Vision - Your Plan for Disciplemaking

Father, we thank you, Lord, for how you work, and we thank you, Lord, that you've allowed us once again this opportunity. We know that this has been a busy week. We know, Lord, that there are many things happening in our lives personally, as well as our church. God, that you would go before us this evening and help us, Lord, as we study your word to be able to understand those principles outlined in it that we might follow with a glad heart. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. It was that Karl Marx, the Prussian-born father of modern socialism, who was quoted as saying, Philosophers have only interpreted the world differently.

The point is, however, to To change it. He's right. While we would not agree with Mr. Marx's system of thought or revolutionary activities, we would wholeheartedly agree with the fact that the world needs to be changed. And the only way that can happen. Is to the power of Jesus Christ our Lord when He indwells a man and transforms that individual into a new creation. For that to happen, we must understand God's mandate to go into all the world and make disciples. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 29, verse number 18.

Without vision or without the revelation of God, the people are unrestrained. They're out of control. And therefore, we as the people of God must understand how the revelation of God applies to their lives and instructions. Still, the revelation of God in them. It was Paul who said in Acts 2, verse number 19, that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. That is the revelation given to him on the Damascus road when God met him there and told him what his mission was. The revelation of God is so important for us to understand in order that we might have a clear grasp of what we are to be doing as a people of God.

And that leads us to our last study in our series, Disciple Making. The vision, your vision, your plan for disciple making. As we conclude our study this evening, you need to ask and answer: how is God going to use me to reproduce? In other people, the life of Christ. How does God want to use me to invest my life and the Word of God into the lives of others? Tonight we have three points. Number one, a review.

Number two, an interview. And number three, a clear view. Each answering a question. First of all, a review.

Let me give you a brief overview of what we've already covered to set the tone for where we're going to go this evening.

If you were with us a number of weeks ago, we began with an introduction. That was called the pre to disciple making. If you have your Bible, turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 2.

2 Timothy chapter 2. This is where we began, and this is where we will end this evening. 2 Timothy 2 talks to us about the responsibility we have to make disciples and the responsibility before us is great. Therefore, the resource will always be grace. Therefore the results will always Be glorious. Paul says this: 2 Timothy 2, verse number 1: You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things which you have heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to.

Teach others also. Paul says, Timothy, you have a great responsibility. The only way that can be fulfilled is by the grace of God in your life. And we talked about many weeks ago that the result of that is that sinners will be saved, belie will be built up in their knowledge of God, God Himself will be glorified, and a legacy. A legacy will be left behind when you leave. 3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk. Truth. That is the greatest of all joys. That those who are your children, whether they're physical children or spiritual children, they walk in truth.

That was the introduction. We moved from there to the authorization. We called that the prerequisite to disciple making. We've been authorized by God, Matthew 28, verses 16 to 20. He says, All authority has been given unto me. And because Christ has all authority, he now comm us to make disciples. He now commands us to do his ministry on a broader scale. Because there are more of us, we are able to reach more people. And therefore, we are to go into all the world making disciples. Baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that God has comm us.

And the only reason we can do this is because of the authorization given to us by God Himself. And that is the prerequisite to disciple making. Number three, we looked at maturation.

For maturation is the purpose of disciple making. And there we looked at the verse over in Colossians chapter 1. When it says this and we proclaim him verse 28 admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom that we may present every man complete in Christ and for this purpose also I labor striving according to his power which mightily works within me The whole purpose of disciple making is that people will become complete in Christ. They will grow up into the knowledge of Jesus Christ and they will grow in terms of their understanding of Jesus Christ.

That's the maturation process. And we have a purpose behind all that we do. And God has said, I want every man. To be complete, I want you to teach every man. I want you to admonish every man. It's all inclusive, there's nobody to be left out. We move from there to look at the preparation.

We call this the priority in disciple making. We looked at Mark chapter 3. Verses 13 and 14, when it says, And he went up into the mountain and summoned those whom he himself wanted. And they came to him, and he appointed 12 that they might be with him and that he might send them out. To preach. There was a preparation. There was that time where I spend alone time with my God, seeking His will. Knowing what it is he wants me to do, and then to carefully select those individuals that God would have me invest my life into.

