You Need a Group.

Steve Gentry

[0:06] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to Ephesians 4. [0:09] If this is your first time here, my name is Steve, I’m one of the pastors here and as [0:12] always I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:17] Today we will further our vision from multiplying discipleship in the church. [0:23] Like we talked about last week, discipleship is about maturing or growing up in following [0:29] Jesus.

[0:30] Becoming a Christian is the point A of discipleship. [0:34] It is how you enter into a life of following Jesus Christ. [0:37] But for many of us, we’ve never really designated a point B. We don’t really know how to measure [0:43] growing in our faith. [0:45] And so what we want to call point B is that you’ve become a fully devoted follower of [0:50] Jesus and that is the path that every Christian is on.

[0:54] If you’re not on that path, the reality is that you are not a believer. [0:59] You cannot be a Christian and not be following Jesus on the path that he is on. [1:05] That’s vital to what a Christian actually is. [1:10] And as you grow in your commitment to following Jesus, so will your commitment to helping [1:16] other people become followers of Jesus and then helping those people learn what it is [1:22] to be a follower of Jesus Christ, how to live out God’s design in this world.

[1:28] And so there’s this cyclical reality that we talked about last week that growing in [1:33] your faith necessitates a burden for aiding other people to grow in their faith. [1:39] Most people have a vision for discipleship where someone is just pouring into you and [1:45] there’s really no end to that. [1:46] And so you just consume, you consume, you consume, but you never multiply your faith [1:52] in another person.

[1:53] The key with discipleship is that it must have a point in which you go from being a [2:01] consumer to being a multiplier, to someone who’s multiplying their faith in other people. [2:07] And the truth is that most of you are more ready than you will ever realize. [2:12] That between three to five years is kind of the, you know, unofficial designation that [2:17] we gave it to her. [2:18] If somebody’s been in discipleship for three to five years, they’re more than ready to

[2:22] multiply their faith in other people. [2:24] Yet the reality in most churches right now, and maybe the reality in your life is that [2:28] you’ve claimed the name of Jesus, you’ve claimed Christianity for a decade or two, [2:34] yet you’ve never multiplied your faith in another person. [2:37] And you desperately need to grow up in your faith because for the most part, people like [2:42] that constantly talk about how stagnant their faith is, yet you think it’s some external

[2:47] reality that you haven’t found. [2:50] You’re looking for another book to read. [2:51] You’re looking for that sermon that has the silver bullet to the next step of your growth. [2:56] You know, you’re looking for a new church that has a better program than the last church [3:00] that you went to. [3:01] But the fact is you’re going to remain stagnant, moving from one thing to the other, trying

[3:06] to consume something new, when the only next step for you is the fact that you desperately [3:12] need to multiply your faith in another person. [3:15] And until you start reproducing, until you get into a pattern where you are making disciples [3:21] who make disciples, you’re not going to continue to grow. [3:25] The only next step in your growth is becoming a disciple maker. [3:31] And so we finished last week talking about the acronym of faith, kind of dealing with

[3:36] what does it look like to diagnose my discipleship, as well as to look at somebody else and say, [3:41] are you prepared to be a disciple? [3:45] Talked about the fact that it requires this faithfulness from the get go, because when [3:51] you come to faith in Jesus, it is not that you have all the knowledge in the world, but [3:55] it is about the fact that you are committed to a process of becoming like Jesus Christ. [4:00] And when you have that key element, you will grow in your faith in Jesus Christ.

[4:08] Today, I want to continue that thought and help you realize that a key that many people [4:14] miss or just choose to ignore is that you cannot be discipled or make healthy growing [4:22] disciples outside of the local church. [4:26] See many people misdiagnose themselves and they try to make disciples or be disciples [4:32] outside of the environments that are created by the local church, because you think like [4:36] the local church has gotten it wrong and you think that we’re not speaking your love

[4:39] language. [4:40] And so you join a parachurch ministry or you join something outside of the church or you [4:44] just start something in your home because we’re not speaking your love language over [4:48] at the church. [4:49] The fact of the matter is you can’t do that. [4:51] You don’t have the authority to do that.

[4:52] I don’t have the authority to do that.

[4:55] Discipleship happens within the environments of the local church because that is what God [5:02] has said. [5:03] Jesus is passionate about building his church. [5:07] That’s why throughout the New Testament, the metaphor is that it is the body of Christ. [5:13] Jesus is passionate about his body. [5:15] And if you’re not passionate about the same things that Jesus is passionate, the problem

[5:20] isn’t with Jesus. [5:21] You’re the one that needs to realign your affections. [5:24] You’re the one that needs to realign what you are finding your purpose in so that it [5:30] with the purposes of Jesus Christ. [5:33] And if you will invest and be invested in by the environments provided by the local [5:39] church while seeking to multiply your faith in other people, that will by nature not just

[5:45] grow you. [5:46] That will grow the entire body of Christ. [5:48] And that is why God has designed the church to function the way that he has designed for [5:54] it to function. [5:55] And I want you to look in Ephesians chapter four. [5:57] Maybe this is a verse that you are familiar with.

[6:01] In verse 11 of Ephesians four, the apostle Paul begins to give the design of discipleship [6:06] in the local church. [6:08] But oftentimes we look over this because we don’t want to think it’s designed that way. [6:12] Here’s what he writes. [6:14] It says that God gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers [6:18] to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

[6:21] And so what’s he saying there? [6:23] Just very quickly. [6:24] He’s saying that the offices of leadership that God has ordained for the church to have, [6:32] he has done that to equip the people of the church to do the work of ministry. [6:38] And so this is a realignment of what many people think about the church. [6:42] Many people think about pastors and you think we are the professional disciple makers.

