Discipleship Foundations

I started to put a segment of yesterday's sermon here for my Monday morning blog but I have decided to put the whole thing. If you need to preach a sermon you're free to use it.

Discipleship Foundations
“Go for It!”
January 27, 2008
Pastor Al Hazelton
Harlan First Assembly if God

Gary Kasparov was a Grand Master Chess champion in 1985. In his book entitled,: “How Life Imitates Chess”, he makes the statement

“A great chess player makes his moves based on what he wants the chessboard to look like 10 or 20 moves in the future.”

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put
it : You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors of the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand- Shine ! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message).

It was midnight, Friday night, time for the monthly midnight communion service during the 24 hour prayer service. Around the table sat 10 visible people, 2 cell phones, set to speaker phone, one connected to Mary, a student at North Central University and the other connected to Amanda, a student at Evangel University. Roughly 800 miles separated those two yet they were at the table with us with their own communion elements beside them. Counting the baby in the womb at the table, we had 13. Just the number gathered with Jesus the night of the last supper. As we began to share scriptures, prayers and music, I was overwhelmed with emotion and remembered fresh and anew, that Jesus Christ had died for me. I wanted to tell the world and I was glad that the window shades were up so that the cars that drove by could see our table.

I am reading a great book by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson entitled “The externally focused Church”. In it they tell the Palm Sunday story with a lesson twist.

“Riding a donkey, Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The crowds cheered and shouted praises to Him. The lopped off palm fronds and laid them on the ground for the donkey to walk on. When they ran out of palm branches, they gladly laid their own cloaks on the ground and, walking ahead of Jesus and the donkey, shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9) For a moment the donkey perhaps thought it was all about him. After all, he was doing all the work that morning. But it wasn’t about him. It had nothing to do with him. He was simply carrying the message.”

We need to remember that it’s all about Jesus.

Salt

A preservative
An enhancer
Something that brings value to the world

Light

Illuminator
Attractor
Dispeller of darkness

It has been said that the most important light in a house isn’t the expensive chandelier; it’s the nightlight in the hallway. It keeps us from stubbing our toe in the middle of the night. (Dashing our foot against a stone)


Disciple making is not only one aspect of the church’s mission; it encompasses all the church does

We need to be growing in conformity to His image as the Spirit transforms us from the inside out

Romans 12

We should be nurtured within a community of disciples who are engaged in that lifelong process, and helping others to know and become like Jesus.

Knowing and becoming

The cost for Jesus was His life 1 Cor. 6:19-20 We are bought with a price

The cost for us is also our life. We need to lose our lives by taking up our own cross.
Matthew 16: 24-26

Strive for the transformed identity.

Satan is into identity theft. Get it back to the identity in Jesus.


Check out this series of verses:

John 1:12-13 “Born into a new identity”

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
13 They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan -- this rebirth comes from God.



2 Corinthians 5:17 “ New creatures in Christ”

17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!


Romans 8:29 “Conformed to the image of Christ”

29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.


Galatians 4:19 “Christ is being formed in us”

19 But oh, my dear children! I feel as if I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

Challenge: Transition intentionally through life dimensions and stages to become the person God intended you to be.

One of the core values of one of my mentor churches is :

“It’s never too late to become who you might have been”