Moraine Valley Church

Redefined: Method

Redefined: Method
2 Timothy 2:2 October 14, 2018
I. Introduction:
A. Recently Kim and I had a missionary couple from Ecuador spend the night with
us and he asked us a very good question. “Why do you think that the gospel
traveled from Jerusalem all the way to Rome in just twenty five years considering
the fact that when Jesus died he only had eleven faithful followers who did not
have all the advanced tools, technology and materials as well as seminars and
workshops we have today to do it? On top of that, “why do we see the church
today who has all these advanced tools, technology and materials, workshops and
seminars making such a small impact in advancing the Gospel not only around the
world but even in our own communities?”
1. I said “Great questions and I have no idea”
2. He said simply because while the church has bought into Jesus’ mission to
make disciples and His message from the Bible, we have not bought into
following His method and means.
3. As we talked, it seems that the North American church thinks that we have
better ideas than Jesus had and more resources than Jesus did to make more
disciples quickly. It seems we are trusting in our ideas and resources rather
than the method that Jesus used to make disciples!
B. I want to share with you two quotes that have deeply impacted me as to how Jesus
made disciples, quotes regarding his method:
1. “The painstaking education of the disciples secured that the Teacher’s
influence on the world should be permanent; that His kingdom should be
founded on the rock of deep and indestructible convictions in the minds of
the few, not on the shifting sands of superficial fleeting impressions on the
minds of the many! A.B. Bruce The Training of the Twelve
a) So we see here that Jesus was more concerned with going deep with a
few rather than drawing big crowds with superficial teaching.
b) And when we see Jesus’ ministry we see that the smaller the group the
more time that Jesus spent with them and I believe it was for the reasons
A.B. Bruce mentioned
2. The second quote builds on this truth but adds another dynamic to Jesus’
method of making disciples that is very important.
a) “Jesus’ life would teach us that finding and training people to reach
people must have priority… Better to give a year or so to one or two
people who learn what it means to conquer for Christ than spend a
lifetime with a congregation just keeping the program going. Nor does it
matter how small or inauspicious the beginning may be; what counts is
that those to whom we do give priority in our life learn to give it away!
Robert Coleman The Master Plan Of Evangelism
b) Jesus’ method was not only going deep with a few but it also included
going deep with people who will reach other people, people who would
give it away!
C. It seems to see the kind of results the early church had we must buy into not only
Jesus’ mission and message but also His method and means!
1. Mission – Make disciples (Following Jesus, Impacting Others)
2. Message – Bible (especially about Jesus)
3. Method – Multiplying Disciples (Disciples who make disciples)
4. Means – People not Programs (Life on Life not just materials)
• These four key aspects of discipleship were not only what Jesus was committed to but
also Paul. Turn to
II. 2 Timothy 2:2
A. We saw this passage last week Paul is calling Timothy to join in with him in
suffering self-imposed hardship for the work of making disciples! And to do this
it will require the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. As I read v1-2 watch for the four key aspects of making disciples (Mission,
Message, Method, Means)
C. This whole verse is about the mission – making disciples. People, who follow
Jesus, impact others.
1. But this verse has a special emphasis on impacting others and is a great
illustration of what AB Bruce said about Jesus’ method of making disciples –
it takes the “painstaking education, the rock of deep and indestructible
convictions in the minds of the few.”
2. This whole verse is about that very thing. Watch as read
D. The message of discipleship is here as well – the Bible, especially about Jesus
1. Read v2a – things you heard from me
2. Turn to 1 Timothy 1:11
a) Read
b) God had entrusted to Paul the glorious gospel and message about Jesus
Christ who He is and what He has done for us
3. Turn to 2 Timothy 1
a) In v10-11, we see that Paul was appointed a preacher, apostle and
teacher of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Read
b) In v13 Paul tells Timothy to hang onto, retain, do not let go the standard,
the bar that Paul set for the sound, healthy word of God that you learned
from me.
(1) Illustrate with bar – do not lower the bar, no grading on the curve
when it comes to God’s word
(2) Read
c) In v14 Paul tells Timothy to guard by means of the Holy Spirit this
treasure of God’s words that has been entrusted to him
4. So in 2 Tim 2: 2 we see the message of discipleship – the sound words that he
had heard from Paul, the words that God had entrusted to Paul and now Paul
was entrusting to Timothy.
E. Then we go on in this passage and we see Jesus’ method of discipleship –
multiplying disciples. I want to show that to you in two ways in this passage
1. Read v2a-c
