PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP 2Mentor - Model - Example - Teach - Parent

GROWING NEW BELIEVERS

Without being mentored, a new believer will typically adopt the values/convictions of those he associates with during the formative period of his spiritual life.

When an immature believer joins your group, we expect that his values and convictions will be challenged. He may become uncomfortable and seek a more “friendly” and less intrusive environment.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT NEW OR IMMATURE BELIEVER?

Typically, he will seek out a congregation where he is more comfortable; where he can hear the preaching. It is hoped that the negative behaviors he observes in the congregation do not distort his understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

Most new believers will be impacted more by what they see other believers do, than what they hear them say. If that congregation is spiritually mature, then the new believer will hear and see Biblical spirituality modeled and in turn, follow.

MODELING AFFECTS HOW PEOPLE INTERPRET THE BIBLE

A man attended a one-day workshop on Discipleship. He had always interpreted Matt. 28:18-20 as saying, “go and make converts,” but now realized that it says, “go and make disciples.” He didn’t realize he was reading it incorrectly. He had read the word “disciples” but in reality, the term had little significance because, what he was “hearing” and seeing “modeled” around him conveyed that what was really important was “making converts.” In his mind, he interpreted the word “disciple” to mean “convert” because of what he heard and saw.

OSWALD CHAMBERS

• “Until others learn to draw on the life of Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply until they learn to take their nourishment from God.” ~ My Utmost for His Highest

EVERY BELIEVER BENEFITS FROM SPIRITUAL PARENTING

“We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” 1 Thess 2:7

How soon after birth does a baby need to be nursed (draw nourishment through its mother)? As a mother produces milk, allow God’s overflow in you to become nourishment for others until they can receive nourishment for themselves.

• Acts 20:31, (Paul to the elders of Ephesus), “So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:11

“For you know how we were exhorting (to earnestly urge, advise, or caution) and encouraging (to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence) and imploring (to beg urgently) each one of you as a father would his own children.”

GOD’S WORD IS CRUCIAL

A Christian may possess Biblical knowledge and yet remain spiritually immature. A Christian cannot be spiritually mature without understanding God’s Word.

Proverbs 4:7, “With all your getting, get understanding.”

1 Cor 8:1-2, “Sometimes we think we know-it-all, but if we humble ourselves, we’ll realize that God is the only One who really knows anything.” personal translation

Col. 1:28-29, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect (complete/mature) in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

1 Thess. 2:13, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it realy is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

TEACHING GOD’S WORD DOES NOT EQUATE TO DISCIPLESHIP

If merely knowing scripture and Bible stories were itself the key to Christianity, we should have the most spiritual generation of Christians in world history. The Christian book stores are filled with books on every Biblical and Christian subject imaginable.

Food is essential for us all, but every individual also needs love, commitment, nurturing, modeling, and personal attention. God gave us the process of rearing our physical children as a model for raising spiritual sons and daughters.

THE LORD NEEDS THE CHURCH TO USE ITS GIFTS

Eph 4, Jesus gives “gifts” to men (apostle, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers) to prepare God’s people (you) to be built up for acts of service.

1 Cor 12, Nine spiritual gifts are given for the common good of the Body of Christ (words - wisdom, knowledge, prophecies, tongues, interpretation of tongues; discerning of spirits, faith, healing, working of miracles).

Rom 12, God creates us with special abilities and we all belong to help one another (leader, perceiver, teacher, encourager, service, mercy, giver).

EVERYTHING MUST BE LOVE-BASED

To love to teach (to serve, to give) is good, but to love those you teach (to serve, to give) is better.

1 Cor. 16:14, “Let all that you do be done in love.”

To know scripture is good, but to intimately know and understand the One who gave us scripture is better.

JEREMIAH 9:23-24

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”

John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”

THE GOAL OF PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP

To help a believer through the transition from the habit of daily living in “independence” or “self-dependence” to the habit of daily living in “God-dependence.”

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

PHASES OF LIFE

1. An “unsaved” person is spiritually dead to God. Self-dependence is a habit of everyday living/way of life.

2. Evangelism culminates in the event of salvation (when a person passes from spiritual death to spiritual life).

3. The Spiritual Parenting phase is the critical formative period, where an immature believer can learn to live increasingly dependent upon the Holy Spirit.

4. Sanctification is a process where the believer, having been discipled, has a basic understanding of his need to follow the Holy Spirit, so he can continue being led and transformed by Him.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS OF DISCIPLESHIP ARE:

Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual Fruitfulness

Spiritual Reproduction

MULTIPLICATIONPHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL

Doctors state that 90% of normal, healthy couples should be able to physically reproduce children.

Normal, healthy Christians should be able to reproduce spiritually.

OBSTACLES TO REPRODUCTION

Physical (male & female): Immaturity; health issues; lack of intimacy with person of opposite sex.

Spiritual (yourself & Holy Spirit): Spiritually immaturity; spiritual health issues; lack of intimacy with the person of the Holy Spirit.

HOW THIS WORKS

Pray to be led to the right person(s). Rom 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.”

Befriend those who don’t know Christ or are just starting out in their relationship with Him.

Show them how to grow and how to help others grow in their relationship with Christ. 2 Timothy 2:2

ESTABLISH LIFE-TO-LIFE MENTORING

Jesus, his disciples, and the early church used this life-to-life approach. Kingdom principles came to life in people through these type of life-to-life mentoring relationships.

Your group will be made up of two to three people of the same gender. A fourth/fifth requires multiplication.

Flexible scheduling and meeting times (20-50 minutes).

WEEKLY MEETINGS

Personal daily (assigned) Bible study topics, scripture memorization and prayer.

Weekly mutual accountability with strict confidentiality (personal struggles identified). You choose! Adapt.

Weekly Bible study discussion. Distribute next week’s assigned study sheets. No individual should dominate the discussion.

End each meeting by scheduling next meeting & prayer.