you is a disciple of Christ making disciples of Christ. 

Who makes the best disciples of others is the question we started off with. Who makes the best disciples of others?  The one who is discipled by others.  So I'm going to help you answer that question because we're not just going to be hearers of the Word tonight.  We are going to be doers of the Word tonight.  Amen? 

Don't listen to the lie that you have nothing to offer. I think that's the biggest lie that's getting in the way of the discipleship movement here at New Hope.  You know how I know that?  Because it's the lie that I believed.  I'm no Pastor Wayne.  I mean, I sit down with him and hear his journals, I'm like where did you get that?  I didn't even see that in there.  Right? 

In fact, even more so because you know people that I don't. I could go up to them and say, “Hey, let's get together, and they'd think, “I don't know you.” But if you go up to them and you say, “Hey, I've got a couple Life Journals. Let's go ahead and meet at Starbucks once a week.” They're going to meet you there. You know why?  Because you have relationship with them and I don't. 

So if you're in this with me, if you're saying, “Hey, Jon, you know what, I want to make a disciple, I want to be a disciple,” stand up with me and let's hold this up before the Lord.

Questions:

1. What did Jesus refer to as the Great Commission?

2. What are the three simple things you need to have in discipleship?

3. Why is it difficult to do discipleship on your own?

4. Why do you need to have a vision in discipleship?

5. Why do you need to have a voice in discipleship?