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Disciple Making Part 1

In such uncertain times in the world we need to be doing what Christ has asked us to do

In the last words of Jesus – he has asked us to make disciples

Matthew 28: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

1. Before you can make disciples you have to become one

You can’t teach something you don’t really have yourself

Matthew 7: 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The number one thing on Christ’s agenda is making disciples

But there are many Christians around who talk about God, even go to church, but never get around to the will of the Father

The will of the father is that we would become disciples and go on to make disciples

Decide to become a disciple – which means a learner – be a follower – be teachable –

Be a great disciple – discipleship can be fun – enjoy it – someone is inputting into your life

2. Choose some people

Matthew 4: 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Find some people you care about and have on your heart

Jesus saw these two brothers and thinks – I like those guys

Maybe they were really passionate about their job – he thought they would be great disciples

Find some people that you could get passionate about training

3. Disciple the willing people

There are projects and then there are disciples – Disciples are the willing

What made Peter and Andrew great disciples is that – they left their nets & followed

They heard the call & responded –some people have all the potential but just won’t respond

You can’t teach someone who doesn’t want to learn

Look for a willing spirit in your disciple

4. Invite them into your world

Many people never disciple anyone because they won’t invite people into their world

They’ve got a neat and tidy life and you don’t want to mess it up with new people

It’s so lucky Jesus never felt like that when he sacrificed his life for them

Some of the greatest people you ever meet with be those Jesus brings to you

Jesus invited the most unlikely people: Jesus disciples included 4 fishermen, a tax collector and a zealot – religious politician

He invited himself to lunch with Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector – who had a radical conversion because of meeting Jesus

Open the doors and invite someone into your world

5. Speak into their lives

People don’t need advice or a few pointers – they need leaders and mentors to walk through a situation with them

Share the truths, disciplines and experiences that have helped shape your life

What has God done in your life? – pass on the lessons you have learned

Listen to people and encourage them on the next step of their journey

Don’t allow people to get into trouble or go off track

Challenge the way they live their lives – this is real leadership

Don’t justify people in their behavior – but challenge them to live a Godly life

Invest what you have and you will see a harvest one day

Qualities of a great disciple

1. Disciples follow
In Matthew 4: 18 Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to be his disciples
What made Peter and Andrew great disciples is their willingness to follow him
They left their nets and followed him
You can’t be a great leader until you can be a great follower
So many Christians struggle to follow anyone, but if they can’t follow a leader they won’t follow God
God will ask more from you than any leader will

2. Disciples learn
The Greek word for ‘disciple’ is ‘math-ey-tes,’ which means ‘learner or student.’ In biblical times a disciple would attach himself to a teacher. He would follow him day and night, interact with him and learn – If we are going to be disciples we need to be willing to learn
Every believer needs to be in a discipleship relationship
Who are you learning from?
God will always put someone in your life, if your willing to see it and embrace it
A disciple will seek out people to learn from – will put themselves in positions where they can learn from others

3. Disciples commit
Luke 14:27
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
There is a cost to following Jesus – the idea is great – the reality costs us something
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Salvation is free, … but discipleship will cost you your life.
Great Christians who advance the kingdom have always paid the price
Stick around long enough to see what God can do with you

4. Disciples grow
Have a hunger to grow and develop
1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation
Aim to grow every year in your spiritual walk – don’t be trapped in the same issue and the same challenges
Great leaders will help you grow and go to the next level

5. Disciples honor
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
The kingdom of God has a culture of honor
We honor God, we honor people, we honor those over us
Kingdom people are honoring and gracious
Whoever is your leader? – are you honoring them? – bless them, help them, serve them

6. Disciples produce fruit
John 15:8
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples
Disciples are fruitful – we should be aiming to produce fruit
There should be new life sprouting up around your life
Are people getting saved or revived around your life? – are they coming to church?
To produce fruit we need to plant seeds now – maybe it’s time to start planting

7. Disciples become like the master
Luke 6:40 Students are not above their teacher, but all who are fully trained will be like their teacher
When fully trained, disciples are like their master
How awesome is that –if you do the training –if you are a disciple you will become like Jesus
That is the test of a disciple – are you becoming more like Jesus?

