Transcript The Mission of the Church

Transforming Discipleship:
Making Discisples
A Few At A Time
Sept. 19-20, 2008
With Greg Ogden
About Greg Ogden
Executive Pastor of Discipleship
Christ Church of Oak Brook, IL
Married for 39 years to Lily,
retired elementary school principal
Father to Aimee, married to Adam,
both pediatricians in San Francisco
Hopelessly doting grandfather to Claire, 21 months old
Overview of our Time
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The Missional Mandate: Make Disciples
of Jesus: How are we doing and where do
we set the bar?
The Biblical Model: What can we learn
from the way Jesus made disciples for our
ministry?
The Tested Method: What environments
create the context for making disciples?
Assess: Where are we?
“The first responsibility of a
leader is to define reality.”-Max De Pree
Diagnostic Question
Talk in pairs: What is the primary
mission of your church or
ministry? What are you trying to
accomplish?
The Problem Today--Superficiality
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“For many years, 25 or more, the church-growth
school has been dominant. I rejoice in the statistics,
but we must say it is growth without depth. I believe
it was Chuck Colson who said the church is 3,000
miles wide and an inch deep. Many are babes in
Christ.”--John Stott
The Scandal of the Evangelical
Conscience by Ron Sider
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Divorce: 33% of born again Christians; 34% for
general population; 90% of divorces after born again
Sexual Promiscuity: 1/3 of all evangelicals say premarital sex is OK
Racism: Least prejudice: Catholics and nonevangelicals; then mainline Protestants, finally
evangelicals and Southern Baptists
Physical and Sexual Abuse: CRC mirrored
population.
Materialism: Average church member gives 2.6% to
the church. Down from 3.1% in 1968. Evangelicals:
4.6%; 9% of evangelicals tithe.
Responding To Marginalization:
Stages of Death and Dying
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Denial--We are a Christian country.
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Anger--How dare we turn away from God!!!!!
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Bargaining--appeal for revival; longing for the
past
Depression--grief over it never being the
same
Acceptance--see God’s possibilities
Conclusion
“We have sunk to such a depth at
which the restatement of the obvious is
the first duty of intelligent.” (George
Orwell
The Mandate of the
Church
An Exposition of
Matthew 28:18-20
The Mission of Every Church
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Willow Creek Community Church: To
turn irreligious people into fully devoted
followers of Jesus Christ
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CCOB: Gathering in communities
disciples who worship, grow and serve.
Going into all the world as witnesses of
the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.
All Authority Has Been Given to Me
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“All [pasa] authority…have been given to me.
So move out and disciple all [panta] nations
Baptizing them into the name [of all of God]
Teaching them to keep absolutely all [panta]
that I have commanded you
And look! I myself am with you all [pasas] the
days, to the end of the world.”
The Mission
 Make
 By
Disciples of Jesus
going
 By baptizing
 By teaching
 By reproducing
The Discipleship Dilemma
Wilkin’s question: He makes the distinction
between being a true disciple and a true
Christian.
Reflection: What allows people to identify
themselves as Christians, but be hesitant to
identify themselves as followers or disciples of
Jesus?
A Woman Says to Her Pastor
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“I just want to be Christian. I don’t want
to be a disciple. I like my life the way it is.
I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I
will be with him when I die. Why do I
have to be a disciple?”
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How would you answer her question?
“What If He’s A Christian Man?”
by Robert McElvaine
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Two Christian CEO’s on trial:
 Richard
Scrushy, HealthSouth
 Bernie Ebbers, WorldCom
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If we are justified by faith in Christ alone,
does it make any difference if there is a
change in the way we live?
Disciple
“A disciple is one who responds in faith and
obedience to the gracious call of Jesus. Being a
disciple is a lifelong process of dying to self
while allowing Jesus Christ to come alive in us.”
“A disciple is one who has come to Jesus for
eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and
Lord, and has embarked upon the life of
following Jesus.” (Wilkins)
Make Disciples
What is a disciple: “always implies the
existence of a personal attachment which
shapes the whole life of the one described
as mathetes, which in its particularity,
leaves no doubt as to who is deploying
the formative power.”
Discipleship
Simply the process of growth into
Christ-like maturity and reproduction.
Discipling
Discipling is an intentional relationship in
which we walk alongside other disciples in
order to encourage, equip and challenge
one another in love to grow toward
maturity in Christ. This includes equipping
the disciple to teach others as well.
Step 1 Go (Move Out)
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CCOB Mission: Go into all the world as witnesses of
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The evangelistic task of the church: Scares to death
most people in the pews
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Approach: Ask questions and listen carefully (John
1:35-42)
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Evangelism in our day: Earning the right to be heard;
service leads to listening, which leads to the heart.
the life-changing love of Jesus Christ
Step 2 Baptize (Community)
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CCOB Mission: making communities of disciples…
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Why is baptism so central to the mission of disciplemaking? What does getting wet have to do with it?
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As God is a community so we reflect that image…
(Gen. 1:26, 27)
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The Plurality of God
The differentiation of male and female
Discipleship is about community in which Jesus is the
center.
Step 3 Teaching (Holiness/Obedience)
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CCOB Mission: making communities of disciples who worship,
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Sarcasm: “Teach them to study everything that I have
commanded…teach them by holding classes where we take
notes about all that I have commanded you…teach them to fill
their heads with doctrine so that they can feel that they believe
the right things”
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If we were serious we would offer courses:
grow and serve
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How to Bless those who spit upon you
How to live without purposely indulged lust or covetousness.
How to be free of the anger that kills and all its complications
Forgiveness: an absolute necessity; living in reconciliation with all the
people in our lives who have hurt us or we have hurt.
The Lord’s Sufficiency
to Complete the Work
“Look, I myself am with you, all
the days (every single day) [All
authority has been given to me…I
am with you always]..to the
completion of the age”
Where do we set the bar?
 Complete
the following statement: A
disciple is…
Matthew 28
The Visual Bible’s portrayal of the
Great Commission and the appeal to
follow Jesus