I do that by praying, by seeking his will, in order that I might have those people, as Christ did, with me. A regular basis in order to impart to them the truth of God. And then we moved to number five, and that was intercession. We call this the power in disciple making. The power comes through prayer. The power happens because of who Jesus Christ is. We looked at John 17, the high priestly prayer of Christ, and looked exactly at what we are to pray for. In the lives of those we disciple. And Christ was very clear about that when it comes to their unity, in terms of their tranquility, in terms of their joy, and in terms of their security, in terms of their Purity, the essential elements that condition our prayer life for those we disciple.

And the power comes through intercession. And then we move to cultivation. Cultivation. We call this the practice of disciple making. That is, there is something we stir up in the lives of people. The growth process. The breaking up of the ground. And we look first of all at that essential ingredient.

Philippians chapter 3, verse number 3. We are the marked ones. We take no confidence in the flesh. None whatsoever. But what do we do? We. Walk by the Spirit of God. We are the ones who worship God in spirit and take no confidence in our flesh, but depend upon God Himself. And therefore, we help our people understand. Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. And our responsibility in the cultivation process is to make sure that we direct them. The right way, that we declare to them the whole truth and we demonstrate to them the life of Christ.

We move from there to look at the next point, which was association. We call this the process of disciple making. Disciple making is a process. Where I invest my life in the lives of people over time. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 7 to 12. Explain to us how Paul would invest his life in those in Thessalonic through affirmation. Through affection, through authenticity, as he would give his life to them. And then we looked at motivation. This was the propulsion in disciple making, something that would move people to action.

We talked to you about how to explain the grace of God to people. Because the ultimate motivating factor is inward, not outward. And people need to know what God has done in their lives. So we explain to them the grace of God. There is enthusiasm that moves people to action. There is example that moves people to action. There's encouragement that moves people to action. And our job as leaders is to motivate them. To do the things that God has asked them to do. Help them to understand the joy in doing that.

And then we looked at affection. We call this the peculiarity of disciple making. Look at John chapter 13, how Christ loved his own even to the very end, and how he would demonstrate to them a supreme affection, even on the most difficult night of his life.

He was reaching out to those that he loved from the depths of his soul. And then lastly, we looked at reproduction, and this was the product of disciple making. That is, to reproduce our lives in the lives of someone else. We looked at the Old Testament analogy by What God said when he told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and paralleled that with the New Testament strategy to make disciples. Reproduction is the same. The emphasis has changed. We are to reproduce ourselves in the lives of other people by investing our life into them.

And that is the product. Disciple making. All that has been covered. We've gone over it. And if you want to get the tape series, you can, so that you might understand more of what God has for you. But our desire this evening is to help you to understand Your vision, your plan for disciple-making. If you're going to implement these principles, if you're going to put them into practice, what is your plan? You see, it does us no good to teach on something and leave saying, Boy, that was a good sermon, boy, that really touched me, but yet do nothing about it.

We know it touched you when you put it into action. We know it meant something to you when you begin to enact it on a daily basis. That's how we know that God's Spirit has worked in your life through the Word of God. And we want you to understand that this is God's call for your life. This is what God wants you to do. This is every member ministry. Every member in the church of Jesus Christ is commanded to do this, from the young to the old. It makes no difference who you are. It makes no difference where you are.

God says, This is what I want you to do. And when you do that, You experience the great joy and fulfillment of God's call upon your life. And whenever you do what God's called you to do, there is great joy. Point number two.

The interview. And I've asked Greg Stevenson if he would come, and Peggy Castler if she would come, because we want to talk to you about where we're going. This is where we've been. We want to talk to you about where we're going to go with the men in our church and with the women in our church. And I thought it best for Greg Stevenson to come, who is our associate pastor and disciple. Of Ship Ministries, as well as Peggy Cassler, who heads up our Women's Ministries, to come and talk to you about where we plan to go.

