12 discipleMaking Affirmations
A Shared Vision to guide where we’re going
Prepared for a Purpose
1
Making disciples who reveal the glory of God is the GREATEST AMBITION we can aspire to in this life.
Every human being has been created to reveal the glory (character) of God (Isaiah 43:1, 6-7, 21; cf Genesis 3:10). So when we make disciples whose brokenness is transformed by the Holy Spirit, God’s character is revealed. Responding to Jesus’ command to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) is not focused on making ourselves look good but on restoring God’s true character and purposes across the canvas of broken human lives. Such transformed disciples give a compelling witness to the watching world and universe of the goodness and love of God (1 Corinthians 4:9; Philippians 1:11; cf Romans 11:36). We believe that nothing in this life can give greater meaning and satisfaction than learning from Jesus how to make disciples who bring honour and glory to God.
2
our MOTIVATION for making disciples who make disciples is God’s love.
Making disciples flows out from our own present encounter with God’s love (Psalm 27:4; 1 John 4:17). Encountering God each day and each moment of the day flows from a vibrant spiritual journey with God that nurtures a heart that has been captivated by the love of God. Without a continuous personal heart-connection with God’s love, our best efforts in making disciples who make disciples will become another form of work that is destined to fail. As we grow in our love for Jesus, this motivation increasingly fills our hearts and governs our lives (John 13:34; 1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 John 3:18; 4:12-13).
3
As we yield ourselves to God each day we are filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5-8; 2:4; Ephesians 5:18). This enables us to mature as disciples, and to make disciples, with a supernatural power that is not from ourselves (Luke 4:18-19). The Holy Spirit empowers our lives and reshapes them by guiding us in increasing obedience to God’s word (John 16:8-11). Such obedience does not obtain any merit with God, but rather reshapes us according to God’s design for our lives, and guides us in how to live as citizens of God’s Kingdom in this world (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Philippians 2:12-13). The Holy Spirit is the one who makes disciples to the extent that we allow Him to work in us and are obedient to God’s words.
Our POWER for making disciples who make disciples is rooted in our personal surrender for the daily filling of the Holy Spirit.
Called to a mission
4
we are devoted to following the disciple-making PRIORITY of Jesus.
Matthew describes Jesus’ ministry beginning with a clear call for people to learn to become disciples who make disciples (Matthew 4:19) and His last command was to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). We want to prioritise both the message and methods of Jesus and share in Jesus’ own priority for making disciples who make disciples. When Jesus called people to follow Him (John 15:16a), it was a call into a life of disciple-making.
5
The GOSPEL calls all followers of Jesus to become fruitful disciples who make disciples.
Because the gospel we proclaim determines the disciples we make, we recognise that the gospel not only saves us from sin but calls every follower of Jesus to expand the Kingdom of God on earth by making disciples (Mark 1:14-17). As agents of freedom through transformation empowered by the Holy Spirit, the gospel calls us to bear fruit through personal intimacy with Jesus (John 15:1-5). Freedom comes as we learn to live out the laws, values, morals, ethics, attitudes and character of Jesus (Matthew 5-7; Philippians 2:5-11). Responding to the call of Jesus to make disciples requires total commitment (Luke 9:23; 18:22). Such commitment is necessary because we operate within a supernatural battle between Jesus and Satan (Ephesians 6:11-13), where followers of Jesus may become objects of ridicule and hate (Matthew 5:11-12; Revelation 13:7).
6
The Bible’s PROPHETIC CALL is for disciple-makers to build transformational communities.
To prepare for the return of Jesus, our mission is to call all people into transformational communities in which disciples are devoted to working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to restore broken people into the image of God (Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:15). This will result in God being honoured (Isaiah 43:7, 21). As God’s people left Babylon for the specific purpose of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 1:2), and called their relatives remaining in Babylon to join them (Zechariah 2:6-7) so we are calling for people to join with the Holy Spirit in rebuilding the temples of broken human lives (Psalm 147:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). This means that our focus is not simply calling people out of Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 18:4), so much as calling people into communities that transform. Because God designed us to live in communities that are intended to reflect the community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, transformational communities are built by learning harmoniously together to nurture deep, loving relationships through trust, authenticity, and transparency. The consequence is that as we go out, individuals, neighbourhoods, workplaces, and cultures, may be renewed by Kingdom values, morals, ethics, attitudes and character, that display the glory of God. In a world under attack by Satan (Revelation 12:7-9), this is the purpose for which God established His Church, that she may stand as a beacon of healing, light, and hope (Matthew 5:13-16).
Mentored For God’s glory
7
Our disciple-making BLUEPRINT for human re-creation is the image of God.
