Discipleship Network Forum

"The facts are that God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak. The second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Word." (The Best of AW Tozer)

Do we live with the commitment and confidence that we will never be ashamed of Jesus Christ? Do we have the freedom and the courage to bring glory to Christ in all that we do? Will our life honor Him no matter what, whether we live or die? These are the questions of ultimate satisfaction.

A Christian’s life is to be consumed with Christ. If we are living, we are living for Christ. We see His life in us, we see Him using us to produce eternal fruit, we’re satisfied to walk with Him every day, to commune with Him, to know we are His. And if we die, things are only going to get better. Because we gain the glory of eternity with Him.

In light of this, are we really conducting ourselves as citizens of heaven? Are we living in a manner worthy of representing Christ? Not in order to earn something from Him, but in response to who He has made us?

We've been given the great privilege of belonging to Christ, and not only the privilege of belonging to Him, but also the privilege of suffering for Him. We've been joined to Christ, and Christ’s victory came through suffering. We are eternally privileged to live for Him, and we are temporally privileged to suffer for Him.

Let’s be in the struggle together, strengthening one another in Christ. Holding one another up. Standing victorious together. And when the Lord of glory appears, all that He has for us, all that He’s made us, will become an instant reality.

Let’s live for Christ. It’s the ultimate satisfaction.

Pastor Dave

1. Ask the Lord to put on your heart 2-3 others who will meet 90 minutes each week to grow together to become dedicated disciples of Christ;
2. Focus on God’s love, His Word, relationship, trust, transparency, mutual responsibility, accountability, and when our Lord directs, release those individuals to begin their own core groups;
3. See step 1.

I love the stories of the Old Testament! Some people think they don’t apply to them because they happened so long ago. But God has treasures for us throughout every page of His book and they are just as relevant today as they were back then. Last week when I read about Gideon in the book of Judges, Chapter 6, I saw so many truths that I couldn’t wait to blog about it for the next couple of weeks as well!

Let me set the scene for you from Judges 6:1-10…. The Israelites had been disobedient to God and He had given them into the hands of the Midianites for seven year. The Israelites lived by escaping into mountain clefts, caves and strongholds because the Midianites were so oppressive. The Israelites tried to plant their crops but the Midianites with their sheep and cattle, and other enemies from the east, would come in like a swarm of locusts and ravage the land. The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. So God sent them a prophet to remind them that God had brought them out of Egypt and out of slavery and He could do the same for them. God had told them not to fear and worship the gods of the people in whose land they lived, but they didn’t listen to Him.

So, you’re probably thinking… “What does the war with Midian and the Israelites have to do with me in this day and time? We don’t have wars like that here.” That may be true, but we, as Christians, have an enemy who can be very oppressive. He may even come in and ravage your home and send you into strongholds that you were not meant to live in. We can look at the spiritual parallels between now and then. So, the question is, are you being disobedient to God? Have you given Satan a foothold because of that disobedience? Has Satan run you into a stronghold of addiction, lust, pride, unforgiveness, etc.? The list can go on and on… God gave the Israelites to the enemy for a time because they were disobedient to Him. God disciplines those He loves. And He knows just what it will take to get us to cry out to Him, just like the Israelites cried out to God. God sent a prophet to tell the Israelites to remember Him and how He acted on their behalf in the past. Has God sent someone to you who is reminding you of how God has worked in your life? Or maybe you have a journal from your past that you can read for encouragement. It helps us to remember what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others so that we can have hope for what He’s going to do in our current circumstances.

When the Israelites cried out to God, He reminded them that He had told them not to fear and worship the gods of their enemies, but they did it anyway. Are there some gods of this world that you worship because you fear them? What about the fear of not having enough money, so you stay in a job that God has told you to leave? Or are you worshipping your job by spending too much time there and not enough time with your family? Are you afraid of what other people might think of you, so you worship their opinion? Are you worshipping the god of the economy because you’re afraid it will tank and along with it all of your wealth? Are you worshipping the god of pleasure, afraid that you will miss out on comforts you believe should be yours? Only God is worthy of our worship and our fear, or awe of Him. These other things are fleeting, and don’t matter in the end. God answered the cry of the Israelites and He raised up an unlikely warrior in Gideon. I suspect He can and is already in the process of raising up an unlikely warrior in you… Put away the gods of this world and turn to the only God who can truly change your life. He’s the only God who is worthy of our fear and our worship. Join me next week as we continue our journey into the life of Gideon, an unlikely warrior.

www.LVCMinistries.com

@Copyright 2010 LVM Ministries, Inc.