Greg? Absolutely. Paul told the believers in Colossa, and you already heard it tonight, that he labored, he strived to present every man completing Christ. That is our purpose with all of our discipleship ministries. And so, whether it's our youngest or our oldest within the church, we want to strive so that we could present everyone who considers Christ Community Church their own Home complete in Christ to provide them every opportunity so that they can grow up in Christ. In men's ministries, in particular, we're doing that through whatever avenue we can so that we grow men in their walk with Christ, focusing particularly on some men's issues, while at the same time, Fostering their responsibilities as men, particularly many of us being fath, being husbands, and our need to be in the home.

How do we do that? We do that through having a men's study once a month that Lance teaches, so that we can give you the vision, give you the insight biblically to grow you in Christ. How to be a man of God. We have that on the fourth Monday of the month so that men can come here from the Word of God as our pastor teaches us on how to be a man of God. We then have an opportunity for our men to gather one other time during the month to discuss and interact with one another on sort of the application of that.

We're working through a book together, and we Spend time together in small groups, interacting on the application of all that we are learning from the Word of God together. And so, that is an opportunity to take it to that next step. And then, throughout the month, you can call one another on the phone and interact and spend the rest of the time applying the truths from the Word of God. Obviously, As men in the church, one of our responsibilities is also to serve. And that is part of growing in Christ.

And so we provide the opportunity through men's ministries to help one another, help the families in the church with different things that come up. Move. Maybe it's some other practical need that someone in the church has, and we can come alongside with through men's ministries to help with specific things like that. So we're looking to do things to help men become complete in Christ. through some specific training as well as service opportunities. And that's where we are headed with men's ministries.

And Peggy's going to come now, and she's going to tell you about what the vision is for women's ministries within our church. Thank you. I have to say that when I first took over leadership of women's ministry, I thought, wow, I know how to do that.

I can plan events and I can le people. And I have a passion for women. But I have to tell you, something happened in the last two and a half years where not only do I have a passion for women, But I love the women here at Christ Community Church. And I think that I have learned more from our women. Than they would have ever gleaned from me. And so I just want to thank you for that, first off.

But that's the excitement. What I feel now is what I want to be able to inspire. Our women to feel, to care for one another, that excitement for one another here at Christ Community Church as well as out in the world around us in our community. The Women's Ministry of Christ Community Church exists to call women to a relationship with Jesus Christ and to train them to be like him. It also encourages, I'm sorry, it is also to encourage and support women. In their walk with the Lord, and to provide them ample opportunities to belong to a community of women believers who care for one another, serve one another, and love one another.

And we do this through a series of ministries as well as special events. We exist to glorify God. B calling women to a relationship with Christ and training them to be like Christ. To this end, we maintained a three-pronged emphasis. Evangelism, so women may come to know Christ. Exaltation, so women may come and worship Christ. And edification, so women may grow in Christ. We pass all of our activities through this statement of purpose and our philosophy grid. We emphasize evangelism through our spring out event, where we ask women to bring their friends, their family, their neighbors from the community so that they can hear the gospel message.

We also em evangelism through our Summer Nights program that's a series of of events once a month during summer just for fun, for relaxation, and to hear the Word of God. Again, an out. We also have three women's Bible studies for women to come learn about Christ. Exaltation is emphasized through monthly prayer breakfast and our fall-in gathering, which is a time. That just passed for us, it's a time for our women at Christ Community Church, just our women, to come and Share with one another, pray with one another, uphold each other, get to know one another, and to take stock of where we are personally, each one of us.

Edification is emphasized through New Moms Luncheons, Retreat, and Encouragers, our Encouragers program. And our goal for Women's Ministry is to build our encouragers program so that each woman at Christ Community Church is contacted at least once every 30 to 60 days. Now, we have an ongoing program right now where we have a group of encouragers who are. Contacting women, but just think that it's only a small group of women who are contacting another fairly small group of women. But what would happen if just Each of you just contacted one woman, just one woman.

