WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural (Matthew 28:18-20) Sermon Outline (a blog post for a video sermon for Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on August 9, 2020)

WE ARE THE CHURCH: Where Mentoring is Natural (Matthew 28:18-20) - August 9, 2020

INTRODUCTION‬

We are the church where mentoring is natural.

Discipleship is the human part of God’s plan for us. It is relational like the incarnation.

“The Word became flesh--and then through theologians it became words again.” 

Karl Barth

Kierkagaard in "And I looked around and nobody was laughing" says this, "I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."

“We keep them how we win them.”

“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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I. THE CIRCLE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Disciple means follower.

A. The logic of discipling

1. The leader/follower model (not master/servant, teacher/student)

2. The circular logic of teaching following

B. The need for unbroken discipling

C. The beauty of interlocking circles

1. The strength of a chain

2. The continuity of a chain

II. THE CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP

“It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder.” 

Dwight L. Moody

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Because being a disciple involves a relationship with a person, we must believe in that person and spend time in fellowship with that person. Being a disciple is like being a professional athlete or a physicist. A person who admires professional athletes or physicists, but who never enters into a relationship of learning and emulation with one, is not a disciple. At most, such a person is a fan or an interested onlooker. Disciples observe, emulate and become like the one they are learning from and into whose image they are being conformed (Romans 8:29).”

Chris Scruggs

A. The call to a disciple - “follow my example”

B. The life of a disciple - “as I follow the example of Christ”

C. The roll of disciplemaker - a lead follower connection

III. THE CRISIS OF DISCIPLESHIP

2015 “The State of Discipleship” by the George Barna Group

• Only 1% of church leaders say “today’s churches are doing very well at discipling new and young believers.” Few believe churches – their own or others –are excelling in this area.
• Participation in discipleship activities (e.g. Sunday school, spiritual/mentoring group Bible study) is weak – as low as 20% in our churches.
• The 2 most significant barriers to spiritual growth are the “busyness of life” and a lack of commitment to discipleship. Among a significant number of Christians there is simply no “drive to prioritize spiritual growth.”
• A large number of Christians prefer to pursue spiritual growth on their own (this is of the 37% of those who say that it is important); an even larger number (41%) consider their spiritual life “entirely private.” This is a big problem when we consider the importance of relationships to transformational discipleship.
• Among Christian adults, 35% are using only some sort of non-personal discipleship (podcasts or listening to music).
• In order to create a healthy culture of discipleship, senior leadership must lead the way and a clear plan needs to be in place. In exemplary churches, discipleship is not a program or even a “ministry”; it is part of the church’s core identity.

A. Intent

B. Content

1. Go and make

2. Baptize and teach

C. Importent (IMPORTANT)

CHALLENGE

List 3 people you could invest in spiritually. Circle the one you could develop a discipling relationship with in the near term. Let that person know you would like to help them become a follower of Jesus. Begin the discipline relationship.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I would be honored to speak with you in the upper parking lot following the service about what God is doing in your life.