Everyone needs a Simon Cowell in their life

Everyone needs someone to speak into their life

My thought is this – Everyone needs a Simon Cowell in their lives

Simon Cowell is the former American Idol judge and currently creator and judge on X Factor

He has become the most famous mentor on TV because he is willing to speak the truth

People go on American idol or X Factor and they think they are great singers

No one has told them the truth – their parents, friends or leaders should have told them

They make a fool of themselves on worldwide TV because they didn’t have a voice speaking into their life

We all need someone speaking into our life

A pastor or leader is a voice of truth in your life

Leaders help you become the best you can be

Let me ask you a question – do you have someone speaking into your life?

If not your missing out  - get a leader or pastor to disciple you

Join a connect group and get a voice of truth into your life!

How could a loving God send people to hell?

In 2003 a research group discovered 64% of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die, but less than 1% think they might go to hell
Everyone thinks they are worthy of heaven – No one thinks they deserve going to hell
But the reality is you don’t get to heaven or hell based on what you think – you get to heaven or hell based on what God thinks

There is some liberal theology going around these days that is attacking the foundation of truth that we believe and leading people into deception
The latest is universalism – which believes that everyone is going to heaven and questions the existence of hell

5 keys to heaven, hell and the love of God

1. There is a day of judgment
2 Corinthians 5: 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due to them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad
And after the judgment that people will be separated into two groups according to their choice about accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord (Matthew 13:47-51)
Those accepting Christ will receive eternal life in heaven – those rejecting Christ will spend eternity separated from God – that separation is called hell

2. God is a God of justice
To understand God we need to understand is that He is a God of justice
Isaiah 61: for I the Lord love justice
Psalm 89: 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne
Justice is about making things right
When you have had somebody seriously wrong you – what do you want? – Justice
God wants to make things right in the world – he wants to make things right for those who have been wronged – and that is good news
The bibles description of heaven – is a place where everything has been made right
Revelation 21: 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away
What is the old order of things? Sin & death reigns
God wants to make things right – but in order to do so he has to deal to sin
Sin has a price, Sin has a consequence, a penalty – and the price must be paid
Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life

3. Love conquers sin and death
In demonstrating that love can conquer sin and death, God steps up to pay the price of our sin by coming in the person of Jesus to pay the penalty of death for our sin
John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life
Romans 5: 8 God demonstrates his own love in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us
That is extreme love

4. We receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
But to access Christ’s love and forgiveness we must be saved
John 3: 3 I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again
We cannot enter heaven without the penalty for sin being paid for our life

People say but he is such a good person – how could he go to hell
Goodness is not the criteria for acceptance in to heaven – salvation is
There is only one pathway to heaven and that is rejection of the world’s way and acceptance of Christ as Lord and saviour
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

5. We all must make the choice
There is a narrow road to heaven and there is a highway to hell – we all must make a choice as to which path we take
The job of the church is to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to receive the invitation
What about the people that don’t hear?
The great commission to the church is to preach the gospel to all nations – how seriously are we taking it?
God sends no one to hell – hell is a pathway and choice that we make
To end up in hell you have to reject or ignore Christ
1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What will your choice be?

The power of vision

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish

4 Keys to getting a great vision from God

1. Vision is the ability to see

John 4:35 I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Jesus is telling us to open our eyes – to see beyond the natural world in front of us to the supernatural reality that exists

Yet so often people get lost

Who are we without the ability to see?

We are blind and we are lost

Jesus attacked the Pharisees for this very weakness – for having eyes but not seeing

Matthew 15:14they are blind guides, and if the blind lead the blind both will fall into the pit

Without vision we are just like the Pharisees – a knowledge of God but no outworking

Vision is the art of seeing the invisible. Jonathan Swift

2. Vision gives our lives direction

Without a vision the people perish

Without a compelling vision who are we? Just another drifter trying to find some meaning

Without vision people end up doing whatever they want

And isn’t that our society today – no commitment, no longevity, no direction, no purpose

Vision is a powerful direction that God brings into our lives

It’s not our direction – but his direction

Vision is not just an optional extra to the Christian life – it is the Christian life

We encounter Christ, we surrender to his way and we follow him

3. Vision enlarges us

Without vision we are small minded and self focussed

Lets not be small minded and self focussed – we follow the greatest mind in the universe

God and anyone connected to him has a big future

How can you be a Christian and have such a limited view of the future?