Every woman in the congregation would be contacted, every single one. And each would feel like they had some connection to Christ Community Church, even if they just came up. Sunday mornings and sat in a pew and weren't involved in anything. They would know that someone cared. This gives an opportunity for new relationships and it builds a foundation for mentoring one another. Contacting one another. Person isn't for them, it's for you. We truly strive to provide opportunities for women to follow the example in Titus 2:4 and 5.

We realize that women are in various stages of life here at Christ Community Church, both physically and spiritually, and thus we have the title. gener of women at Christ Community Church. It represents all of the generations in those two aspects. We see mentoring and encouragement opportunities as being the most important because that is how we call women to a relationship with Christ and train them to be like Him. As we continue over the years, we will continue to involve women in events and gently nurture them in their walk and nudge them to get out of their comfort zone.

During our fall gathering, We had several women give testimonies. We've done that each year. And we try and ask women to share testimonies who are from the different generations, maybe a single woman, maybe one with children, maybe one who has College or high school kids, and they come up and share their testimonies. Well, one this year said that we put her out of her out of her comfort zone. She did a great job. That is what we want to do. If you are comfortable. You will stay status quo. If you always did what you always done, you'll always get what you've always got.

I used to hear that statement a lot and never liked it, but I understand it now, and there's a need for that to move out. Of the comfort zone and to care for one another. And that's where we are going over the next years with women's ministry. Thank you, Peggy. Thank you, Greg. You know, it's one thing to hear about opportunities and to be able to avail yourself of each of them, but to realize that There's a responsibility to get to where we need to go, and that's our third point this evening: a clear view.

What it takes to get there for you. That's important for you to grasp. Because you know, if you begin to do what God calls you to do, then there's going to be all kinds of things that are going to come. Your way. My job as your pastor is to help you understand, as Paul would help Timothy to understand, that if you're going to invest God's Word into people's lives, so they in turn can invest God's word. Into people's lives, you must be prepared to do so. And so tonight, I want to offer you this challenge.

If you Decide, yes, Lord, I want to be obedient to you. I want to follow your word. I want to make disciples. I want to begin to implement the principles of scripture that I've learned over the years and be able to invest my life and the word of God into other people. You need to be aware. Of three main issues. And Paul begins to outline them for us in 2 Timothy 2, verses 3 down through verse number 8. Eight. And I want to give them to you this evening. He uses an analogy: an analogy of a soldier, of an athlete.

And the farmer. Each of them giving us a description of what it takes to get to where we're going. Paul would tell Timothy, you got to invest your life. You've got to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And then, what he does on the heels of that is go right into these three analogies that help us understand. The principles of what it takes to accomplish what God has called us to do. And the first one is dedication.

The soldier is one who gives us the picture. Dedication. Listen to what he says. He says, Verse number three: Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Paul tells Timothy, listen, take your sh in the suffering. He says over in verse number 8 of chapter 1. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me as prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power. God. He says over in chapter 3, verse number 12, that all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

If you were to take time to read through 2 Timothy, you'd understand that no less than 25 different times Paul compares Being ashamed with the gospel, gospel, versus suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul says you've got one or two choices. You'll either suffer for the sake of Christ and the message, or you'll be ashamed of Christ and his message. And so Paul says to Timothy, listen, I want you to suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Jesus Christ our Lord. He says, Timothy, if you engage in investing your life in the life of others, you're going to have to take on the realm of a soldier.

We in min all wear the same uniform, pitch our tent on the same battlefield, and must understand the rigors of dedication to our commanding officer. One man has said that the worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace. He's right. When is the worth of a soldier known? In the battle, in warfare. It was one man who said that no soldier comes to war surrounded by luxury, nor goes into action from a comfortable bedroom, but from the makeshift and narrow tent where every kind of hardness, severity, and unpleasantness is to be found.

Paul had his problems in life. Timothy had his problems in life. And you will face your problems in life as well. But understand this: Paul says, Suffer with me, Timothy. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you need to be prepared to suffer. You need to be prepared for hardship and heartache in the ministry. I carry in the fin leaf of my Bible a quote. I read it sometime back out of a book. I forget even who wrote the book or who wrote the quote. But I'd like to read it to you this evening because I think it's important.

