Introduction to Discipleship and Sanctification Jim Berg, BJU Seminary What Do You Know About Discipleship? 1. What do you think of when you hear the word discipleship? 2. What might other people in the church think of when they hear the word discipleship? 3. Is discipleship an intentional activity or is it coincidental? 4. What problems arise when you try to disciple someone? 5. What is the biblical basis for discipleship? 6. How committed are you to it? 7. What is the goal of discipleship? 8. Is there a process to discipleship? a. What is the process for contact? b. What is the process for content? 9. Is there a measureable progression towards the goal of discipleship? 10. What tools have you used in discipleship?
What Do You Know About Sanctification? Sanctification is that process whereby the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make the people of God like the Son of God amidst the circumstances we face in the providence of God. 1. What is the goal of sanctification? Is perfection possible? 2. What role does justification play in sanctification? 3. When does sanctification begin? 4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in sanctification? 5. What role does the Word of God play in sanctification? 6. What role does suffering play in sanctification? 7. What role does the Body of Christ (community) play in sanctification? 8. What role does worship play in sanctification? 9. What role does meditation play in sanctification? 10. What role does prayer play in sanctification? 11. What role does obedience play in sanctification? 12. What role does the law play in sanctification? 1
13. What role does dedication/consecration/surrender to Christ s lordship play in sanctification? 14. What role do the promises of God play in sanctification? 15. What is the nature of indwelling sin (the flesh)? Are there two natures or one? 16. What is a carnal Christian? 2
The Content of Discipleship Christlikeness The Goal of Discipleship 3
The Content of Discipleship Sanctification Themes Sanctification is the Bible doctrine of how change into the image of Christ takes place. Its components can be briefly summarized as follows: Sanctification is that process whereby the Spirit of God (agent) uses the Word of God (means) to make the people of God (subjects) like the Son of God (model) amidst the circumstances we face in the providence of God (context). If we are to see our mission realized in the hearts of our people, we must be conversant with and participants in the sanctification process, and must saturate the environment and experiences of our people with the Bible s teaching on sanctification. Therefore 1. Because the Agent affecting biblical change is the Holy Spirit, we must personally respond to His work of conviction showing us our sin; His work of illumination showing us the Savior in the Word; His work of assurance showing us our security in Christ; His work of intercession for us before the Father; and His work of empowerment giving us grace to do what God requires. Furthermore, we must emphasize the great hindrance to sanctification that both grieving and quenching the Spirit have. We must model before and call believers to walk in the Spirit and thereby be controlled by Him. 2. Because the Word of God is the means whereby we are taught how to make Biblical change, we must skillfully use it to: a. Teach doctrine the Bible teaches us what is right b. Reprove the Bible teaches us where we are wrong c. Correct the Bible teaches us how to make the wrongs right d. Instruct in righteousness the Bible teaches us how to keep it right (II Tim 3:16, 17) Since these functions of the Word are how a teachable believer is equipped for every good work, they just be revisited often with those we teach and disciple. Those we teach and disciple must regularly be urged with all gravity to make it a practice to daily read, study, and mediate upon the Word so as to treasure its teachings in the heart, and to consistently attend the services of the church whereby they will hear the Word preached and taught. 4
3. Sanctification is a process that can take place only within the people of God redeemed ones. God will use the body of believers significantly in each other s lives in the process. 4. Because God is on a mission to redeem and restore fallen people to the likeness of His Son to the praise of His glory, we must know much about the Son of God and must build a vibrant personal relationship with Him. Only by beholding Him in the Word with illuminated understanding, communing with, and obeying Him will we be changed into His image. Christ s character is manifested in Peter s essential virtues: a settled purpose to be like Christ (virtue), knowledge of Christ s person, work, and ways, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These virtues form the basis for Christlikeness and equip the believer to fulfill the first and second great commandments passion for God and compassion for others. Effective disciple-makers must know how to recognize and foster the growth of these virtues in themselves and others. 5. Because Christian growth takes place within the milieu of life (I Jn 15:13). The Creator s superintendence of His created world is called the providence of God. We must demonstrate knowledge of and confidence in God s sovereign and loving control of their lives by a trusting and obedient yieldedness to the circumstances He arranges for us. Therefore, we must teach and practice how to biblically forgive an offender, effectively resist temptation, and joyfully suffer loss. Those we teach must also be taught that bitterness, anger and resentment, despair and discouragement, and worry and fear are all indicators of failures to meet the circumstances of life with God s grace. We want to fully cooperate with and encourage complete partnership with God in the mission to redeem and restore fallen people to the likeness of His Son. 5
