Syllabus and Assignments

Training of Pastors for Church Growth: The mobilization of each local church depends to a large extent on the will, desire, and the ability of each pastor: He must teach and show his congregation the different projects which the denomination has chosen to implement; then the pastor should send his church people to carry them out. The goal of the course is to teach the student how a coordinator of evangelism would seek the cooperation of pastors and equip them to continually mobilize their congregations in the growth of the Church.

UNIT	LESSON	ASSIGNMENT
1. Introduction	Syllabus, goals, assignments	1) A strategy of winning
2. The condition of the church	A diagnosis of the church	the cooperation of
3.	The sickness of the church	the denomination's
4.	A treatment for the church	pastors and
5.	The conflict in the church	equipping them for
6.	Misconceptions about discipleship	the mobilization of
7. The task of discipleship	The superficial church	the continuous
8.	The product of the church	growth of their
9.	Christ's disciple	churches
10. The role of the pastor	The biblical role of the pastor
11.	The full-time pastor	2) A seminar for the
12.	The disciple-making pastor	training of pastors
13.	The misunderstood pastor	for church growth
14. The burden of the pastor	The pastor's understanding
15.	The kingdom thinker	3) Read at least two
16.	The larger vision	books of the
17. The commitment of the pastor	The commitment of the pastor	bibliography, from
18.	The minister in the church	which he will present
19.	The ministry of the saints	one as a 5-10 minute
20.	The multiplication of the saints 1	oral book report to
21.	The multiplication of the saints 2	the class
22.	The opposition of the saints
23.	The model of the pastor
24.	The establishment of a discipleship program
25.	The accountability of the saints
26.	The submission of the saints
27.	Forms of disciple-making
28.	Disciple-making in the small group
29.	The decentralization of pastoral care
30.	The method of Jesus
31.	The ministry of the saints
32.	Your plan of discipleship

Acknowledgement

These notes were based on the book by John Hull, The Disciple-Making Pastor. They were compiled and arranged by Dale C. Garside into one-hour lesson plans.

Syllabus, Goals, Assignments,

I. Goals

A. That the student clearly describe the position and role of the pastor in the local church.

B. That the student submit a plan for continuing Church Growth to win the cooperation of the pastors, mobilize them, and equip them to mobilize their congregations.

II. Assignments

A. The student will be responsible to organize a strategy of winning the cooperation of his denomination's pastors and equipping them for the mobilization of the continuous growth of their churches, which he will be able to implement upon his return to his constituency. He will present it in written form to the professor and in oral form to the class, if called upon.

B. The student will be responsible to draw up a seminar for the formation of pastors for church growth, which he will be able to implement upon his return to his constituency. He will present it as a written assignment.

C. The student will be responsible to read at least two books of the bibliography, from which he will present one as a 5-10 minute oral book report to the class on the due date. He will also be responsible to know the major lessons presented in the other book reports.

III. Outline

A. Introduction

B. The condition of the church

C. The task of discipleship

D. The role of the pastor

E. The burden of the pastor

F. The commitment of the pastor

G. The practices of the pastor

H. The method of Jesus

I. Your plan

IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY

· Adams, Jay E. Shepherding God's Flock.

· Braun, Willys K. People Pastors and Churches.

· Downey, Raymur. Ministerial Training in Africa.

· Hull, John. The Disciple-Making Pastor.

· Hyles, Jack. Let's Baptize More Converts.

· Palau, Luis. My Response.

· Schaller, Lyle E. Assimilating New Members.

· Southard, Samuel. Pastoral Evangelism.

· Tillapaugh, Frank R. Unleashing the Church.

· Sentry, Mark III. The Art of Recruiting Volunteers.

· Youssef, Michael. Leadership Style of Jesus.

A Diagnosis of the Church

I. The church must recognize its need.

A. The organized church today is in trouble.

1. The crisis is at the heart of the church.

2. The church has become weak and flabby.

3. The church is dependent on artificial means that simulate real spiritual power.

4. Christians live in a "comfort zone."

5. The institution has lost momentum.

B. Our error is measuring greatness in the church by the first of the two following questions only.

1. How many people are present?

2. What are these people like? Are they making a difference in the world?

C. The church exists for mission; the church does not exist for itself.

1. Its mission is to penetrate the world.

2. The focus of the church is not to be inward, but outward.

3. The visible product is the disciple.

4. Multiplication of disciples is the key to reaching the world & fulfilling the mission.

D. Who can lead the church to renewal?

1. Pastors with apostolic hearts are in short supply.

2. The church does not lack conscientious workers.

E. It's time we start taking the Great Commission seriously.

1. Ecclesiastical programs have been mistaken for fulfilling the Great Commission.

2. Pastors must be willing to reproduce themselves.

II. Pastors can help meet this need. (Braun. "People-pastors & Churches")

A. Pentecostal pastors have personal experience with the people’s ministry. 52-53

1. They dress like the people.

2. They make themselves available and have experience in street ministry.

3. They pray and counsel in the home, making house calls to meet new people.

4. They organize home prayer centers and use lay leaders to plant new churches.

5. They have a youth counseling program

B. The laity are not mere spectators in the services.

1. Lay ministers gain experience as they train.

2. Lay people participate in the worship service.

3. They lead the congregational singing and in opening prayer

4. They give testimonies and present prayer requests

5. They do the Bible reading and make announcements.

6. They call for the offering and take it up.

7. They lead the choirs

8. They go forward at the altar call

9. They counsel and pray with the converted

C. Doctrine emphasizes the new birth, the infilling of the Spirit, & holiness.

1. There are visible signs of this in the believer.

2. They anguish over sin.

3. There is a genuine transformation of the individual.

4. There is a manifestation of his or her spiritual gift(s).

5. The new birth is a requirement for membership.

The Sickness of the Church

The Best of Elton Trueblood: An Anthology, p. 34

"Perhaps the greatest single weakness of the contemporary Christian Church is that millions of supposed members are not really involved at all, and what is worse, do not think it strange that they are not. As soon as we recognize Christ's intention to make His Church a militant company, we understand at once that the conventional arrangement cannot suffice. There is no real chance of victory in a campaign if ninety per cent of the soldiers are untrained and uninvolved, but that is exactly where we stand now. Most alleged Christians do not now understand that loyalty to Christ means sharing personally in His ministry, going or staying as the situation requires."

