The GCJ Discipleship Program – Discipleship 101

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Last week, we looked at an introduction to a discipleship program I’m working on.

INTRODUCTION

What is the GCJ Discipleship Program?

    • A program being designed to help GCJ realize its vision of being a healthy church.

What is a healthy church?

    • A church that is functioning as it should, loving God and others and making disciples for Christ.

What is discipleship all about?

    • The making of disciples
    • working with persons so that they become NOT only persons who believe in and follow Christ, BUT also lead others to Christ

What does discipleship look like?

    • From an article, entitled Six Functions of The Church, found on the GCI website:

Throughout the New Testament, we see spiritual leaders teaching others. This is part of the Christian lifestyle; it is part of the Great Commission. “Go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Everyone must be either a learner or a teacher, and we are usually both at the same time. “Teach and ad­monish one another with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16). We must be learning from one another, from other Christians. The church is an educational institution as well as a place of worship and transformation.

Paul told Timothy, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Every Christian should be able to teach the basics of the faith, to give an answer concerning our hope in Jesus Christ.

People who have already learned should become teachers, to pass the truth along to new generations.  Teaching is often done by pastors. But Paul commands every Christian to teach.  Small groups provide one way in which this is done.  Mature Christians can teach both in word and in example.  They can tell others how Christ has helped them.  When their faith is weak, they can seek the encouragement of others.  When their faith is strong, they can help the weak.  

It is not good for a Christian to be alone.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

By working together, we help one another grow.  Discipleship is often a mutual process, one member helping another member. But some discipleship flows more purposefully, with more direction given to it. God has appointed some people in his church for that very reason:  

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

God provides leaders who have the role of preparing others for their roles. The result is growth, maturity and unity, if we allow the process to work as God intended. Some Christian growth and learning comes from peers; some comes from people in the church who have the specific assignment of teaching and modeling the Christian life. People who isolate themselves are missing out on this aspect of the faith.

We have much to learn – and much to apply.  Local congregations need to offer Bible studies, classes for new believers, training in evangelism, etc.  We need to encourage lay ministry by giving permission, giving training, giving tools, giving control and getting out of the way!   

    • Our Discipleship Program is being designed to give information and training to help persons move from being mere attenders (or associates) to being disciples.

Where do we start our Discipleship Program?

    • with an understanding that a church meeting may include four kinds of people: attenders, believers, Christians and disciples.
      1. Attenders … associates, friends, relatives who attend services (children)
      2. Believers … persons who believe the Gospel
      3. Christians … persons who are committed to following Jesus
      4. Disciples … persons who have caused other to believe in and follow Christ

What is the objective of the GCJ Discipleship Program?

    • To help persons that GCJ interacts to become disciples  

How does GCJ try to do that?

    • To guide/lead persons through a process that causes attenders to become believers, believers to become Christians (committed believers) and Christians to become disciples.

What are the main tools used in the GCJ discipleship process?

    • Discipleship 101  … for attenders
    • Discipleship 201 … for believers (ideal for New Believers class)
    • Disciple 301  … for Christians (ideal for New Members class)

What are the main features of each of the courses?

    • Discipleship 101
      • GOAL … to move persons from being attenders to being believers
      • OBJECTIVE … Attender needs to hear and believe the Gospel
    • Discipleship 201
      • GOAL … to move persons from being believers to being Christians
      • OBJECTIVE …  Believer needs to get baptized to show commitment to following Christ
    • Disciple 301
      • GOAL … to move persons from being Christians to being disciples
      • OBJECTIVE … Christian needs to get involved in witnessing and personal evangelism

What are the components of Discipleship 101?

    • Discipleship 101 can be divided into five lessons:
      1. God’s Purpose … Relationship
      2. Man’s Problem … Separation
      3. God’s Provision … Jesus Christ
      4. Man’s Potential … Reconciliation
      5. God’s Promise  … Fellowship with God

What are the components of Discipleship 201?

    • ABC for Believers
      • A … Assurance of Salvation
      • B … Baptism
      • C … Church (Christian Friends/Fellowship)

What are the components of Discipleship 301-304?  

    • Overview of the Life of Christ and Stories of the Early Church (Luke-Acts)
    • Introduction to Systematic Theology
      • Theology Proper
      • Paterology
      • Christology
      • Pneumatology
      • Anthropology
      • Hamartiology
      • Soteriology
      • Ecclesiology
      • Escathology
    • Introduction to Comparative Religion (belief systems & denominations)

 

I said last week that this week, we’d be taking a dive into Discipleship 101.

As I mentioned last time … Discipleship 101 is built upon five lessons:

      1. God’s Purpose … Relationship
      2. Man’s Problem … Separation
      3. God’s Provision … Jesus Christ
      4. Man’s Potential … Reconciliation
      5. God’s Promise  … Fellowship with God

As you can see, the course features five words that begin with the letter ‘P’.

As some might remember … I asked persons to try to come up with 1 or 2 verses for each of the sections above.

Today, I want to follow up on that assignment.

1.  GOD’S PURPOSE

Genesis 1:11-13 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.  13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.   

Genesis 1:20-25  20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living [e]creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the [f]firmament of the heavens.”  21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth,  each according to its kind”; and it was so.  25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind,  cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:26    26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image,  according to Our likeness;  let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

  • RELATIONSHIP
  • Revelation 21:3-4    3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
  • Luke 11:1-4  Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

    Our[a] Father [b]in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    Your kingdom come.
    [c]Your will be done
    On earth as it is in heaven.
    3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
    4 And forgive us our sins,
    For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
    And do not lead us into temptation,
    [d]But deliver us from the evil one.”  

  • Genesis 3:22-23   22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” —  23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 

2.  MAN’S PROBLEM

  • Genesis 3:22-24  22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.  24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.   
  • SEPARATION
  • Isaiah 59:1-2   Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 
    2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. 
  • Man’s real problem … not sin, but SEPARATION, which is caused by sin … and death.
  • Romans 3:23
  • Romans 6:23
  • Ephesians 2:1-3  And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
  • Romans 8:6-8     For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

3.  GOD’S PROVISION

 

 

  • JESUS CHRIST

4.  MAN’S POTENTIAL

 

 

  • RECONCILIATION

5.  GOD’S PROMISE

 

 

  • RESTORATION OF RELATIONSHIP

 

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