[6:47] We are the ones you pay us to make disciples. [6:50] So you’re not going to worry yourself about that. [6:53] But the apostle Paul is actually changing our paradigm there. [6:56] He’s saying that God has given offices of leadership to the local church to equip the [7:02] people of the church to do the work of ministry. [7:05] And he’s going to explain to you what the work of ministry is.

[7:09] He continues. [7:11] He says for building up the body of Christ. [7:15] So what’s the work of ministry? [7:17] The work of ministry is discipleship. [7:19] So what does it look like to follow Jesus? [7:22] It looks like being a disciple, but it looks like making disciples.

[7:25] Why? [7:26] Because God wants his body, the church, built. [7:30] And so if you are passionate about a form of discipleship outside of the life of the [7:36] church of Jesus Christ, what the apostle Paul would say is you’re getting it wrong. [7:42] You can’t be and make disciples outside of the body of Christ. [7:45] That’s not the way that it works.

[7:48] He continues. [7:49] He says, verse 13, that this is the way that it is until we all attain to the unity of [7:56] the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood. [8:00] There’s that term mature again to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. [8:07] And Ephesians one, he’s already described that Jesus finds his fullness in his body. [8:12] He’s the head of the church.

[8:13] We are the body of Christ. [8:15] And so the way that Jesus finds his fullness is that his church is functioning the way [8:20] that he intends for it to function. [8:22] And he continues verse 14. [8:25] So that we may no longer be children. [8:27] There’s that idea of growth.

[8:28] You shouldn’t stay a child. [8:29] You should grow into adulthood, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by [8:35] every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes. [8:39] Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the [8:45] head into Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with [8:52] which it is equipped.

[8:53] When each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in [9:00] love. [9:01] Number one, this morning, the church is central to the life of discipleship. [9:05] The church is central to the life of discipleship. [9:10] The church friends is actually built through discipleship. [9:15] That is God’s vision for how his church is built.

[9:17] I’m not just trying to convince you into discipleship over these weeks. [9:21] That’s not my ultimate goal. [9:23] I am doing that, but my goal is bigger. [9:25] I want to convince you into a specific type of discipleship, a specific system of discipleship [9:31] that the Bible points us towards over and over again. [9:35] We started this conversation last week.

[9:38] I want to narrow it down. [9:39] So if last week I convinced you that the path towards spiritual maturity, the path [9:44] towards becoming a grown up in your faith in Jesus Christ is to multiply your faith, [9:50] this week I want to convince you that multiplying your faith is what builds the local church. [9:56] Therefore, if you want to become mature in your faith, it is going to happen through [10:01] the environments provided by the church of Jesus Christ.

[10:04] Yes, you need to catch a vision of following Jesus that produces multiplication. [10:09] And Jesus is on the path of building his church. [10:14] So if Jesus is passionate about building the church, if you are growing in your faith in [10:19] Jesus Christ, what necessarily are you going to be passionate about? [10:23] What necessarily is going to be the thing that gives you satisfaction in following Jesus? [10:30] It is going to be the same thing that Jesus has in Jesus is passionate about his church.

[10:35] The book of Ephesians is all about the church of Jesus Christ and Ephesians four specifically [10:39] cast a vision for discipleship in the church. [10:43] Every single office that God has given into the church through the power of his spirit [10:49] exists for the purpose of discipleship. [10:52] It exists to equip the saints, to equip you, to equip the followers of Jesus [10:59] for doing ministry of being mature disciples who are making other mature disciples.

[11:07] The work of ministry is clarified in this passage. [11:11] Sometimes we’ll read the beginning of a passage and we’ll just do it phrase by phrase and be [11:14] like, OK, all those great offices, all those great gifts that God has given to the church, [11:18] it is to equip me for the work of ministry. [11:21] And then you stop reading right there and you’re like, this is what I think ministry is. [11:26] This is what I feel like ministry is.

[11:30] And so it’s just something that you like doing and you’re like, that’s my ministry. [11:34] And if it takes you away from the life of the church, so be it. [11:37] That’s your ministry. [11:39] That’s what you like doing. [11:40] And you’re going to stamp the name of Jesus on it. [11:42] And that’s what your life is going to be about.

[11:44] Friend, the key is, and the problem is you can’t do that. [11:48] God has not given you the authority to ordain whatever you want to be ministry. [11:55] He specifies what ministry is. [11:58] The ministry that God has ordained for every follower of Jesus to invest their lives into [12:05] is to build the body of Christ. [12:08] That is what God wants you to do.

[12:10] That’s the very next phrase. [12:12] And then after that, Paul cast vision for those people in the church, [12:19] maturing in their faith. [12:20] He cast a vision for growing in knowledge as well as in practice in this text. [12:27] This is God’s plan for growth. [12:30] When you grow as a disciple, it grows the entire church as a whole.

[12:36] It grows the church into a healthy church, but it also should have a vision of growing [12:43] the church numerically because you have a vision for multiplying your faith in other people. [12:49] And that’s the reality as to why church growth patterns are the way that they are. [12:53] We could market ourselves to death, and we do, man. [12:56] We love putting it out there. [12:57] We love inviting people.