George Barna. Vital Signs: Emerging Social Trends.

"There is strong support among Christians for the notion that an individual is free to do whatever pleases him, as long as it does not hurt others. Two out of five Christians maintain that such thinking is proper, thus effectively rejecting the unconditional code of ethics and morality taught in the Bible. Three out of ten Christians agree that nothing in life is more important than having fun and being happy. Christians express such love for money, possessions, and other material objects, that their Christianity cannot be said to rule their hearts. For instance, more than half of the Christian public believes that they never have enough money to buy what they need, nor what they want. One out of four believers thinks that the more you have, the more successful you are. The fact that the proportion of Christians who affirm these values is equivalent to the proportion of non-Christians who have similar views, indicates how meaningless Christianity has been in the lives of millions of professed believers."

Francis Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster.

"Here is the great evangelical disaster -- the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this -- namely, accommodation: the evangelical church has accommodated itself to the world spirit of the age."

I. The difference between Christians and non-Christians has blurred.

A. Christians' use of money, time, attitudes, divorce, and remarriage validate this.

B. The American church is weak in culture and in character.

1. 10% are considered highly committed.

2. 7% have training in evangelism

3. 2% have led another to the Lord.

4. 43% have pre-marital intercourse before 18 years.

5. 24% consider pre-marital intercourse acceptable.

6. 55% do not state that pre-marital intercourse is wrong.

II. The church tries to evangelize the world without disciple-making.

A. Sermons do not prepare people to live effective Christian lives in America.

B. Evangelicals show a startling illiteracy of the Bible.

C. Only one road leads to world evangelization: disciple‑ making.

D. Most churches grow by transfer. The rotation of the saints.

E. The number of real conversions is meager; Many come to church for the O.T. ritual

F. The clergy have become performers; The parishioners have become the audience.

III. Pastors want to do it right.

A. The better the show, the larger the crowd: always a crowd with a good show.

B. They see the church through the narrow lens of the successful.

C. The upper 5% of pastors, the most successful, represent an unreachable model.

D. Many pastors need a plan that someone with average skills can execute.

E. There is a famished army of pastors, ready to consume helpful material.

F. There is a great distinction between desire and know-how.

A Treatment for the Church

I. Proposed action

A. Write a local church strategy for discipleship.

1. Publish the philosophy and goals as criteria for measuring success.

2. Present the paper to church leaders who will approve and be involved in the effort.

a) Give details as to what will happen.

b) Where it will be planted.

c) Who will be involved.

d) What will be done.

e) Why it will be done.

f) How it will be done.

g) When it will be done.

h) How much it will cost.

B. Plant a church

1. Disciple-making is to be the top priority of this church.

2. The church is God's ordained body in which discipleship takes place.

3. The disciple-making philosophy must be modeled at the church-leadership level.

4. The pastor must show his flock how to do it by demonstration, not by mere exhortation.

5. Each believer is to be reproducing others who reflect Christ.

6. Eventually, the church structure and organization will no longer accommodate the expansion of believers.

7. Each church, upon reaching maturity, should therefore be planting other churches.

8. As disciples are made, churches are planted to train them.

C. Recruit other pastors to plant more churches

1. Other pastors must share your thinking.

2. Other pastors must get involved in the biblical model of church planting.

D. Develop a training center to answer their questions on how to do it.

1. Build a model around the training method of Jesus.

2. Disciple-making must be at the heart of the church.

E. Write a book on the experience.

1. The pastor should make his findings available to inspire others.

2. God begins to work when pastors share their experiences in success and failure.

The Conflict in the Church

I. The pastor must make a great sacrifice. Luke 14:28-30

A. Disciple-making is the top priority for God.

B. No work of God draws more resistance from Satan.

C. Jesus said to quit before you start unless you plan to finish.

D. The nature of Jesus' work is long-term.

E. We are impatient and want immediate results.

F. It takes a minimum of five years for the ministry to reach maturity.

G. In theory, disciple-making is popular.

H. In practice, it requires time, dedication, and patience.

II. The pastor's job must become what it was in the early church.

A. He is not necessarily the director of the church. Phil. 1:1

B. He has no distinction as the main leader. 1 Tim. 5:17

· He feeds the flock, keeps the flock, and lives off the flock.

C. He is one of a team of elders. 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 1 Pe. 5:1-3

· He may lead, teach, and preach.

D. As an elder, he encourages the flock and refutes those who threaten it. Titus 1:9

1. He keeps watch over himself and the flock. Acts 20:28

2. He prepares God's people for works of service to build up the body. Eph. 4:11-12

III. The liberal church will resist the effort.

A. Lyle Schaller

"Liberal theology started in the seminaries, made its way to the denominational leadership, next to pastors, finally into the pew."

