Conditions of Discipleship
God calls people to grow and become mature disciples. Jesus called His disciples to leave everything and follow Him. The conditions that he set were numerous as they followed Him throughout his earthly ministry. Christ called the disciples to surrender their lives for the sake of the gospel (Matt. 10:38).The first condition of discipleship is self-denial (Luke 14:27). Jesus called the disciples to drop everything and deny themselves and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). It is a complete devotion to Christ alone.
The second condition of discipleship is renunciation. Christ calls us to put our treasures in Heaven and not upon earth (Matt. 19:21). It is to put away the cares of the world and the greed that consumes the culture (Mark 10:28). Christ promises to provide all of our needs because He is the provider of everything.
The third condition is to leave everything in order to follow Christ. It is to put Christ in front of the family. It sounds difficult but Christ has called disciples to put Him first and the family second in priority (Luke 14:26). In order to say “yes” to Jesus, it takes a sincere devotion to making the gospel the center of one’s life. It is not to discount relationships with family, but to place the cause of Christ as the priority for life (Luke 14:33). It is living with a central focus to put away the cares of the world and replace it with a kingdom focus to see people know Christ.
The fourth condition is to be steadfast. It is to be immovable when it comes to standing for the truth and love of God. A mature disciple will not crumble when the storms of life hit, but will respond with perseverance (John 8:31). Christ called the disciples to hold fast and be bold and courageous. In order to be steadfast, one must be dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ has given disciples a yoke that is easy and burden that is light if we trust and obey Him.
The fifth condition of discipleship is fruitfulness (John 15:8). A disciples goal in life is to bring glory to God. Christ calls disciples to shine the light of love into the world so that their fruit points to the glory of God. A good tree will bear fruit that remains and multiplies. Christ established the condition to set forth laborers into the harvest that would spread the seed of the gospel. The disciples were to reveal their love for God by loving other people. A disciple that remains connected daily with Christ will bear fruit and mature.
The final condition of discipleship is love. God is the definition and action of love. Christ called the disciples to love one another as a family (John 13:35). Instruction was set out from the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry to be examples of love to the lost and broken. Jesus came to seek and save the lost through the cross (Luke 19:10). In order for a disciple to grow spiritually, they must deny themselves and obey God’s Word with passion and devotion. When people obey the truth of God’s Word, it changes lives for eternity.
Thoughts on Worship
Hebrew 13:15, 16 from RSV: “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” The need for biblical and spirit led worship in the church is vital. A healthy church is one that worships God from their heart and lifestyle. The importance of a worship gathering to lift up the name of God and create excitement to serve is foundational. Hebrews 13:15, 16 highlight many practical words that should be put into action. The first sentence explains that it is a continual process of offering up a sacrifice of praise to God. Worship must be more than the actual worship service. The emphasis is upon living each day with a continual praise and worship to God. Worship is much more than music and a certain time of the week, but it is a daily praise to God for everything. It takes sacrifice to worship God and to die to our own desires and be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
The second emphasis is “fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” It is imperative that Jesus’ name is lifted up and focused upon during a worship service. People need to feel God’s love through the welcoming environment and worship through singing and preaching. The next section focuses on the application of worship to daily relationships. It says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Worship includes caring for one another. It is important that people understand that the worship service is to set the standard for the week. People must know that worship is not only extending praise to God, but extend a loving hand to those in need. This can be done through intentional prayer for one another during the invitation and promoting small groups that intentionally care for one another. God desires believers who actively seek Him and seek to extend His love to those who are hurting. One way to know that a worship service is God honoring is if the people leave changed and more like Christ. When people are changed through the presence and the Word of God, true worship is found. Spiritual formation is growing to love God through disciplines that bring Him glory. One of the most powerful ways to grow as a believer is to worship in spirit and in truth in our daily lives.
5 Purposes of Small Groups
The five purposes of small groups is a clear and biblical approach adapted from Rick Warren. It stems from his book titled, The Purpose Driven Life. Believers are in need of a clear and biblical approach to understanding the power of small group. The first aspect of the five purposes is, Connecting with God’s family. The essence of small groups is a shared vision for people to grow and become close friends. Friendships that are built upon the Word of God are a priority of small groups. Belonging occurs when healthy relationships are formed within a loving community of believers. The early church in Acts is a great example of people loving one another (Acts 2). Secondly, is for people to grow to become like Christ. Discipleship is the growth of believers to live upon the principles and life of Christ. The loving community encourages one another to live out the heart of Christ. Galatians 5:22-23 illustrates the need for people to grow into mature disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus spent a majority of His time with the disciples. Through His investment into their life, the early church grew and reached many that were lost.
Thirdly, we see the principle of developing into ministry. The gospel was not meant to stay within a small group, but to be communicated with all people. Believers are to use their spiritual gifts and abilities to grow the church (Eph. 4). The importance of small groups is creating an environment for people to discuss their questions of serving God. People are seeking out tangible ways to honor God with their lives. Once a person develops a passion to serve, the church grows and many people are impacted with the gospel.
Fourth, the need for sharing the gospel (evangelism) must be a priority of small group ministry. Evangelism is much more than a program on a certain night of the week. People must learn that everyday we must influence people with our lives and in our words. Believers are the mouthpiece of God and the message is the gospel (Luke 19:10).
Lastly, worship through surrender is the overarching need for every small group. The reason that all of the principles are mentioned is because above all, bringing glory to God through a lifestyle of worship is the most important. Intimate times of worship with a small group are valuable to developing mature disciples of Christ.
The principles of small group ministry are biblical and timely. God’s Word is filled with many more scriptures and principles, but these main five sum up the heart of the need for community and relationships.