Vision sees the world of possibilities and miracles – the supernatural world

As we catch a hold of God’s vision for the world – we enlarge our viewpoint

We step into the God zone – we see things as he sees them

Jeremiah 33: 3 Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know

4. Vision gets you through the tough stuff

Vision carries you through the tough bits when on your own you would give up

Many times you get to a place in life where you don’t understand everything

I often have questions I can’t answer – I cry out to God and I don’t always get the answers I need – you can’t always get what you want – that is where faith kicks in

But what keeps you going is a clear vision from God to follow in the times of controversy

We see a glimpse of God’s plan and we run with it

Just keep following the vision

I have been following this vision for 25 years now and it is an awesome life to live

I wouldn’t trade it for some easy going relaxed lifestyle

It’s the journey of a lifetime! It unlocks your potential

Be captivated by a mighty vision from God

Life to the full

Life to the full

We have been preaching on Jesus all December

John 10: 10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and life to the full
Jesus came so that that abundant life would flow out of us
Christians should be the most abundant freest people alive
Why is that not always the case?

How do we receive the abundance that Jesus has come to bring?

1. See the world for what it is
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy
I see a world that is being ripped off
Everyday in the NZ Herald we see stories of brokenness – of stolen futures and destroyed lives
If you live the world’s way you will find that the will of the thief will be fulfilled in your life
You will be stolen from – he will bring destruction into your life and ultimately he will bring death without salvation – eternity without Christ
Don’t let the devil steal your future

2. See Jesus for who he is
but I have come that they may have life and life to the full
The celebration of Christmas is that Jesus came into the world – to bring real life – the kingdom life – abundant life!
Today take a fresh look at Jesus Christ

3. Reject the way of the world
Proverbs 14: 12 there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death
Don’t follow the world’s path that leads to death
Don’t be a Christian that just ends up following the world
Walk away from it –
Reject the world and accept Christ

4. Walk in the freedom that Jesus has won
The abundant life is a free life – It is living in the fullness of Jesus Christ
Free from the burdens of the past, free from fear and doubt and un-forgiveness
Free to be a new creation in Christ
It honors God when we live in freedom
There is no one too far gone – to receive fullness in Christ
It’s time we started living in the fullness that Christ has won for us
Jesus has come to give you life to the full – will you accept it?

10 Scriptures to boost your identity in Christ

Get a fresh revelation of who you are in Christ

quote these scriptures of over your life, your job, your family,  your future and you will never be the same!

1. 1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

2. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength

3. Romans 8: 31 If God is for us who can be against us

4. Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made

5. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you

6. Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

7. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come

8. 1 John 4: 4 greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world

9. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline

10. 1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith

The heart of worship

Studies show about half the people that attend church don’t experience the presence of God – and this is why

In 2010 we have made worship into something for us
God becomes our supernatural ATM machineWe go to it hoping there is something we can draw out
Just like when we have low funds in our bank
We go to God – I know I haven’t invested much but God I just need one more withdraw
When do we give something to God?
Worship is about giving something to God
The word worship means: To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission
Worship is actually about honoring God
Psalm 100 shows us how to give something back to God

Psalm 100: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth

Worship is not a religious act – it is a shout for joy
Let the shout come out of you
When you find God, you find joy – the whole earth is called to shout for joy
It is a measure of your worship – is there a shout for joy in you?
Don’t go through the motions – if the joy is gone – you need to reconnect
Rediscover the shout of joy – your first love – the revelation of Christ in your life

Worship the LORD with gladness, come before him with joyful songs

Gladness means exhibiting joy – get the joy in your worship
Get some enthusiasm into your worship experience
It is fun to be in the presence of God – Let your song be joyful
Nehemiah 8: 10 the joy of the Lord is your strength
It’s joy that is greater than the circumstances – you can be in the valley but have joy

Know that the LORD is God

Put him in his rightful place – he’s not your buddy, he’s not your back stop – he is the almighty God – the creator of heaven and earth – who has given you life!
Let some fear of the Lord come upon your worship
Proverbs 22:4
 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
If you were standing before God – you wouldn’t be casual – you would be in awe!

It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture

We are created by God – and we are his people
Let him be the shepherd in your life – It means he leads and you follow
When the call comes to worship – respond with a willing heart
Lets give him the honor he deserves – worship is about honoring God

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise

Go to church regularly and worship with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts
So often we can come burdened and heavy in spirit – and there are times for that
But the best way to off load the burden is to pick up thankfulness and praise
Church is a place where we should celebrate what God has done for us
You might not be on the mountain –but is he still worthy of our praise? –yes 1000 times yes
People used to offer sacrifices to God – now it’s about what we can get
God always meets us at the altar – put some thing on the altar today
Lets rediscover the heart of worship in our lives

Man Vs Wild

Recently I was sitting on the tube in London in June and a guy sitting across from me was reading a Wilbur smith novel. I could sense this guy was reading this adventure story but would rather have been living it. 