B. There has been a breakdown of absolute truth rooted in Scripture.

1. Evangelism was redefined as the social agenda.

2. The priority was the work outside the church over the agenda inside the church.

3. 1966 - World Council of Church's motto - "The world sets the agenda for the church."

4. The more the church tries to change the world, the more the world changes the church.

5. The church best influences the world by being the church.

6. It has edited out the biblical mandates to make disciples and to evangelize the world.

7. It is a religious institution that has forsaken its reason for existence

8. The church has become a difficult place to obey the Great Commission.

C. Liberals are basically modernists.

1. Liberals tend to voice social concerns, like fulfillment of the Great Commandment.

2. They believe that all religions are valid.

3. Reason, science, and progress are emphasized: they will lead us to progress and a better way of life.

4. Man is basically good.

D. Conservatives are basically fundamentals.

1. Conservatives tend to voice spiritual concerns, like fulfillment of the Great Commission

2. They believe there is one unique religion.

3. Faith, dogma, and tradition are emphasized; they will lead us to the truth.

4. Man is basically depraved.

E. The church has split into two main camps: liberals vs. conservatives.

1. Darwinism is contrasted with Creationism.

2. Social Gospel vs. Evangelistic Gospel

3. Biblical criticism vs. Biblical authority

Misconceptions about Discipleship

I. "Our church needs more skill training," used to justify ignorance.

A. It is Scripture memorization, days in prayer, Bible study, door-to-door evangelism.

B. Filling the mind without on-the-job training does not qualify the leader.

II. "leadership in church is strong," used to justify lack of training.

A. The leaders don't meditate, study, or memorize Scripture.

B. There is a lack of reproducing lay leaders; many have never led another to Christ.

C. Ungodly men dictate to godly men.

D. The proposed cure: declare and publish that discipleship is the top priority.

III. "Our church is doing the Great Commission," used to justify apathy

A. Many church boards do not know what the Great Commission is.

B. They focus on "housekeeping" issues; the average leadership is a maintenance team.

C. The Great Commission is assigned to a missionary force.

D. They have not applied discipleship to their own lives and work.

E. The proposed cure is hard to swallow: the leaders must reproduce themselves.

IV. "professional clergy do the ministry," used to justify clericalism.

A. The pastor is a theologian, corporate executive, manager, caretaker, & preacher.

B. "This is what we pay them for": The pastor has no time for disciple-making.

V. "Our church is well-organized," which is used to justify polity

A. The unspiritual disobedient often dictate; decision-making lies in the hands of a few.

B. It works better if a few good people lead, but it is dangerous if no accountability.

C. Many members are biblically illiterate, self-willed, pugnacious, and facetious.

D. Unqualified people choose the leaders; the congregation has the duty to follow. Heb. 13:17

E. Good polity is a balance between leadership and accountability.

VI. "Our church ministers to my needs," used to justify accommodation.

A. Mass-media - Television is discipling the world more than the Word. Lk. 6:40

B. Relativism - Christians slip away from moral absolutes: "Did God really say ... ?"

C. Greed - It has been replaced by the word, "need:" "I will do it when it is convenient."

D. Secular methods - We are easily duped by the latest way to reach people.

1. The approach puts more pressure on leaders to raise funds than to make disciples.

2. The members do not effectively penetrate their world for Christ.

3. Solid exegetical preaching, prayer, and disciple‑ making have gone out of style.

4. The pastor is "good," the musicians are "talented."

5. The atmosphere is charged, the offerings are big, and the buildings are beautiful.

VII. "Our church has never done it that way before," : traditionalism.

A. Tradition is a good thing; it sours when it becomes traditionalism. Mt. 15:1-3

B. Many resist innovative worship styles, new qualifications for leaders, constitutional rewrites. Some are threatened outside the limits of the familiar; they hinder progress and create conflict.

C. Respect the tradition; fight the traditionalism.

VIII. "Our church has a qualified pastor," used to justify academics.

A. Seminary graduates are too academic, not fully equipped to do pastoral work.

B. The seminary is not intended to fully equip the pastor; it makes it possible to begin.

C. He has about 50% of what he needs; the other 50% comes with experience.

D. Seminary provides the basic tools for ministry: a scripturally based education.

E. Seminary neglects an essential tool: a biblical church philosophy to build ministry.

F. The student learns what the church is; he does not learn what the church does.

The Product of the Church

I. Disciple-making is the heart of the Great Commission.

A. Make disciples as you are going, baptizing and teaching them. Mt. 28:19-20

B. Go and preach the Good News, with accompanying signs and wonders. Mk. 16:15-17

C. Preach repentance and forgiveness ... Lk. 24:47

D. Be sent by Jesus. Jn. 20:21

E. Receive power from the Holy Spirit and tell what you have witnessed.

F. Start at home and spread out. Ac. 1:8

II. "Mathetes" means a disciple, a follower, a student, an apprentice of one master.

A. It implies the existence of a personal attachment which shapes the whole life of the disciple.

B. It is always associated with following.

C. Disciples do more than simply believe: Many believed in Christ, but few followed Him.

D. It is a person who demonstrates belief by action.

E. In Acts, the term is used also for those who did not know Christ personally: Timothy, Paul's disciples (Acts 9:26), Paul's and Barnabas' disciples (Acts 14:21-24) ...