It's entitled, Be About Your Father's Business. And we need to be about our father's business, right? It goes as follows: Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil's dogs. Do not tool away your time chastening the devil's rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie. Let sectarians quarrel. Let critics malign. Let enemies accuse. Let the devil do his worst. But see to it. Nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you. He has not committed you to be admired or esteemed.

He has never bidden you defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood about yourself, which Satan's or God's servants may start to peddle, or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else. You will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected, misunderstood, or ass impure motives.

You may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends. And despised and rejected by men, but see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life. An object of your being, until at last you can say, I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. I try to read that once a week to make sure that I'm able to be about my father's business, that I stay focused as to what God has called me to do and not get off track. Paul tells Timothy as a good soldier of Jesus Christ suffer hardship with me he tells us at the outset there's going to be hardship there's going to be difficulty it's not easy To be involved in disciple making.

The reason being is because God said, This is what I want you to do, and Satan doesn't want you to do that. And so you need to be prepared to suffer. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1, verse number 18, these words: This I command. I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fights. The good fight. At the end of his ministry, Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, I have fought the good fight. He says, Timothy, I want you to fight the good fight.

At the end of his ministry, he, Timothy, I fought the good fight, the noble fight, the excellent fight. And we need to see that we are in a battle. And that's why Paul gives the analogy of a soldier. But notice something else.

As a soldier, proving your dedication to your God and to your Maker, not only must you be prepared to suffer, you must be prepared to separate yourself from all those things that will hinder Your ministry Paul says this no soldier in active service ent himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier He says, Tim, listen, you need to understand something. If you're going to be a good soldier and suffer hardship with me, then you can't entangle yourself in the everyday affairs of life.

You can't be caught up in the tedious. You can't be caught up in the trivial. You can't be caught up in the temporal. You can't be caught up in the day-day tasks. Everyday living. You can't let them consume you. Isn't it easy for us to be consumed by trivial matters, things that make no difference whatsoever? For eternity's sake, and Paul says, Listen, if you're a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you must be prepared to suffer. For the sake of the gospel. And you must be prepared to separate yourself from all those things in the world that easily entangle you, that keep you off-center, that keep you busy.

The everyday affairs of life, shopping, work, going to the store. Recreation. Those are all good things to do. And yet we find ourselves so easily entangled in them that they become the preoccupation of our life. They get us off focus. Paul says, the good soldier doesn't get so wrapped up. In the everyday affairs of life, that he forgets what he or she is about. If you're here today and you're not involved in a disciple-mickey ministry. It's only because you have been entangled in the affairs of the world.

Something else has become more important to you than what God said to do. The trivial things, the temporal things. But the meaningful, valuable things is the investment of my life. Into one or two or three other people that God has given to me, whether it be my family or those outside my family in my church. Watching them grow in the likeness of Christ. That's why Christ would say, Seek first my kingdom, seek first my righteousness, and all these other things.

And what are all the other things he says in Matthew 6? What you wear, what you eat, all those little things, those mundane things. He says, I'll take care of all those things. But you seek first my kingdom, my righteousness.

You do what I have asked you to do. And I'll add everything else to you. And because we are at the disposal of our commanding officer, we cannot afford to be preoccupied by things that mean absolutely nothing for the sake of eternity. Not only must you be prepared to suffer and to separate yourself from those things that entangle you, you must be prepared to serve only your master. Serve only your master. He says, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. You know, we should make it our aim to please God, right?

To honor Him. To make sure that He's pleased with our attitude and action. He's pleased with what we watch and what we say and where we go I Love what the psalmist said in Psalm 73 verse number 25 when he said whom have I in heaven but thee and besides thee I desire nothing on Earth. Your commitment as a soldier is to serve the one who enlisted you, to please the one who enlisted you as a soldier in his battle. Dedication. That's the picture of the soldier. Number two is discipline.

