Lesson 5 – Embracing Discipleship
First Steps in Making Disciples-->Become One!
https://youtu.be/D13B2uGgklA …..Community on Mission-OIKOS
What is the Gospel? Can you articulate a bigger gospel
– one that touches every part of life and is truly good news--something
bigger than, “if you die, you get to go to Heaven?”
What can you fluently & graciously
relate to others in the way of good news for any and all occasions?
What does following Christ entail? Take up your cross and die daily to Self.
Definitions:
Belief: Even the demons believed, but their faith did not save them. What kind of faith is required of us in order to be pleasing to God? (Heb 11:1 Obedient, Expectant, Actionable, Sightless, etc.)
To Truly Repent means to surrender self and turn to follow Christ. “Self”
is who we have grown to please, since the fall in the garden, and as a result
we have sinned against God. In order to truly repent, we turn our hearts,
minds, and souls over to the sovereignty of Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Repentance does mean that we acknowledge our
sinful state, but it requires MORE than for us to just be sorry for our sins.
Remember: Judas was sorry for his betrayal of Christ but we don’t read where
he was ever reconciled to God (Mat 27:3). The Scripture refers to him as the
“betrayer”. Repentance bears fruit (Luke 3:8). A change in lifestyle,
actions, thoughts, priorities, etc should be evident in a repentant heart.
Baptism can be seen as both an event and a process. Let’s look at the event.
What is it? What is the motive for Baptism? What does
man do? What does God Do?
Too many times children and even adults will say they
want to be baptized so they can go to heaven when they die! Is this a biblical motive for baptism?
FYI: A dear friend of mine had a great idea…It is exactly what
Paul did…he wrote down his story. Before someone is baptized, especially
children, have them write down in a journal why they are being baptized.
After many years, we often forget our motive and are confused about what we
thought or expected in our baptism. This is a fabulous way to assure
ourselves of our mindset at the time we first came to Christ.
Exactly why did/do we participate in baptism? Because our peers did? Because we wanted our "go-to-heaven card punched"? Because it pleased our parents, spouse, or teacher?
Young folks will often say, “I want to be baptized so that I
can go to Heaven when I die” or “I’m
afraid if I died tonight, because I would probably go to hell.” Is this a biblical motive for
being baptized?
Let's examine a few cases of the biblical motives for baptism.
Romans 6:3-11 tells us that we are Being Baptized รจ immersed into a death,
we identify with Christ in our death and rebirth. We
relinquish being the captain of our own ship just as Christ relinquished the
glory of Heaven and died in submission to the Father. Suffering death, He
continually prayed to God, He let go of all the betrayal, mistreatment, and
abuse against him, He delivered His soul to God...He gave up His own will and
placed His trust and faith in the Father to raise Him from the dead.
If we are to be buried as Christ was buried, then we must let go of all our anger, mistreatment, and abuse and commit to loving our enemies, giving up our own will, serving the Lord and placing all our faith and trust in His purpose. MOTIVES FOR BAPTISM – the Event
What was the motive in Act 2? This message was to Jews. God
had been planting the seeds of the gospel throughout Jewish history beginning
in Genesis, then with Abraham, with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah,
Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel , Joel, Malachi, etc.
Peter watered that seed on Pentecost and out of ~1.5
million people, God brought the increase by opening the hearts of 3000 souls.
What was their motive for being baptized in Acts 2? They realized they had
slain the Messiah, the Promised One, the one they had longed to see. They
realized He was now Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. They realized they
needed a Savior. They realized their sin. Motive for baptism - forgiveness of
sins and Gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
In Acts 4, Peter preached about the resurrection of the dead,
because that is what baptism is...5000 responded... Again Jews who were
looking for a Messiah responded to the gospel message of being given a “new
life” in Christ.
4:10 Peter preached Jesus the Christ whom they crucified
and whom God raised from the dead. This is the Gospel...knowing who Christ is
and what our sins have done to Him and how God made victory out of that horrible
death through Christ's resurrection from the dead was the motive for baptism.
Acts 5: 20 when Peter & all were released from
prison the angel told them to go speak what in the temple? Words of Life
found ONLY in Christ. So they preached 5:30-32 Christ and Him crucified by
the very hands of those who heard them. Motive for baptism was forgiveness of
sins and partakers of new life.
Motive for preaching - Christ and Him crucified and
resurrected. Motive for response, forgiveness of sins and gift of the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 5:42 Motive for preaching - Jesus Christ and His
story.
