Final Testimony of a Disciple
Today, I was reading in the Gospel of Mark and I came across the following passage. Mark 3:13-15 (HCSB) 13 Then He went up the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He also appointed 12—He also named them apostles—to be with Him, to send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. I noticed that Jesus summoned His 12 disciples and he appointed them to do two things: 1) Be with Him 2)Go out and do the work of His Kingdom. It is interesting that Jesus first appointed the disciples to “be with Him”. The first part of a disciple’s call is to spend time with Jesus and be transformed by being with Him. It is by being with Jesus that a disciple is made fit to do the work of the Kingdom. Too often in my life, I have focused primarily on doing the work of the Kingdom and have sometimes neglected my primary call: to be with Jesus. Today, I also came across a video recording of Avery Willis’s final testimony. It was recorded shortly before his death in 2010. Avery Willis was a lifelong disciple maker and creator of the Master Life curriculum. Avery Willis exemplifies what it means to be a disciple. He devoted his life first to being with Jesus, and then to doing the work of His Kingdom. Watch this short video of his final testimony. I hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me. Online Training for Church Leaders
As I write this blog post, I am preparing to host a church leadership conference that is expected to draw nearly 500 people in attendance. While conferences like this are a great opportunity to learn, many people find themselves, because of busy schedules, unable to set aside a day to attend leadership training. The Internet may be able to help in this situation by offering anytime training opportunities for church leaders. In cooperation with the Canadian Baptist Convention, The Florida Baptist Convention offers online training through the E-quip Church Leader Training Website http://realtimeleaders.e-quip.net Church leaders can use an online training portal such as E-quip to send training to their volunteers to be viewed at a time and place of their choosing. The leader would simply choose the appropriate training presentation, copy the presentation address link from the browser address bar, and paste it into an email to the volunteer. Then, the presentation could be viewed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Online training like this is a great way to present content, allowing for precious face to face interaction time with volunteers to be used for developing relationships, discussing ministry strategy, and providing encouragement. Check out the E-quip training site which hosts more than 150 training presentations and let me know what you think. realtimeleaders.e-quip.net Catalytic Spiritual Practices
In his book No Little People, Francis Schaeffer explains that the primary threat to the church is not other religions, secular governments, or atheist ideologies. The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, . . . tending to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them. Francis A. Schaeffer, No Little People If Christ’s church is going to accomplish the mission that He gave us, we will need to do His work in the power of His Spirit. When the church attempts to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh it becomes a mere semblance of the church Christ intended. Fleshly churches resemble the true church of Christ in their façade, but underneath, they seem powerless to affect true life transformation and accomplish the Great Commission. Dallas Willard explains that the starting place for discipleship is the “transformed person.” This is not a call for activism. Instead it is a call for deep inner alignment with God’s purposes. The means by which we align our heart with that of God is prayer, which is the primary means of forming character. It combines our freedom with God’s power, resulting in service through love. Transformed hearts produce transformed persons, through and through, and deeds arise from the heart quickened by faith. The deeds of the kingdom arise naturally out of a certain quality of life. We cultivate that life in its wholeness by directing our bodies into activities that empower the inner and outer person for God and through God. Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Engaging in catalytic spiritual practices can help direct God’s people toward activities that empower them to stop relying on the power of the flesh and release the power of the Spirit. In Acts 1-2 we see Jesus’ disciples gathering together to study God’s word, pray, worship, fellowship, minister to one another, and proclaim the gospel. It was in the context of these spiritual practices that the first missionary movement of the church was launched and the disciples were empowered to live out the call of the Great Commission to great effect. Spiritual Development Stages
A clear understanding of the spiritual development process is essential for developing Kingdom People. Mature disciples are not created overnight, but begin as new believers who reach maturity by growing through a developmental stage process. These stages of spiritual growth are: Seeker, Believer, Disciple, Disciple Maker, Servant Leader. 1. Seeker Stage - Primary Characteristic: Interested In the Seeker Stage, a person begins to get interested in the Bible, in God, and in being around Christians. It is important to understand that people in the seeker stage are not yet believers, and their interest should not be interpreted as faith. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Seeker Stage a. Safe place to explore their interests in God, God’s word, and God’s people. b. Good examples of Christian faith and life. c. Opportunities to build relationships with mature Christians. d. Opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. 2. Believer Stage – 1 Thessalonians 2:8-11 - Primary Characteristic: Needs to be Fed The believer stage is the beginning phase for new Christians. During this spiritual development stage, the primary activities of an individual are learning and growing. Individuals in this stage are hungry for God’s word, but they have not yet learned to feed themselves and are dependent on care and nurture from mature Christians who are committed to helping them grow. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Believer Stage a. Spiritual nurture and care by mature Christians in the context of Biblical relationships. b. Spending time, outside of church programming and events, with mature Christians who model a growing healthy faith. c. Opportunities to begin learning about their spiritual gifts and begin serving in ministry. d. Learn the basics of living out faith. e. Christian relationships as a foundation of unity, edification, and accountability. f. Opportunities to learn the principles, practices, and doctrines of Christian faith. g. Discipling Mentoring 3. Disciple Stage - The Disciple Stage is the initial stage of Christian maturity in which the individual takes spiritual responsibility for self. The disciple has learned to be consistent in living out faith, and is a doer of the Word who actively engages in living out the truths of Scripture. This person is also learning to be consistent in overcoming the sinful snares and entanglements of the world that hinder faith. Primary Characteristic: Feeds Self Primary Spiritual Needs in the Disciple Stage a. Encouragement to assume responsibility for own spiritual needs within the context of Christian relationships. b. Support in consistently living out faith and overcoming temptation. c. Mature Christian relationships as a continuing foundation of unity, edification, and accountability. d. Encouragement and guidance in discovering place of kingdom service. e. Continuing opportunities to learn the principles, practices, and doctrines of Christian faith. f. Discipling Mentor 4. Disciple Maker Stage Matthew 28:16-20 - Primary Characteristic: Feeds Others The Disciple Maker stage is characterized by spiritual reproduction. During this phase, an individual is ready and able to take spiritual responsibility for others. A person in the Disciple Maker Stage is committed to a lifestyle of sharing the Gospel, and nurturing other Christians toward spiritual maturity. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Disciple Maker Stage a. Encouragement to assume the responsibility for the spiritual needs of others as well as self within the context of Christian relationships. b. Support in consistently living out mature faith as a model for others to follow. c. Ongoing Christian relationships as a foundation for equipping others to grow in faith. e. Ongoing equipping for effectiveness in leading others toward Christian maturity. f. Opportunities to mentor others. 5. Servant Leader Stage John 17:6-19 - Primary Characteristic: Leads in Ministry The Servant Leader stage is characterized by leadership in Great Commission Ministry. A person in this stage not only takes spiritual responsibility for others, but is committed to developing and leading people who have the passion and skill to in turn develop others. People in this stage are generally key ministry leaders who multiply themselves in others. People in the servant leader stage may also be leaders in their families or demonstrate Servant leadership in other areas of life. |
Tony HoffmanCampus Pastor at First Baptist Church in Leesburg, FL where his passion is to help people discover and live out their calling in Christ. Tony regularly consults, speaks, and teaches about discipleship and Christian education. Archives
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