Friday, September 17, 2010

Second Quality of a Healthy Church - True Discipleship

II. True Discipleship.

A. Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) “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.’ "

B. John 15:8 (ESV) “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

C. True discipleship illustrated: Acts 2:42 (ESV) “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

D. This includes the following:
1. The Word of God.
2. True communion with other believers.
3. Meaningful worship.
4. Prayer.
5. Witnessing
6. Spiritual disciplines.

 NOW TO EVALUATE

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 EVALUATE TRUE DISCIPLESHIP IN YOUR CHURCH


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Saturday, September 4, 2010

10 QUALITIES OF A HEALTHY REPRODUCING CHURCH

TEN QUALITIES OF A HEALTHY REPRODUCING CHURCH
I. The Priority of the Word of God in General and the Gospel in Particular.A. This means that the Word of God is the touchstone and foundation for all that is done in the church and its ministries.
B. The doctrine of the church is the Word of God.
C. A healthy church majors on the following:
1. Faith preaching and teaching of the Word of God—especially expository preaching. (Dever 2004, 35-55)
2. Growth in the knowledge of the Word of God.
3. Concern for application of the Word of God to each life and the life of the church body.
4. Discernment of all that is done and taught by the Word of God.
D. The Gospel is very important in particular (Dever 2004, 76-95)
1. Is the Gospel regularly proclaimed in its fullness? I Cor 15:1-4
2. Are people living lives consistent with the Gospel. Galatians 2:14

 TIME TO DISCUSS AND EVALUATE
1. To what degree is the Word of God the priority in your church?
2. Are people growing the Word of God?
3. Can you see examples and illustrations of this in the church?
4. What change can be seen in lives by the Word of God at work?
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” 1 Thess. 2:13 (ESV)
5. Is the Gospel the primary force in the life and ministry of the church?
6. Here is the time to work through this.
A. What will we keep on doing?
B. What will we do away with?
C. What will we emphasize more?
D. What will we add?

 NOW TO EVALUATE

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 EVALUATE THE PRIORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD IN YOUR CHURCH

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