Earlier this month, the Small Groups Network has spent time discussing thepriniciples and approaches taken from Kim Engelmann's book - Shaping small groups"">Soul-shaping Small Groups.

Here are some of the highlights from both the book and conversations with small group practioners.

• Too often we fill our times together with words and noise, rather than intentional silence in order to hear from God. Is there intentionalspace for God to act and speak?
• The iniative of "inviting" God to be in our presence is to affirm and expect God to be and do. This addresses a healthy dependence on God.
• Contemplative spiritual excercises complement the learning styles we often use in a small group context.
• Need to have a wholistic appraoch to doctrine, prayer, Scripture and disciplines
• We are uncomfortable with silence. It is counter cultural to the activities and behaviours in our society including our interactions withother believers.
• There is risk in a group setting taken when we are asking God to show up in way that we can't control. This is faith-building andfreeing.
• Soul-shaping approaches & excercises need to be modelled, as most leaders and groups shy away from the untried.

If you lead small groups, I highly recommend you read this book. The main portion of the book gives her well-written treatise. The lastportion has practical excercises that most groups could practice quiteeasily.

"Church" (Ekklesia; Iglesia) needs a revelation to be grasped. Ekklesia is notthe Catholic, the Protestant, the Evangelical, the Pentecostal Church,or in fact, any identifiable institution. It is a group of people fromevery nation, tribe, and tongue, who are born again through faith inYeshua (Jesus) and led by the Spirit of God. Asher Intrater

Once, when I was flying from one small country to another, I had an experience with an airliner’s oxygen mask. Something in the plane was amiss, my head started to feel as if it would explode, and an oxygen mask was lowered from somewhere above me. I put it on and was able to breathe until we were back on the ground, even though my head was still under extreme pressure. But, in spite of the pressure and anxiety, it was comforting to know that I had a clear line to life-giving oxygen. Soon I was back on the ground where the oxygen level was natural—divinely balanced.

The memory of this experience was triggered when I read in a favorite devotional writer, “We are in great need of the pure, life-giving atmosphere that nurtures and invigorates the spiritual life.” If we are in need of such an atmosphere, then on this sinful earth this atmosphere must not be the thing
that we breathe naturally. The natural atmosphere of this world must be an impure, death-producing one.

For a moment, let your imagination fly up and see what this world might look like from God’s perspective. I think He sees it covered with a gritty, black, coal-dust atmosphere of smog (the atmosphere of sin). Unlike us, His dear children, who see just another sunny day, with maybe a few shadows.

But we know that the end result of the great controversy between God and Satan is that God will end this state of emergency, this death-producing atmosphere that kills His children, with one mighty
hurricane-force wind. Everyone who is not blown away will again be able to breathe naturally the pure, life-giving atmosphere of heaven.

So, what will keep us from being blown away?

Down come the oxygen masks—the means whereby we access the pure, life-giving atmosphere of heaven.

Even before the impure, death-producing atmosphere surrounded the world, God created oxygen masks and secured them safely in the compartment above us. They have been released and are now dangling there for our use. We accept the saving grace of these masks when we reach out and slip them over our noses and mouths and breathe again “the pure, life-giving atmosphere that nurtures and invigorates the spiritual life.”

In the real world of aircraft, I imagine you could reach up, pinch the plastic tubing, and cut off or slow the flow of oxygen. But once you started to pass out, your grip would relax and the flow of oxygen would begin again.