2. First, the very nature of the word entrust shows us that multiplication should
be going on with the message of discipleship. The word entrust has two
aspects to it
a) First, it is taking something that is yours and giving it to someone else.
b) Second, the person you give it to now becomes responsible for the care
of what was given to them.
c) So the very nature of entrusting means that the one who received the
goods now has responsibility to watch over, care for, and manage it for
the sake of the owner.
(1) Like making a deposit in a bank or giving our retirement money
over to a financial planner to care for, manage and grow it.
d) And here God made a deposit into Paul, God entrusted to Paul His truth
which now Paul was responsible to hold onto to its high and healthy
standard and pass it on to others.
(1) And Paul entrusted it to Timothy so now Timothy was responsible
to hold onto to its high and healthy standard and pass it on to
others
(2) And Timothy entrusted it to faithful men who can teach others so
now they were responsible to hold onto to its high and healthy
standard and pass it on to others
3. Secondly note specifically the kind of people Timothy was to entrust this
precious treasure of God’s word –
a) Read. v2b-c
b) Not only are they to be faithful but also people who can teach others.
People who can pass it on to others!
4. This verse teaches us that God’s word should be passed on to four
generations of people – Paul - Timothy - Faithful men who can teach -
others!
5. So Paul was committed to Jesus’ method of multiplying disciples
F. And we see in this verse that Paul also used Jesus’ means of discipleship. His
commitment was people up close to other people and investing in them God’s
truth and their lives, not programs that tried to mass-produce disciples by means
of material! Read v2 one more time
• So why would this man say it is Jesus’ method that caused the gospel to spread deep
and wide in the book of Acts and should today
III. Application
A. The reason is as simple as math. It is all the difference between multiplication
and addition. Let me illustrate
1. (Addition) If you were to establish five people this year in their walk with
Christ, then there would be five more disciples/servants at the end of the year.
If you picked up five new men and worked with them next year then there
would be 1ten disciples/servants after two years. Fifteen after three years.
Twenty after four years. Twenty five after five years. Fifty after ten years,
one hundred after twenty years and one hundred twenty five after twenty five
years
2. (Multiplication) If you were to equip one person this year with the tools to
minister to someone else, then there would be one other disciple maker at the
end of the year. If you picked up one new man and worked with him next
year and the person you equipped last year also did the same, then there
would be four disciple makers after two years. If each of the four disciple
makers took on one person and equipped them for one year, then there would
be eight disciple makers after three years. Sixteen after four years. Thirty
four after five years. One thousand twenty four after ten years and one
million thirty eight thousand three hundred thirty six after twenty years.
Thirty three million five hundred fifty four thousand four hundred thirty two
after twenty five years (the time it took the gospel to get from Jerusalem to
Rome)
B. Now we know that in the real world there are many ways this multiplication can
break down through not everyone being faithful in carrying it on, backsliding,
health etc.
1. But the point is still true. Making disciples who make disciples is much more
effective and is Jesus’ model rather than just making disciples!
2. Repeat
C. So the question for each one of us who feels we are a faithful follower of Jesus is,
“Are we making disciples who make disciples or at least am I being discipled by
someone so I can learn how to make disciples who makes disciples?”
1. If not, why?
2. And remember that Jesus’ means is people not programs, materials, or just
reading a book. Who is rubbing off on my life in a life on life relationship
and whom am I rubbing off on?
D. Finally, there may be some here today who feel they have not grown to that place
yet to be able to teach others who can teach others or wondering if you are ready
to disciple others.
1. As we learned earlier in the series asking if I am ready to impact others is the
wrong question, the right question is have I received something from Jesus?
a) Have you received salvation – then you have something to pass onto to
those who do not know Jesus – your story and start learning the Gospel
so you can tell them that too.
b) Have you received God’s comfort or wisdom in a hard time? Pass it on
c) God speaks to you about a life transforming truth – pass it on
2. Turn to Matthew 10
a) Read v1 – Jesus gave his disciples authority to heal and cast out demons.
b) In v7 He charged them to preach the gospel message
c) Now listen to v8. Read.
d) Jesus freely gave them that authority to heal and cast out demons now
He says “Freely you received, freely give”
E. Disciples follow Jesus and impact others by passing on to others what Jesus has
given them. God’s blessings are not only for us to be blessed but to bless others
with them!

