Sunday Oct 1 2006

Sunday Oct 1 2006

When we talk about making maximum impact we are talking about multiplication. Discipleship, simply put, is multiplying Christ in others through intentional relationships.

In Acts 20, Paul demonstrates how each of us need to be pouring ourselves into others for the sake of the Kingdom.

The Four T’s to Discipleship

Time (vs. 13-17)
Even though Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost, he took time to meet with the Ephesian Elders in Miletus.
-Discipleship cannot be done on the cheap! It takes time.
-It demands the deep conviction that a slow job done together is better than a fast job done alone.

Training (18-21, 31)
Discipleship has an intentional nature. Its more than being friends, but it is a friendship moving towards Christlikeness. Its earning the right to speak truth into others in way that is both relevant and real.
The 4 P’s to training
a. Proximity (18)
b. Proclamation (20-21)
c. Patience (31)
d. Perseverance (19)

Trust (22-35)
a. You have to model trust in your own life (22-24)
b. You have to trust your integrity (25-27, 33-35)
c. You have to trust those you have empowered (28-31)

Tears (19, 30, 36-38)
Discipleship is not a program, a lesson plan or a set of instructions. It is an intimacy that is built between two people that allows for a heart-to-heart connection to take place. Discipleship without agape love is impossible!