[12:59] We want as many people as possible to come here. [13:01] Yet as much marketing as any church does, every study always comes back and says the [13:06] most effective way that churches grow is through personal invitations. [13:12] Because that is how God has designed discipleship to work. [13:16] God has designed it for you to be with a network of people, whatever that network might look like, [13:22] whether it’s your family, whether it’s friends, whether it’s coworkers, whether it’s frenemies,

[13:26] whether it’s BFFs. [13:27] I don’t care what it is. [13:30] God has designed for that personal touch for you going in there, [13:34] for you proclaiming the gospel or even just giving a very simple invitation. [13:38] Hey, this is important to me. [13:39] Why don’t you come check it out?

[13:41] God has designed for that to be an attractive reality for the world at large. [13:47] So when you are seeking to be and make disciples, you would be amazed at what the power of the [13:54] Holy Spirit is going to unleash in your network of relationships. [13:59] The problem isn’t that people don’t want to be discipled. [14:02] The problem is that followers of Jesus discount the power of the Holy Spirit to use you to do it. [14:08] And so you kind of hope that the church has ministries that will be attractive to people.

[14:13] You kind of hope that the church has something going on, [14:16] but you don’t necessarily think that you need to be a part of it. [14:21] Many people want a healthy church, but many people want that healthy church to function [14:27] kind of by proxy. [14:29] You want to know that the church is going about and doing good things. [14:32] You want the church to have good activities that will meet your needs,

[14:36] the needs of the family, will meet the needs of the community around you. [14:41] And you want to be a part of it when you have time. [14:44] Or you want to be a part of it when life slows down. [14:48] And you want to be a part of it when nothing else is going on, [14:52] when nothing better comes up, when you’re available, when you can. [14:57] For the most part, though, you want to know that someone else is doing these things

[15:01] so that it will be there when you are ready. [15:05] But friend, the key is that’s not how this works. [15:08] That’s not how any of this works. [15:11] This works when you realize that following Jesus looks like [15:16] becoming and making disciples of Jesus through you. [15:22] The Holy Spirit does not just pick a select few individuals

[15:27] who have the spiritual gift of discipleship. [15:30] You know, discipleship’s not a spiritual gift. [15:33] Nowhere in the Bible do you see discipleship listed [15:36] as a part of what some people in the body of Christ does. [15:40] No, discipleship is what being a Christian is. [15:43] Making disciples is just what it means to follow Jesus.

[15:47] And so whatever your giftedness is, whatever your personality type is, [15:53] do not use it as an excuse as to why you can’t do certain things. [15:59] Being a disciple is just the measure, the bare minimum, [16:03] the radical minimum standard as to what it looks like to actually follow Jesus. [16:08] Romans 12, four through five gives a vision [16:11] that you are a vital part of the church, says in verse four.

[16:14] For as in one body, we have many members, [16:16] and the members do not all have the same function. [16:18] They don’t. We’re different. [16:19] Verse five, so we, though many, are what? [16:22] One body in Christ. [16:24] That’s why in Ephesians chapter four there,

[16:27] you see, he says, for building up the body of Christ, [16:31] because we are one body. [16:32] All of us have the same function. [16:34] All of us have the same mission. [16:36] We’re different, but we’re combining all of our giftings [16:39] for the exact same purpose.

[16:41] And in we are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. [16:45] We are in this discipleship effort together. [16:49] We are all seeking to be and make disciples. [16:52] The church is only as healthy as its members. [16:57] The church is only as healthy as its members. [17:01] And some of you might be thinking,

[17:04] well, I haven’t become a member yet. [17:07] That’s my out.

[17:09] I love the way some of you believe [17:11] that membership gives you this secret handshake [17:14] where all of a sudden you become responsible [17:16] for what goes on in the church. [17:18] That’s not the way it works. [17:20] That’s not the way that it works.

[17:22] Membership is for everyone who claims the name of Jesus. [17:26] So just because you haven’t gone through the process [17:29] doesn’t take the responsibility away from you. [17:32] You need to go through the process, [17:34] but you also need to understand [17:35] that the minute you come to faith in Jesus Christ,

[17:38] you become responsible for everything that’s in the scriptures. [17:40] Every single page is about you. [17:43] There’s no secret subgroup that I’m a member of [17:46] that you’re not a member of. [17:48] There’s no secret subgroup that community group leaders [17:51] are a member of that you’re not a member of.

[17:53] There’s no secret subgroup [17:55] that discipleship group members are part of [17:58] that just because you haven’t joined [17:59] or you haven’t formed a discipleship group, [18:01] you’re not a part of. [18:02] That doesn’t exist in the body of Christ.

[18:05] We are all according to Romans 12, 4, and 5. [18:08] We are all part of this. [18:11] And when you remove yourself, [18:13] that is not something to protect yourself with. [18:16] That is something to repent of [18:18] through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

[18:21] And so the leaders of the church [18:24] develop environments of discipleship [18:27] for you to enter into, [18:29] to be equipped to do the work of ministry. [18:33] And what does that look like? [18:33] Work of ministry?

[18:35] Of discipling one another [18:37] to become fully devoted followers of Jesus, [18:40] to multiply your faith into more and more people. [18:45] You’ve got to catch a vision for doing that in your life [18:49] because that’s the road that Jesus is on. [18:52] Number two this morning,

[18:53] discipleship requires guideposts [18:55] to ensure the right direction.

