Tag: Great Commission

Disciple-Making Pastor, Part 5

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The Role of the Disciple Making Pastor:

The pastor is to shepherd. (elder, bishop, and pastor are generally used synonymously).

Elders:
Presbuteros, are people to whom the care of the church is committed (Acts 14:23, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-3).

Bishop:
Episkopos, is a function of elders to give oversight and leadership to the church (1 Timothy 3:1).

Pastors:
Poimen, are elders who pastor the church, feeding the flock, teaching the Word and protecting the church from within and without (1 Peter 5:1, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11).

Two major functions:

  1. Oversight: to rule – proistemi, to stand before the church (1 Timothy 5:17) or have charge over (1 Thessalonians 5:12); to labor – to work hard (1 Thessalonians 5:12); to lead – hegeomai, the description of leadership responsibility of watching over souls (Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24).
  2. Pastoring: to care (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-3); to protect (Acts 20:28, 2 Timothy 2:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:14); to teach (2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 1Timothy 5:17).

The Disciple-Making Pastor’s Functional Role:
The trigger mechanism that sets the whole process in motion (Ephesians 4:11-16). The pastor as coach.

  1. Preparation as top priority: preparing God’s people.
  2. Proper identification of God’s people: for the works of service.
  3. Pastor/Teacher, not Pastor/Teller: bringing people in to the ministry, not just sending them out. Effective preaching leads to effective ministry is a myth.
  4. Goal-oriented leadership: until the body is built up, and in unity, which is measurable.
  5. Creation of a growing environment: pointing out progress and where thing may have gone wrong, having a passion for excellence.

Disciple-Making Pastor, Part 4

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The Product We Hope to Develop: a re-commitment to Christ’s clear commands to make disciples.

Biblical Foundations of Disciple Making:
Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21, Acts 1:8. As you are going, baptizing and teaching, making disciples. The charge is not to make converts. This is a process of multiplication, not addition.

The Obedient Church:
This is an intention effort that requires a commitment to reproduction, and multiplication.

Are Disciples More Than Converts?
We are called to make disciples and to bear fruit, Luke 14:25-35.

Are Disciples Born or Made?
The Bible talks a lot about transformation and a willful decision to become a follower of Christ. Paul writes about immature believers that ought to be farther along, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, and the writer of Hebrews 5:11-13 addresses the same issue.

Jesus’ Definition of Disciple:
Luke 9:23, Luke 14:25-35, John 8:31, Matthew 9:36-38, John 13:34-35, John 15:7-17 (the disciple’s profile: he remains in Christ, relates to Christ’s words, is committed to prayer, is obedient, bears fruit, glorifies God, has joy, loves as Jesus did).

  1. True believers are more than just converts, but followers of Jesus, obeying what He has commanded.
  2. Jesus meant more than just go and do evangelism. Disciples count the cost, make sacrifices, and follow Him, which requires a long and intentional process for people to become disciples.
  3. Making disciples of all nations is stated as a goal, to win as many as possible, develop many as possible and multiply through many as possible. Converts are born but disciples are made.
  4. Jesus charges the church with building reproducing disciples. Disciple making triggers multiplication.

Disciple-Making Pastor, Part 3

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The Conflict Regarding Disciple Making and Churches:

The characteristics of disciple making are intentional, measurable, clearly communicated ministry.

Liberal Church:
This generally came out of the breakdown of absolute truth rooted in Scripture. It wanted to change the world through social action without much of a call toward salvation of the people in society.

Misconceptions About Discipleship:
It’s more than a trendy evangelical term, or getting serious about Christ, or mastering certain basics in Christianity, or skills training, program participation.

Weak Non-Professional Leadership:
Leadership from the marketplace is needed to make an impact in that marketplace, making changes in their circles of influence.

Churches Have Not Taken Seriously the Great Commission:
Perhaps the average church member has not been taught that the Great Commission is for all people, not just the church in general.

Accommodation to Culture:
This is the belief system of society, through media and the mind, morality, secular methodologies, superficial Christianity.

Great Commission Resurgence

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I think Henry Blackaby put his finger exactly on the point when Baptist Press reported, “If Southern Baptists want to see a ‘Great Commission Resurgence,’ Henry Blackaby believes they need to focus on the relationship between disciples and the living Lord Jesus, not launch a new emphasis on evangelism.” 

 

Blackaby also said, “I have felt for a long time that Southern Baptists have focused on evangelism and missed discipleship. The most important part of the Great Commission is teach them to practice everything I have commanded you. That’s discipleship and that’s the heart of the Great Commission. If we want to have a resurgence in the Great Commission, there’s got to be a refocusing on the priorities of Christ for discipleship.”

 

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