III. The obedient church fulfills the Great Commission.

A. It has the responsibility to build reproducing disciples.

B. The quality of the product is the key to world evangelism.

C. Multiplication of disciples is the key to reach the world.

D. Disciple-making is more than a product; it is a methodology for reaching the world.

E. The church has stopped at the first step in disciple-making.

F. The sad result is the lack of multiplication.

G. Disciples are the product. Baptizing and teaching them are the qualifiers.

IV. No disciple-making occurs without accountability.

A. Are newly born again converts disciples? They are.

B. True believers are followers.

C. They may not become mature followers.

D. Introducing Christ is the first step in discipleship.

E. Are we to make converts or make disciples?

F. If disciples are born and not made, then our churches are full of non-Christians.

V. Less than 25% of "Christians" meet Christ's standard for a disciple.

A. Only 2% have led another to Christ.

B. Scripture does not teach that all believers will become reproducing disciples.

C. Disobedient, carnal believers are considered Christians. 1 Cor. 3:1-3, Heb. 5:11-13

VI. Jesus meant more than "make converts."

A. Believers are to be baptized and taught.

B. Believers are to reproduce themselves.

C. Make out of others what Jesus made out of you.

D. It is a long and intentional process.

E. It goes from conversion to trained disciple-maker.

F. The disciple solves the crisis of the church.

Christ's Disciple

I. There are biblical criteria for determining who is a disciple of Christ.

A. He is convinced that God acts on his behalf. Je. 29:11

B. He commits to world evangelism. Mt. 9:36-38

C. He values his family less than Jesus. Mt. 10:37

D. He takes up his cross. Mt. 10:38; Mt. 16:24; Mk. 8:34

E. He denies self. Lk. 9:23-25

F. He puts Christ first. Lk. 14:25-35; Ph. 3:7-8

G. He forsakes his possessions. Lu. 18:29-30

H. He continues in God's Word. Jn. 8:31

I. He witnesses by his love for God and others. Jn. 13:35

J. He abides in Christ. Jn. 15:7

K. He prays. Jn. 15:7

L. He bears fruit. Jn. 15:8,16

M. He glorifies God. Jn. 15:8

N. He is obedient. Jn. 15:9

O. He has joy. Jn. 15:11

P. He loves God and the brethren. Jn. 15:12-14, 17; 1 Jn. 4:20

Q. He fights with spiritual weapons. 2 Cor. 10:3-5

R. He studies the Word. 2 Tim. 2:15

S. He runs the course set before him. 2 Ti. 4:7; He. 12:1

T. He gives an answer for the hope that is within him. 1 Pet. 3:15

U. He walks as Jesus walked. 1 Jn. 2:6

II. The Church must evaluate its discipleship training.

A. Does it teach the disciple how to study the Word?

B. Does it teach the disciple how to pray?

C. Does it teach the disciple how to worship?

D. Does it teach the disciple how to have fellowship?

E. Does it teach the disciple how to evangelize?

III. The Church must recognize evangelism as the catalyst to the other discipleship ministries.

A. Are we evaluating our fruit? Jn. 15

1. Disciples are the fruit.

2. Disciples are obedient.

3. Disciples bear fruit.

4. Disciples glorify God.

B. Are our disciples superficial? Lk. 14:25,26,33

IV. Discipleship is a paradox: that of dying to live.

A. He who seeks to keep his life will lose it. Mt. 10:39; 16:25

B. He who loses his life for Jesus will find it. Mk. 8:35

C. He who follows must weigh the cost. Lu. 14:28

D. The seed must fall into the ground and die. Jn. 12:24

The Biblical Role of the Pastor

I. He is one of the "Presbuteros" and has care for the Church. Acts 14:23

A. He is one of the elders

B. He exhorts the flock 2 Tim. 4:2

C. He must meet certain qualifications. 1 Tim.3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9

D. He is important. 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:17

II. He is one of the "Episkopos" and assumes oversight and leadership. 1 Tim. 3:1

A. He is one of the bishops - He guard the flocks. Ac. 20:28-31

B. He serves as one of the elders.

III. He is the "Poimen" and teaches and protects. 1 Pet. 5:1

A. The pastor feeds the flock. Jn. 21:15-17

B. The elders pastor the flock. Ac. 20:28, Eph. 4:11

C. He has two responsibilities.

1. He has oversight

a) He rules - "proistemi" 1 Tim. 5:17

b) He leads - "hegeomai" Heb. 13:7, 17, 24

c) He labors with the ones taking the lead. 1 Thess. 5:12

2. He pastors

a) He cares for the flock. Ac. 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3