[18:59] Discipleship requires guideposts [19:02] to ensure that you’re in the right direction. [19:04] You need a specific environment for discipleship. [19:08] You do. [19:08] Some of you don’t think that you do. [19:10] You want it to be organic.

[19:12] Organic is just a term for [19:14] I don’t want to take responsibility. [19:16] That’s my belief. [19:18] You think that you’re going to go to bed one night, [19:21] magically the Holy Spirit comes down [19:23] and the Holy Spirit looks like

[19:24] a little bit like Tinkerbell to you. [19:26] And the Holy Spirit Tinkerbell [19:27] just puts a little magic pixie dust on you. [19:30] And you wake up the next morning, [19:31] you’re like, wow, [19:34] I’m a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

[19:37] I don’t know how that happened. [19:39] It’s magic. [19:40] That’s not the way that this works. [19:43] You must intentionally [19:47] seek growth in following Jesus. [19:50] You must intentionally spend time

[19:54] in growing in your faith. [19:56] You must intentionally [19:58] commit to specific environments [20:00] to growing in your faith. [20:03] The key is that what you think [20:06] is you just having a different love language

[20:09] than everyone else. [20:10] They go, I’ve tried community groups. [20:11] It didn’t help me grow. [20:13] It’s because community groups aren’t a microwave [20:16] that in two meetings or less, [20:17] you’re going to experience tremendous growth.

[20:20] That’s not the way that it works. [20:22] You’re like, I tried a discipleship group one time [20:24] and I had nothing in common with those people. [20:27] Right, because you’re selfish. [20:29] And the only way that you would have [20:31] anything in common with any other people

[20:33] is if you got in a room with other selfish people. [20:35] But the problem is when you have [20:36] four or five selfish people in the same room, [20:38] chaos tends to ensue because you’re all selfish. [20:41] You are not just magically [20:44] going to in one or two sessions

[20:47] grow in your faith and then wake up the next morning [20:50] and be like, I don’t even need it anymore [20:53] because I grew so much. [20:55] No, it takes time. [20:57] It takes effort. [20:58] It takes seasons of boredom.

[21:01] It takes sitting in a room [21:03] and looking at the other people [21:04] and being like, you people have problems. [21:07] I don’t know what’s wrong with all of you, [21:09] but I hope it’s not wrong with me. [21:11] I hope it doesn’t rub off on me.

[21:13] You need to sit in a couple of rooms like that. [21:16] It’s a magical thing what God will do to you [21:18] and unloading your selfishness and killing your pride. [21:22] When you go through a season of looking at something [21:25] and being like, I’m not sure I’m growing, [21:27] but I’m starting to care about other people.

[21:30] I’m starting to care about myself less [21:32] and I’m starting to care about other people more. [21:34] But the issue with discipleship in 2021 [21:37] and most cultures right now [21:39] is that you define discipleship [21:41] as finding people that are exactly like you

[21:44] in exactly the same phase of life that you’re in [21:46] and exactly the same interests that you have [21:49] with exactly the same problems that you have [21:51] and no problems that you don’t want to deal with [21:53] and they like all the same things that you like. [21:56] And you say, that’s where, yes, Steve, you just defined it.

[21:59] That’s discipleship for me. [22:01] No, that’s the pathway to shipwreck your faith [22:05] because you’re only ever going to become you. [22:09] This isn’t about becoming more like yourself. [22:12] This is about becoming more like Jesus Christ. [22:15] And the problem is that we are a people

[22:19] that are completely selfish [22:21] and so we don’t want to invest any time in discipleship. [22:26] We would rather watch 100 TikTok videos. [22:30] We would rather spend 25 hours a week on our lawn. [22:35] We would rather shoot seven rounds of golf. [22:38] Because those things seem to appeal to us more.

[22:42] But maybe the issue is that your affections [22:46] haven’t been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit yet. [22:50] Maybe that’s a little more of the issue [22:52] and you need to spend time thinking through that. [22:54] The fact is that no matter what system [22:56] the leaders of the church form,

[22:59] some of you are going to think that it’s not the right one [23:02] or it’s not good enough for you. [23:05] But the key is oftentimes discipleship [23:09] is going to look like submitting to something [23:12] that you’re not sure of. [23:14] Because God has given the leaders of the church

[23:17] to design environments of discipleship [23:20] and part of your discipleship, [23:21] I’ll be honest at this point, [23:23] part of your discipleship is entering into them [23:25] whether or not you like it or not.

[23:28] Because that’s what obedience to God looks like. [23:31] You need a group of people committed to your discipleship [23:36] under the banner and leadership of the local church. [23:40] And you need that in order to measure and ensure [23:44] that you are going to grow and multiply in your faith. [23:48] Some of you are desperately committed

[23:50] to systems of discipleship with no end in goal. [23:55] Some of you are just radically committed [23:58] to forms of discipleship that have no measure [24:01] as to whether or not it’s working. [24:03] That have no measure as to whether or not it’s going anywhere. [24:07] You need to measure the effectiveness

[24:09] of the group that you’re in. [24:11] You need to. [24:13] Some of you have been in the same discipleship group [24:14] for five years and you really like each other. [24:18] I mean, you guys have become best friends. [24:20] You spend holidays together, you vacation together,

[24:22] and you love it. [24:23] And you’re like, oh my goodness, [24:24] we can’t end this discipleship group. [24:26] These are my best friends. [24:28] Friend, I’ll tell you, that is an unhealthy discipleship group, [24:31] whether you like it or not.