Redefined: Cost

Redefined: Cost
2 Timothy 2:3-7 October 7, 2018
I. Introduction:
A. In Luke 14 Jesus says to count the cost of following Him.
1. He says as a disciple, a follower of Jesus, Jesus has priority in our lives over
our most intimate relationships with mates, children, parents and siblings,
over our own self and desires, and even over our possessions!
2. Jesus is saying if any of these relationships, our possessions or even our own
desires come in conflict with what Jesus wants, a disciple always choses
Jesus.
3. Yes, eternal life, salvation the abundant life comes to us with the warning
label that there is a cost to following Jesus, pain, suffering and sacrifice are
part of the package!
B. We learned this in Philippians 3:10 after Paul spoke about being saved by the
righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith in Jesus, he then spoke
of the purpose of that salvation
1. Phil 3:10
2. Salvation is a complete package of knowing Jesus and His power as well as
the pain of suffering and the laying down of my life for him and others!
C. I have to admit when I consider the cost I have paid in following Jesus, the small
little sufferings of being mocked or people discontinuing their relationship with
me because of following Jesus, it makes me feel like I have been at a constant
church picnic in comparison to others throughout history and the world who have
experienced extreme suffering, persecutions, imprisonments and even dying for
Jesus.
• Today I want to talk about a different kind of cost in following Jesus, a self-imposed
suffering of hardship in order to do the work of a disciple! Turn in your Bibles to
II. 2 Timothy 2 (overview of 1-7)
A. Context – Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote this letter to encourage
Timothy join with him in suffering for the gospel and to remain faithful to his
ministry in the face of hardships.
1. Here in chapter 2 Paul was commanding Timothy to pass on to others the
message that he taught to him. We will talk more about this next week.
2. But right after this command, he calls Timothy to suffer hardship with him in
this ministry of making disciples who can make disciples!
3. Paul uses three common illustrations from their world to emphasize how they
can suffer hardship in making disciples. Illustrations are that of soldiers,
athletes and farmers.
B. Watch for this as I read but also note that all of this suffering does not come from
others from the outside but is all self-imposed suffering for the sake of making
disciples! Read 2:1-7
• Let’s take a closer look at the...
III. Three ways to suffer in making disciples
A. First, we learn from the soldier that we are to give our focus and energy to the
service of the Lord. Watch for this as I read v4.
1. Simply he is saying that a good soldier does not get himself all entangled, all
knotted up, ensnared by his personal concerns, pleasures, positions and
possessions.
2. Instead a solider is single-minded on his purpose, rigorously disciplined, and
obedient to the mission that his commanding officer gives him.
3. This will require a personal, intentional and sacrificial choice to make the call
to make disciples the priority of your life!
4. He is a person who does not just add to his life in light of the call to be a
disciple but he actually prunes some of these personal pleasures out in order
to fulfill the call of Jesus on His life!
B. Second, we learn from the athlete that a good solider follows God’s rules for
God’s work as revealed in God’s blueprints, the Bible. Watch for this as I read
v5.
1. Every athletic event has its own boundaries, rules and score keeping!
2. While the solider talked about personal sacrifices the athlete talks about
submission to rules of the one who set up the event!
3. God has given us the guidelines in this book how to make disciples, who to
make disciples of, what to teach them, how a disciple maker lives and the
qualities of their life!
4. Simply I believe he is saying here that it will take submission to God’s Word
on how to follow Jesus and impact others! God is not interested in my best
ideas or best practices apart from His word.
5. As a disciple maker, we know the book and we live by the book. He
sacrifices his own will and ideas to carry out the will and word of God, even
if it will be harder, more painful or uncomfortable to do it that way!
C. Third, we learn from the farmer that a disciple maker works hard at his task.
Watch for this as I read v6
1. Rather than being lazy, idle, giving little effort or constantly putting things
off Paul calls Timothy to suffer hardship by working hard.
2. A hard working farmer normally has two aspects to what he does – he uses a
lot of time and a lot of energy/effort to do his work.
3. Yes, to make disciples is going to cost us time and energy and will require us
to make time in our schedules to do it. It is not just a matter of fitting it in if
I have time, but rather making the time necessary or taking even extra time if
needed to make disciples.
D. But true to God’s grace, He rewards those who do so!
1. The soldier pleases the one who enlisted him and gave him his mission. Read
v4
2. The athlete wins the prize Read v5
3. The farmer gets to be the first one to enjoy the fruits of his work! Read v6
• If we truly want to be a disciple making church we need to be willing to suffer
hardship, self-imposed suffering of our own agendas like a solider, our own ways like
an athlete and even our own time and energy like a farmer! And to do this we need to
look to …
IV. Jesus
A. Read 2 Timothy 2:1 – grace and strength from Him
B. Turn to and read Hebrews 12:1-3
C. As we go to communion, turn to Jesus and consider your life and sacrifices for
Him as a follower of His.
1. Remember Him, fix your eyes on Him, consider both His self-imposed
suffering and His suffering at the hands of sinners so that you will not grow
weary or lose heart!
2. Time to reflect as communion is passed!

