Living on Mission – B|Disciplers

Living on Mission – B|Disciplers

Jesus told His own disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. These guys knew what discipleship looked like because they did life with Jesus for around 3 years. They had free access to His life. Every day they walked with Him, listened to Him, watched his interactions with people, and shared the table with Him and whoever He invited to join. The disciples saw the Good News in action every day and were transformed by it.

Caesar Kalinowski said, “Life together with Jesus was not just a weekly meeting. It shouldn’t be for our relationships either.” This is so true!

What do our discipling relationships look like?

Paul and Timothy were a great example of a healthy discipling relationship. They spent a good deal of time doing life together while they traveled to share the Good News. When they weren’t together, Paul kept in touch and encouraged Timothy through letters, encouraging him to carry on and make disciples to perpetuate the mission.

“The Disciples had access to every part of Jesus' life for years. Discipleship is moving from unbelief to belief in the gospel in every area of life. That means those we are discipling will need to see and experience the gospel transforming us in every area too.” ~ Caesar Kalinowski

The disciples had access to Jesus’ life. Timothy had access to Paul’s life. Who has access to your life? Who is able to see the Good News transforming you?

Let’s practice Living on Mission and B|Disciplers like Jesus and Paul – doing life together and watching the Good News transform our lives together.

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! B|Neighbors

Do you have your eye on people you haven't even met yet (and might never meet)?  Can you envision things that you might never see, personally?  Paul certainly did, and we can see that in 2 Timothy 2:1-2, where he writes to Timothy. 

"Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.  You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses.  Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others." 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)

Paul has his eye on Timothy.  What a beautiful example of discipleship.  As our B|Neighbors series has progressed we have been able to track fun relationships:  Barnabus encouraged Paul.  Paul admonished Peter.  Rufus' mother was a mother to Paul.  Paul disciples Timothy. 

Paul has his eye on Timothy, sure, but he also has his eye on OTHERS... others that Timothy is supposed to invest in, teach, and pass along the message of Jesus.

How big is your biggest picture?  How clear is your closest detail?  Both are needed in discipleship as we are willing to invest in others in a specific and personal manner, as well as be continually mindful of those that influenced and affected by those we have influenced and affected.

As with everything, it all needs to come back to Jesus.  We're not going to get close to having our eye on others if our eyes are not also on God.  We're not trying to multiply carbon copies of ourselves (how dreadful!), or our best idea of church, we're motivated to reproduce followers of Christ and a Christ-centered body of believers.

Prayer is integral in maintaining the daily presence with God needed to make any worthwhile impact for God.  And prayer is integral in discipleship efforts as well.

"The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.  These were his instructions to them:  'The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.  Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves."  Luke 10:1-3

As we prepare our hearts and minds for this Sunday's message, let us focus our prayers on continued daily presence with God.  We need God to speak to us.  God to go before us.  God to send us.  God to instruct us.  We need to pray.  We need to ask.  We need to go.  We need to obey.  We need to be mindful. 

The more we walk with God, daily, the more He helps increase our love for Him and our compassion for others.  If the thought of having your eye on others is overwhelming or perhaps even unappealing, the best place to start is having your eyes on God and having an open and prayerful conversation with Him. 

Dear God,
Please continue to draw us close to You, daily.  We need You.  Please help us be individuals that "get it" as well as a church that "gets it" - gets that we need You, gets that we need others, and gets that we need to encourage, admonish, be family, and disciple in Holy Spirit-led ways.
Amen.

PoC|Coverage is tonight at 6pm.  Join us as we come together in prayer and care!

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “B|Disciplers”

Supplies: Bible

SHARE 

God designed us all to be teachers.  Now some he called to do it for a living (and we are SO grateful for them), but we all have an instinct to teach others what we know.  Share a time when you taught someone.  Maybe you taught them how to do something, or maybe you shared information you had learned that they didn’t know.  Who did you teach?  What did you share?  Was it fun?

