Vision 2020 Process: “make disciples” Scriptures pertaining to Christ’s mission and design for His church Need for a framework for discipleship to translate Mission Statement into Ministry LBC Mission Statement (see insert) Connect – Care – Equip – Reach (See insert for ministry objectives/definitions)

A Vision for Discipleship Ephesians 4:11-16 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Validate each objective Validate this framework for discipleship i.e. “why these 4?” Equipped Reaching A Vision for Discipleship Ephesians 4:11-16 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

I. Equip Internal ministries of the church which impart to the Body a thorough understanding and application of the scriptures in order to equip all believers for every good work, as well as to prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry.

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 1 Internal ministries of the church which impart to the Body a thorough understanding and application of the scriptures in order to equip all believers for every good work, as well as to prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry. A biblical validation of Equip: part 1 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 1 Internal ministries of the church which impart to the Body a thorough understanding and application of the scriptures in order to equip all believers for every good work, as well as to prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry. A biblical validation of Equip: part 1

Equip = understanding + application “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” James 1:22-25

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 1 Biblically validate why Equip part 1 is essential to disciple making Matthew 28:20 - teach “them to obey everything I have commanded you” A disciple of Christ persists in obedience to all Jesus has commanded Love for God and one another fulfills every commandment (Romans 13:9 & Matthew 22:40) Authentic love = love that acts “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18) We satisfy Jesus’ command to obey all He has commanded when our teaching results in both attitudes and actions of love toward God and one another

Equip Part 1 is Essential: Train of thought Authentic love acts “in deed and in in truth” (1 John 3:18) Jesus commands the Father to “Sanctify them in the truth” & then goes on to say “your word is truth” (John 17:3) God’s word is living and active, possessing the power to change us down to very core of our being (Hebrews 4:12 and 1 Peter 1:22-23) All of God’s word possesses this active power to change us, and so, to equip us “for very good work” (2 Timothy 3:16) This change God’s word produces is an essential mark of a genuine disciple of Christ “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8)

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 2 Ephesians 4:11-16 Internal ministries of the church which impart to the Body a thorough understanding and application of the scriptures in order to equip all believers for every good work, as well as to prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry. A biblical validation of Equip: part 2 Ephesians 4:11-16 “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

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 2 Ephesians 4:11-16 Internal ministries of the church which impart to the Body a thorough understanding and application of the scriptures in order to equip all believers for every good work, as well as to prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry. A biblical validation of Equip: part 2 Ephesians 4:11-16 1 Corinthians 12 We are gifted by God through the Spirit in a variety of ways for a variety of service, all “for the common good” (verses 4-7) “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (verse 18)

I. Equip A biblical validation of Equip: part 2 Biblically validate why Equip part 2 is essential to disciple making Matthew 28:20 – “teaching them to obey everything…commanded” Teaching is self evidently essential and, as we’ve already seen, leaders are the teachers and therefore, are essential to Jesus’s charge to make Disciples But why is thoughtfully placing gifted believers into ministry essential?

Why thoughtfully placing gifted believers into ministry is essential “…But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

Train of thought “To prepare leaders to both serve and prepare other believers to serve according to their God-given gifts and their thoughtful placement into ministry” is essential because… Christ gives gifted leaders to teach the church A church so taught is Equipped to serve The body serves with diverse gifts through diverse ministries “God has so composed the body” to work this way so that our care for one another would be genuine and impartial Genuine and impartial care for one another is the outward action that proves our love is authentic Authentic love fulfills all that Christ has commanded

II. Reach Ministries of the church targeting our community and beyond for the purpose of bearing the loving character and works of Christ, both to God’s glory and as an integral part of carrying the gospel to places near and far.

II. Reach A biblical validation of Reach Ministries of the church targeting our community and beyond for the purpose of bearing the loving character and works of Christ, both to God’s glory and as an integral part of carrying the gospel to places near and far. A biblical validation of Reach Matthew 28:19 – “go and make disciples of all nations” Acts 1:8 – This is a local to regional to world-wide progression Acts 13:1-3 – Local church at Antioch commissions missionaries to go beyond their locale/region to enact this world-wide progression New Testament Epistles evidence that replicating the ministry of the local church in new locales was aim of this missionary commission Acts 17:24-27 — Paul teaches that God has determined where and when every human being lives so that people can find Him if they choose because He is near

II. Reach A biblical validation of Reach Ministries of the church targeting our community and beyond for the purpose of bearing the loving character and works of Christ, both to God’s glory and as an integral part of carrying the gospel to places near and far. A biblical validation of Reach 2 Corinthians 5:20 – Ambassadors Integrity in character between the message, the messenger and the King who sends us

II. Reach A biblical validation of Reach Ministries of the church targeting our community and beyond for the purpose of bearing the loving character and works of Christ, both to God’s glory and as an integral part of carrying the gospel to places near and far. A biblical validation of Reach The Light of the world tells His Disciples “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) So, if the Light of the world refers to us in this way, then we bear His glory

II. Reach A biblical validation of Reach Biblically validate why Reach is essential to disciple making Matthew 28:19 – “go and make disciples” Acts 14:21 – “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples…” Reach, as we have defined it, is essential for the obvious reason that if we don’t go, there will be no disciples and no discipleship!!!

Why bearing the loving character and works of Christ as we go is essential to discipleship Essential to progress to maturity in Christ God calls us to love those whom the world loves little but He loves greatly “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him” (Proverbs 14:31) “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17) “has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5)

Let us be a Refuge! To be a church where it can be said of us what Christ says of Himself… “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29