b) He protects the flock. Ac. 20:28; 2 Tim. 2:24

c) He teaches the flock. 2 Tim.2:22; 1 Thess.5:12,13; 1 Tim.5:17

IV. Timothy is an example.

A. He takes oversight of the church. 1 Tim. 3:1-5

B. He teaches. 1 Tim. 4:11; 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:2

C. He rules. 1 Tim. 5:17

D. He preaches. 2 Tim. 4:2

E. He reproves. 2 Tim. 4:2

F. He rebukes. 2 Tim. 4:2

G. He exhorts. 2 Tim. 4:2

H. He does the work of an evangelist. 2 Tim. 4:5

V. Titus is an example.

· He watches. Titus 1:9

The Full-Time Pastor

I. He is found in the Bible.

A. Jesus was Himself a pastor.

B. Peter was a pastor in Jerusalem. Ac. 2

C. Paul was a missionary from Antioch. Ac. 13:3

D. Paul was a pastor at Ephesus for 3 years.

E. Timothy was a pastor at Ephesus.

F. Titus was a pastor at Crete.

II. He is found in history.

A. Ignatius was a pastor at Antioch.

B. He makes reference to a single bishop or pastor of each church by the end of the 1st century.

C. He was a key player in setting the course of the church and the role of the pastor.

III. He supplies leadership.

A. He encourages

B. He comforts

C. He counsels

D. He trains

E. He brings people together

F. He keeps the fellowship

G. He is a friend

H. He is a shepherd

I. He is a preacher

J. He enlightens the people's understanding

K. He unites mortal with immortal

L. He visits the sick, bereaved, troubled, searching

M. He distributes sacraments: baptism and communion

IV. He is not typically a disciple-making pastor today.

A. He agrees with the disciple-making pastor on what to do

B. He differs with the disciple-making pastor in work behavior.

C. He considers himself the servant of the people.

D. He should serve Christ, not the people.

E. He serves their interests, but not their best interests.

F. The people want to insulate themselves from the world. (Christian programming)

G. The servant of Christ is dedicated to making people do what they don't want to do so they can become what they always wanted to be.

H. He lets the church set the agenda.

I. Someone taught pastors to enter the church with no plan.

J. He spends the first year just getting to know his congregation.

K. He is under the dictatorship of the disobedient.

L. He accepts the church's expectations of him.

M. Churches should write a job description of what they want in a pastor.

N. His ministry strategy depends on circumstances.

O. He responds to the environment rather than creating it.

P. He is in the woods, so preoccupied with individual trees that he loses his way.

Q. He chooses the good over the best.

R. The sin of omission is at work: He does not make disciples.

The Disciple-Making Pastor

I. He is the trigger mechanism that sets the process in motion. Eph. 4:11-16

A. The body must be led.

B. He prepares the body for works of service. Eph. 4:12

C. He builds up the body so that it will grow up.

D. He identifies God's people and sets them apart.

E. The proper title for God's people is "ministers."

1. "Diakonios" - servant, deacon, minister

2. "Katartizo" (preparing) is the primary task of the leadership to bring about corporate maturity (2 Tim. 3:17).

II. He is the pastor/teacher, not the pastor/teller.

A. Preaching is a most important first step.

B. But teaching, showing, demonstrating must follow.

C. What leadership is called is less important than what it does.

III. There are four functions mentioned in the context of the pastor's ministry. Eph. 4:11

A. Apostles were foundational in the early church; they planted the churches. Eph. 2:20

B. Prophets were foundational in the early church; they taught the new believers.

C. Evangelists are considered church planters today.

D. Pastors/Teachers are also considered church planters today.

IV. The pastor's role can be summarized as one function: the pastor is like a player-coach.

A. He has already played the game.

B. He mostly stands on the sidelines and manages; sometimes, he enters the game.

C. He demonstrates skills, develops team philosophy, and designs plays.

D. He conditions the athletes for the game.

E. He motivates, disciplines, aggravates, and motivates his team to play.

F. He translates theory into action.

G. He discovers the hidden potential in people.

H. He finds the gifted players and encourages them to develop their gifts for the good of the team.

I. He provides goal oriented leadership.

J. He oversees a mature, trained team.

K. He creates a winning environment.

L. The players think positive.

M. All players sacrifice personal goals for team goals.

N. Good coaches point out progress in defeat.

O. A growing atmosphere is an accepting atmosphere.

P. It's all right to make mistakes; mistakes are a necessary part of growth.

Q. He builds up until we all reach the unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.

V. There are three marks of a right environment.

A. A strong sense of progress

B. Speaking the truth in love Eph. 4:15

C. Cooperation, the proof of corporate unity

The Misunderstood Pastor

I. Most people think of one pastor per church.

A. One pastor is not equipped to meet the needs of the entire flock.

B. This misconception is not found in Scripture.

C. The expectation that one person can pastor the church is both a mistake and tragedy.

D. What appears to be successful could be cultural success masquerading as God's success.

E. Many broken pastors leave the ministry because of unrealistic expectations.

II. Few churches practice the biblical model of a pastoral team.

A. Scriptures speak of pastors and teachers in the plural.

B. One man must lead, but Paul teaches that leadership should come from a plurality of elders.

C. Jesus is the only "pastor" referred to in the singular.

D. The pastor should see himself as a specialist whose top priority is that of teacher/equipper to get the work of ministry done through others.

III. The pastor is not just the passive, gentle shepherd responsible for taking care of his sheep.

A. The pastor is seen as passive and in servant hood to the congregation.

B. He is caring when he ministers to their felt needs.

C. He is uncaring if he ministers to their real needs.

D. He is not to be strong-willed and challenge the church to world mission.

IV. The pastor is not the leader of all the church, only the spiritual leader of the church.

A. If the pastor is limited to "spiritual issues," then, the laity are limited to "non-spiritual issues."

B. This dichotomy debilitates the church.

C. This misconception increases the pastor/laity gap.

D. The pastor needs to give leadership to the total program.

V. The seminary graduate thinks that preparing the laity means preaching outstanding sermons.

A. The exact opposite is true.

B. He must prepare them for application.

C. If isolated, preaching can do more harm than good.

D. The way to maturity is through the pastor's dedication to preparing the laity for the ministry.

VI. Titles reveal what people think of pastors.

A. Minister - the church members are not ministers.

1. They are passengers.

2. They are the audience.

3. They are the supporters.

4. They are the spectators.

B. Doctor - the pastor is trained for his profession.

C. Seminaries are seen as law or medical schools.

D. Reverend - the pastor is to be honored.

E. Preacher - the pastor is only seen in one of his roles.

F. Pastor - the pastor is seen for his relationship with people and not for what he does.

The Pastor's Understanding

I. The pastor sees the whole picture.

A. Ideology means revolution for structural change.

B. Disciple-making at the heart of the church is a revolutionary ideology that calls for fundamental change within the church.