READ

Have someone read 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

THINK

Paul was what we call a discipler.  Yes, he was also a disciple: a follower of Jesus.  But he was also a disciple-er: one who made more disciples.  He had a passion for helping people come to know Jesus AND in helping them continue to grow in their relationship with Him.  We see a lot of his teachings in the letters he wrote to churches, but we really see him coach younger pastors in his letters to Timothy and Titus.  He offers wisdom, tips and tricks, guidance in tough situations, and even correction at times.  Through it all, Paul’s desire is that these people would grow closer to Jesus in relationship and Christlikeness.

Paul may have been a master, a “professional” discipler, but this is something we are all designed to do.  I think God gave us that teaching gene because he knew we’d need it to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus.  A lot of times we think only pastors can do that, or Sunday School teachers, or…adults!  But ANYONE can disciple someone.  If you’ve known Jesus even a little longer than another person, you can help them learn about our Savior and build that relationship.

APPLY

Who could you disciple?  A younger sibling or neighbor?  A friend at church or school?  Someone who sits next to you in the break room or in the sanctuary?  What are some ways you can reach out to “younger” believers and help them grow?  Work together and brainstorm some ways you can disciple others and help them be more like Jesus.

PRAY

Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching me how to be more like You.  Help me disciple others in the same way. In Your Name we pray.  Amen

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

EXPLORE IT - B|Disciplers - 2 Timothy 2:1-7

2 Timothy 2:1-7   You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  ² And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.  ³ Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  ⁴ No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-- he wants to please his commanding officer.  ⁵ Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.  ⁶ The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  ⁷ Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

As we continue our B|Neighbors series, this week we take a look at “B|Disciplers – Paul & ‘Neighbor’ Timothy.”  Timothy comes from a diverse background.  His mother Eunice was a Jew, who had instructed him in the Scriptures, and his father came from a Greek family.  Scriptures do not tell us when Timothy became a Christian, but most scholars believe he was converted during Paul’s first missionary journey when he was in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown. 

Paul took Timothy under his wing, adding him to his traveling party, mentoring and developing him for leadership.  1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 reference that Timothy had prophetic messages made about him by the body of elders, confirming his being set apart for ministry, but he still had to learn and grow, preparing for leadership.  This preparation included begin circumcised before departing for his journeys in order to alleviate any opposition from local Jews.

Timothy’s ministry covers many different places.  His first assignment was a special commissioning to encourage the persecuted Christians at Thessalonica.  Timothy then appears with Paul during his time at Corinth.  Timothy is then sent with Erastus to Macedonia and then back to Corinth.  He also travelled with Paul to Jerusalem and then Paul commissioned Timothy to serve at Ephesus, addressing challenges with false teachers, administering public worship, and assigning church officials.

During his travels, Paul disciples Timothy, helping him to be successful in ministry.  Timothy initially seems to be a timid person, Paul encourages the Corinthians to take it easy on Timothy and accept him (1 Corinthians 16:10-11).  Paul admonished Timothy when he needed it, warned him against youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22), and encouraged him to stand firm in relationship to the Gospel message (2 Timothy 1:8).  In our passage this week, 2 Timothy 2:1-7, we see another example of Paul’s discipleship, encouraging Timothy to continue to run the race of faith and finish strong.

Just like Paul and Timothy have one another (a “discipler” and a “disciplee”), we too need a “discipler,” someone who will encourage us along our journey of faith, but we also need those in our life who we are discipling.  If you don’t have these two relationships in your life, I encourage you to prayerfully consider two questions:

1.       Who can I build an intentional relationship with – with the goal of them helping me to grow in my faith?
2.       Who can I build an intentional relationship with – with the goal of me helping them to grow in their faith?

We are all family.  We are all on this journey together.  We must intentionally encourage one another to run the race of faith and to finish strong!

Blessings,

Pastor Amy

READ IT! - B|Neighbors - 2 Timothy 2: 1-7, Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 8:34-38, Acts 14:19-22, Ephesians 4:11-16, Proverbs 22:13, Luke 10:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:7

Here are this week's scriptures for our B|Neighbors sermon series...

2 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV)
2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.



Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”



Mark 8:34-38 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”



Acts 14:19-22 (NIV)
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.



Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.



Proverbs 22:13 (NIV)
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”



Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.



2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.