Redefined: Growth

Pastor Pat Peglow continues in our series, "Redefined".

Redefined: Teaching

Redefined: Teaching
Matthew 28:19-20 //  September 23, 2018
I. Introduction:
A. Someone coined a saying a number of years ago that still holds true today for
much of the North American Church: “The great omission of the Great
Commission is obedience!”
1. The great oversight of the Great Commission, the great exclusion from the
Great Commission that Jesus gave us, that which is neglected the most in the
Great Commission is obedience!
• Turn in your Bibles to
II. Matt 28:18
A. Review the structure of this passage
1. One main verb which is a command – make disciples
2. Three participles that tell us how to do it – go, baptizing, teaching
B. Read
C. Note at the start of v20 is the third of these ways by which we make disciples –
teaching them.
1. This is the instruction to those who have already become disciples or
believers in Jesus Christ
2. An ongoing process that will really last the rest of our lives of teaching and
learning depending which end of the discipleship process you are on.
D. Now what is omitted so often is what we are to teach them.
1. As I read commentaries on this verse I was amazed at how many of them
emphasized the importance of teaching to fulfil the Great Commission and
how the church needs to be built around teaching.
2. But the passage says more than that.
a) Read 20a-b.
b) Teaching them to observe, obey, keep, and act upon what they are
taught.
3. Read one more time and watch for what we are to teach them to obey.
a) Read leaving out “all that” and instead put in “what.” Is that what it
says?
b) Now read it as the text is
c) We are to teach them to obey, observe, keep, and act upon all that Jesus
commanded us.
(1) Everything, not just the select few things that seem to be practical
to my life today!
(2) He speaks to our beliefs, our thought lives, our values, our morals,
our affections, our attitudes, our decisions, our words, our hurts,
our habits, our money, our time, our attention, our sexuality, etc.
E. Remember we learned last week that the very definition of the word disciple
demands obedience
1. Vines Dictionary said - “a disciple was not only a pupil, but an adherent,
someone who binds themselves to observing or obeying what they learn!
2. That means learning from Jesus and obeying His teachings about how to live
life
F. The great omission of the Great Commission is obedience
1. Not just teaching them
2. Not just teaching them to obey Jesus’ teachings
3. But teaching them to obey all of Jesus’ teachings/commands
G. Now let me do a quick side bar here so no one is confused at this point. I am not
down talking or minimalizing the importance of teaching and studying God’s
word.
1. There are many passages in this book that tell us the benefits and life changes
that come to us when we read, study, memorize and meditate on this book.
a) But disciples take it one-step further and apply it to their lives!
2. And let me add this also – before you can obey what Jesus taught you have to
read and study what He taught us!
a) And it is not just the red letter words of Jesus but He also said in John 16
that He had many more things to say to them, but they could not bear
them at that time, so He promised them that the Holy Spirit would come
guide them into all truth
b) That was a promise for the inspiration of the entire New Testament that
completes the teachings of Jesus for us.
c) And by the way the New Testament teaches us of the value of the Old
Testament in our current days as followers of Jesus
3. So to be able to obey Jesus it is important for us to spend time in this book, so
we can rightly divide just what God, Jesus, is saying to us and what He is
expecting of us and what we need to obey to be a properly functioning
disciple.
• So as a disciple the key question we need to constantly be asking ourselves as we
study God’s word and need to be asking one another as we seek to grow as disciples
is:
III. What is my next step of obedience?
A. This is probably the most important question we need to constantly wrestle with if
we want to be growing disciples. “What is my next step of obedience?”
B. As I prayed about this sermon, I was wondering after teaching the truth how I
would exhort MVC regarding this truth. There are many ways I could go with
“obedience to God’s word” so I was not sure.