Stages of Discipleship A Biblical Model When Jesus trained His disciples on earth, He provided the instruction, counsel and experiences necessary for them to become useful leaders in His kingdom. A study of His ministry with them reveals that He applied a deliberate process that still remains His method of developing spiritual leaders today. This process can be studied and applied as three stages of leadership development illustrated in the accompanying chart and briefly summarized below. See the chart for further clarification of the elements shown in all CAPS in these descriptions. Fine-Tuning Stage Followership In this stage, I allow God to purge and refine my life to make me into a godly SERVANT--the basic requirement for effective, biblical leadership. As I CHOOSE to demonstrate love for God and others by RESPONDING to God's Word in the power of God's Spirit, God sanctifies me and makes me like His Son. I find that as I HEAR His words and DO them God is making me into a CHRISTLIKE SERVANT, a MODEL of godliness. Pace-Setting Stage - Leadership I Stage two of our Lord's discipleship ministry involves allowing God to burden me about others who are not yet concerned about fine-tuning their lives, and, therefore, cannot be effective SERVANTS for Christ. Here I realize that God calls me to CHALLENGE others to HEAR and DO (to be fine-tuning their lives). I see that as I DO and TEACH, God enables me to have a MINISTRY of discipleship whereby OTHERS ARE BECOMING CHRISTLIKE SERVANTS. This is the first stage of actual leadership. People-Building Stage - Leadership II This is the mature stage of leadership where, as I practice the principles of stages one and two, God uses me to have a regular impact on the lives of others--counseling them and seeing them become MODELS (fine-tuned) and begin to MINISTER to others (pace-setters). Here I realize God is MULTIPLYING my efforts and is using me to TEACH and OVERSEE those who are discipling others. 6
Cautions Methods Results Responsibilities Description A Biblical Model for Developing Spiritual Leadership Fine-Tuning (Followership) Pace-Setting (Leadership I) People-Building (Leadership II) Role to Develop Servant/Disciple Role to Develop Disciple-Maker/Teacher Role to Develop Shepherd/Overseer Focus Learning to Choose (responsiveness) Focus Learning to Challenge (initiative) Focus Learning to Counsel (wisdom) Illustrations Basketball player New military recruit Child Student Illustrations Team Captain Drill Sergeant Parent School teacher Illustrations Team Coach General Pastor School Principle Hearing/Doing Mt.7:24-27; Lk.8:4-21; Ja.1:22-25 Ezek. 33:31,32 A. Choosing to be Saved (Jn.3:16) B. Choosing to be Sanctified 1 Tim.1:5; Mt. 22:37-40; 2 Tim.3:16,17 Change and growth toward love for God and others by means of the Word of God and the Spirit of God as he chooses to respond to... 1. Doctrine (biblical teaching) 2. Reproof 3. Correction 4. Disciplined training in righteousness Doing/Teaching Mt.5:17-19; Ez.7:10; Mt.28:19,20; Acts 1:1; "show and tell" A. Challenge by Example 1 Tim.4:15,16;Jn.13:15 B. Challenge by Exhortation 1 Thess.2:1-20 1. Evangelize: c. to be saved 2. Encourage: c. to take hope 3. Edify: c. to change & grow 4. Enforce: c. to take respons. 5. Enlist: c. to get involved Teaching/Overseeing 1 Pet.5:2; 2 Tim.2:2;Acts 20:28 Heb. 13:17 A. Minister (feed the flock) B. Manager (take the oversight) 1. Build the willing (2 Tim.2:2) 2. Support the weak (1 Th.5:14) 3. Discipline the willful 1 Th.5:14; 1 Pet.5:5 A Man Who is a Model A Man Who is Ministering A Man Who is Multiplying He is becoming a Christlike servant Jn. 13:1-13;17; Phil. 2:5-11 He is discipling others to become Christlike servants 1 Thess. 1, 2 He is overseeing a flock of disciplers 2 Tim. 2:1,2 Teaching/Testing Delegating/Evaluating Encouraging/Educating A. Teach Dependent Living Jn.6:1-13,15; Mt.8:23-27 B. Teach Disciplined Living Jn.12:24-26; Mt.16:21-26 A. Broaden his Experience Mt.10; Lk.10; 22:1-23,39-45 B. Monitor his Example Mt.18; Lk.22:24-34,46 A. Maintain the Example B. Sustain the Endurance Paul stressed both themes in his three pastoral epistles. Failure to Hear/Do "Great was the fall of it" Failure to Do/Teach "Need that one teach you again" Failure to Teach/Oversee "Woe to the shepherds..." Instability/no endurance Mt.7:26-27;Lk.8:11-14,18 See study on Proverbs' "Fools" Go back to first stage yourself Heb. 5:11-14 Become "dull of hearing" Ezek.34:1-10; Jer. 23:1-4 God will require the flock at your hand and will remove the flock from your hand Copyright 2015, Jim Berg. All rights reserved. Further duplication prohibited without permission. 7