A DISCIPLES PILGRIMAGE Jerry D. Porter

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A DISCIPLES PILGRIMAGEJerry D. Porter

• Arizona DistrictCrossroads Church of the
  Nazarene
  
• Chandler, Arizona
• May 29, 2009

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Always teaching and Always being taught!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Our Mission To MakeChristlike Disciples in
  the Nations

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• The Apostle Pauls discipleship pilgrimage will
  shed light on our life as a disciple of Jesus
  Christ. We will study SEVEN notes in Pauls
  discipleship pilgrimage scale.
• DO (doe) is the first note in the musical scale
• DO is Gods amazing grace

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Gods prevenient grace reaching out to
  pre-Christian Saul Of the worlds 6.8 billion
  inhabitants, nearly 2 billion have never really
  heard the gospel or been in close contact with
  credible winsome Christians.
• Sauls first encounter with a follower of Christ
  was probably when Steven, the first
  Christian martyr, was assassinated!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• At that point they went wild, a rioting mob
  but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly
  noticedhe only had eyes for God... The
  ringleaders took off their coats and asked a
  young man named Saul to watch them. As the rocks
  rained down, Stephen prayed, Master Jesus, take
  my life. Then he knelt down, pray-ing loud
  enough for everyone to hear, Master, don't blame
  them for this sin, his last words. Then he
  died. Saul was right there, congratu- lating
  the killers. (Acts 754-60 MSG)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• There have been over 30 Nazarene martyrs during
  the last 4 years and many more beaten and
  imprisoned for their faith!
  
• Wherever these heroes have been persecuted for
  righteousness sake a cluster of believers and
  house churches have emerged!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• RE (ray) is being born again
• Saul obtained arrest warrants to take to the
  meeting places in Damas-cus so that if he found
  anyone there belonging to the Way he could
  arrest them When he got to the outskirts of
  Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding
  flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he
  heard a voice Saul, Saul, why are you out to
  get me? He said, Who are you, Master? I
  am Jesus, the One you're hunting down.
  (Acts 91-5 MSG)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• RE (ray) is being born again
• -The simple definition of a Christian disciple
  is one who is following Jesus.
  
• -I have decided to follow Jesus!
• -We usually encounter Christ through the winsome
  witness of a credible follower of Christ.
  
• -EACH ONE WIN ONE we share our testimony and
  invite our friends and family to repent and
  embrace saving faith in Christ!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• MI (mee) embracing means of grace
• There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of
  Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision
  Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at
  the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His
  name is Saul. He's there praying Ananias
  protested, Master, you can't be serious.
  Everybody's talking about this man and his
  reign of terror against your people in
  Jerusalem!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• But the Master said, Don't argue. Go! So
  Ananias placed his hands on blind Saul, and
  said, Brother Saul, the Master sent me so you
  could see again and be filled with the Holy
  Spirit. No sooner were the words out of his
  mouth than something like scales fell from Saul's
  eyeshe could see again! He got to his feet, was
  baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty
  meal. (Acts 910-19 MSG)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• MI embracing means of grace
• New believers are discipled through the
  sacraments, preaching, teaching, and fellowship.
  
• Baptism is a sacramental means of grace, a public
  testimony of our faith in Christ, and the church
  embracing the new believer shortly after
  conversion.
• Some believers are careless in embracing means of
  grace.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• FA (fah) - the milk for newborn babes
• This is discipleship for new believers.
• Every congregation needs to have an agreed upon
  and readily available spiritual milk curriculum.
  
  
• Every member of the church can be trained to
  teach this discipleship material to new
  converts.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Ananias began this discipleship and then
  Barnabas continued to guide this impetuous new
  Christ-follower. Back in Jerusalem he (Saul)
  tried to join the disciples, but they were all
  afraid of him. They didn't trust him one bit.
  Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He
  introduced him to the apostles and stood up for
  him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to
  the Master on the Damascus Road and how in
  Damascus itself he had laid his life on the
  line with his bold preaching in Jesus
  name. (Acts 926-27 MSG)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• FA (fah) - the milk for newborn babes
• This new believers discipleship is critically
  important for our children, grandchildren,
  nieces, and nephews.
  
• When any child embraces faith in Christ, they
  need to be taught this spiritual milk
  curriculum/catechism at church and/or at home.
  

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• FA (fah) - the milk for newborn babes
• This new believers discipleship is critically
  important for our children, grandchildren,
  nieces, and nephews.
  