1. What I did was start to consider how MVC is doing regarding obedience.
What do we need right now regarding this passage?
2. I realized that so many of us are at different places in our walk of obedience
to all of God’s word, so many of us need something different to keep us
excelling in our obedience to Christ.
a) Some are doing well – no one is perfect in their obedience but some are
doing pretty good in ordering their life according to God’s word
b) Some want to obey Him in everything but they are caught by some
stronghold of sin or the devil that has them enslaved to it
c) Some are fearful to obey God because they are not sure what He would
do if they really gave Him control of their money, relationships, habits or
hurts
d) Some lack in faith to obey Him because they tried that before and it did
not turn out the way they hoped it would.
e) Some struggle with obeying God because they are angry with God
feeling like He let them down in the past by not giving them what they
had hoped for.
f) Some never have realized just how important it is to obey God; they
thought they were doing well just by being saved and going to church a
few times a month.
g) Some even see obedience as legalism, rather than knowing it is a loving
response to God and the path to the best possible life we can have.
C. The list can go on but one common theme came to me as I was considering the
different places we are at. That is no matter where you are at “obedience is
achievable for you.” You do not have to be stuck or have to be plateaued, but
rather your next step of obedience is possible because of Jesus and His grace!
1. Yes, I did say because of His grace – grace is not the freedom to do whatever
you want because you are no longer under the law but rather grace is the
power to do what Jesus wants you to do!
2. I do not know where you are stuck or plateaued, but even in the Great
Commission itself, Jesus promised His presence with you to carry out
everything He asks of us. Read v20b
D. Obedience is possible not because you can do this if you try hard enough but
rather because of what Jesus has done for you and is doing in you.
1. Ezekiel 36:26
a) This is the New Covenant that Jesus ratified with His blood when He
died at the cross
b) He not only promised to forgive sins and He not only promised to
remove that old stubborn self-willed heart and put in a brand new heart,
one that is tender, responsive and God-willed heart
c) Then He says this: Read Ezek 36:27
(1) It is now possible to obey God because His Spirit lives inside of us
to cause us to walk in His ways
(2) And the Spirit within us creates within in us a carefulness, a
cautiousness, an attentiveness to observe, and obey God’s words.
2. Phil 2:13 – speaking in the context of obedience listen to what God says:
a) Read v13
b) God is at work inside of you and me as believers to do two things
regarding obedience:
(1) First, giving us the desire to obey Him and the will to obey Him
(2) Second, God is working in us by His spirit to give us the ability to
obey Him
3. Hebrews 13:21
a) Listen to this great promise. I call it the New Testament anointing.
Anointing is simply God equipping His servants to do his will.
b) Read
4. Your next step of obedience is possible because of Jesus’ work for you at the
cross and in His resurrection and Jesus’ work in you now by means of His
Spirit!
5. So whatever your next step of obedience is, Jesus is your need.
a) Whether that is for Him to show you what He wants from you because
you really do not know or to remove some obstacle in your life that is
holding you back from obeying Him, or even the desire to want to do
what God wants you to do rather than what you want to do, or the
enablement to do what you could never do apart from Him
So in closing we want to remove the Great Omission of the Great Commission in our
lives and at MVC. We do not just want to be black belts in studying and understanding
God’s word but we also want to be black belts in obeying, applying, doing, keeping, and
acting upon God’s Word
6. So what is your next step of obedience?
7. Turn to Jesus to know what that is! Turn to Jesus to remove any obstacles
that would be holding you back, turn to Jesus to enable you to carry it out!
8. Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and
obey!
IV. Give two minutes of silence to consider before the Lord!