II. The pastor calls into question the structures and priorities of the modern church.

"We have shrunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men." ~ George Orwell

A. People now consider restating the obvious revolutionary ideology.

B. Like Christ, the disciple-making pastor asks the church to return to her first calling.

III. Too many pastors have a micro-theology of the church.

"Christians have understood the truth of Christianity in bits and pieces." ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer

A. The local church piece

B. The personal salvation piece

C. The social action piece

D. The cross

E. Discipleship

F. Evangelism

G. The family

H. The gifts of the Spirit

I. The pastor needs to focus on the pieces.

IV. The pastor must also communicate the big picture: the large redemptive drama.

A. Without the big picture, the focus of the church becomes the church.

1. The church population is satisfied.

2. Their felt needs are met. They enjoy a good reputation with other churches.

3. The calling of the pastor is to be all he can be to the church.

4. Commitment is rare because the vision is too small.

5. Is the challenge to become a deacon, trustee, or elder?

6. Dedication to the church is good, but it is not enough.

B. With the big picture, the focus of the church becomes complete.

1. The kingdom is the model.

2. The cross is the means.

3. The commission is the method.

4. The coming is the motive.

5. The Kingdom is his model: Point people towards the goal.

The Kingdom Thinker

A. Repent. Mt. 4:17, Mk. 1:14

B. Pray for the kingdom.

C. Preach that it is at hand. Mk. 6:12

1. What is the kingdom? - The Sermon on the Mount Mt. 5-7

a) The absolute eternal rule of God in the new heavens and the new earth.

b) A perfect society where peace and justice will rule.

2. When will it come? - When the Gospel is preached to all nations

3. What does Christ want?

a) He wants to establish His kingdom among men

b) He wants the church to take His rule to men.

4. Where is it? - Where the king is. Mt. 12:28, Luke 17:20-21

a) Individual - Christ's rule in the personal life

b) Church - Christ's rule in the corporate body.

c) Others - Mature Christians taking the rule of Christ into the home, workplace, classroom, courthouse, and all facets of life and business.

5. Who brings it in?

a) Not the local church thinker

b) "We are building a great church."

c) "What you are in the church is important."

d) He limits the scope of the church's influence.

e) The kingdom thinker

f) "We are taking the rule of Christ to the world."

g) "What you are in the world for Christ is important."

h) He enlarges the scope of the church's influence.

6. How is it brought in? The Cross is the means to teach people how to get there.

a) Jesus told the disciples about the cross ten months before His death.

b) The cross and the resurrection provided the supernatural resources needed to get the job done.

c) It brought about the regeneration of people.

d) Jesus' life paid for the release of the human race from the penalty of sin.

e) The lessons of the cross, such as dedication and self‑ sacrifice, gave people reasons to commit to the cause.

f) There are certain responsibilities we cannot delegate.

g) We must face certain difficulties which require sacrifice (missing a meal, deprivation of leisure, separation from family, imprisonment ...).

h) Peter took Jesus aside to correct Him when he spoke of suffering and being killed. Mk. 8:31-32

i) Jesus' correction was immediate and difficult for Peter to accept. Mk. 8:33

j) The major obstacle pastors face in motivating people to make commitments is the classic struggle between God's interests and man's interests.

The Larger Vision

I. The call to discipleship is not for an elite corps; it is a call to any ordinary disciple

A. He must cease making himself the center of his life and actions.

B. He must take up my cross: the cross is the essence of his mission.

1. For Jesus, the cross was "what I must do."

2. I may enjoy my mission; I may simply endure it.

3. Leadership means helping people say no to self so they can say yes to God.

II. The Great Commission defines the plan and gives the method.

A. The Church exists for mission.

1. Salt exists for preservation.

2. Light exists for illumination.

3. Christians exist for mission.

B. Christians do not exist for the temporary life here.

1. They are aliens existing in a different world.

2. They are ambassadors living in a foreign country.

3. They are pilgrims traveling through.

C. The right way to grow a church is to improve the members' penetration ability.

1. Explain what the church is.

2. It is the family of God.

3. It is a kingdom of priests.

4. It is a building.

5. It is a body.

6. It is a temple.

7. Explain what the church does.

8. It is a vehicle for the Great Commission.

9. It is a tool for reaching the world.

10. It is a house for building up the saints.

D. Making disciples is the methodology required to reach the world.

1. Without multiplication, world Evangelization is meaningless.

2. Disciple-making is not the goal: the purpose of disciple-making is not for its own sake.

3. The goal is to populate heaven.

4. The Coming is the motive.

E. There will be personal reward for work well done.

1. Saints will receive rewards. Mt. 25, 1 Cor. 3:12-15

2. There will be an evaluation of what each one did with what he was given.

3. God will judge according to the quality of the disciple's work.

4. Work hard for your convictions and expect His voice to say: "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

5. People respond positively to the prospect of reward.

F. Personal accountability

1. Accountability is a way of life for the disciple-making pastor.

2. We will all give an account for our life's behavior.

3. The negative side of the judgment is that the works will be destroyed by fire.

4. All Christians need this element to keep life's mission "on its toes."

5. What would students learn without exams? What work would be done without deadlines?

6. Regenerate human nature is not perfect.

7. Those who refuse spiritual authority when they need it but don't want it are doomed to spiritual mediocrity.

8. Regardless of the church dogma, what the church practices is what they teach.

The Commitment of the Pastor

I. He places disciple-making at the heart of the church.

II. He diagnoses the sickness: duplicity. Isaiah 29:13

A. Leaders give lip service to disciple-making, Their actions demonstrate their hearts.

B. The reasons for this duplicity are analyzed.

1. To many, discipleship is only a program that fits into the structure of the church.

2. It is made available to those interested, but it is not the main engine of the church.

3. The pastor considers discipleship a contributor to overall church health, but it is not his responsibility; he thinks of hiring staff to man the program, but he sees his job as preaching, counseling, administrating.