• When any child embraces faith in Christ, they
  need to be taught this spiritual milk
  curriculum/catechism at church and/or at home.
  You may want to disciple
  sponsor a child!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• SOL (soul) is sanctifying grace
• When Ananias went to the new con-vert, he said
  Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me so that you
  may be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts
  917 MSG)
• On the day of Pentecost, the one hundred twenty
  believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
  (Acts 24 NIV)
  
• After they prayed, the place where they were
  meeting was shaken. And they were all filled
  with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 431 NIV)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• To be fully devoted disciples we need the
  infilling with the supreme discipler, the Holy
  Spirit! The Lord told the disciples The
  Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
  send in my name, will teach you all things and
  will remind you of every-thing I have said to
  you. (John 1426 NIV)
• We also say to new believers under our care, The
  Lord . . . has sent me so that you may . . .
  be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 917)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• LA (lah) is joining a small cell
• Small group discipleship The New Testament
  house churches were primarily small groups with
  intimate relationships and mutual accountability.
  This could be Sunday School classes, Bible study
  groups, or fellowship cells, which meet regularly
  to pray, study Gods Word, and encourage each
  other in Christlikeness. The teacher is a
  shepherd and the cell groups meet any day of
  the week.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Some believers are primarily spectator Christians
  who attend the church services but do not
  participate in small group discipleship.
  
• John Wesley told his lay preachers Preach in as
  many places as you can. Start as many classes as
  you can. Do not preach without starting new
  classes!

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• 80 of inactive members became inactive during
  their first year.
  
• Church of the Nazarene 2005-09
• New Nazarenes 576,000
• Lost or removed 225,000
• For every 10 new Nazarenes we lost 4!
• Small group discipleship is critical to help
  close the back door.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• In addition to MI means-of-grace public
  discipleship, FA new believers discipleship,
  and LA small group discipleship
  
• We also need to participate in intentional
  discipleship for mature Christians (leadership
  development).
  
• TI (tea) - long term discipleship

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• TI (tea) - long term discipleship
• Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and
  he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year
  Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught
  great numbers of people. (Acts 1125-26 NIV)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Wesleys System of Interlocking Groups
• Society corporate
• Class - open group
• Band - closed group
• (leadership development)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• During the last two years the USA SW Region
  leaders have emphasized four missional
  initiatives prayer, evangelism, disciple making,
  and church multiplication. In a survey, most of
  these Nazarenes indicated that they are not being
  intentionally discipled by anyone nor are they
  discipling other believers.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Who is intentionally discipling you?
• Who are you intentionally discipling?

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• Pauls disciples include Achaicus, Ampliatus,
  Andronicus, Apelles, Apollos, Aquila, Archippus,
  Aristarchus, Aristobulus, Artemas, Asyncritus,
  Crescens, Demas, Epaphras, Epenetus, Erastus,
  Eubulus, Filemon, Fortunatus, Gaius, Hermas,
  Hermes, Herodion, Jesus (called Justus), Junias,
  Linus, Luke, Mnason, Barnabas cousin Mark,
  Narcissus, Nereus, Olympas, Onesimus,
  Onesiphorus, Patrobas, Philemon, Philologus,
  Phlegon, Pudens, Rufus, Secundus, Silas, Sopater,
  Stachys, Stephanas, Timothy, Titus, Trophimus,
  Tychicus, Urbanus, Zenas, and women, including
  Apphia, Claudia, Julia, Mary, Nympha, Persis,
  Phoebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, and Tryphosa.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• DO is Gods amazing grace
• RE is being born again
• MI embracing means of grace
• FA - the milk for newborn babes
• SOL is sanctifying grace
• LA is joining a small cell
• TI - long term discipleship
• That will bring us back to Gods amazing
  grace

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• 1. Jesus
• 2. Jesus discipled Peter.
• 3. Peter discipled Barnabas.
• 4. Barnabas discipled Paul.
• 5. Paul discipled Timothy.
• 6. Paul wrote to Timothy, The things you have
  heard me say in the presence of many witnesses
  entrust to reliable men
  
• 7. who will also be qualified to teach
  others. (2 Tim 22 NIV)

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Jesus prayed all night and then began to gather
  his 12 disciples. He invested 3 years in these
  disciples who in turn would disciple others. If
  each disciple gathered 12 in a 3 year period,
  they would multiply from 1 to 13 to
  150 to
• 1,800 to
• 20,000 to
• A quarter of a million to
• 3 million in a 21-year period.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• Our Mission To MakeChristlike Disciples in
  the Nations

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• We will continue our discipleship pilgrimage and
  encourage others to do the same.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• We need all the discipleship components to
  become fully devoted Christlike disciplers.

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A Disciples Pilgrimage

• DO is Gods amazing grace
• RE is being born again
• MI embracing means of grace
• FA - the milk for newborn babes
• SOL is sanctifying grace
• LA is joining a small cell
• TI - long term discipleship
• That will bring us back to Gods amazing
  grace

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• We have decided to follow Jesus!

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