That's the picture of the athlete. He says this in verse number 5. And if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. Now he gives another analogy. He moves from one that helps us understand the pain involved to help us see the prize we can win. He talks about the athlete. And the athlete needs to understand that in order to obtain the prize, he must obey the rules. You can't break the rules and win the prize. And so he talks about how important it is for us to follow the guidelines that God gives.

The commands that God sets up. And we, as athletes, in the analogy, realize that any great athlete is one committed to sacrifice, self-control. Strong desire, effort, honesty, and he must compete according to the rules. And we realize that as Christians, God has given us. His word to guide us and to tell us what it is we should and should not be doing. And 1 John 5:3 tells us that what God tells us to do, those commands are not burdensome, they don't weigh us down. Instead, they are a great joy to our life because we understand that there is a prize.

Awaiting those who run correctly, those who compete proper, those who obey The rules. That great Steph, that wreath given to the victor because of his commitment to serving. Jesus Christ. It was Hudson Taylor who said, in these days of easy Christianity, is it Excuse me, in these days of easy, Christianity is not well to remind ourselves that it really does cost to be a man or woman whom God can use. One cannot attain a Christ-like character for nothing. One cannot do a Christ-like work save at a great price.

There's a great price to be a great athlete. A guy doesn't just wake up one day and say, you what, I'm going to run in the Olympics and then show up and run. It doesn't work that way. He's to wake up and say, you know, I think I'm going to play baseball for the Yankees. It doesn't work that way. There is discipline involved. And Paul will tell Timothy over in 1 Timothy 4, verses 7 and 8, that he needed to discipline himself unto godliness. Exercise yourself, Timothy. Unto godliness. Make sure that you discipline yourself to become a godly kind of person.

And that takes great, great sacrifice. Why? Because you talk about the disciplines of the Christian life. The discipline of solitude, the discipline of silence, the discipline of study. The discipline of self-denial and sacrifice and surrender. All those things play a big part in the believer understanding his responsibility. To obey the rules, to compete as an athlete. One author said it this way: only the truly committed make a difference in this world, the half-committed count for nothing. Revolution demands unwavering concern.

And if this world is to be transformed for Christ, then God's revolution is going to demand more than just a handful of well-meaning people who want to make their little social contribution for Jesus. That's pretty good. It demands unwavering commitment. It demands dedication and discipline. That's what it takes to get there. And you know what? That's why people don't disciple. They're not that dedicated. And they're not that disciplined. And they just don't want to pay the price involved to help others.

See only Jesus. Number three determination Determination. He gives another analogy of the farmer. He says this in verse number 6: the hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive the share.

Of the crops, the hard work farmer. You ever met a farmer? My mom was a a farmer. She grew up on a farm. My grandfather was a farmer. My uncles were farmers. And if you've never been on a farm. Having to get up when the rooster crows and get right to your work and work from sun up to sund, never stopping. Realizing that it's very difficult for a farmer to go on vacation, to leave the crops for two weeks, to leave what he's doing for any amount of time to do some things for himself. It's very difficult.

For a farmer to have vacation. So he says, the hard-working farmer, as if to say, you know what, if you're going to. Plow the field, if you're going to grow the crops, it's going to be a lot of work. It's going be hard. It takes determination. Determination. Which, for the most part, people just don't have. Because you see, the farmer tills the ground, he plants the crop, he waters a crop, and then what's he do? He waits. He waits. Demands patience, long su. The ability to wait for God to do what God's going to do.

You know, God grows the crops. I mean, we plant them and we water them and we fertilize them and we do all we can to get them to grow. But you know what? God causes the crops to grow. It's a miracle of God. I mean, you can use all the miracle grow you want. If God doesn't want to grow, it ain't growing. That's just the way it is. God's in charge. And you have to be patient to be able to wait for God to do his work. And you know what? For most of the part, we don't have the patience to wait for God to work in the life of an individual.

