Developing as a Disciple Maker

Transition: Life doesn’t have short cuts, and I learned the hard way about pyramid schemes. Almost without fail, the only ones to get money are already at the top, and the whole thing collapses when the foolish people start tapping out the wise.

The Church, however, is not a pyramid scheme. The continuation of the Church, however, does rely on others who are willing to invest in the teachings of Jesus and who choose to train and develop yet others.

The Church will not ever collapse or cease to exist. We have that guarantee through the Promise of Jesus Himself (). But the sad reality is that individual local churches can and do die. What are we as the people of God to be involved in in times such as these? We are to be about the business of the Church - we are simply to follow the original instructions Jesus gave us when He ascended to heaven: we are to be disciples who make disciples ().

As Paul was nearing the end of his life, this thought of passing the baton of faith was uppermost in his mind as he penned his final letter to his son in the faith. In the letter of 2 Timothy Paul encourages Timothy in many areas, and in chapter 2 he gives Timothy principles for ensuring the future existence of the Church.

READ THE TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Develop yourself as a mature disciple through Grace ()

Explanation: Paul has been reminding Timothy of his calling (1:6), and telling him to remain strong in the faith. Paul informs Timothy that most of his helpers have deserted him while he was in prison, but that he, Timothy, is to remain faithful. Paul is being honest with Timothy - he is not sugar-coating what it means to live for Jesus.

After Paul tells Timothy these things (chapter 1), he then encourages him to be very intentional about the future. Paul has spent years training and investing and praying for Timothy, and now he is preparing Timothy to take the baton of faith.

The first principle Paul reminds Timothy about is his need to continue to develop himself in the faith. Paul specifically tells Timothy to be “strengthened by the grace that is in Christ” This isn’t about trying harder or working smarter, this is about trusting Jesus. This isn’t about self-help or a “new you in 30 days” plan; this is about growing in grace to become more like Jesus.

Illustrate: Trying to give piano lessons from a book when you don’t have the ability to play the piano yourself.

Argument: If you are going to pour into someone else, you have to have something to work with. If your spiritual life is not vibrant and growing, you are not going to be able to help someone else. Just a few verses after our passage, Paul admonishes Timothy to study hard so that he would be a “worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of Truth;” (). Growing personally as a follower of Jesus is more than just having knowledge of the Word. But, the spiritual discipline of Bible Intake is crucial. It is the #1 indicator of an individual’s sustained commitment as a disciple.

Application:

Application: Are you growing in YOUR understanding of discipleship? Do YOU have a hunger for the Word? You CAN grow in this area. Start small, but start. Read the book of James or 1 John. Pray and meditate on the Word and ask the Lord for understanding.

Select and invest in others for the sake of the Gospel ()

Explanation: Paul did not have any illusions about himself as being irreplaceable. He knew he couldn’t do it all, and he knew that he wouldn’t be around forever. He invested in Timothy, Luke, Titus, Epaphras, Chloe, Apollos, Oneseserous, and others. Paul taught and trained others to carry on the work, and he is instructing Timothy to do likewise.

Paul advises Timothy to invest in others so that the Christian faith would continue. Notice that Paul is giving specific advice in this area. Paul is telling Timothy to invest in “faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Paul has no intention of having the church fall apart due to the lack of instruction. He gives Timothy careful instructions, & he expects them to be followed.

Example: Relying on the pastor or SS teacher for all of your spiritual nutrition is dangerous, and it kills the power of multiplication. Yes, the pastors and the SS teachers are to be involved in teaching and modeling, but it is not just for these few. Each and every follower of Christ is called not only to follow, but to train others in the following. When we fail to do this, we are handicapping the next generation in a serious manner.

Argument: The Church is much more than teaching, but it can never be less than that. When the Church ceases to teach the next generation, that Church will cease to be effective and will soon disappear from the landscape.

This is quite a challenge for the 21st century church in America. As a people, we are becoming much more emotive in our approach to life than being critical thinkers. We don’t like to think hard about something and we don’t want to read. We would much rather watch a movie than read a book. Reliance on Social media platforms such as twitter has reduced our attention span to 240 characters. This is sufficient for sharing feelings and passions, but is way too few to produce a reasoned statement or logical argument.

When this takes place in the political arena or the celebrity world it is bad enough. When this mindset takes root in the church it is toxic. It will result in a slow death of values and beliefs, and will leave nothing worth passing on to the next generation.

Be intentional in your pursuit of godliness ()

Explanation: Paul focuses in on the need for Timothy to be intention in his pursuit of spiritual growth and maturity. To help Timothy understand this intentionality, Paul uses three life illustrations that make a similar point.

The soldier: A soldier is under orders from above and does what he is told. The soldier is focused on military affairs, not the affairs of the world

The Athlete: The athlete is focused on winning. He or she is constantly training and practicing to improve. And as the athlete competes, he or she must follow the rules to avoid being disqualified

The farmer: Farming is hard work. Lazy farmers don’t last long. The hardworking farmer is busy planting crops, watering them and tending them, and then harvesting them. The farmer, because of his hard work, also gets the benefit of partaking of his own harvest.

Argument: The examples all highlight the need for discipline. Success in none of the three examples is possible with hard work and diligence. But in each example, their is a reward for the labor. In the same way, when we pursue spiritual maturity as disciple makers we too will experience rewards. We will see other believers grow in the faith and we will see lost people be removed from the kingdom of darkness to join us as believers in the Kingdom of Light!

Pursue becoming a disciple maker in a serious manner ()

Act on the reality of your identity in Christ. Accept your mission as a disciple maker. Too many Christians buy into the unbiblical idea that being a disciple is upper level Christianity, a second stage so to speak. This teaching, which has been around a long time, creates a false division between a Christian and a Disciple. It incorrectly teaches that all who surrender to Christ are saved as regular Christians, and the ones who want to go further can become disciples

This is taught nowhere in Scripture. All Christians are Disciples - there are not two separate categories. The only real difference is whether you are a growing disciple or a stagnant disciple. Are you growing in grace and becoming more like Jesus or are you just drifting through this life without eternal purpose

Paul tells Timothy to “think over what I say,” to meditate on it and let it sink in. Paul is telling Timothy that this is so important it bears constant reflection. Paul understood the natural drift in life was downhill, even for the believer. Walking in a manner worthy of Jesus is not a simple, easy task - it requires effort and diligence, and it requires a steadfast pursuit of the goal.

Consider the following question: How is the Church going to do in the next 20 years based on your effort to prepare and develop others as disciples? If God is counting on you personally (and He is) what is your prediction for the future of this local church?

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