Discipleship

18 October 2015Midrand

Dennis Erasmus

Missional• The Great Commission – Mt.

28:19.• It’s the result of John 3:16.• It’s the real business of the

church.• It’s fundamental to everything

we do.• It’s engraved in our name.• It’s the reason for our existence.

Empowerment

• Equip members according to their skills & talent.

Ecumenical

• Obedience to John 17.

Socio-Economic Relevance

• Empower people to take responsibility for their own future.

Governance

• It’s about oversight on all church levels

Discipleship

• 1 Math. 28:19 - Disciples not merely converts.

• 2 True followers of Christ.• 3 Importance of character.• 4 Apostolic/missional in nature.

Discipleship

• "Discipleship" and "following Christ" are used synonymously.

• The Gospels, Acts, and Epistles urge disciples to be imitators of Jesus Christ.

• Being imitators requires obedience shown by moral behavior.

• (taken and reworked from wikipedia)

1 Math. 28:19 - Disciples not merely converts.

• Joh 6:63 What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit.

• Joh 6:66 -67 Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more. So he asked the twelve disciples, "And you---would you also like to leave?"

• "cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance,

• baptism without church discipline.

• Communion without confession.

• Cheap grace is grace without discipleship,

• grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

2 True followers of Christ.

• Luk 14:26 "Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well.

2 True followers of Christ.

• Luk 14:33 In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.

2 True followers of Christ

• Joh 8:31 So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples

• Luk 14:27 Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

3 Importance of character

• Joh 15:8 My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples.

• Joh 13:35 If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

4 Apostolic/missional in nature.

• Act 14:21 Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News in Derbe and won many disciples.

• Act 6:7 And so the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew larger and larger, and a great number of priests accepted the faith.

Conclusion: Discipleship

• All people• Crowd of listeners• People that belief in Jesus• People that are baptised• Followers of the church• Disciples of the pastor• Disciples of Jesus• Growth to be like Jesus