We want him to change right now. We want him to be like us right now. We don't want to wait. So this is Timothy, listen, as a soldier going to battle. You want to please your commanding officer. You're going to suffer hardship. And you've got to be prepared to suffer. And you've got to be prepared to separate yourself from those things that are going to keep you from accomplishing God's purpose in your life. At the same time, Timothy, not only do you need dedication, you need discipline. As the athlete understand, he must obey the rules to obtain the prize.

There 's a prize for you, for all those who love his appearance. 2 Timothy:8. The imperishable crown, the crown of life, the crown of joy. Those crowns that God describes, the crown of glory. For those who discipline themselves to follow the word of the Lord. And then he says, when you go through all of that, realize. That you must be determined to see it all the way to the end. Because it's not going to happen right away. It's like, you know, you want to discipline yourself as an athlete, so you want to get in shape.

Let's say you're out of shape. I know for most of you, you are such great athletes. You're all in shape. You all look fine. You all look fit. You all look slim. You all look raring and ready to go. You know what I saying? But let's just take people outside our churches for a moment, okay? Those who are unfit. And think of it this way: if you want to lose weight, you know, you just don't wake up tomorrow and shed 10 pounds. Then work that way. It takes discipline. It takes effort. It takes work. And you've got to be determined to see it all the way to the end.

How many times have you seen somebody go on a diet trying to lose weight? They give it a week. They lost one pound in a week. That's not enough. I'm quitting. I'm trying another diet. And then you go to another diet and then to another diet. They can't lose weight. You've got to maintain a steady, progressive, hard work like the farmer. To see it all the way to the end. It's like raising your children. There's a reason God gives them to you for 18 years. Okay, sometimes he gets into us gives them to us a little longer than that, unfortunately.

But you know, for 18 years, he gives them to us. And so we have time to invest in their lives. You know, the other day I was writing the work with Drew, and we were talking about different things of the Bible and realizing that Drew's, you know, just turned 16. You know, he's almost gone. And I've realized that the bulk of my work with him is over. I mean, there's a few things I can tweak, and there's a lot of things I like to shatter in his life, but there are things that I can tweak and turn, but for the most part, I've only got two years left, and then it's done.

He's on his own going to college, getting a job, getting married, having his own kids. And come to realize that, you know, time just flies. Just flies by. But over those last 16 years, what has God done in his life? And how has God used me in my life? And last night, my wife looked at, she goes, You know what? Your son. Your son is just like you. And he's getting more like you every day. And I said to, honey, that's this. Praise the Lord! That's good news! There'll be two of you walking around. She was like, oh, not two, you know.

But the bottom line is, is when you invest your life in the lives of people over time, and I mean over time, not in a 10-week class. Not in a two-year segment, but over time you begin to see their lives change. But you've got to have patience to wait. For God to produce the harvest in their lives. In the hard-working farmer, he says. Ought to be the first to receive his share of the cross.

You know, it was Bishop Moole who said, un the soldier and the athlete, the farmer's life is devoid of excitement. Remote from all glamorous of pearls and applause. Think about it. The farmer's life. He's out there all by himself on his tractor, chilling the ground, planting the crops. There's nobody in the stand saying, Yeah, baby, go Rev that tractor. Keep on going. You're the man. Nobody does that. He's out there all by himself. Producing those crops, packing them up, sending them off to wherever he sends them so that you and I, what?

We got food. We can eat. When's the last time you said that unto me and said, Oh, God, thank you for the farmer who took the time to grow the crops? To send them our way so we can eat them. We don't do that, do we? Very few of us do, if at all. And so Paul wants Timothy to know: listen.

The life of disciple making is a life filled with al. It's a life filled with solitude. There might be maybe one or two people that might say, hey, that's a great job you're doing there. Keep up the good work. But for the most part, it's you and that other individual. Think of yourself in terms of your family, as a mother with your children. Okay, and you're discipling your children, nurturing them. We talked about that last week: how God has specifically designed the woman to invest in the life of her children more so than the man.

