What is disciple: Works Together
What is a disciple • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsThis sermon in the series describes how Jesus means us to work together.
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What is a disciple: Works Together
What is a disciple: Works Together
Introduction
A question I get asked often is, do I really need to go to church? Or put another way, I don’t need church as I am good without being involved with these other Christians or church. I used to answer the question in a way where I would say, well, if you want to be technical, I don’t see that God would send you to hell. My answer then shifted to, if you want to live with a target for the devil on you your whole life then you can try this. However, today, I want to go beyond the minimum standard of what we can get away with or get by with. While I can quote you scripture where it says don’t neglect to meet together, it is so much more than just meeting together. God calls us to work together plain and simple. God does not call us to go it alone but calls us together to do the work of disciples.
Lonely work
Have you ever had to complete a job and felt like you had no help to get it done? When I think about Old Testament prophets, this image comes to mind. There is the pressure that comes with speaking for God. Then there is the additional pressure that nobody wants to hear from God, or more precisely, they don’t want to change their lifestyle.
I often reflect on Elijah and his life. While he has powerful stories like the showdown with the prophets of Baal or the race with King Ahab’s chariot, he also for the most part is alone in his ministry. It is no stretch to say that it wore him down a lot of days. One day in particular when he has completed the showdown and killed the false prophets of Baal and now Jezebel is threatening his life, he reaches the end of his strength.
The story goes like this. This story is found in 1 Kings 19 but I will give you the summary. I encourage you to read the whole chapter. Elijah is fleeing for his life and he lays down under a broom tree. He ask God to take his life and that he is done. Elijah is weary and believes it is better than he be in the grave with his ancestors than to keep on being a prophet to Israel. He is worn out and alone and he believes his ministry work is over. He is done with Israel. Where he has wondered is now beyond the promised land. He laid down to simply die.
Yet an angel woke him from his sleep and fed him and his strength returned. He went on a journey to meet God at Mount Horeb. Elijah hides in a cave and there is a windstorm, an earthquake, and fire yet God was not in these. It was when Elijah heard the sound of sheer silence, he knew he was in the presence of God. Here God designates a ministry partner for Elijah. He gives Elijah a disciple to train up so he can pass the mantle on eventually. Elijah returns and then calls Elisha to follow him and become his disciple so they can work together.
In all of his lonely work before this point, Elijah struggles and struggles. Now, God has given him help. Now God has given him relief from his lonely prophetic task. He no longer wishes to simply die and go into the grave but has a renewed spirit because God has given him help. I won’t say that Elijah was not still tired but in this period of his life working with Elisha, he is no longer fleeing or worrying about his life or being worn down and ready to quit. I believe God saw his loneliness and answered his need for help in the prophetic ministry he was called to.
Today we also face this same challenge because we think we are all alone. When you are all alone it is easy to become defeated like Elijah and think there is nothing good left you can do. It is when we work together that we realize there is always more that we can accomplish than on our own.
Working in Pairs
In our passage we read earlier, Jesus sent these 12 disciples out in pairs. Why do you think he did this? Would they not reach more people on their own? Would they not perform more work on their own? This is where I think we confuse worldly ways and spiritual ways.
In the previous verse where we started, Jesus is frustrated with people’s unbelief. So his answer to this is to go out among the villages teaching. He started with the basics again perhaps. He then called the disciples and sent them out in pairs. What work did they do together? They proclaimed the message of repentance. They cast out demons, anointed sick and they healed and cured people.
Later on in the Gospel of Luke in chapter 10, Jesus again appoints seventy others and sends them out in pairs. They repeat the same work of the 12 disciples Jesus first sent out. I think it is no coincidence that Jesus chose to send out pairs of followers.
Why is that? We just read how hard it was for Elijah on his own. Jesus does not send us out to simply become defeated because face it, when we are on our own, we quit, we feel defeated and we give up. When we have support from another person, we have help to do the work. There is also a witness for everything that is said and done. One may be testifying while another is praying. God may uniquely gift each of us, yet there are times when different gifts perform extraordinary work together.
How do we work in pairs
This can be where we begin to see things change here at Asbury. When I mention working in pairs, it does not have to be exclusively in pairs only. This may mean that 5-6 people here at church work together for the sake of serving the children. This may mean 5-6 people here at church work together to plan worship. This may mean 5-6 people work together to provide meals for people in the community going through tough times.
However, to be clear, it may only take two people. Jesus may have sent 12 one time and seventy another time but they only worked in pairs fanning out into the community. Jesus says where two or more are gathered, I am there among them. Jesus is with you when there is only 2 and Jesus is with you when there are 12 or seventy of you gathered. Numbers do not need to be fixed or the focus.
I want you to think today about who you work with in ministry with. Who are you in partnership with serving God? No this is not who are you friends at church with or who do you associate with that you go to church with. I am specifically asking, who are you working with in serving Jesus’ mission?
If you are not serving in the mission, do you know what your gift(s) is? If not, ask me how to find it. Jesus does not send us unequipped into the work but calls us and equips us for the work. Perhaps, the timing is just right because someone comes alongside you and their gift compliments your gift and now the work can be done.
We are able to work in pairs when we understand what our gifts are. When we learn what our gifts are then we can explore what gifts work well together. I will list out some examples of how a cluster or groups of gifts works in a church setting. Each cluster of gifts serves in a different way as part of then general mission of the church. Any given church may center around one cluster or can have different clusters. This information is taken directly from umcdiscpleship.org website.
Spiritual Gifts Clusters
Nurturing Gifts: Nurturing congregations tend to be very committed to building fellowship, visitation, small groups, Sunday school, and member care. The focus is primarily turned inward.
• Wisdom
• Shepherding
• Exhortation
• Helping
• Discernment
• Faith
• Compassion
Outreaching Gifts: Outreaching congregations tend to be very missional in nature, serving the community in a variety of ways and reaching out to people in the area. The focus is on the world.
• Apostleship
• Evangelism
• Working Miracles
• Compassion
• Healing
• Servanthood
• Prophecy
Witnessing Gifts: Witnessing congregations tend to emphasize worship, Christian education, and church growth. Faith sharing is central to the life of the fellowship. The focus is local.
• Knowledge
• Faith
• Prophecy
• Teaching
• Evangelism
• Exhortation
• Healing
Organizing Gifts: Organizing congregations tend to be highly structured, very organized, and program-rich. Committees and work teams involve large numbers of people. The focus is on the institution.
• Knowledge
• Administration
• Giving
• Leadership
• Helping
• Teaching
• Wisdom
If you have not taken a spiritual gifts test, I encourage you today to do so. We need to start understanding and leveraging the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent his disciples out with authority. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit so we too may have power to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ. Think of these areas I mentioned earlier. Where do you feel drawn to? Nurturing, Outreach, Witnessing, Organizing. Talk to each other about what you found out about your gifts. Discuss these areas you are drawn to and we will start talking about forming clusters to find the giftedness of Asbury and our focus.