Category: Discipleship

What room in your house is your favorite? The kitchen? The bedroom? The family room? The den? The media room? The exercise room? The workroom? If guests come to your home, what part of the house do you want to show off?

Recently, I made a visit to an individual’s home that is always a place of refreshment for any guest. This visit was especially so. As I entered the home, I was taken to a special room. As I entered the office/den, I saw a desk by the window with an open journal, Bibles, study materials, pens, etc. Within moments I heard, “I wanted to show you the room where I pray and meet with my Lord.” Wow! I felt like I was standing on sacred ground! This is a room that is used at all hours of the day and night, but is especially occupied in the early morning hours.

You may have a sports-themed den or a Pinterest-inspired kitchen, but where do you meet with the Lord? Do you have a special place? Is there a room dedicated to the Delight of all delights (Psalm 37:4), the Theme of all themes (Colossians 1:18), the Guest of all guests (Revelation 3:20), and the Teacher of all teachers (Matthew 11:28-30)?

On Monday, April 7, 2014, three people in the same car were involved in two auto accidents at 5:30 a.m. while driving north on Interstate 81 near Morristown, TN.  According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, their vehicle stalled due to the first accident and was sitting crossways in the northbound lane.  A tanker truck then slammed into the vehicle on the driver’s side. Two were killed and one was severely injured.  The lone survivor, Omar (24 years old), was transported to one of our local hospitals.

We have a dear Hispanic couple that attends our church, and they raise chickens to sell along with their eggs.  While making a delivery to a local Amish store, they saw a sign requesting help for Omar, the lone survivor.  Concepcion said to her husband Daniel, “We must go see him!  He needs someone who can speak Spanish to him.”  That afternoon they made their initial visit. The room was full of people, but they had the opportunity to share the gospel.  Due to Omar facial injuries, he is not able to eat but certain foods.  For the past several days, Concepcion has been taking him chicken soup and feeding him, showing the love of Christ. Monday of this week, Daniel had the opportunity to lead Omar to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!!  Not only that, but they have had further opportunities to share Christ with Omar’s friends.  As they continue to visit Omar, they have been teaching him to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20).  This, my friend, is true discipleship in action!

This couple has not stopped with Omar.  Having made a recent purchase of a new car, they have invited their salesman to their home for a meal to begin The Exchange Four-Week Bible Study.  The goal is to present the gospel and share Jesus without fear!  That is true discipleship in action!

Has the Lord brought an “Omar” across your path this week?  Who needs you to bring them “a bowl of chicken soup”?  Who lives next door to you?  Have you ever had them to your home for a meal?  What about that salesman that you do business with on a frequent business?  Have you ever confronted him with the claims of Christ?  Who in your family needs to hear your testimony?

What a special blessing to see true discipleship in action at BCBC this past Sunday.  Believe me, it has taken much prayer, patience, and teaching to get to the place we are today.  May I be quick to add that we still have a long way to go, but we are making good progress.  I have never been more convinced that the main function of the local church is discipleship which is the whole commandment given in Matthew 28:18-20.

How grateful I am for the influence of a mentor many years ago in Indiana, Randy Patten, who then was the State Representative of the Indiana General Association of Regular Baptist Churches.  Periodically, he would gather up a group of young pastors and take them to a camp for two-to-three days in western Indiana.  There we learned the importance and dynamics of discipleship, small groups, prayer and transparent honesty before God and men.  There have been many others who have played a role in the confirmation in my heart of discipleship being the heartbeat of the local church.

Two years ago this coming August, the Lord allowed me to undergo surgery for a detached retina.  After surgery, I had to lie on my left side for seven days during which the Lord met with me in some very special ways. I cried out to the Lord for clear direction for BCBC, and He heard my plea.  Everything I read, every sermon I listened to, and many songs I heard all pointed to discipleship.  The message from God was so clear.  The time had come to lead BCBC to be a total Christ-exalting discipleship ministry.  In other words, every ministry at BCBC must have as its primary goal, discipleship.  As I said earlier, we have not arrived, but we are making progress.  Certainly, it has not come without its share of opposition, misapplications, apathy and trials.  Our church motto has become, “Disciples: that’s who are.  Discipleship:  that’s what we do.”  An expanded version of that statement is:  “A disciple is an obedient, faithful, growing, loving Christian who lets the Word flow into and through his life in making and training and maturing other disciple-makers.”

