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This sermon was given on April 17, 2016 at Wayside Community Church. It was on the subject of discipleship and it discusses some of the influences that help to shape a disciple of Jesus.
Written Excerpts:
Ephesians 4:13-15 (KJV) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Introduction:
Last
Sunday we had a guest missionary speaker, but the few weeks prior to that I had
been sharing the burden of my heart regarding the matter of Christian
discipleship. We
talked about the call that Christ gives for us to deny ourselves and take up
our cross and follow Him. We
also talked about what it means to be a disciple.
The
last time I challenged us with the command or mandate that Jesus left with His
disciples prior to His return to heaven… Go and teach all nations (make disciples of the peoples / ethnic groups)
I
felt impressed to do one more message on this topic of discipleship for today –
the subject of spiritual growth.
Growing
is a vital part of everyday human development and many references in Scripture draw an analogy between growing spiritually and growing physically.
I
had been reading over some materials that were written by Dr. Charles Lake, who
is a pastor and author. He has written one of the many discipleship curricula
that is available. Today
I want to share some thoughts about the process of spiritual growth that I have
adapted from Dr. Lake’s material.
As
we talk to you about spiritual growth, I want to emphasize two basic points:
I. Spiritual
growth is normal for the Christian life.
II. Spiritual
growth results from several influences.
I. Spiritual
Growth Is Normal. (The absence of
growth is abnormal.)
The
Bible is very clear about the analogy between natural birth/growth and
spiritual birth/growth.
First, there must be a birth.
John
1:12-13 (NKJV)
But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God.
John 3:7 “You must be
born again.”
I’m
convinced, based on years of ministry experience, that some people aren’t
growing spiritually in Christ because they’ve never truly had a spiritual
birth. They’ve
never experienced a moment in their lives when they truly repented of sin and
committed their lives to the power and authority of Christ.
They
have probably just started trying to assimilate some of the normal practices
that Christians do without really experiencing a transforming spiritual birth.
Second, there must be signs of normal
growth and development.
We
have recently rejoiced over the birth of little Oakley. After she was born, Kenton
and Mandy didn’t bring Oakley home from the hospital and place her in a baby
bed, then walk away saying, “Well, we got that all finished.” No!
It isn’t finished. Their job and her growth is just getting started.
Every
child desperately needs the nurture and help of his or her parents, but the
parents are also are looking for the normal signs of development in their
child. The
same analogy applies to spiritual growth.
When
we are spiritually born, we all need the nurture and guidance that older
Christians can provide, but we also need to be showing signs that we are making
progress and developing more and more in the knowledge and grace of Jesus.
The
Apostle Paul expressed this point in different ways in regards to churches he
helped get started and in individuals he led to Christ. For
example, the believers in the Galatian church, who had reverted back to some
legalistic errors of Judaism. He
refers to them as “little children” probably because he felt the tenderness of
being their spiritual father (i.e., the one who first led them to Christ). It
may also appropriately describe the fact that they hadn’t developed into
spiritually mature believers yet.
Galatians
4:19 (NKJV) My little children, for whom I labor in birth
again until Christ is formed in you,
(R. Alan Cole, Tyndale
New Testament Commentaries) “… with a typical mixture of metaphor, Paul says he is
in labor all over again until Christ
be formed in you... No-one doubts his meaning: it is the agony of the
pastor, watching for signs of Christian growth in his flock…
Paul
is agonizing over them until Christ takes shape in their lives and they more
accurately demonstrate His character and grace.
Christian
discipleship is about growing more and more in the knowledge of Christ as the
knowledge works itself out in daily practice at home, at work, at church and in
the community.
II. Several
Things Influence our Spiritual Growth.
Dr.
Lake says, “Spiritual growth is a
co-operative venture. Christ and His
Word at work in the heart of the believer, coupled with disciplined obedience
on the part of the believer, coupled with effective discipling [results] in
intentional, measurable growth.”
In
this statement he identifies at least 4 influences that effect spiritual growth
in the life of a believer: Christ, the Word, the aid of a discipler and the
obedient cooperation of the disciple.
Actually,
for our purposes today, we will combine the influence of Christ and the Word
because both are active in us through the Holy Spirit.
Role of Christ and the Word
Philippians
1:1-6 (NKJV)
Paul and
Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who
are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer
of mine making request for you all with joy, for your
fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being
confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day
of Jesus Christ;
Philippians
2:12-13 (NKJV)
Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for
it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2
Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) But we all, with
unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by
the Spirit of the Lord.
2
Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When
we are born again and begin walking with the Lord we benefit from the very
presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, living inside of us and
transforming us more and more into the image of Christ.
As
we read, and study and memorize the Word it changes our patterns of thinking
from a secular mindset or worldview into a biblical view of life and a new set
of values.
Again,
the Holy Spirit is at work in us through the living Word of God.
When
Christ is living in us by His Spirit we begin to change. “Old things pass away
and behold all things become new.” We’re truly a “new creation.” The
same is true as the Word of God becomes more and more familiar to us because of
reading and studying it.
The Role of the Discipler
In
addition to the work that Christ and the Word is doing in the life of the new
Christian, there is the additional influence of the “discipler” – the person
who is teaching, encouraging, and modeling the Christian faith and life.
Listen
to some of these statements by the Apostle Paul.
Colossians
1:28 (NKJV)
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching
every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus.
1
Thessalonians 2:7-12 (NKJV) But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased
to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives,
because you had become dear to us. For you remember,
brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be
a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You
are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and
blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as
you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a
father does his own children,
that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own
kingdom and glory.
Did
this effort have any valuable and noticeable results?
1
Thessalonians 1:6-7 (NKJV) And you became followers
of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with
joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all
in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
The Role of the Disciple
Finally,
the role of the disciple is primarily the role of cooperation and obedience to
Christ.
Philippians
2:12 (NKJV)
Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Does
not mean – “figure it out for yourself; whatever you think salvation means for
you.” Rather, it
means – “Carefully (with fear and trembling) figure out how to let your
salvation work itself out in your life.”
Dr.
Lake – “We must work out what
God in His grace has worked in us, applying to its fullest consequences
what the Word of God teaches.”
1
Timothy 4:7-8 (KJV) But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself
rather unto godliness. For
bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things,
having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
1
Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB) But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old
women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for
bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all
things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Greek
word for “exercise” (NASB “discipline”) is same word that our English word
gymnasium comes from. “No
pain, no gain.”
Conclusion:
There
are a couple of other influences that definitely has an impact on every
Christian’s spiritual growth, which we haven’t mentioned today because we’re
focusing primarily on the subject of making disciples.
Those
influences include: the corporate body of Christ (the church) and the ministry
of prayer.
We
don’t have time to deal with these topics today, but both prayer and the church
have a great deal of influence on the growth of a disciple of Jesus.
As
a discipler of the people everywhere he went, Paul not only sought to win
people to Christ, but he earnestly worked to teach them, train them and grow
them into mature Christians so that they would live and do just like he was and
just like Jesus did.
Philippians
4:9 (NKJV) The
things which you learned and received and heard and saw
in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
As
a pastor, my role and responsibility is to reproduce more and more people who
follow Jesus as I follow Him. I
recognize that God has called me to receive specialized theological education
and pastoral training, and not everyone receives that calling. But
He has called me and each one of us to not only follow Him ourselves, but we
are to create followers (make disciples) who will follow Christ like we do.
When
my time of service here as pastor has ended, I hope I will leave behind a host
of people who love Jesus, and love people, and serve others, and lead people to
know Christ, and teach them to carefully follow God’s Word and to become
actively involved in carrying out Christ’s mission in our world.