Baptism Sunday

Redefined: Disciple
Mt 28:19; Lk 6:40, Mt 4:19-20
I. Introduction:
A. Jim Putman the senior pastor at Real Life Ministries holds discipleship
conferences yearly where literally hundreds of church members have been trained
in intentional and relational discipleship. At these conferences he asks ministry
teams two questions:
1. First, what is the mission of the church? He said almost everyone answers
that question right since they know it is a conference on discipleship –
discipleship!
2. But the second question he said in all of his years of doing these conferences
only two entire teams of leaders agreed upon the same definition. The
question was, “What is a disciple?”
3. Putman goes on to say, “Think through what problems can be created if
everyone in the same church has a different definition of a mature disciple!”
4. I could not help but wonder how we would do as a church, as a leadership, as
a staff with that second question and how having different definitions would
impact MVC desire to become more of a disciple making church!
B. So today the goal of my sermon is very simple define a disciple
1. But, it really is not that simple as there is much said in Scripture about being
a disciple. So to be true to the Bible means there are many things to consider.
2. But, on the other hand, if we make our definition too complex and include
everything then no one will ever remember specifically what we are trying to
do.
3. So my hope today is to capture the heart of what the Bible says about who a
disciple is and yet say it as simply as possible. If I can accomplish that then
we have a goal, which is Biblical enough to build our ministry and lives
around!
C. The way I want to accomplish that goal this morning is simply by looking at two
key things:
1. The definition of a disciple
2. Look at Jesus’ call to become a disciple
3. Then I will try to put it all together into a simple and remember-able yet
biblically accurate phrase!
D. Let’s start by reading Mt 28:19-20 again where we see this as the heart of our
mission – to make disciples! Read
• Let’s start with
II. Definition of a disciple
A. As you know disciple is not a common word in our culture but it was in theirs at
the time of the New Testament
B. For the definition of the word disciple, as found in Mt 28:19 I went to seven
different Greek dictionaries to see how they defined the word - mathētēs
(μαθητής). Here are some highlights of a few things I found.
1. Most use the word “disciple’ or ‘follower’ to describe this Greek word.
2. But when you break down the Greek word itself - it means to learn, a learner,
a pupil.
a) Listen to Lk 6:40
b) The word pupil is the exact same Greek word here as disciples in Mt 28
– only difference is that in Matthew it is a verb and here it is a noun!
c) And we see here that the goal of discipleship is to become like your
teacher. As disciples of Jesus, our goal is to become more and more like
Jesus. Less of me and more of Jesus
3. Vines dictionary says this word indicates thought accompanied by endeavor,
hence it denotes one who follows one’s teaching,
a) He goes on to say “a disciple was not only a pupil, but an adherent
b) Or simply someone who binds himself or herself to observing or obeying
what they learn!
C. So bottom line the definition of a disciples has two aspects to it - first they are a
learner and secondly they follow or obey what they learn
1. So a “Disciple of Jesus” is one who is learning from Jesus how to live life
and following or obeying what they learn from Him about how to live life.
2. Our key verse for discipleship in Mt 28 even further validates this definition
as you remember that the three ways we make a disciple are revealed in this
passage and the third way has to do with teaching.
a) Read
b) Teaching them to obey everything Jesus has taught us to do!
• And that really leads us right into Jesus’ call to discipleship that helps us understand
what a disciple is.
III. Jesus’ call to discipleship
A. Turn to Mt 4:19 and Read v19-20
1. Jesus called them to follow Him in v19, and v20 tells us that they followed
Him.
2. This takes us back to what we already have established about a disciple
a) Jesus is inviting them to be His pupils, to learn from Him and obey what
they learn from Him.
b) Jesus is saying simply I will take the lead in determining the direction of
your life, I will teach you how to live life God’s way and I am inviting
you to follow, to live out, to obey the way I teach you to live!
B. But Jesus adds something onto to this call that further develops what a disciple is.
1. Listen again to v19.
2. If you follow Him then He will make you a fisher of men!
3. In other words, you are called for a purpose! Now you will join Jesus on His
mission to seek and save the lost and to teach believers to obey everything
Jesus taught us!
C. When we follow Jesus and his teachings, He will make us into a person that
influences others for the sake of the kingdom of God. We will not only follow
Jesus’ teachings but we will also join Him in His mission!
• So let me now try to summarize all that we have heard and come up with a …
IV. Simple definition of a Disciple
A. Learning from Jesus, obeying his teachings about how to live life, and impacting
others with Jesus’ teachings!
1. How many of you think you could remember that one tomorrow?
2. How many of you think you could close your eyes right now and say it?
B. Let’s try this one on: Learning and obeying Jesus’ teachings and impacting others
for Christ!
1. There may be a few who could remember this one tomorrow or some who
could repeat it right now with their eyes closed!
C. Let us try this one on Following Jesus! Impacting Others!
1. When you consider the process we went through to get to this statement
today I think it would be fair to say it captures the heart of the Bible’s
teachings on what a disciple is and it is simple enough to remember and give
direction to our lives and church
2. Repeat it with me! Three Times
• Now we are going to move to a time in the service where some of our people are
following Jesus in obedience by being
V. Baptized