So back to last Sunday, we saw on that day so many people intentionally engaged in people’s lives to prepare the soil for discipleship, continue the work of discipleship, and/or see the fruits of discipleship.  Praise the Lord, in particular, for the many involved in the lives of three individuals baptized on Easter.  Two were adults who had recently received Christ.  Looking back, these two were the results of people inviting, praying, sharing the Word, answering their questions, going and intentionally discipling them, because that’s what disciples do.  Then, at the end of the Sunday morning service, came the fulfillment of Matthew 28:19, Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost.  To hear their salvation testimonies and see them take the step of identification and obedience through baptism was a joy-filled occasion.  Now, we are watching the continuation of Matthew 28:20, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, as these new believers are being disciple with the goal of seeing them disciple someone in the future!!

Are you a born again member of a local church?  Who have you shared the gospel with this week (and that doesn’t mean asking them where they go to church, but engaging them with Scripture)?  Who are you discipling?  What’s their name?  When and where do you meet?  Are you obedient to Matthew 28:18-20?  Not every church can have a bus ministry, a Christian school, a day-care, a Sunday School, a teen ministry, a children’s program and/or various other ministries, but every church can and should be involved in true, biblical discipleship!  The call from Christ is one of utmost authority with His guaranteed presence to enable and empower (Matthew 28:18, 20).

One of the rich grace blessings of being a child of God is the 24/7 invitation from Christ to enter into the “inner circle,” the classroom of intimate discipleship with Christ.  No need to wish you could’ve been Peter, James, John, or any of the other twelve seated with Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).  When you enter His classroom at His continual invitation, the Instructor/Trainer/Teacher/Discipler  is Christ Himself, and the subject is Christ.  He takes you just as you are, tired, weary, heavy laden with sin, guilt, questions, despair, failures, doubts, confusion, misunderstandings, and yokes up with you because He, the compassionate, forgiving, merciful One died and rose from the tomb to enjoy fellowship with you, to give you rest, and to be your advocate and friend.  Initially, He gives you rest from a life of sin as He brings you to the Father in salvation.  Then as He teaches you, He gives rest from the spiritual battles, rest from the quandary of thoughts in your mind as well as rest from the cares of life.  Bottom line is, for all the questions of life, the answer is Christ.  And to think, He invites you to come to Him. Then as you enter the classroom, especially the first thing each morning, and though out the day, come with the following desire from your heart and on your lips: Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name (Psalm 86:11).

It’s time for class!  We have the absolute best Teacher, the absolute best curriculum, the absolute best applications for life, and the joy of always being seated next to the Teacher!  Pull up a chair this morning; listen, learn and live.  Oh, by the way, don’t forget to take notes!

Here’s  simple exercise for us today.  Read the following portion of Psalm 119. Describe in your own words the writer’s attitude and actions toward the Word of God.  When you have finished, write in your own journal your attitude and actions toward the Word of God as it really is in your life today.

Psalm 119:10-19   With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.¹² Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.¹³ With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.¹⁵ I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.¹⁶ I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.¹⁷ Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.¹⁸ Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.¹⁹ I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). This mandate given to all believers by the Lord Jesus Christ has never meant more to me than it does today.  This is why I believe the believers of Boones Creek Bible Church must disciple one-on-one and through small groups.  This is why vine work always trumps trellis work; more discussion is being made over people than structures, both physical and liturgical. This is why our teen and adult Sunday School ministries are to be reproducing and never be comfortable in their own room or at their current table in the gym.  Reproduction through discipleship is the plan for the local church as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ!  This is His plan for today and especially as we prepare for the future.  With that in mind, please watch the following video as Francis Chan describes a church that cannot be destroyed!  As the video ends, answer the question he asks, “Which camp would I fall into?”

Why Small Group Discipleship Is Important