And God in 1 Timothy 2 has explained to us the purpose of childbearing and how a woman is saved through childbearing and what God is designed to do through her. And you know what? She receives no applause. That's why motherhood is so difficult. You know, no one sees her. No one recognizes her. No one said, hey, great job. It's hard work. It's day in, day out. It's 24-7 without a break. And yet, the reward that mother receives after investing her life in the lives of her children over years come back to her.

Over time. And when we think about our lives in ministry, you realize, like the farmer, it's hard work. One man used to say that if you're in the ministry for glamour and excitement, you need to leave the ministry because you're not going to find it there. If you're going to do ministry God's way, it's not glamorous. For the most part, it's grueling and difficult. But it is the most rewarding. Ministry ever. It's the most rewarding thing in the world. It's the greatest joy in all the world to do what God's asked you to do.

That's why the Bible says, Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Don't quit, keep on working. It's not in vain. It has eternal value The harvest The harvest, the opportunity to see the growth of the crops. In verse number 7, Paul says, Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understand in everything. In other words, Timothy, there's so much involved here. And you need to understand that the Lord will give you wisdom. Wisdom. And you need to be able to seek his will and seek his word in terms of what he has for you. In order for you to apprehend the full application of this, you're going to need God to tell you.

And you know what? That's true, isn't it? Well, I wish I could tell you everything I knew. I've already told you more than I already do know. You know, but to be able to help you understand that the Holy Spirit's going to reveal to you so many more things. As you invest your life in the lives of others. And then he says this: rem Jesus Christ. Don't forget Jesus, Timothy. Don't forget him. The greatest disciple maker who ever lived. Who fought the greatest fight ever fought. Who ran the farthest race anyone ever ran, and who bore the greatest fruit of anyone.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, des of David. According to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal, but the Word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason, I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, and with it eternal Glory. Paul says, Listen, you know why I just keep doing this stuff? It's because I've been called. So that those who have been chosen, and we don't know who they are, but those who have been chosen will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

And I won't quit those stuff. It was Teddy Roosevelt who said Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failures, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the great twilight that knows not victory or defeat. Feet. You know, it's better for you to get out and say, Lord, I am going to go into all the world and make disciples because you told me to, and to go out there and fail in what you're doing.

Seek the face of God, get back up on your feet, continue in the ministry, watch how God works, and sit back and do nothing. Because those who sit back and do nothing know neither victory nor defeat. At least you know both. And you're able to watch God work in your life. So, William Carey, you, attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. Attempt to do what God has said. And expect God to work. I mean, listen, if it's God's ministry and you're God's child and God has chosen you to accomplish this ministry, then let God do his work and expect God to do a great work, right?

Stop expecting you to work and expect God to accomplish His great purposes. It was Philip Brooks who said, Do not pray for easy lives. Pray for stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power. Pray for powers equal to your task. The task before us is great to make disciples. And the only way that can happen is through the power of Almighty God energizing our lives. My prayer for you and for me. Is that Christ Community Church will be known as the disciple-making church, where when the people come here, they know what we're about.

They know that we're about God and His word, and taking that word and investing it into people's lives over time that they might grow deep in their understanding of God. So that they in turn will be able to take God's word and invest it into other people's lives. That's what we're about. We're not about anything else. We don't do anything else. We don't want to do anything else. Why? Because everything else pales in comparison to that. It all does. This is the ministry God has given to everyone in this room.

Everyone who's going to listen on tape. And eventually, everyone is going to listen by way of radio. This is the ministry God's given to you. Now the choice is yours. What are you going to do? What's your plan? For disciple making. May God give you wisdom as you seek to fulfill His will in your life. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this great day and we bless you and praise you, Lord, for who you are. And thank you for the ministry entrusted to us. What a great call to have been chosen by God.

To speak for God, to tell others about God, to live for God. I pray, Lord, that you would work in the life of every person who's here. Some of them have been coming every single week of the series. They've heard every message. They've taken great notes and they have a better idea as to what to do now than they did 15 weeks ago. And yet, Lord, they need you to energize their lives, you to guide them, direct them, enable them to accomplish this one objective. To make disciples, we pray that you'd accomplish that in all of our lives, Lord.

In Jesus' name, amen.