Following the Process

At Faith Baptist Church, our motto is “Loving God, Making Disciples.” What does this mean and why is it important? I want to focus on the second part, “making disciples.” If this is important to us, then we should be passionate about doing it. But to be passionate about doing it, we need to know what it is. So let’s take a closer look.

Visualizing the Process

How do you describe the Christian life? I like to say it’s the process of following Jesus. A learning curve diagram will help you visualize this process.

In reality, theChristian life actually looks more like this.

Now let’s fillin some details.

1. Youbegin as a rebellious person who either knows nothing about God or who rejectswhat you do know about him. In this condition, you have no relationship withGod.
2. Eventuallyyou learn enough truth to believe on Christ as your God and Savior (with strongpersuasion from the Holy Spirit). This is when you relationship with Godbegins.
3. Afterthis spiritual transformation occurs, you announce your new relationship withGod through baptism. This is when your relationship with God goes public.
4. Youmove forward from baptism by learning and doing everything else that Jesustaught in Scripture, one step at a time.
5. Thisprocess continues for the duration of your earthly life. After you die, Godwill finish the process so that you reflect the goodness of Christ completelyand forever.

The technical term for this process of spiritual change is sanctification. We also call it spiritual growth. The goal of this process is to be like Jesus – to think and feel, act and speak like him. This goal involves more than being good like Jesus. It also involves guiding others to be like him as well.

Learning and Teaching

This process involves many factors. Let’s consider two of them: learning and teaching. From a human standpoint, these factors are how the process of spiritual growth occurs.

The “GreatCommission” – this is a popular name for the mission Jesus gave us. But are wecarrying out it out as a church? Are you doing your part?

The health,strength, and effectiveness of a church relates directly to the involvement ofits members’ in the Great Commission. It says:

“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. Amen” (Matt 28:18-20).

Being a Disciple

The core action (the main verb) of this mission is to “make disciples.” It comes from the Greek word μανθάνω, which means “to learn” and “to be taught.”

To make adisciple, you must be a disciple. You must be a serious and devoted learner. Tosee how you’re doing at this, ask yourself these three diagnostic questions:

Who are you learning from?

You should be learning from another faithful disciple. This includes the pastor(s) and teachers in your church, but they cannot mentor every member personally. That’s why all members should participate in this process.

What are you learning?

You should be learning what Jesus taught. This includes the teaching of the apostles in the New Testament and how the New Testament relates to what the prophets taught in the Old Testament, too.

What are you doing with what you learn?

You should be doing what Jesus said. You need to take to heart what Jesus taught and put it into practice (“observe”).

Discipleship Dangers

With each of these questions, there is at least one potential pitfall.

Who?

If you’re doing “independent study” (or not studying at all), then you’re not following the biblical pattern.

What?

If you’re studying random, miscellaneous, irrelevant topics (especially at the beginning of your growth), then you’re not following the biblical pattern. The same is true if you’re study things which the Bible does not teach.

Doing?

If you’re only accumulating knowledge but not acquiring new priorities, habits, and behaviors, then you’re not following the biblical pattern.

Teaching Disciples

The dominant theme of this mission is “to teach.” This comes from the Greek word διδάσκω, which means “to teach” and “to provide instruction.”

As you learn and do what Jesus taught, you should impart his teaching to others. To see how you’re doing at this, you should also ask yourself three questions.

Who are you teaching?

You should be teaching some who are in your church, but you should also be find new disciples who are not in your church.

What are you teaching them?

You should be teaching them what Jesus taught: the gospel, then to be baptized, then the rest of the Christian life, one step at a time.

What are they doing with what you teach?

They should be doing what Jesus said.

The process of spiritual growth moves forward as you learn to do all that Jesus taught and as you teach others to do the same. This process of μανθάνω (learning) and διδάσκω (teaching) happens when you’re ἀκολουθέω (following) Jesus.

μανθάνω (learning) + διδάσκω (teaching) = ἀκολουθέω (following) Jesus

Following Jesus Closely

The word ἀκολουθέω (following) occurs elsewhere, as when the first disciples walked away from their fishing business to “follow” Jesus (Matt 4:20). This word means to “walk behind someone.” It means that you walk behind so closely that you can hear what that person says and see what that person does. You do this so that you can understand what they are saying and imitate what they are doing.

• It’slike when a child walks behind his father through deep snow, placing his feetinside his father’s footprints one step at a time right behind him.
• It’slike when I walk with my children along Roosevelt Ave. where the subway runsoverhead. We have to walk closely together so that they can hear my voice and followmy instructions. If they get too far away, they can’t hear me due to the loudnoise of the subway cars and they can’t see me due to the crowds of people.