[24:32] Because the goal of discipleship, wow, by God’s grace, [24:36] you are going to make good friends. [24:39] That’s what brotherly affection looks like. [24:40] Man, you’re going to love one another. [24:42] You’re going to care for one another. [24:43] You’re going to listen to one another.

[24:45] Some people are even going to listen to you [24:46] while they think you’re crazy. [24:47] I mean, it’s a beautiful thing.

[24:50] But the goal is not us forever, completely insular, [24:58] completely just us and no one else. [25:00] And if anybody else were to come into this, [25:02] it would ruin just kind of the ambiance [25:04] that we have with one another. [25:05] That’s not the goal.

[25:06] The goal is multiplication. [25:09] The goal is you guys need to look at each other [25:12] and be like, this is fantastic. [25:14] We have great friendships here [25:16] and somebody needs to take the step of faith and say, [25:19] wouldn’t it be fantastic if about 10 other people

[25:23] got to experience this? [25:25] So maybe the four of us need to go form another group [25:29] individually with other people [25:32] so that more people can have what we have. [25:36] That is the design of discipleship. [25:38] And that is why the church is central

[25:41] because you need leaders looking at you, [25:44] saying you’ve got to grow. [25:47] So all of you need to go and make more disciples. [25:51] In John chapter 17, Jesus prays for us and he says, [25:55] I don’t ask for these only, [25:57] but I ask for those who will believe in me

[25:59] through their word that they may all be one, [26:02] just as you Father are in me and I in you, [26:04] that they also may be in us [26:06] so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [26:09] The glory you have given me, I have given to them. [26:13] That they may be one even as we are one,

[26:16] I in them, you in me, [26:18] that they may become perfectly one [26:21] so that the world may know that you have sent me [26:24] and loved them even as you loved me. [26:28] We have the love of God as evidence in the gospel [26:32] and Jesus desires for the impact of that

[26:36] to be multiplied as we make more and more disciples. [26:40] The key with this text is that Jesus has a vision [26:43] that he wants multiplied [26:45] according to the mission of his gospel. [26:47] And that’s laid out on the foundations of the church. [26:49] That’s what it looks like to be one even as he is one.

[26:53] He’s talking about the church of Jesus Christ [26:55] and it’s been carried out over the centuries [26:57] and put on display for the world to see. [27:01] Don’t read this in isolation [27:04] and think that there isn’t a specific format in mind. [27:08] Jesus has a specific format in mind

[27:10] and that is what Ephesians 4 present. [27:12] It is growing up in the knowledge of the son of God [27:15] and that has a place and a purpose. [27:18] The task of leading the church is setting those measurements [27:22] to ensure that you aren’t just running in circles [27:25] with no real development.

[27:28] Because oftentimes when we design things [27:32] outside of the body of Christ, [27:35] they’re not gonna move forward. [27:37] They’re gonna stay right where they are [27:38] and they’re going to become a stagnant pond [27:41] rather than a flowing river.

[27:43] Many people grow stagnant and burn out in discipleship [27:47] simply because there is no end in mind. [27:52] You’re three years in [27:53] and you’re starting to look at each other [27:55] and you’re not liking what you see. [27:58] You’re four years in

[28:00] and you’re like, I’m gonna keep showing up [28:02] but oh my goodness, we’re going nowhere. [28:05] You’re like, maybe I just need a season off. [28:08] No, you just need to multiply. [28:11] You need new life. [28:13] You need new purpose.

[28:15] You need new vision. [28:16] You need an end goal [28:18] and the end goal according to the gospel of Jesus Christ [28:22] is multiplication. [28:24] It is not codependency. [28:27] So often we get into this

[28:28] and there are no guideposts put in place [28:30] to ensure that there is real growth happening [28:33] that leads to multiplication. [28:35] The church must be entrusted with that responsibility. [28:38] It must be. [28:40] It must be.

[28:41] And so just like I did last week, [28:43] I ended with an acronym that I didn’t write. [28:45] I wrote all the in between stuff [28:47] but this week I’m gonna end with an acronym. [28:50] Full disclosure, didn’t write it. [28:52] This acronym is not faith.

[28:53] This acronym is MARCS. [28:56] This is from replicate ministries. [28:58] All right, again, I did write this sermon. [29:01] I just didn’t write the acronym. [29:03] Don’t want that kind of controversy in my life.

[29:07] I tell you, there’s a whole world that existed that I didn’t. [29:09] I didn’t know you could buy sermons. [29:10] I did not know this but apparently you can. [29:14] I’ve lost so much money. [29:15] I could have been selling my sermons. [29:18] I had no idea there was a marketplace for this.

[29:21] No clue. [29:22] Now I do. [29:25] Now I’m rich. [29:25] No, I’m just kidding. [29:27] Nobody wants them. [29:29] I wanna give you the MARCS of a healthy discipleship group.

[29:35] So what should you be looking for? [29:37] This is what needs to happen [29:38] and if you’re in a discipleship group, [29:40] this is what you need to be measuring it by. [29:42] If you are not in a discipleship group, [29:44] this is by week four,

[29:46] this is what we’re going to be calling you into [29:48] and this is what we’re gonna be calling all of you into [29:51] and we’re gonna call you into the live this life. [29:53] First, the M stands for missional. [29:56] The M stands for missional. [29:57] The goal is always, always, always the mission of Jesus.