With the spiritual oxygen masks it seems that we often pinch the tubing, and instead of our grip relaxing as we pass out to spiritual things, our grip tightens all the more. And some of us are so accustomed to the coal-dust atmosphere that we think we can stand to breathe only a tiny trickle of the pure, life-giving air at a time. Perhaps we take only one deep breath every week (and hyperventilate at church), or at most, a tiny trickle every morning and evening.

How sad God must be to watch us suffocate ourselves.

In 1878 Edwin Hatch captured the importance of this life-giving atmosphere when he wrote:

More recently singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith summed up this concept with the words:

And, in “Mary’s Song,” Christian artists sing the prayer: “Breath of Heaven/Hold me together/Be forever near me . . ./For You are holy/Breath of heaven.”

So, I ask myself, What is my song going to be?

How freely do I let flow the pure life-giving atmosphere that nurtures and invigorates my spiritual life? After all, the flight attendants always close their safety demonstrations with these words:
“Please secure your own oxygen mask before trying to assist others.”

A thought or three and some questions have come to mind for me after a messaging conversation I had with a mentor of mine concerning discipleship. I will do my utmost to keep this as simple as possible, mostly because I have a tendacy to make something simple, complicated, or more convoluted than neccessary.

"Follow Me", is a phrase Jesus uses to herald our hearts and minds to become His disciples.

Our initial step to follow was a quick jumpstart beginning - for some of us. For others - accepting the call was a carefully reasoned step.We all made a choice to take a step from our usual and accept the call of Jesus to follow Him.

We are summoned by Him with two words, number one, follow.

My western formed thought process tells me this means we are not to lead, or walk abreast, but, simply to stay behind, take up the rear. Instead, this term used goes beyond that and takes us to a point of fellowship. Jesus was understood by His immediate audience to be making a call to discipleship and not just to go with Him from one place to another for the sake of being a company of numbers. A relationship is more akin to this word than a simple call to "walk this way" (no Aerosmith pun intended or Eye-gor from Young Frankenstein).

These men knew very well what this rabbi was considering before they accepted His call. They knew what was at stake for them if they accepted His invitation. The need to stop all that was in their lives, namely their livelihood and we find out their current religious understanding as well.

The talmidim of that time made a commitment to the rabbi, to give up their lives to become like the rabbi. A relationship like this was usually presented to a young man after careful scrutiny of that young man by the rabbi. These men Jesus called, were most likely not talmidim when they were younger and found a rabbi who wanted them to become one, later in their life.

The second word Jesus uses is, me.

Since the call from Jesus seems to be a discipling relationship, He presents the one called with whom they are to follow. It is certain from the Gospel accounts all of these men had one in some way or another taken notice of this rabbi. Whether it was from direct contact or second hand accounts, the person called knew who Jesus was, what He was teaching, the things He did and was doing.

Were His actions and teachings different then what was prevelant of the religious then? Yes. It is these things that made one take notice of Him. His actions and His words.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus regularly challenged the religious leaders and their conduct, and tells all listening to do as they say (words), and not as they do (actions). Maybe we should take notice both of these terms are to be mutually exclusive "with" each other.

Jesus tells these leaders their "traditions nullify the power of God". They are called "whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bodies". Their cups are filthy on the inside and the outside is purposely cleaned. This seems to be regular qualifier for Jesus, pointing out the actions and words that are not working side by side in these leaders. Taking this into account, as we read into the Gospels we notice, these disciples "who turned the world upside down" were/are a part of something that was not of the normal religious process.

With all these things in mind, Jesus' call to follow Him is sure to take one from the comfortable to most un-comfortable. To be a part of a community that goes against all that was/is well known, allowed for some, for others, something followed.

The call is and needs to be understood before accepted. It truly is not something to be hastened too.

Once the call is accepted, following becomes, will become, shall become, should become, normal, while the rest of the world is noticed as upside down.

Jesus tells us to take our eyes off all that has been a part of our make-up to that point and begin to focus on Him, alone. Jesus wants to be "the example".

The call is the invitation, and after acceptance the call is the answer to the question "now what?".