For us, thatperson is Jesus. We follow him by following closely behind another faithfulbeliever who is doing the same. This process continues when we find otherdisciples to follow behind us!

Though Jesus is no longer with us physically, he promised to join us in this process in a spiritual way. He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). In a special way, he is right there with you whenever you participate in this process of being and making disciples. He joins with you as you learn from others and teach others how to follow him.

Where are You in the Process?

The Christian life is the process of following Jesus (and teaching others to do the same), but are you committed to the process, and where are you at on the journey?

• Learn what it means to believe on Jesus Christ as your God and Savior.
• Announce your faith in Christ through baptism.
• Participate in the teaching ministries of Faith Baptist Church to continue your growth.

How are youhelping Faith Baptist Church with “making disciples”?

• Pray for new disciples outside the church.

• Teachthem to believe and be baptized.

• Followthe teaching ministry of your church.

• Servein the teaching ministry of your church.

• Joinyour disciples in God’s eternal kingdom!

Where is Your Church in the Process?

To fulfill this mission, two things must occur:

• You mustto exert personal effort to do it. In fact, the Bible says this, “By this timeyou ought to be teachers” (Heb 5:12). But are you? If not, you need to move inthat direction. To help you with this…
• Yourchurch must equip you to do it. Paul explains this when he said that God givespastors to churches to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” and thatevery one of us must do our “share” of the work (Eph 4:12, 16).

This studychallenges you with No. 1, but by clarifying the mission and process it alsoachieves No. 2. To equip you even further, Faith Baptist Church will be doingeven more.

• Provide you with a gospel tract called The Way to God. This tract is in print and online and will help you find new, prospective disciples.

• Provideweekly outreach opportunities on Saturday mornings, passing out gospel tractsand speaking to people about Christ in strategic places in our local community.
• Provideyou with a Bible study series called New Directions: A New Life.Youcan use this material to lead people to conversion and prepare them forbaptism.

• Provideyou with a Bible study series called New Directions: A New Family. Youcan use this material (which is under development) to teach people what itmeans to be a faithful, thriving member of the church.

• Provideadults with clear, expository Bible preaching Sunday mornings and in-depth,practical, interactive Bible study Sunday afternoons (supplemented by ongoinginteraction through WhatsApp during the week).
• Provideyoung children with worship training and through-the-Bible training on Sundaymornings through our “It’s Grow Time!” children’s church, and then provide themwith Bible memory and application training Sunday afternoons through theFrontLine club.
• Provideteenagers with in-depth, practical, interactive Bible study through ourProTeens ministry Sunday afternoons.
• Providetraining for the New Directions material on Wednesday nights. Those whoare trained will be able to train other members who are unable to comeWednesday nights.

By increasingyour involvement in these crucial teaching ministries of the church, youincrease your commitment to the mission Christ gave us. As a result, you willthink and feel, act and speak like Jesus. You will also help others to followJesus, too!

My Father's Discipleship Journey

Converted

My father grew up in a small Pennsylvania river town called East Prospect. His family attended Zion United Methodist Church. Sadly, he didn’t hear a clear presentation of the gospel until 1973, his 15^th year. Arnold Willis (a traveling preacher who was blind in one eye and legally blind in the other) visited the church to preach a series of evening message. Near the end of those meetings, my father believed on Jesus Christ as his God and Savior. Only the visiting pastor could show him how.

Baptized

Five years later, at age 20, he had entered the Marine Corp (1978). During that time he began attending a Southern Baptist church in Jacksonville, NC called Midville Baptist. That’s where he learned to announce his faith publicly through baptism, which he did.

Mentoring

Two years later, at age 22, he was completing his military service in Okinawa, Japan (1980). That’s when he began attending another Baptist church called Maranatha Baptist. As a member of this church, he received clear Bible teaching, personal mentoring in the Christian life, biblical marriage counseling. He also began to reach out to other people through gospel outreach (evangelism) and by driving a van that brought many other soldiers to church each Sunday.

Teaching

Since that time, my father has explained the gospel to numerous people and led many to faith in Christ. Some of these have been baptized and have gone on to serve the Lord in the same way. He even pastored a church in Indiana, started another church in Indiana, and pastored two church in South Africa. I’m thankful for how the discipleship process influenced my father’s life and am a result of that influence myself, seeking to pass the same teaching and approach on to you.

Imagine If...

Imagine achurch where this process happens. We love God and we make disciples – not justthe pastor(s), but the members of the church as well. Imagine a church where weall take an active, increased role in following the process and leading othersto do the same. Who are you following and who’s following you, and how willthis impact the growth of your church in the days ahead?