REDEFINED - New Series

Redefined: Discipleship Matt 28:16-20 // September 9, 2018

Introduction:

We just finished a series called Better Together. We are starting a series today

that we could have called Better Together on Steroids but instead we are a calling it Redefined!

Our goal is to go back and rediscover how the Bible has already defined us as

Christians/Believers and that is we as believers are disciples!

a) Acts 11:26

b) Biblically a Christian is a disciple and a disciple is a Christian. They are

the same thing.

c) Disciples are not a special class of Christians who are the Navy Seals of

Christians!

d) The real question is “are we living like a disciple or not?”

In this series we will see that one of our core identifying marks is that of a

disciple, that is who we are not someone to become, and we will learn what implications that has upon our walk with the Lord.

The passage I want to look at this morning is in Matt 28 and is called...

The Great Commission

Context – Jesus had died and had risen again and sent word to the disciples that he

wanted to meet them at a certain mountain in Galilee.

Jesus tells them that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him.

He has the right to rule and command everyone in heaven and earth.

Then we find the word therefore which means in light of this authority this is

what we should do!

What Jesus commands us to do, the heart of this mission is found in v19-20

1. The structure of the passage is very simple

a) V19-20 is the command/mission

b) V20b is the promise – promise of His presence with us to carry out this

mission.

c) Read v18-20

The structure of the command is not as clear in the English but it jumps out

to you and slaps you in the face in Greek

a) There is one imperative/command in this passage – make disciples

b) And there are three participles, which define for us the way we make

disciples. (1)

Go – simply evangelism – go and make lost people disciples in every place on earth (2)

Baptize – identify them publically as a disciple of the Triune God (3)

Teach – the lifetime process of a believer growing as a disciple.

So this morning we see a biblical and balanced view of discipleship. Discipleship

redefined is not just something that is done to Christians but also has to do with the non-Christians as well.

Next week I want to redefine just what a disciple is but for this first week in the series, I want to share some of my story over many years as a disciple and what God has been teaching and with what God has been challenging me!

III. Pat’s story as a disciple

My journey of discipleship which can be summarized as a very slow and gradual shift in focus from information to transformation, from materials to people, from teaching to entrusting, from large to small, from programs to a movement, from focusing only upon believers to believers and the lost!

My discipleship journey really started during the early years of my Christian life

while in the military as I got my first taste of the impact a person can have upon you if they get up close to you

A retired pastor named Pop Reed would meet with military men during the

week then have us all over for dinner on Sunday at his house.

a) While he guided me in my early days with wise counsel, he instilled in

me a simple phrase that has guided my life since then and has protected me from much trouble in my early days as a Christian until now. The phrase – “the Spirit of God will never lead contrary to the Word of God”

b) You have no idea how many times that phrase has protected me from

ungodly counsel even from Christians and even from my own thoughts and desires!

In college I was involved in a college ministry that legalistically put pressure

on everyone to shake their head the same way, say the same things and act the same way everyone else did if you were truly spiritual.

a) God used a man named Ron Denison (have you ever heard that name

Rachel Weaver) meeting me every week in the student union to teach me the freedom of grace and uniqueness of me just loving Jesus and being myself!

b) As Rich Klemick would say, “you do you” that is the message that Ron

impressed and me!

As young married man, attending MVC Kim and I approached an elder and

asked him if he would disciple us.

a) We met every Monday night for a few years as we would just open up the Bible every week and he would speak to us out of the word and his life.

b) He is the one who taught us a life-changing pattern of not trying to

squeeze time with God through his word into our busy schedules but rather build your schedule around your time with God. (1)

That turned our spiritual lives, schedules, and activities upside down for the good!

