A word from our trainer David Maddox - Last week we began to explore a new discipleship teaching we are now using in training which I have titled simply, “Securing the Seed”. If you look at the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9 as explained in Matthew 18-23 you see that the battle for the new Believer begins immediately as Satan seeks to steal the seed planted from one who has heard “the word of the Kingdom and does not understand it”. It is in this declaration that we see the purpose and necessity of discipleship which is the reason for Lesson 1 on “What Just Happened to Me?” We want the new Believer to understand what God has done in them so Satan’s initial attack will fail. Immediate prayer and Spiritual warfare (standing “against the schemes of the devil” – Ephesians 6:11) are required, but there is more if Satan’s effort is to fail. They must not be left to what for them was probably an emotional experience as they were shown (many for the first time) that forgiveness is actually available. They must be taught how that happened, how they have been changed, and what is now required of them as a result of the commitment to relationship they have made. But let’s back up to the sharing of the Gospel to be sure they have received what Paul calls, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27) – the good seed. If the seed planted is not “the whole counsel of God” then the effort is wasted as good fruit will not grow on what will be a bad tree (Matthew 7:17-18). The key is in how we share the final verse to be sure the Truth is received. Romans 10:9-10 says that “if’ we do two things we “will be saved”. Those two things are: (1) to “believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead” (which is the whole package – death – burial – and resurrection accepted by faith in their heart – not head - as the price for their personal/individual sin) and (2) that they “confess (which means assent or consent) with your mouth that Jesus is Lord” (which means wielding authority for good). There is an acknowledgement of faith and a commitment to follow Jesus required by that final verse “if” the person is to be “saved”. For us as we share we need to make the commitment to a relationship with Jesus as their Lord real even as His sacrificial death must be real in their heart. We are not “selling fire insurance”. It is about a relationship with Jesus in charge. Here is where we begin an emphasis on discipleship as we explain what it means for Jesus to be their Lord, and that if they have accepted the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, for them eternity begins now. Explain what it means to be a disciple and set your first follow up meeting with them. Explain that Jesus (now their Lord) has commanded that they be baptized and seek to set that up through one of the cooperating churches. Finally, explain that we have been commanded to share this good news with others and ask if there is someone they need to share what has just happened to them with, and if possible drop everything and go with them to do that. When we take this approach we can be better assured that the seed is good and discipleship has begun. Praying for you as you do the hard work of making disciples - who will make disciples - who will make disciples . . . David
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:44:44 +0000
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