In Acts 7, Steven preaches the sermon reminding Jews of how God had planted
the seed of the Gospel with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the
prophets. His attempt to water that seed was met with hard hearts and they
stoned Him. His final words -- His motive for sharing was to declare Christ
as Lord..."Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" were his last words as a
witness (martyr) for Christ.
Acts 8 Phillip preached Christ and His Kingdom ...those
that believed were baptized.
Motive for baptism-- Christ as Lord - relationship to
His Kingdom.
Phillip and the Eunuch. Reading Isaiah about the Lamb of
God. Phillip Preached Jesus and tied that to His death, burial &
resurrection so that when they came upon water, the Eunuch saw an opportunity
to be united with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection through the
watery grave of baptism.
Motive for baptism, being united with Christ, the Lamb
of God, the offering for sin and believing & confessing that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God.
Acts 9 Saul/Paul’s conversion: motive for baptism --to receive
the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 22:16, we see more of Paul’s story and find that
again...Saul’s motive for baptism included “washing away of his sins” without
delay.
Acts 10 Cornelius a devout believer, praying for the Messiah…motive
for baptism, relationship with the Lord....finding out that the Messiah had
come and accepting His gospel.
Acts 11: 20 – the saints were scattered abroad to preach Jesus
as Lord. Motive for preaching – believing in the Lordship of Jesus
Christ and His gospel.
Acts 13 - Paul once again reminds Israel of the seeds God
planted with their fathers and prophets and then declares Christ crucified
and raised from the dead
13:30-38 Paul ties this event to the "forgiveness of
sins" . Motive for preaching - Christ glorified, hope in the
resurrection from the dead and the forgiveness of sins.
Versus 46-47 add the promise of everlasting life &
salvation.
Acts 16:14 - God opens the heart of Lydia to receive
the gospel and to be baptized. Motive for baptism, faith in the Lordship of
Jesus Christ.
Here are the biblical
conclusions:
(1) God places people in our path to deliver the Good News. It is by grace that we hear
of LIFE & LIGHT (ex: Pentecost, Cornelius, Eunuch, Lydia) 2 Cor 4:7 We
are earthen vessels through which the power of God & His mercy are made
known.
(2) God opens the heart to receive the Word (if you have a submissive heart.) It is to grace that
our hearts respond when exposed to the good news.
(3) The Holy Spirit works on our hearts to convict us
of sin (John
16:8) so that we are motivated to repent. It is by grace that God works
on a willing heart.
(4) Repentance means to turn away from selfish control and to give it ALL to
the One who makes all things NEW & ALIVE through the grace of Christ.
(5) Confession results from the enlightenment of the heart and soul that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Good Confession is continuous in the life
of a Christ follower. If we
acknowledge Christ and is work in our daily lives, our confession becomes a
part of our witness that sheds Light in a dark world. This is our calling in
Christ, to bear witness to His glorious gospel. Confession = praise. We give
him glory in ALL things. We do NOT believe in “luck”, we believe in the hand
of God in our lives, step by step.
Confession is the agreement with God about who Christ is and what He has done for mankind. The definition & use of Confession in the New Testament is tied to witnessing, martyrdom, acknowledgment, with continuous praise and adoration. It is not a “one time” event. Confession (witnessing) is having your speech “seasoned with salt”. Our very conversations in all aspects of our lives declare the good news. Our personal stories are seasoned with salt.
Paul says he made the good confession in the presence of
many witnesses, over many events, with many different types of listeners.
Have we done the same?
BTW: What is the GOOD Confession? 1 Tim 6:12-13
(6) Baptism becomes a prayer to the Father, Son & Holy Spirit for:
·
God to do his
work (Colossians 2:12)
·
Son to cover our
sins with His blood, and
·
The Holy Spirit
to come live within us.
Baptism places us INTO Christ: Romans 6:3-11, Galatians 3:27 when we have FAITH in the Working of God. (Col 2:12)
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BAPTISM might even been
seen as a Process (Small Groups)
What work does God do in baptism? Eph 1
What work do we do in baptism? We surrender! Someone else must
lay us into our watery grave. Someone else baptizes us just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the Father, so we are raised from the dead by the
hands of another to remind us…IT IS NOT A WORK that we do. It is a time to
surrender and die. If we die, then we are raised to walk a new life. Notice the all important “IF”
statements. Col 2:20, 3:1-17, Romans 6:8, 8:11, 2 Tim 2:11
In baptism we move from darkness to light by faith in the working
of God. We must believe that He gives us ALL Spiritual Blessings (Eph
1:3) --a new position as adopted children, new hope, new promises, new name,
new purpose, new mission, new Bridegroom, new Spirit, new approach to life by
receiving the indwelling of His Spirit.