I once heard a powerful sermon on doing the impossible. The preacher posed the question “Does God require too much?” Of course, he gave us the solution to the seeming impossibility of meeting the expectations (doing greater works than Christ, being perfect, making disciples, etc.). They were:

1. Be in the circle of God’s will.

2. Wait for God’s timing.

3. Taks some risks. (You can’t walk on water unless you get out of the boat.)

4. Focus on Jesus.

5. Harness prayer power.

It was, as I said, a powerful message. And there was absolutely nothing about it with which I did not agree. And yet, over the following weeks I found myself composing a sequel message for my own soul.

The title of my message to myself was: Don’t Even Think About Doing the Impossible!

It wasn’t that I didn’t firmly believe that, as Paul preached, I can do all things through Christ’s strength---even the humanly impossible (Philippians 4:13). My message sequel to myself was about Thinking about doing the impossible. It was not about whether or not the impossible could be accomplished in and through me.

In my experience, when human beings think too much about doing the impossible, they have a tendency to become either petrified or proud. In the same sermon mentioned earlier, it was pointed out that there are 366 “Fear not’s” in the Bible---one for every day of the year, plus one. Pride---“getting a glide in your stride”---was also warned against.

The only way I can approach doing the impossible without becoming either petrified or proud, is not to think about how to do it, but rather to pray for the courage to let the impossible be done in and through me. When I think about (or focus on) how I can accomplish the impossible, even in Christ, I have a tendency to feel in some control of the process (which feeds pride). Especially when I have a list of steps to take to accomplish the impossible. Or, I just run the other way---petrified by the impossible.

On the other hand, if I think about (or focus on) clearing myself out of the limelight while having the courage to let God take control and do whatever He needs to in me to accomplish the impossible, I find peace instead of being either petrified or proud.

English grammar helps me understand this concept.

When I am the subject of the sentence, it reads like this: “Kathy does the impossible through Christ. Kathy does greater works than Christ in the power of the spirit.” (See proud Kathy. See Kathy get a “glide in her stride”).

But when I am just the object of the preposition it reads like this: “God does the impossible through Kathy. God does great works through Kathy. God is perfecting Kathy. God is being honored by Kathy.”

Somehow thinking as if I am the one doing the actions tempts me to pride if I have the personality that appears to be able to do them. Even thinking about being the subject of the sentence petrifies me if I don’t innately have that inner fortitude, and I avoid the concept of the impossible altogether.

Think of God as a Father who has three children who have been playing in the mud. He calls his children (humanity) in to ready them (the impossible) for a visit from the relatives (all other created beings in the universe). One child is petrified at the thought of the father’s sending him to the tub and scrubbing away the dirt, so he hides under the bed. Another child is so independent and capable that he insists on drawing his own bath and washing and dressing himself. The third child is courageous enough to let the father lead him to the tub, scrub him clean, and even button his shirt. He obediently complies, making no thought about how he looks.

When the universe relatives come to greet the three children lined up on the front porch, just imagine in your mind’s eye what they see. Petrified is still a mess, Proud has mud behind his ears, around his neck, and his shirt is buttoned wrong. But Peaceful stands their happily without even thinking about how the impossible was accomplished in and through him.

My children(2 boys & a girl-ages 15,13 & 11) & I read from a devotional book each morning. I used to get feedback which would create some great discussions but for the last few months nothing. Maybe I should try a new devotional book, any ideas? It seems it has almost become a chore to do our devotionals and some days I am afraid I am pushing them away rather than strengthening their relationship with the Lord.

This is especially true with my 15 yr.old. I worry knowing he is growing up fast and my inlfuence on his spirituality is becoming less and less.

I've been blogging a short series about our inner life, discipleship, community, and ministry, inspired by an article by Henri Nouwen years ago in the Spring 1995 issue of Leadership. Find the most recent blog here.

A short excerpt from the blog that you may find interesting:

It seems to me that in today's church culture, we put everything else in front of solitude.