4. The neglect stems more from inability than disobedience: Pastors think they are teaching and equipping when they are doing no more than informing.

5. Many pastors think of discipleship as being too narrow for the local church.

6. To them, discipleship is great for the select few, but not for the general population. They don't think of it as the Christian norm.

7. Many pastors believe that if there is a strong emphasis on disciple-making, it will polarize the congregation: either people will leave the church or it will cost me my job.

III. He proclaims the priority, purposes, and goals of disciple-making.

A. He justifies his claims with solid biblical exposition from the pulpit.

B. The effective disciple-making pastor never allows the vision to vanish.

C. Without exposition and conviction from the pulpit, disciple-making will not survive.

D. It is the heart of the church; God wants every saint to be a disciple-maker.

IV. He writes it down and makes it church dogma.

A. When people see it in writing, they start taking it seriously.

B. When people see it written often in church literature, it becomes accepted dogma.

C. Write it to motivate people to aspire to the goal, individually & corporately.

D. Write in a regular evaluation of goals and objectives: "The elders will annually evaluate all programs and activities of the church in light of the stated goals."

E. Future board members and pastors will be required to keep the same priorities.

V. He models discipleship at the level of the elders.

A. The pastor must model it at the leadership level.

B. elders should prove their disciple-making ability before receiving such a position.

1. The pastor should develop an established program to train prospective elders.

2. Many church problems find their origin in immaturity and selfish agendas of church leaders. The leaders often isolate themselves from important aspects of accountability.

3. Elders must exemplify the objective; revitalization must come from the top down.

4. The problems start when the grassroots energy slams into the church's leadership.

5. If discipleship lives in its leaders, they will pass it on from generation to generation.

VI. He identifies and communicates clearly the roles of the church.

A. He identifies the pastor.

1. He tells God's people he is their spiritual leader.

2. He has the responsibility to call them to work.

3. His work is shaped by convictions, not by church tradition.

4. He established the priorities of his work and tells the congregation where he will work.

5. He says he has come to serve their best interests by obeying God rather than man.

B. He identifies the heart condition of the saints.

1. The pastor positions himself as a heart specialist.

2. He tells the church that discipleship is his focus, his calling, the first of his priorities.

3. He identifies the biblical principles that must be at work to produce healthy Christians.

The Minister in the Church

I. The pastor identifies the direction, mentoring, & correction.

A. A vehicle: the small group, one-on-one, written report, training, Bible study ...

B. In the beginning, he leads himself.

C. Later, when the groups are large, he focuses on leadership training.

II. The pastor identifies who he is and what his responsibilities are, and sticks to them.

A. The pastor changes his job description to be more available to those in ministry.

B. He eliminates attendance at most committee meetings, home visitation, hospital calls, and obligatory socializing.

C. Counseling should be limited because it concentrates on the spiritually weak, creating further weakness and keeps the pastor from the solution to the problems, the giftedness of the spiritually well.

D. The pastor should concentrate on the cures, not the symptoms.

E. The disciple-making pastor concentrates on making the heart work better.

III. The pastor identifies the disciples. Ephesians 4

A. The pastor identifies his role in preparing them to do the works of service.

B. He is a pastor leading a group of ministers, not a minister leading a group of spectators.

C. Trained laity can do the job better.

D. When the congregation understands his role, their responsibility becomes more defined.

E. He tells them they are all ordained ministers of God.

F. Every Christian is called to a ministry.

IV. The pastor identifies the discipleship process.

A. Many pastors are experts at telling people who they are and what they should do, but teaching how to get it done is their weakness.

B. He has told them they are ministers, that it is his job to prepare them for the ministry; now, he must show them.

C. One church pathology is exhortation to action without a means to action.

D. There need to be clearly defined stages of development.

E. People want to know where they stand, how they are doing, what the goal is, and what the assignment is.

F. Jesus never made people follow him; he simply extended invitations.

1. Come and see. I want to welcome and interest you.

2. Come and follow me. I want to establish you.

3. Come and be with me. I want to teach you to teach others.

4. Remain in me. I want to deploy you.

V. The pastor identifies the minister. Rev. 5:10

A. He adheres to the priesthood of all believers 1 Pe. 2:5,9

B. Each possesses a spiritual gift.

C. Each has a special call.

1. "Kletos" are the called. 1 Cor. 1:26; Ephesians 4:1

2. There is no mention of a professional elite; the entire family of God is a called family.

3. The context refers to all the members of the body: “You are also called ...” Rom. 1:6-7

D. Each is called to works of service. Eph. 4:11-12

E. Each has the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:18-19

F. Each has the message of reconciliation.

G. Each needs convincing

The Ministry of the Saints

I. The pastor gives permission.

A. The ministry responsibility has been given to 100% of the body.

B. The pastor believes each should be serving Christ in some concrete work.

C. The layman thinks he has to do what the pastor does.

D. The layman wonders why the rules are changing after centuries of non-ministerial roles.

E. The pastor who merely views Christians as good helpers, but not on his level, has a low and unloving view of people.

F. The pastor who does the ministry rather than training the people to do it, behaves in an unloving and non-caring manner.

