Back to Basics - Part 5

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on July 14th 2024 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

We are continuing our study on discipleship. As a recap let’s look at some of the th8ngs we discussed in the previous weeks: 

Matthew 4:19 “ come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” the end result of following Jesus is to become fishers of men. 

What fishing for men means is to become and make disciples. In genesis, God commanded Adam and Eve to fill the earth and subdue it. God wanted the world to be filled with image bearers of God who are in a right relationship with him. He still wants the same. It is repeated at the end of the gospels.

Matthew 28-18-20. “And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."”

There are different stages in this discipleship process

1. Unsaved / spiritually dead. Eph 2:1-5. Without a relationship with Christ we are spiritually dead and the wrath of God is coming upon them. 

2. Infants: when we come to Christ we come as spiritual infants who need a lot of love and care. The sad thing is to stay an infant for a very long time. As we feed ourselves on the word of God and fellowship with the people of God, we grow. 

3. Children: 1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.” It’s a good stage to be in but they cannot discern between good and bad. They need more mature believers to correct them and guide them. Children can be very self absorbed. And we can be like that as spiritual children. They need teachings about who they are in Christ and need mature believers to be in fellowship with them and model things to grow. 

4. Young Adult: 1 John 2:13-14 “ …I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one….I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Young adults can take care of themselves and can take care of others s well. They are beginning to understand that God has called them to be a part of the body of Christ. They are interested in serving others and putting the needs of others first. We must strive to move people from being children to young adults. Gratitude is a great way to stop focusing on ourselves. In the church young adults have a sense of belonging to the church and they’re looking at how to serve and be a blessing. We can characterise which stage of growth we are in by what they do and say. Young adults are spiritually also caring for themselves. They are able to grapple with spiritual things and have a desire for them. 

1. What do young adults need? They need a coach - a spiritual mentor to grow their gifts and sharpen their skills. Training is necessary for great potential to be able to get stuck in a seed form. The coaches will make them do things they might not feel like doing so they can become what they want. They also need deeper relationships and accountability. 

5. Parents: 1 John 2:13-14 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning... I write to you, fathers because you know him who is from the beginning.” Paul became a spiritual parent to Timothy. You become a parent by giving b

1. Solid understanding of the word of God

2. Good relationship with God 

3. Have great desire to have spiritual children 

“And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” - ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭25‬:‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You cannot be a parent spiritually without spiritual children. When you want spiritual children you need to pray desperately!

Rachel told Isaac “give me children or I’ll die” “When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!"” ‭‭- Genesis‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Parents are not perfect. But parents sacrifice. But as we sacrifice, there is a huge spiritual reward. We all need to have spiritual children we are investing in. Spiritual parents are connected to a family. They are using their God-given abilities to serve people and advance the kingdom. 

“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” - 2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is a parental model. Our job is completed when we can see 4 generations. 

How can we put this into practice: 

1. Parents of young children have the primary responsibility of teaching and discipling their children. discipling is modelling. So read the word of god with them. Make sure you’re doing it consistently.

2. If you don’t have spiritual children, make a list of people you have interactions in hand and consistently pray for them. Pray that God would open a door for the message. 

3. Discipleship does not happen alone. It happens when you have strong and deep relationships. 

Our names are written in the lamb's book of Life. Nothing is more important than investing in someone’s soul. Let’s pray.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.   

How to live in terrible times

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on August 20th 2023  by Colin D Cruz. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

How to live in terrible times?

 These days, every time we read news, we get depressed. There’s so much going on. So many terrible things are going around us. When we see these, we wonder how to live with these things going on. In the west, there are terrible things going on which are different from what’s going on here in India.

How do we, as followers of Christ live?

2 Tim 3:1-5 - But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Paul was writing to Timothy. Whatever is happening now is not new. It was written long back.

2 Tim 3: 12-13 - 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

So, how do we live?

2 Tim 3:14-17 - 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Even when terrible things are going on all around us, we are called to continue living our lives by reading God’s Word and equipping us.

2 Tim 4:1-5 - In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Let us look into the questions – Who was writing this letter? To whom was this letter being written? At what time was it written?

1.      Paul writing to his spiritual son Timothy

Paul was writing this letter to Timothy when he was close to death. Paul was in the prison and was close to death.