As humans were created in the image of God at creation, the image of God defines what it means to be human (Genesis 1:26-27) and is therefore the pattern to which we are all to be “conformed” (Romans 8:29) and transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18). Broken people, like ourselves, bear the corruption of a sinful nature which has caused the image of God in us to become deformed (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:3; Colossians 3:5-10). Therefore, making disciples through transformational communities requires a balanced approach to restoring the four interconnected parts of who we are—mind, body, spirit, and interpersonal relationships (Mark 12:30-31; Luke 2:52)—so that the glory and beauty of the character of Jesus may become visible.
8
Jesus had a plan to reach the world. While Jesus ministered to the crowds, He deliberately invested Himself in a small group of people who were completely committed, giving them spiritual and practical depth over a considerable period of time. Jesus personally chose individuals to become His disciples (John 15:16). This was an organic and slow process that required a deep and costly commitment (Matthew 19:21; Luke 9:23). The process of becoming disciples of Jesus was itself the training needed to make disciples (Matthew 4:19). Jesus nurtured a transformational community of disciples where they focused on 1) a deepening heart-connection with God (John 15:1-7), 2) growing in Christ-like character where love is supremely visible (Mark 12:28-31; 1 John 2:3-6), 3) becoming obedient to God’s words (Matthew 28:20; John 14:15), 4) reaching the lost (Matthew 10:6; Acts 1:8), and 5) making disciples who make disciples (Matthew 4:19; 28:18-20).
Our MODEL for making disciples who make disciples is the person and ministry of Jesus.
9
As Jesus demonstrated, disciple-making flourishes as we build intentional relationships with people who love deeply (Matthew 22:36-40; John 13:34-35). Disciple-making is not a programme but a relational lifestyle which develops close, intentional, nurturing relationships on a shared life-on-life journey in honouring and glorifying God (Philippians 1:11).
Our ENVIRONMENT for making disciples who make disciples requires intentional, nurturing, loving relationships.
Sent out to the world
10
Our PROCESS for growing disciples who make disciples is multiplication.
We are committed to inspiring and equipping disciple-makers to multiply to the fourth generation of disciples. Such transmission of the gospel through four generations is illustrated by 1) Paul, who teaches 2) Timothy, who teaches 3) “reliable witnesses”, who can teach 4) “others” (2 Timothy 2:2; see also Timothy’s personal experience with four generations of grandmother, mother, Timothy, and others in 2 Timothy 1:5-8). Such multiplication requires easily accessible tools and curriculum and a replicable process that can be used by anyone, of any ability, who is faithful, available and teachable. This means that the methods and tools we use must have the DNA of multiplication built into them. Multiplying disciples is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, who equips us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12) that enables and directs how we invest our lives in others.
11
Disciple-making provides the CONTEXT for evangelism, baptism and nurture.
In the life of Jesus, we see that disciple-making is the framework into which other parts of ministry fit. Evangelism, baptism and nurture are parts of the larger disciple-making process. This umbrella of disciple-making enables evangelism, baptism and nurture to flourish and remain rightly balanced and related to each other. This is why the single imperative in Jesus’ final command in Matthew 28:18-20 is on making disciples, which is supported by a) going out into our world, 2) baptising those who identify with Jesus and His Church, and c) teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded.
12
A mature disciple continually demonstrates 7 qualities.
A joyful sacrifice. Joy is the hallmark of a disciple’s life. It is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is within (Galatians 5:22). Jesus was described as being filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21). (See also grain offering of Leviticus 2).
The death of the sinful nature. When Jesus began His ministry, He was baptised in water demonstrating death to His own will and complete acceptance of the Father’s will (Luke 3:21). Jesus said the doorway into a life of discipleship is death (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1). The death of our sinful nature is required to create space for the nature of Jesus to be poured into our lives through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6)..
The baptism of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus demonstrated His yielded life by being baptised, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. This baptism of the Holy Spirit prepared Jesus for a ministry which revealed the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14, 18-19; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5-8; 2:4; Ephesians 5:18).
Utter dependence on God for everything. Jesus was completely dependent on His Father (John 5:19, 30). Our dependence on God is for both spiritual (Matthew 4:4) and physical things (Matthew 6:31-33).
The fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us reveals the nature of Jesus. So the fruit of the Spirit reveals the character of Jesus. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a). As a mature disciple-maker reveals the character of God to others, the Father is greatly honoured (John 17:4-6).
The gifts of the Spirit. These gifts are all focused on activity in the mission of God, For example, the gifts of apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. (Ephesians 4:11), and wise advice, a message of special knowledge, great faith, the gift of healing, the power to perform miracles, the ability to prophesy, the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit, the ability to speak in unknown languages, the ability to interpret what is being said. (1 Corinthians 10:7-11)
Prayer for others. As followers of Jesus we are to pray like Jesus did. Praying like Jesus includes praying for our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and for unity that reveals the Father’s love (John 17:21-23).