[30:02] Now, if you remember last week, [30:04] Jesus gave us a mission, go make disciples. [30:07] There is a continuous nature to this command. [30:10] This command does not have like a stop. [30:14] This command wasn’t given to where it’s like [30:16] if you make a disciple, take the next five years off.

[30:20] No, it’s a continuous idea in this verb [30:23] where you are always, always, always [30:26] going with the purpose of making disciples. [30:29] Now, you don’t just make one. [30:32] Every discipleship group must have this as a goal. [30:36] And so if you are in a discipleship group right now

[30:39] and you don’t have a goal of missional multiplication, [30:43] it’s gotta change. [30:45] It’s gotta change. [30:45] Your group will never be healthy. [30:47] You need to have that as a goal. [30:49] Each member needs an understanding

[30:51] that the measure of success is that he or she [30:55] goes out of this group to form another one [30:58] so more disciples are made. [31:00] That needs to be the posture of every group [31:02] for every group to be healthy. [31:04] Romans 10, the apostle Paul puts it this way.

[31:07] He urges that we live as sent people. [31:09] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed [31:12] and how are they to believe in him [31:14] of whom they have never heard [31:15] and how are they to hear without someone preaching [31:17] and how are they to preach unless they are sent?

[31:19] As it is written, how beautiful are the feet [31:22] of those who preach the good news. [31:24] You must have a sent identity, [31:28] an identity that I am sent into this world [31:32] to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ [31:35] to go make disciples.

[31:36] The metaphor of beautiful feet is a vision of movement. [31:41] Discipleship is not static. [31:43] It is dynamic. [31:45] There must be forward movement for there to be maturity. [31:49] That forward movement is specific. [31:51] We must go in order to tell more and more people

[31:55] so that we can make more and more disciples. [31:57] That must be the ultimate element [32:01] of what discipleship groups are focused on. [32:03] If we’re going to call them discipleship groups, [32:06] they’ve got to have a vision of you becoming [32:08] a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

[32:10] If we’re not gonna have that goal, [32:12] then they shouldn’t be called discipleship groups. [32:14] And for you to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus, [32:16] I’m hoping you’re tracking with me this week and last week, [32:19] you gotta start multiplying your faith [32:21] because that’s what healthy,

[32:23] fully devoted followers of Jesus do. [32:27] Secondly, accountable. [32:29] The A stands for accountable. [32:32] Evangelism does not discount the pursuit of holiness [32:35] in the Christian life. [32:36] It doesn’t.

[32:38] You have to be accountable in your discipleship group, [32:40] rather it propels us in that pursuit. [32:43] The goal is to become like Jesus, [32:45] who by the way was and is perfect in holiness. [32:50] Repentance of sin must be a goal of discipleship. [32:54] If we aren’t growing away from sinful habits

[32:58] in order to embrace obedience, [33:01] then growth simply is not happening. [33:04] Galatians chapter six, one and two presents a picture [33:07] of bearing each other’s burden in helping one another [33:10] to repent and keep watch out for ourselves. [33:14] So in discipleship, you have your brothers and sisters backs

[33:18] in their struggle with sin. [33:20] He says, brother, if anyone is caught in any transgression, [33:23] you who are spiritual should restore him [33:26] in a spirit of gentleness. [33:27] Keep watch out for yourselves, [33:28] lest you too be tempted.

[33:30] Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. [33:35] Discipleship, I’ll be honest, [33:37] it should be a place where you can be real with one another.

[33:42] But here’s the trap a lot of people fall into, [33:44] especially if you are younger. [33:47] You fall into a trap of transparency. [33:51] Transparency can be a trap where instead of holiness, [33:55] your goal is just being real. [33:58] And you’re like, I wanna be transparent.

[34:00] I just need a place where I can be me. [34:02] And so you go week after week, [34:04] you’re totally transparent with each other. [34:06] You’re just like, I suck. [34:08] I’m the worst person ever. [34:09] Here’s 32 sins I committed this morning.

[34:12] And people are like, I think you broke the law [34:14] on a couple of those.

[34:17] Me, but you somehow ordained yourself a priest [34:19] and you’re like, well, confidentiality. [34:22] It doesn’t exist, by the way. [34:23] People come to me and they’re like, if I tell you, [34:26] will you swear not to tell anyone? [34:27] And I always say, no,

[34:29] because I don’t know what you’re gonna say. [34:32] And I’m not going to prison with you. [34:34] All right, I just want you to know, I’m calling the cops. [34:37] Like you’re still gonna be in the room [34:38] and I’m dialing 911, just so you know. [34:41] All right.

[34:42] But the goal isn’t just transparency for transparency’s sake. [34:48] The goal isn’t just being real. [34:50] The goal is repentance. [34:52] The goal is growth. [34:55] The goal is, here’s why I’m struggling. [34:58] I need the power of the spirit

[35:00] and I need a little bit of help. [35:01] I need to mature. [35:03] And maturity always, always, always involves repentance [35:07] of sin and pursuing the holiness of Jesus Christ. [35:11] It always does. [35:12] I am all for transparency.

[35:15] So long as you understand that there is a purpose [35:18] of restoration in God’s design. [35:20] That we need to hold one another accountable [35:23] so that we can grow. [35:26] Third, the R. [35:27] It stands for reproducible.

