Message-30/4/06 - Dsicipleship & Spiritual Formation

Discipleship & Spiritual formation
Text : Matthew 16:13 -16; Hebrews 12:1-7

A. Who is your Master?
The Bible tells us that we are to be transformed to become like Christ!
But who is Christ?
The Lord of all creation – the Son of God
The crucial point in the disciples Journey – Confession of Christ’s deity (Matthew 16:13-16)
A foundational revelation – not from flesh & blood! ( contrast (Gal 1:16)

B. Discipleship is both “Personal” & “Communal”
Christ’s promise to His church
Just as God promise to His remnants in Old Testament – (see Ps 51:18;69:35 Jeremiah 24:6; 31:4,28)
The promise in Matthew 16 – “the gates of hell shall not prevail”
Authority, preservation, mission etc

C. To be like Christ – living a life of purpose
Hebrew 12:1-7– for the “joy” set before him, endured the cross, finish the race.
“My food is to do the will of the Father” – (John 4:34)
A personal revelation – not just be the “faithful servant” but be the “beloved son or daughter!
“Imitate me as I imitate Christ!”– Paul in 1 Cor 11:1)

D. Restore the glory and dominion
The mystery and purposes of God are
To restored our inner world àà outer world – stop being a schizo !
Restore family relationshipàà church ààworld àà rule & reign in eternity !!!
The pattern is out for us to see – Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria à ends of the earth!

E. Lessons from Egypt & Babylon
Famine & idolatry was the main reason the Israelite ended in these two places
We are on that track if we are lay back with shifting priorities
The slow slippery slope to conformity and decline.
Let us commit to grow and live to fulfil our God given destiny

F. The “GIST” of Discipleship
God on the throne - the transforming truth about the Lordship of Christ
Imitate Christ in His sense of mission and purpose, R.A.S nature.
Serve and love God, the people of God and those “not yet people of God”
Transformation via association with Christ and fellow disciples - Discipleship & Spiritual formation are NOT optional – without which we will fail to reveal God’s glory & mystery, or reproduce ourselves…