Discipleship

I have to say, that the past few weeks here at The Carpenter's has been really exciting. 155elementary and pre-school kidz attended our Avalanche Ranch week. 11 of those kidz gave their lives to Christ. 9 adults have made Jesus the leader of their lives in the past 3 weeks during our weekend services. With 20 people accepting Christ in 3 weeks one question needs to be asked and answered.

"What is the church doing to disciple these people?"

In order to answer that question we must look at what the Bible says about discipleship. In Matthew chapter 28 verses 19-20, Jesus is talking with the disciples and gives them what is called the "Great Commission." He instructs them to "Go and Make Disciples." The King James Version of this verse doesn't use the word Disciple. Rather it says to go and "Teach All Nations." I also like what the Message Paraphrase says; "Go out and Train Everyone You Meet."

You see, a Disciple is really just a student. The American Heritage Dictionary defines disciple as,

"One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another."

As a pastor, I can't force someone to learn about Christ any more than a contractor can force someone to be a student of pouring concrete. The desire to be a student, the desire to learn must come from within. Once the desire is there, then it's my job as a Pastor to teach and provide opportunities for people to learn.

Act 2:42-47 describes the discipleship process that took place after Peter spoke and 3,000 people accepted Christ. If this process worked for 3,000 people, I think it can work for us as well. Here at The Carpenter's, we provide opportunities for discipleship in three different ways.

1. Weekend Service: Our weekend services provide the opportunity for a student of Christ to be exposed to Worship & Bible Teaching. Acts 2:42 talks about teaching and Acts 2:46 talks about Worshiping together in the Temple. This is exactly what happens each Sunday during our Weekend Services. We Worship together and teach the word of God. It doesn't matter how long you've been a follower of Christ, worshiping together and learning the Word of God together is a vital part of being a Student of Christ.
2. Connecting Points: We offer Connecting Points or small groups that meet in homes and at the church building throughout the week. It is in our Connecting Points where true community happens. Like Acts 2:42 and the end of verse 46, our Connecting Points provide the opportunity for more teaching, fellowship (hanging out with others), sharing food, prayer & experiencing joy and generosity. It doesn't matter how long you've been a follower of Christ, it is vitally important to learn from others and spend time with others in a small group. Everyone can learn from anyone and a true "Student" understands this concept.
3. Service: As we serve others, we grow and become more like Christ. Acts 2:46 indicates that they met in homes. That means that someone opened up their home and served their guests. Verses 44 & 45 talk about the people sharing everything they had and selling their "stuff" to take care of those less fortunate. That is Service! Service is also, greeting people as they enter our building, leading a KidZone small group, participating on the v-staff for Ignite, running sound on the weekend, folding programs and much more. As we serve together, we learn from one another and we learn how Christ served. That process of serving continues our education and continues the discipleship process.

You see, no matter if you are a new believer in Christ or have been following Christ for 30 years, the biblical process of discipleship remains the same. Worship, Connect, Serve. As we repeat this process over and over, we grow and become more like Christ. If we're not careful, this process could just change the world.

G3