[35:30] If missional is a posture and goal, [35:35] reproducible is the plan. [35:37] That’s the plan to getting there. [35:40] This is a key factor in our ability to multiply. [35:43] We need to begin with an end of reproduction in mind. [35:48] So discipleship without reproduction.

[35:50] Quite frankly, is not biblical discipleship. [35:54] It’s not. [35:55] And so that’s the trap that we can fall into [35:57] where we get into a discipleship group [36:00] and here’s the deal. [36:02] You’re not gonna wanna go to a discipleship group

[36:03] with people you hate. [36:05] All right? [36:06] I don’t wanna go to a discipleship group [36:07] with people that I hate. [36:09] And so I’m not saying don’t be friends [36:11] with the people that you’re in discipleship group with.

[36:13] Actually, that’s a better plan [36:14] because nobody wants to go to Panera at 6 a.m. [36:17] with like five people that you’re like, [36:19] I hate every single person in this group. [36:22] That’s where it’s just like, [36:23] I’m gonna start missing a few.

[36:25] I gotta go to work early next Thursday. [36:28] That’s a plan for failure. [36:30] Don’t plan for failure. [36:32] But also realize that your friendship [36:35] with those other people, [36:37] while a helpful part of keeping you there,

[36:40] is not the end goal. [36:42] The end goal is for your friendships [36:45] to aid you in growing in your faith [36:48] so that you can go make other disciples. [36:51] When you end a discipleship group, [36:53] that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends

[36:55] with those people anymore. [36:57] And I think some of you think that [36:58] you kind of go to that last group [37:00] and you’re like, [37:01] I’ll never see some of you again. [37:04] When I see you on Sunday,

[37:05] don’t even say hi. [37:06] We’ve got to go on with our lives. [37:09] It’s not the way that this works at all. [37:11] That’s crazy. [37:13] And which is some of your problem. [37:15] Say you’re crazy.

[37:16] All right? [37:16] But the key is, [37:18] is that your friendship can endure [37:20] past the discipleship group. [37:22] But the key that aided you to grow [37:24] in discipleship needs to go on to other people.

[37:28] We are disciple makers [37:30] and we need to go and make disciples. [37:32] And of course, that’s also a reason [37:35] that you need to be careful [37:37] of looking at one member of the group [37:39] as your spiritual guru.

[37:41] Because that’s where codependency comes from. [37:44] In Matthew chapter nine, [37:45] Jesus looks at his disciples and he says, [37:47] the harvest is plentiful, [37:48] but the laborers are few. [37:50] That’s the mission.

[37:51] Is that we’ve got to go out into the harvest field. [37:55] He says, pray earnestly for the Lord of the harvest [37:58] to send out laborers into the harvest. [38:00] Do you know who that is? [38:03] That’s you. [38:05] You are the laborer.

[38:07] You are the one that needs to go out into the harvest. [38:10] And so don’t let your attachment to a group [38:14] prevent you from being a laborer in God’s harvest. [38:18] That’s also why discipleship groups [38:19] should never be a one-on-one meeting. [38:22] That turns into a counseling session.

[38:25] And so that’s how codependency happens. [38:27] That’s why it needs to be a group of people. [38:30] You point one another toward multiplication. [38:32] The C, communal.

[38:35] Reproducible came before this one for a good reason.

[38:40] Mission trumps community. [38:42] Mission drives community. [38:44] Community though fuels us forward in the mission. [38:48] That’s why in Romans 12, starting verse nine, [38:50] he says, let love be genuine. [38:52] Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good.

[38:55] Love one another with brotherly affection. [38:57] Outdo one another in showing honor. [39:00] Discipleship groups give us another outlet [39:03] to obey the one-anothers of scripture. [39:07] Throughout the New Testament, [39:08] there are over 51-anothers that cannot be obeyed

[39:12] outside of Christian community with other believers. [39:15] Discipleship groups give an amazing environment [39:18] to grow in having what he calls brotherly affection [39:22] for others as well as learning what it means [39:25] to show honor to other people. [39:29] All of us, maybe you haven’t,

[39:30] but I’ve been in the situation [39:32] where I’ve got a discipleship group [39:34] and I’ve showed up at 6 a.m. [39:37] Sipping on my coffee.

[39:40] 610, 615. [39:42] I don’t think anybody’s coming today. [39:44] Did you know that that’s not what it looks like [39:47] to show honor to other people?

[39:50] When you don’t show up, [39:52] you disobey showing honor to other people. [39:55] You disobey having brotherly affection for another person. [39:59] See, discipleship groups, even when you just look at it [40:02] and say, I just show up, well, that’s a step. [40:08] That’s love.

[40:09] That’s commitment. [40:11] That’s teaching you something. [40:12] And so you need to learn how to do that. [40:15] Some of you, you want to grow [40:17] in this amazing theological knowledge, right? [40:20] You’re using words like superlapsarianism,

[40:22] even though you have no idea what that word means. [40:24] You just like to tweet it every once in a while [40:26] because it makes you look really smart. [40:28] When you’re failing at showing honor to people, [40:32] you’re failing at brotherly affection. [40:34] I’m not impressed with your theology

[40:36] if you don’t have brotherly affection for other Christians. [40:39] You’re not showing honor to other Christians. [40:41] And so you need to grow in that. [40:44] This gives us an environment to grow in maturity [40:47] in these things so that you will have something to pass on [40:50] as you seek to multiply later.