2 Tim 4:6 - 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.

Who was Paul to Timothy? Paul was the spiritual father to Timothy and Timothy was his spiritual son.

1 Tim 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Tim 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Church, we have 5 kinds of people –

                           i.          Unbelievers – who do not know Jesus

                          ii.          Spiritual Infants – Accepted Jesus but haven’t grown spiritually

                         iii.          Spiritual Children – Do a few things to help themselves grow and also serve others

                         iv.          Spiritual Young Adults – Manage themselves and also serve in many ways in a greater way

                          v.          Spiritual Fathers and Mothers – Produce new Christians or disciple the Christians and help them grow spiritually

This is the progression of a Christian life. It is not automatic but a progression. The question is are you a spiritual father/mother? One way is to give birth where you meet an unbeliever and help them come to faith in Jesus and the other is to adopt a new believer and help them grow spiritually.

The Kingdom advances in our nation and other nations. As it happens, more and more spiritual parents are producing spiritual children, not in 9 months but in just a few months. They produce not just 1 spiritual child but many.

2.      Know your teacher / Be a teacher who is known

2 Tim 3:14 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 

It is very important who we are getting our teaching from. Timothy had a godly background.

2 Tim 1:5 - I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

2 Tim 1:10 - but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

As we’re learning from people, we need to know them and their lives.

1 Thess 2:8 -  so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

The way to progress is to demonstrate love, sharing lives, joys, sorrows, victories etc.

3.      The Scripture has great power

2 Tim 3:15 -  and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

As you read God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures are making you wise for salvation.

God’s Word is the most powerful thing which is living and active.

1 Cor 1:9 -  God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

As we proclaim God’s Word, we can change the destiny of people.

1 Pet 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 

When we look at people who do evil things, we wonder if they could ever change. Gospel is the only through which they can change.

4.      All Scripture is God-breathed

2 Tim 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

The Bible is not an ordinary book. It is God-breathed. There’s power behind the words written in it.

These scriptures are used for –

·        Teaching and rebuking (content)

These are for what you need to understand and believe and where you are going wrong in your doing.

·        Correcting and training (conduct)

These are to conduct yourselves according to the Word

As we read the scriptures, we realize what is right and what is wrong. Be a people who are immersed in the scriptures. It is a battle. We have time for everything but when it comes to reading the Word of God, we don’t have time. Let us be consistent in reading God’s Word every day.

5.      Scriptures will help is get equipped to serve God

2 Tim 4:13 - When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

The scriptures are so important that Paul gave special instruction to Timothy to bring the scrolls and parchments.

The scriptures equip us to serve God

2 Tim 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As we read the scriptures, God equips us to serve Him in a greater way and also to do good works which we are called to do.

6.      A Solemn Charge – from God, before God

2 Tim 4:1-2a - In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; 

Why is it written, “who will judge the living and the dead” ?

When Jesus returns, He’s going to come as a judge and judge everyone. It is very important to share the gospel, and preach the Word.

In the olden days, when the King made a law, it was taken to the people of the kingdom through a messenger. He goes and reads out the law. Harold – Messenger.

We’re called to be messengers. We go out and tell people about what God has done so that they can be saved.

How do we do that?

When you invite people for a meal, that’s an opportunity. We share the gospel and we fast and pray for them. We must do it sensitively and pray that God would touch their hearts.

Show love to people. Spend time with people who need Jesus. That’s how Kingdom advances.

2 Tim 4:2 - Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 

We must always be ready to preach in every season.

7.      How should we do it?

                           i.          Be prepared. Get equipped

                          ii.          Careful instruction

                         iii.          With great patience (process)

                         iv.          In season and out of season (when times are favourable and when they are not)

                          v.          Correct, rebuke and encourage – different strokes for different folks

8.      Why should we do it?

2 Tim 4:8 - Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

As we share the gospel, there’s a crown of righteousness in store for us. God is going to reward us for all the good works.

Paul could endure all kinds of suffering, persecution and difficulties because he could see ahead of his life. He could see Jesus.

Moses was able to turn his back on all the treasures of Egypt because he saw God ahead of his life.

Stephen was able to face death because he saw heaven ahead of him.

Our life on earth is short. One day, we will all die. Only what we do for Jesus remains.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.