My biggest taste of the impact that a person up close and personal can make

on you came from my predecessor Pastor Bill Johnson.

a) We met every Monday morning for years just talking about our personal

lives, walk with God and ministry.

b) The last few years of his ministry his hearing became so bad that the

heart of my ministry was being his ears for him so I went everyplace he went to serve him in that way.

c) This allowed me to experience the truth we have often heard “some

things are better caught than taught” I saw what life and ministry looked like in flesh and blood through the life of a godly man! Things I learned in Bible college and seminary began to make sense as I watched them lived out in his life and had the chance to talk to him about how they worked for him

So now, it was time for me to try to impact others with discipleship!

1. I developed my own material which I called my “equipping manual” which I

tried to summarize from biblical passages what I thought to be essential to the ministry. I used this to meet with different groups of three men at a time to take them through it. It took me about two years and the goal was to equip these men for ministry.

After that, I became the senior pastor because of the many responsibilities of

preaching, many many managing years

.

and leading a church, discipleship fell to the side for

A few years back, while on the first half of my sabbatical, one of the key

questions that I was considering and praying about was “if there was only one thing that I could not fail at and to focus upon for the rest of my ministry what would it be?”

a) During that time, God deeply impressed upon my heart the need to

disciple. It was because of Mt 28, the Great Commission that He impressed upon me that I need to get back to the mission of making disciples not just preaching sermons on Sunday!

Right after this time God spoke to me through Acts 6:4

a) Read

b) The context of this verse is the widows were being overlooked in the

serving of the food. This is a bold response – we will assign that to someone else because we need to be devoted to and not distracted from prayer and the Word!

c) I learned the lesson between important and vital the hard way

(1)

My shoulder separation (2)

Shoulder separation and heart attack of Jose’s mom

d) Many important things go on at church but two things that are vital and

essential for the church to live healthy it was God’s word and prayer!

e) I felt at that time that I was so busy running the big machine called MVC

church and all the many important things that go into a church. But I had left behind that which is most essential for its long-term health, discipleship - the mission that Jesus gave us!

So when I got back from the sabbatical I started a group of eight men,

primarily younger, that I called an equipping group.

a) We met every other week for about two years and covered some of the

material from my original manual I created and some main teaching from God’s word and some key skills necessary to minister.

We had some very exciting and stimulating discussions but I was feeling

deep inside that something was missing but not sure what it was. I felt it was not accomplishing what I had hoped for two reasons:

a) First, eight men is too many to get close to and make any real personal

impact in their lives.

b) Secondly, I realized that I was teaching these men the truth but I was not

entrusting to them the truth. Entrusting means, “to commit something to the care of someone else so that now they become responsible for it.”

c) Read 2 Timothy 2:2

(1)

I realized I was teaching them but I was not sharing with them the vision that they are now responsible for these truths to pass on to other faithful men who could pass it on to others. (2)

It was more than “here are the teachings now go and be blessed” now it’s “here are the teachings now go and bless someone else with them!”

So then I decided to start a group with two of men that was structured in such a

way that we could “entrust” truths to them they could pass on to others.

There were three of us who each recruited three other men. We met together

as twelve to learn the basic truths

Then we each met separately with our three so we could do a bit more of the

life on life and not just large group teaching.

Then through the Great Commission God impressed upon me that just as big of a part of discipleship is bringing the gospel to the lost and not just focusing on developing the believer.

So God started to grow a greater sensitivity in my heart to the lost

Since that time, I worked with a small group of elders to develop some

materials to share the gospel with the lost and some material we could use to train believers to reach the lost.

So I trained some people who could train others and we began a series of

small groups where we could learn more about sharing the gospel and our testimony!

F. The last number of years I have been meeting with three men as we together have

been gaining a greater vision for discipleship as Jesus taught it and allowing our lives and walk to rub off on one another and seeking to impact others!

Now my heart and the heart of the staff and boards is for MVC to become a

culture of discipleship where everyone is a disciple who seeks to impact others, both lost and believers for Jesus Christ!

So in this series

I hope to:

Clear up some of the modern day confusion about discipleship and from the Bible redefine just what a disciple is, that is who we are as believers and what we do according to the mission Jesus gave us to make disciples! There are very few topics more central to our lives and church.

Secondly, I hope that the Spirit of God will take the word of God and write it so

deeply upon our lives that we become a church of disciples of Jesus who intentionally and relationally make other disciples of Jesus!

 

Communion Sunday

ACTS 2:42

The Minimalist Church

• Word
• Fellowship
• Communion
• Prayer

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