Gal 5:22-25
If we have truly died and have been raised with Him, we surrender
to the Lordship of Christ by being on Mission with Him, for Him and because
of Him Col 3:1-5, 1 Peter 3:15 This is our Heavenly calling.
If we follow Christ into the burial of baptism, we become immersed
into His purpose, His priorities, His reality, covered in His righteousness,
submerged in His work. A true Christ follower takes up the mission of the
Master.
SUBMISSION,
SUBMERSION & SURRENDER are part of the Life-Long Process of
SANCTIFICATION (The perfecting
of the saints by the Holy Spirit)
When we submit in baptism, we submit to walk with Christ
as Lord over all aspects of our lives. We surrender all or nothing. The
Christian walk sheds Light in a life of surrender & submission – “Thy
will, not mine, be done.” We continue to GROW and to BEAR FRUIT as
followers of Christ (2 Peter 1:3-11) As disciples, we disciple others.
It is sad to say that far too few
have actually died with Christ in baptism as evidenced by the fact that the
Spirit does not transform them from the inside out. The Christian life is a
life of change (transformation) & growth, a maturing process in
knowledge, wisdom, love & service to our Lord. We are clothed in Christ,
hidden in Christ, continually cleansed in Christ for the purpose of being the
vessels through which the gospel is shared with the world.
What does it look like to love the Lord with all your heart, mind and
soul?
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Let’s begin to pray for God to fill each one of us.
Let’s agree to surrender time every day in meditation on His word and deep
thought about what He really says, asking God to give us all wisdom and a
clear vision of His will for our lives
(7) Walking in the Light is the new path through which Christ followers grow in respect to their salvation: keeping the faithful vision of Christ, their “first love” as priority, purpose for acting, sharing, loving, caring, and serving. Walking in the Light refers to being a true Christ follower…. in tune with the Spirit. Can we be a disciple without “walking with the Spirit”, adjusting each step of our lives to be in step with Christ and His mission? (1 John 1:7)
Can we be a disciple without testifying continuously about
what Christ has accomplished in our lives? Can we be a disciple without making
disciples? Can we be a disciple without making a difference in our sphere of
influence?
What pattern for disciple-making did Christ leave for us to follow, command us to follow? What does it look like? (8) Ministry of Reconciliation – Matthew 28:18-20 & 2 Cor 5: 17f
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by
us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
It is, therefore, our
responsibility as Christ Followers to be in ministry. We are committed
to the word of reconciliation, helping others, through our sharing and
caring, to be reconciled to God through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
RESOURCE HANDOUT: Salvation Scriptures (Highlight in Yellow)
HOMEWORK:
(1) Read and Reflect on HOMEWORK handout
(2) Listen to Followship #2 (again) Begin thinking of: (A) how
you can present the good news in any situation in life? How can you tie the
good news to your story? AND (B) who is your Person of Peace? (Luke 10:3-6).
Someone who is not a Christian.
Someone who:
Are you willing to cross the line and risk the scorn of the
world to recognize & share with Persons of Peace and thus join Jesus in
the restoration and healing of people’s lives?
(3) It is important that we learn to actually become fluent
in sharing the Good News, helping others see the blessings we receive in
this life as followers of Christ. Our gospel fluency must reach those who
are hurting: from loss of a child or loved one, enslaved in addictive
behaviors, divorcing, failing in life, lonely. It must reach those who have
no hope and/or no peace. How do we hone our fluency in a gracious gospel?
Here is an exercise I would like you to participate in.
The graphic below is an example of literature that was often handed out in
the 1950s and 1960s (and perhaps still today). It demonstrates “The 5 Steps
to Salvation.” This is just an example. There were and still are many other
info-graphics out there, including those from other denominations that have
erroneous and false information about salvation. But for this exercise we are
going to ask you to determine….WHAT is Wrong with this Picture? AND to find a
better graphic you would be willing to share.
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I like to draw when I share.
I often have a pen and paper in my hand to make graphics so I can share my
thoughts and others can see what I’m talking about. There is nothing wrong with
using a graphic. Jesus used an enormous amount of visual aids as He taught.
However, some graphics misinform.
This one does in about 7 different ways.
Think of a better way to
explain your salvation or find a graphic that you think is better….and bring it
to class or share on our Facebook page.
When does God Adopt you as
a Child, make you Holy & Blameless, Forgive your Sins?
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