Men are created by God to live a life of leadership and adventure – but are so often trying to satisfy the thirst adventure via books, movies and adventure tourism.

But books, movies won’t cut it.

We are created for the greatest adventure – living for our God given purpose!

We are called to be leaders in God’s mission to save a lost world.

Throughout history great men have risen up to bring change in the world – Constantine leads the Roman empire into Christianity, William Wilberforce helps abolish slavery, Martin Luther King stands against racial injustice, Billy Graham reaches a generation with the gospel.

6 keys to being the man you were created to be

1. Be a seeker of God

The great men of history sought God and walked with God. Abraham, Jacob, David, Enoch walked with God. Many men today have lost their connection to God.

If you were to be really honest how many men have become disappointed or discouraged?

You’ve stopped walking with God. Get connected again.

2. Get planted

Psalm 92: 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

If you want to reach your full potential you have to get into the house of God regularly.

One of the keys in my life is that I have been consistently in church since I got saved in 1987. So many people just seem to come and go – it is sad – it’s lost potential.

Those who get planted will go the distance and will reach their potential.

3. Find a band of brothers

You cannot make it on your own – Christianity is a team sport – every guy needs to be part of team. The first thing Jesus did in his ministry was assemble his team. You need people around you – otherwise guys just drift. Find a group you can be part of – find your band of brothers & stick with them!

4. Be a leader

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

Men have been given a leadership role by God. Inside of you is a leadership call – the most frustrating life is knowing you are called but not responding to the call. Every church needs great men to be leaders and builders of the church.

I believe our world can change – but it will take a few good men to rise up to their call.

5. Fight

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith

Men are born to fight. Men have a violence problem in society because they don’t know the fight they were created for. If you don’t fight for the right things – you will fight whatever comes along.

You were born to fight for the kingdom of God, fight for your families, fight for each other!

6. Be fathers of the faith

1 Corinthians 4:15
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers

The world is suffering from a lack of fathers and the church is the same. Men were created to be fathers – I am here to be a father! I want to raise people up in faith.

Man of God will you be a father to a new generation growing up without fathers?

The example of a real man – Jesus Christ

He had a cup that he could of laid down – it wasn’t his to have to drink. It was a cup of suffering – it was our sin and our burden.  

Mark 14:36
Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will

He laid down his life and took the cup to win our freedom. He lived the life of a real man – he came to right the wrongs, to win the lost and to bring a message of hope.  

He has called us to be real men – to life for the greater purpose!

Come on men – This world needs you to rise, this church needs you to rise, I need you rise God needs you to rise!

Taking our message to the world

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.

Before we found Christ we lived differently, we lived for ourselves, we lived to the pattern of this world

Now we are in Christ a change has taken place

Our perspective has changed, we see the world differently, our priorities have changed

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

He has given us a great message – and the message needs to get out

Reconciliation: re-establishing normal relations between belligerents

The world is separated from God by sin and it is our job to bring them back together

It’s a message of hope – a message of transformation

It is a message with legs on it – It is a message with actions following

Lets get the old connotation of missions out of our head

Oh he’s a missions guy, that place is a missions church, oh I’m not a missions person

Missions is about the great commission that Jesus gave to us when he left the earth

Mark 16 Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation

If your not a missions person your not a Jesus person

The message is a demonstration of our faith

James 2: 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

I’m a preacher – but the world doesn’t need to hear another sermon – it needs a demonstration of the message – a message with actions

It’s needs to see a church that takes the message out to neighborhoods’, cities and nations

I am excited that we are a church that is willing to step out and demonstrate our faith with actions

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors

We need to understand that we represent Christ in this world – His appeal comes through us

If we don’t get out and do it – the message will not get out

Lets make a great appeal

Many Christians today have lost their mission

They don’t know where they fit and what they can do

But we are all called by Christ to bring this message of hope to a lost world

The scripture says – we are Christ’s ambassadors – what an amazing calling

The church has lost it’s mission – without our calling we are just a social club

And that is what many churches are satisfied in doing

But as we are baptized into Christ – we are baptized into a calling to change the world

I am so blessed to be leading a church that takes it’s calling seriously

Bono from the band U2 said this you can’t fix all the problems – but the ones you can you must

And we can fix some problems

Lets take our message to the world