Sermon Notes - Things Churches Need... Discipleship - Littleby Baptist Church - April 28, 2024

 1.        We have covered three Things Churches Need so far.

a.        Dependent Prayer.

b.       Christ Centered Worship.

c.        Biblically Based Teaching.

2.        Our fourth Things Churches Need is another that there is a level of responsibility that falls to the church but also to the individuals.

3.        We see the beginnings of it back in Moses’ day.

4.        Deuteronomy 4:1-6

a.        Moses taught the people what God expected.

b.       The people were to follow those teachings.

c.        In doing so the wisdom and knowledge of God would be seen in how they lived their lives.

5.        People were taught to live out their faith in God.

6.        Matthew 28:19-20

a.        Go and make disciples.

b.       This is the great commission that Jesus has given to all of His followers, to each one of us.

c.        We are to make disciples.

d.       If I am being brutally honest, discipleship has been lacking in many churches for way too long.

e.        A command we have been given by Jesus has not been followed.

7.        There has been a heavy focus on salvations and baptisms.

a.        Both of which are absolutely critical, but in of themselves are insufficient.

b.       Those quick events pulling on emotional strings to get people to raise their hands and say a prayer are great.

c.        But those flash in the pan salvations don’t tend to last.

d.       They need to be Holy Spirit led and followed up with someone pouring into them.

e.        Discipleship is critical for someone’s initial acceptance of Jesus to turning into life change.

8.        Raised hands and baptisms are easy to count.

a.        Changed hearts and growth through discipleship is hard to measure.

b.       It is human nature to focus on what is measured.

c.        In doing so, many have lost track of following Jesus’ command to make disciples.

d.       Many are sinning by not fulfilling their Lord’s Great Commission.

e.        Thankfully as we turn to Jesus we are forgiven.

f.          Thankfully we as a church and as Christ followers can work to ‘go and make disciples.’

9.        If you haven’t guessed, this week’s Things churches need is Discipleship.

10.   A definition:

a.        Discipleship is the process of devoting oneself to a teacher to learn from and become more like them. For the Christian, this refers to the process of learning the teachings of Jesus and following after his example in obedience through the power of the Holy Spirit. Discipleship not only involves the process of becoming a disciple but of making other disciples through evangelism and teaching.

11.   If we break that down a bit:

a.        We learn from others to be more like Christ.

b.       As we learn it impacts our actions and our behaviors.

c.        Then we are to help others do the same.

d.       When done correctly it is a self-replicating process.

e.        A Christ following disciple will produce another Christ following disciple, and so forth.

12.   Another thing about Discipleship is that it does not happen via osmosis.

a.        It is not like water being absorbed into a sponge.

b.       If you set a sponge or a paper towel on a bit of water, they will absorb it.

c.        We don’t grow as disciples without taking action.

d.       We have to devote ourselves to learning.

e.        We have to let it change who we are.

f.          Impact what we do.

g.        And then we have to proactively share it with others.

13.   Discipleship falls into the Things Churches Need as the church has a piece in helping to create opportunities.

a.        Connecting people to those who are hopefully farther down the road a bit and can help them grow.

b.       Connecting new believers with those who can show them what it means to follow Jesus.

c.        For the most part here at Littleby that takes place in our Sunday School classes and our monthly Bible studies.

d.       I would say not perfect but movement in the correct direction.

14.   But Discipleship is not all on the church.

15.   A believer or disciple, cannot earn passive credit in discipleship.

a.        The disciple, the follower of Christ needs to take the lead.

b.       Each of us are to take charge in our efforts to grow.

c.        Like a plant that reaches towards the sun, we have to choose to join the classes here at church.

d.       We need to contribute to the conversation.

e.        Maybe even offer to teach.

16.   As we walk the path of a disciple of Christ it should have an impact on how we live.

a.        1 Timothy 6:11

b.       A person who is following Jesus, learning about Him.

c.        Pursue righteousness… something you would only do if you are learning about Jesus and letting it impact how you live your life.

d.       The same can be said about the rest of this list.

e.        Things that are part of following Jesus.

f.          Fruit that would be seen in one who is being discipled as a Christ follower.

17.   Matthew 20:25-28

a.        Another common fruit of someone who is a disciple of Christ is being a servant.

b.       As we learn to follow in the footprints of our Lord, we will serve others.

c.        Jesus served those around Him.

d.       From providing food to eat, healing leprosy, washing feet, and paying our debts… Jesus served others.

e.        He told His disciples that they were to serve others as He did.

f.          That applies to each of us.

g.        We may not be able to heal leprosy and pay for others sin debt, but there are many ways we can serve those around us.

h.        We can give of our time, our money, and our prayers.

i.          We may serve at a foodbank, sponsor a kid to go to camp, or spend time in prayer for others each day.

j.          We may be able to listen or give someone a ride.

k.        Whatever it is, serving others is a fruit of being a disciple.

18.   Luke 6:40

a.        As a disciple, as we learn and grow we need to be willing to invest into others.

b.       We are to self-replicate, help others learn from the wisdom and knowledge that our God has given us.

c.        Help them to walk through life learning what Scripture tells them.

d.       As we do so we become like the teacher in that we are helping and serving others.

e.        But we will never surpass the one we are following.

f.          We will never compare to Jesus.

g.        We have the privilege of pointing people to Him.

h.        We get to help others look to the author and perfector of our faith.

19.   To someone who is not following Jesus, they may see serving others as a waste.

a.        But to those who have walked down the path of discipleship for a bit, we see it as a blessing.

b.       But there is a cost of discipleship.

20.   Luke 14:25-26

a.        Jesus did not mean people needed to hate their family.

b.       He wanted people to understand that following Him had to be a priority.

c.        If we are followers of Jesus, He must be first in our lives.

d.       First over our families and even first over our own life itself.

21.   Luke 14:27

a.        In this case, carrying one’s cross was meant as a public display of one’s faith.

b.       A declaration that you will follow Jesus wherever He leads.

22.   Luke 14:28-30

a.        Before choosing to follow Jesus and be His disciple, we need to understand that it may cost us.

b.       We are not to make this commitment lightly.

c.        It is not some emotional response.

23.   Luke 14:31-33

a.        We must be willing to sacrifice everything as a disciple of Christ.

24.   Luke 14:34-35

a.        A disciple is salty if they understand the costs and are willing to lay it all down for Jesus.

b.       As a disciple, we are to continue to walk with Jesus and give Him everything to remain salty.

25.   Things Churches Need… Discipleship is a joint effort between the church itself and the individuals in it.

a.        The church is to provide opportunities for people to connect and to learn.

b.       Each of us has the responsibility to take advantage of these and seek discipleship.

c.        To actively seek ways to grow as a disciple of our Lord Jesus.

26.   It all starts with a choice.

a.        If you are already a follower, it is a choice to accept the cost and grow.

b.       If you are not a follower, it is a choice to admit you are a sinner and to accept the gift of salvation Jesus is offering you.

c.        The gift Jesus is offering far outweighs the cost.

d.       If you would like to accept Jesus’ gift I would love to talk with you.