• Some put discipleship first. They say it all starts here. That we have to teach people how to grow and serve and share their faith.
• Some put evangelism first. Our first priority, they say, is to carry out the mission to make disciples.
• Some put leadership first. Everything begins with leaders who model the abundant life and bring others along, right?
• Some put community first. After all, they say, all of this good stuff happens in the environment of authentic Biblical community. So we have to build small groups.

Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We seek God's Kingdom by being committed to the King.

Pleasr check out the rest of the blog here and I'd love to hear what you think.

Feel free to subscribe to my Small Group Leadership blog at http://smallgroupleadership.blogspot.com/.

Today's reading: JOHN 18:28-40; JOHN 19:1-16

John 19: 6 – 11 (NIV)

6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

"Take him yourselves and crucify him," Pilate said. "I find him not guilty."

7 The Jewish leaders replied, "By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God."

8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. 9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters[a] again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. 10 "Why don't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?"

11 Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin."

Daniel speaks to Kings

Daniel 4:24 - 28 (NIV)

²⁴ "This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: ²⁵ You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. ²⁶ The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue."

Daniel 5:20 - 23 (NIV)

²⁰ But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. ²¹ He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

²² "But you, Belshazzar, his son have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

I read this book and it really helped me understand some of the disciplines that are foundational for spiritual growth. I created a table which compares and contrast the disciplines versus what the world is offering. I have also added some quotes from the book and other sources. I hope this will help us all grow in Christ.

Disciplines of the Christian Life

So you want to be like Christ by Charles Swindoll (on the left)

So you want to be like the world by Scott Williams (on the right)

“Distance from God is a frightening thing. God will never adjust His agenda to fit ours. He will not speed His pace to catch up with ours; we need to slow our pace in order to recover our walk with Him.” (page 9)

“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”(Richard Foster Celebration of Discipline)

“Notice that the first four disciplines have to do with getting rid of something, creating room in your life. The next four contribute vitality and authenticity to your spiritual life.”

(page 22)

IDOLATRY — the worship of something created as opposed to the worship of the Creator Himself. Scores of references to idolatry appear in the Old Testament. This shows that idolatry probably was the greatest temptation our spiritual forefathers faced.

WORSHIP — reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship,” a word that denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.

³⁷ Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

⁷ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8)

1. “The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activity which occupy time and attention, but can never satisfy the longing of the heart.” ( Tozer: The Pursuit of God, page 17)

2. “If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.” (Tozer: page 18)

3. “The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation.” (Tozer: page 18)

4. “We become a child of God through faith, we become a disciple through sacrifice, but we become mature through time.” (Andy Stanley)

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

(Galatians 6:7)

5. It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply. The Root of the Righteous, (Tozer)

6. You should expect spiritual warfare to increase as you start to develop your quiet time.

Spiritual growth is a process (months and years, never ending) not an event.

Disciplship has for decades has been very difficult for church bodies to embrace. It is very popular to talk about because it is incorrectly associated to Evengelism and church growth. I am not saying that it won't effect those area of a local church, but that's not the point. In fact true "disciplesip" will scare some away as Jesus said "are you too going to leave" (paraphrase) while his true disciples will respond and say Lord where shall we go for only you have the words of life.

I've never blogged before so I am doing a stream of consiousness and am not looking up scriptures. hopefully his word abides in my heart.

Discipleship can not be programmed or legislated. Discipleship is seeker friendly. We can inspire young believers to be seekers and as they seek we can disciple.

Discipleship is all about the maturing of the body of Christ. Christ is comming back for a bride that is ready for the groom. Unfortuneately discipleship is not for everyone, it is for the ones He has called. Mature believers in Christ need to resist the cultural wave and admit to themself that not everyone who goes to church is saved.

Judge not lest ye be judged and yet God has equiped with His Holy spirit so that we can discern and make sound and wise judgements with in the body. to discern good and evil. For many are called but few are chosen. I will grant you, there is much more to say on this subject and I know that there is, no doubt, a balance of other opinions. this is my first time here so i thought i'd get the ball rolling for some lively discussion.

The best way to get discipleship started in a church is by the church leadership being sold out for Christ and are visibly being discipled through the Word. As the leadership goes so will the flock.

God bless, Toby