Let me illustrate this dynamic. And do the same for your disciples. Likewise, Paul said: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). They believe the birds that nest in the tree picture Satan and his demons. In the end, Job proved out that he had surrendered full allegiance to God and glory was given to God, not the devil. Where was the throne? Hmmm, Pentecost marking the beginning of their ministrydo you see a pattern here? Confession of sins, and corporate prayer and discipline will crush Satans schemes. The end is to glorify God through our restored allegiance to Him, that allegiance resulting in a radically transformed life. Pray for and expect the demonstration of the, 5. There is a war raging on between God and His foe, Satan, for the hearts and allegiance of men. Yet Priscilla, Aquila, and Paul all noticed something lacking (See Acts 18:24-28 and 19:1-7). Well, lets read the parable of the wedding feast (a parable of the Kingdom) in light of this Scripture: But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And the man was speechless. For disciples caught in destructive lifestyles, teach them the difference between friends and acquaintances, and encourage them to temporarily disassociate with acquaintances who would inhibit them from refusing temptations. Thats why Jesus said that apart from Him, we can do nothing (see John 15:5). As they hear God more and see how fasting intensifies their intimacy with God, they will learn how to incorporate fasting as an integral part of their spiritual life. I would venture to say that for most of us, Gods redemptive plan for humanity is people-centric rather than God-centric. This may seem like a subtlety; however, it can prove significant in how we minister to folks. If every believer would simply accurately represent Christ wherever he goes, this world would be influenced more and more for Christ. I ran into a lot of people and I dont know how many times when I was asked what I was doing that I got the response, Youre a Pastor? I said, Im trying!. Is your ministry accomplishing the mission? Because of bad habits, most Christians are knowledgeable beyond their ability to _________? The Scriptures are relatively silent about Jesus early life. Sincerely now, without the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting itself in and through us, we tremendously limit our ministry. And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and I am not talking about teaching and preaching. Centrality of Gods glory, total obedience, being a doer and not just a hearer, engaging on the mission immediately, everyone a soldier, wartime mindset, listening to God, holy living, Christianity as a way of life, and complete freedom from sin. Are you reading the Scriptures regularly and journaling what the Lord speaks to you? God, through Jesus Christ, has restored glory to its rightful recipient by turning our allegiance to Him and transforming our lives. It is simply a gift for empowerment. You don't really need to convince people that they are sinners. 2 Kings 17:1-41 Did you know that you have to surrender everything? Can it get any easier than this? Within weeks, the disciple is challenged to seek a disciple of his own. Conversion without transformation seems to rescue some from a fiery end. A reasonable goal is to get to the next generation in two months. . Granted, this is a partial truth, but I believe this portrayal of Gods Word seriously diminishes its true intentwhich is to point us to Him. At some level we seek ministry success to satisfy our desire to accomplish a lot for God; however, the aim is misguided by our insecurities and deep needs, rather than motivated by Gods glory. This is a man who lives what he preaches. As you seek to share your faith in a kind way, you may be surprised that people are more willing to listen. This continues ad infinitum. I grew up that way. In the next chapter we will continue to discuss freedom, with very practical and foundational application. Our website is www.deliveranceseries.com and our vision is creating fulfilled destinies. When we begin to give meanings to all of the details in the parable, we end up following after fanciful interpretations. Recognize that Jesus meant what He said and that we will ultimately be judged on His words. But the message of the gospelthat which is of first importanceis that Jesus came to save sinners. Why does it even use up the ground? And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9). They do not embrace the vision or engage in the mission. Website. If someone struggles with smoking, they may light up and fail for the moment. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. in the building, advancement, and expanding of this great, Christ-centered kingdom? Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? So what does this look like, practically speaking? Where is the best place to find disciples? EXACTLY! His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. Lord God Almighty, show us our freedom and empower us to lead others to freedom. Christ ushered in the Kingdom. Mark 16:17-18 is clearly addressed to all saints and itemizes several gifts that can only manifest by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is on the move and enlisting the willing. If only we had Christians as the Presidents of universities around the world. The deed is in His name. Have you counted the cost and surrendered everything to Christ? First John 5:13 certainly speaks of eternal security; however, it is conditional on freedom from sin (1 John 3:9), freedom from worldliness (1 John 2:15), obeying His commands (1 John 1:4), and walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). We are free. Jesus, knowing the doubts and struggles His disciples must have been experiencing, kindly gave them these two parables to encourage their faith. The First John and related passages can reasonably convict us all and grow in us a healthy fear of the Lord. (1 John 1). 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Read John 8:1-11. Build a solid foundation using the patterns presented in this guide. There is a better picture of what He wants from you. Now matters of the Spirit are a bit mysterious. Salvation is beyond our reach, and so is righteous and holy living. Summary: 7 Strategies for Kingdom Building, Advancement & Expansion 1. And dont get trapped into plugging them into a series of church programs. Now I wish I had unlimited space to deal with this subject, because it is so important for freedom from sins power. All other ministries must be understood in the context of the mission. Help your disciple count the cost of surrendering his or her life to God. Our Christian culture has so watered down the vision and mission, and honestly the Gospel truth, that re-establishing good spiritual DNA is challenging (though not impossible). The first time that my mother ever tried to make homemade bread, she mixed some yeast with the dough. After going through a spiritual inventory with your mentor (or a future disciple), why must you repeat the exercise weekly at first? Even Jesus was. Seven childrenyoure done, right? For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the LORD. Would you give your title, sins, pleasures, fears, hurts, and undivided service? It makes sense that we work one part of the car at a time: undercarriage, engine compartment, body panelsall the while continuing to use the car as a daily driver. Yet in the same letter he says if we are born of God, we cant go on sinning! In Jesus name. 5 Steps to Perfect Your Inner Paul. Now I will teach on a subject that has, unfortunately, become somewhat controversial. I started a social networking group for ministry leaders some time ago, not exactly certain what I was to do with it. By and large it was the Christians who built the hospitals, and the schools, and the universities, and the orphanages, and who ministered to the poor in the countries in which they lived. It is the Great Commission. Why do people chase after entertainment, drugs, sex, money, relationships, and even religion? Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? Show them what it means to be a disciple by doing life together. There are other important considerations too, most or all of which you will be factoring into your local church's overall mission strategy, such as: Discipleship training Leadership training Evangelism efforts Individual and corporate prayer A strong, anointed worship ministry Pastoral care and counseling Word-of-God ministry, including the children Counseling, mentoring as needed Teaching on giving, tithing Church planting from your church Other ministries, as God leads, Check out our in-depth Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God Bible Study Notes in 3 parts, Christian LivingDoctrine & TheologyEvangelismFaithGifts of the Holy SpiritHealingHearing from GodHoly Spirit | Pentecostal TopicsJesus ChristMinistryPower of GodPrayerSalvationThe ChurchVarious Topics Not Listed ElsewhereVictory over the DevilWord of God. Telling people to do these things is a poor substitute for doing them. Then Jesus pulls up in a stretched limo, opens the door and says, Hop in! It dominates the landscape and Free for Limited Time: The Eternal Benefits of Circle Time. He said he received the baptism of repentance only. Matthew 13:31-33He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. If Gods will is to be accomplished on earth, it will be through Gods people. Matthew 13:44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. It speaks about how by ourselves we are helpless. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Read Acts 1:3. They more often than not see the paid ministers as responsible for ministry. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Acts 6:1-7. The door is wide open for the enemy to roam freely within the home. These permeate our being and give him permission to have his way with us. According to Acts 1:8, what would the disciples do when they received the power of the Holy Spirit? A few of us have been working hard to reach Rancho Cordova with the gospel. In essence, we sense safety in numbers. How did David respond to the initial temptation? Lets read Romans Chapter 6 in light of this analogy. Paul says he is NOT perfect, but is ministering to those who ARE perfect and tells people to live up to the standard they HAVE obtained. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. We are tempted by our carnal desires. Second, it was an inestimable privilege to be in Gods kingdom. Lord God Almighty, give your people discernment to identify the disciples you have prepared for them. . . At first, they send salvos and aerial bombardment to lower your defenses. The one who was least in the kingdom was greater than John the Baptist. Based on this parable, will God let us live without repentance forever or does He demand we repent? It becomes a movement when the DNA and vision carry on without your involvementit is in Gods hands, and not yours. On the contrary, it is extremely effective with new disciples. Thanksgiving 1; Series . So what happens when we are NOT victorious? However, the Biblical basis for this argument is suspect. We are invited to hear from God, if we would just open our hearts to what He is saying. Sharing your faith tells the world that you care about them. The religious system that diverts our efforts today was totally avoided by the early church. The work of Gods grace through the power of the Spirit is not a completed on the cross kind of thing. 3. Try. Expect a few hours of commitment per week per disciple. This country was not just founded by Christians, it was founded on the principles of Gods Word and God truly blessed America in those early days because America, as a nation, blessed God. We read in John 14:12, right after Jesus tells the disciples to believe in Him because of the miracles He has performed, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12). But there is no substitute for Gods Word. Everyone claims Jesus as Savior, but most realize through that exercise whether or not they make Him Lord. Luke doesnt mention the size of a mustard seed, but Matthew and Mark tell us it is smaller than all the seeds. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. One does not necessarily need to lead to the other. However, if we continue to sin, it just shows we are carnal, not abiding in Christ, grieving the Spirit. I get questions like No TV? Be open to these folks meeting in different ways, not necessarily connected to your church. The disciple must repent to allow cleansing. Millions are dying without salvation. 6 adults began meeting in May of 2011 for the purpose of glorifying God by making disciples. So does the freedom from sin grant us eternal life, or is it the holiness derived from the freedom from sin that grants us eternal life? Whenever I share my faith, there is a lot I want to say. You with me on this? Series Information. The systems and gifted individuals are expected to grow them. Therefore, we can trust it to provide clear insight into these matters. As a result, Satan can convince us that the shackles are latched even though it is simply us holding onto the chains (very common). 7. Recall the illustration of the epic custody battle between God and Satan for the hearts of men, which was presented in the first chapter. Two: The mission must be self-propagating regardless of cultural context, available resources, or giftedness. Are you ready to unleash the flood of laborers? What did John say Jesus would baptize with? http://www.nec.org.au/listen-to-a-sermon-series/kings-series/ But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Christs blood cleanses us from all of our past sins (see Romans 3:25). Nothing short of a radically transformed life brings God glory. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Read Romans 1:1-7. If we sin, we give the devil dominion and authority to operate in our lives. His kingdom is not one of military might or political savvy; rather, it is one that extends his grace, mercy and love. Grapes are not the weapons we fight with are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs thistles... Adults began meeting in may of 2011 for the purpose of glorifying by! 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