[40:52] The final one, S, scriptural. [40:55] Now, scriptural isn’t last because it’s least important. [40:58] It’s because marks sounds a lot better than smark. [41:01] So in the acronym, it just works better [41:04] to put it there on the end, all right? [41:05] But discipleship groups desperately need to be scriptural.

[41:10] None of this is possible without the Bible. [41:13] This isn’t because it’s, you know, this key [41:16] where it’s just like we’re becoming [41:17] just these academic intellectuals. [41:19] You are going to become more intellectual. [41:21] You are going to grow in knowledge.

[41:23] The apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter four says [41:25] that we’ve got to grow in knowledge [41:27] if we’re going to grow up in our faith [41:28] so that we’re not deceived away, [41:31] so that somebody’s deceptive cunningness [41:33] doesn’t lead us away from the church of Jesus Christ.

[41:36] In Colossians 3, 16, the apostle Paul says, [41:39] let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, [41:42] teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, [41:45] singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs [41:46] with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [41:48] The word of Christ is the Bible, is the Bible.

[41:52] That’s the key. [41:54] That is what discipleship groups saturate their time in. [41:58] That is what you saturate your vision in. [42:00] The Bible is where we learn the gospel. [42:03] It is where we learn about God. [42:05] It is where we learn about ourselves.

[42:08] It is the key to successful discipleship. [42:12] And it’s the key to successful multiplication. [42:16] Some of you have faulty views of discipleship [42:19] because your discipleship is not defined by the scripture. [42:22] The scripture is how we prevent ourselves [42:24] from having wrong beliefs.

[42:27] It’s the word of God given to us [42:28] in order that we can become mature. [42:30] It gives us the vision for what God has done. [42:32] It gives us the vision for what God is currently doing. [42:36] And it gives us the vision for what God is going to do [42:38] in the future.

[42:39] And there’s nothing else in this world [42:42] that is sufficient for that. [42:44] There’s nothing else. [42:46] Now I know some of you, you’re like, [42:50] if it gets too scriptural, I just, I can’t understand it. [42:56] Do you understand what you’re saying when you say that?

[42:59] I need you to understand that there is no other book [43:03] on earth that can accomplish what the Bible can accomplish [43:08] because there is no other book on earth [43:11] that is the word of God. [43:13] There are other books that are helpful supplements, [43:18] but they’re not gonna give you the full meal.

[43:21] This is gonna give you the full meal. [43:24] Next Sunday, we’re gonna actually talk through [43:27] what it looks like to study the Bible with other people. [43:29] And I’m gonna take you through a passage [43:31] and I’m gonna teach you how to break that passage down [43:33] on seven easy steps.

[43:35] But I need you to understand [43:37] that this is how God makes disciples. [43:41] It’s through growing in the knowledge of his word, [43:43] not just so that you can be smarter. [43:46] Yeah, you do need to be smarter, [43:47] but it’s not just for that.

[43:49] It’s because this book will teach you how to be obedient. [43:51] This book will teach you how to multiply. [43:53] This book will teach you, and it is sufficient [43:56] to lead you everywhere God wants you to go in your life. [44:01] But you must be patient and trust that God will do [44:05] what he has promised to do

[44:07] because this is the text that God’s spirit [44:11] has promised to work through. [44:13] Here’s the key. [44:14] You need a discipleship group. [44:17] For some of you, that’s going to start [44:20] by simply you becoming a Christian.

[44:23] You aren’t a disciple [44:24] because you aren’t a follower of Jesus Christ. [44:27] And I want you to understand this morning [44:30] that if you want to be a disciple, [44:32] taking that step of faith to becoming a Christian [44:38] is the most important decision

[44:40] that you will ever or can ever make in your life. [44:46] But for others of you, your discipleship is stalled [44:50] because you’re not investing in it. [44:52] You’re not committed to the process. [44:54] Maybe you’re looking for something outside of the walls [44:56] of the church when God says,

[44:57] come on into the church, build the body, [45:00] be a part of the body. [45:02] Let people invest in you, [45:04] and then you invest in other people. [45:07] Well, friends, I hope through this series, [45:08] you catch a vision for that.

[45:11] Every Sunday, we reflect on what’s called the Lord’s Supper.

[45:16] And the seat back in front of you [45:17] or on the seat beside you is a little packet. [45:19] In the top, it has a piece of bread [45:21] that represents the body of Christ. [45:22] Below that in the cup, [45:24] there’s juice that represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

[45:28] If you’re not a follower of Jesus, [45:30] today can be the day of salvation for you. [45:33] If you will just turn from the sin [45:34] that you’ve been living against a holy and righteous God, [45:37] and you will put your faith in Jesus Christ, [45:40] he will save you right here and right now

[45:42] and change your life. [45:44] But if you’re in here and you are a follower of Jesus, [45:47] say I’ve trusted him, he’s my Lord, he’s my Savior. [45:49] I’m going to invite you in just a moment to eat and drink. [45:52] But I also want to invite you [45:54] that after you’ve professed faith in Jesus Christ,

[45:57] I want you to understand that you’re professing [45:59] that you’re going to go out there [46:00] and you’re going to make disciples. [46:02] Don’t do that flippantly. [46:04] Don’t do that and just keep professing this week in [46:07] and week out with no intention

[46:09] of actually living under his Lordship. [46:12] Friend, God’s given you a mission. [46:15] Go live it when you’re ready. [46:17] Eat.