G. He behaves like a parent who will not let his children mature.

H. Not to train and unleash all willing members is the greatest pastoral sin.

I. The loving and high view means believing the average Christian is a gifted minister of the gospel and can be trusted with important spiritual ministry responsibility.

J. The high view honors the average Christian.

K. The average Christian can visit the hospital, pray for the sick, baptize his children, serve communion, and train discipleship leaders.

L. The pastor gives permission by telling the congregation that he is not threatened by their increased involvement.

M. When the body members minister, the body is better off, and so is the clergy.

N. The pastor becomes successful when there is full employment in the body.

II. The pastor gives direction.

A. The pastor has redefined minister; now, he must redefine ministry.

1. Reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

2. Ministry to the world

3. Evangelism and missions

4. Edification Ephesians 4:11-16

5. Ministry to the body

6. Building up

7. Loving one another

8. Serving one another

9. Physical need Luke 4:18-19

10. Showing mercy

11. Helps

12. Encouragement

13. Healings

III. The pastor gives training.

A. Without training, Christians experience nothing but frustration.

B. The disciple-making pastor's training vehicles are consistent with his beliefs.

C. The secret to spiritual maturity is the application of the truth over a sustained period. Phil.4:11-13

D. There are two kinds of truth in Scripture.

1. Absolute truth - true regardless of experience

2. Subjective truth - "Epiginosko" - knowledge based on experience Colossians 1:9

· Experience Christ's power in one's life

The Multiplication of the Saints 1

I. The pastor is committed to multiplication

A. Disciple-making results in reproduction, not a few leading many to Christ.

B. Reproduction of a single Christian is wonderful, but it is only spiritual addition.

C. Would you prefer a million dollars or a penny today, doubling every day for a month?

D. Unimpressive at first, multiplication leads to greater results than addition ($10,737,418.24)

E. It takes 1000 people 365 days to make one disciple; at this rate, we will never reach the world.

F. World evangelization suffers because sufficient multiplication doesn’t take place.

G. Large crowds don't prove anything other than some talented people can gather large crowds

H. Mass evangelism doesn't mean discipleship, obedience, or multiplication.

II. The pastor prioritizes disciple-making. Mt. 28:19-20

A. The Great Commission is not making converts; it's making disciples.

B. We are to bear fruit that will last; The church is to product a quality product. Jn. 15:8,16

C. Obey the Great Commission; be a plodder, train people, make disciples, please God.

III. The pastor selects proper personnel. 2 Tim. 2:2

A. It is passed on.

1. It is too big a job for one generation; Jesus passed it on to 3, 12, 70, 500.

2. Paul saw it passed on to four generations: Paul, Timothy, reliable men, others.

B. It is passed on by those who have it.

1. Multiplication breaks down here; God's faithfulness compensates for our disobedience.

2. The passing on of our faith from professional to professional has been good.

3. A highly prioritized effort should be made to train the believer to pass on the Gospel.

C. It is passed on to the right people.

1. Delegation remains the number-one challenge to modern management.

2. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." Luke 16:10

3. "It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Cor. 4:2

4. Multiplication breaks down because responsibility is given to the unreliable. 1 Tim. 3:10

5. Multiplication has no chance in an context where power is given to unreliable people.

6. Multiplication is a product of building a solid foundation of reliability.

D. It is passed on to qualified people.

1. The right people are reliable and trusted ministers, screened through training on gifts.

2. Often the spiritual gifts are treated as the finishing line rather than the starting line.

3. The congregation feels that once the training program is completed, they have finished.

4. The Christian never outgrows the need for training, encouragement, and accountability.

5. Teaching others means they can pass on the ability; some do not have transferability.

The Multiplication of the Saints 2

IV. The pastor gives reasons to multiply. Mt. 9:36-38

A. Compassion

1. Jesus said multiplication is the natural expression of compassion. Mt.9:36-10:1; Mk. 6:7

2. An unmet need underlined the multiplication of Jesus' ministry.

3. Disciple-making pastors must be available & move toward decentralization of ministry.

B. Prayer

1. Pray for workers to enter the harvest. There is too much work and too few workers.

2. The world's present needs far outweigh the workers to meet them.

3. Only God convinces others to enter the harvest field; no person can recruit enough.

4. Jesus said, "Make disciples," but also "Pray for workers." Prayer is a recruiting tool.

5. When a disciple decides to give a lifetime of labor takes a divine tap on the shoulder.

6. the selection of the saints

V. The pastor has a specific plan to mobilize workers.

A. Many mobilize to ministry, but not to work.

B. The pastor matches gifts to ministry.

C. Jesus conducted the first independent missionary tour Mt. 10

1. Jesus painted a picture of hurt people.

2. He commissioned the twelve to go out in two's.

3. Two years of modeling ministry

4. A review of the details once more

5. Specific instructions

VI. The pastor practices the principle of selectivity.

A. The church often does not agree with the pastor.

1. It's all right for Jesus to practice

2. Do not try it here.

3. Our system works just fine.

4. Selectivity means playing favorites. 1 Tim. 5:21

B. The pastor must respond with love and truth to challenge the disagreement.

1. God chose Noah, Abraham, Saul, David, Solomon ....

2. Jesus chose the twelve.

3. Jesus had an inner circle of three.

4. Jesus advised great care in choosing people to take on ministry responsibility. Luke 16:10

5. Paul chose Timothy and Titus.

6. Paul advised Timothy on the type of person to be trained. 2 Timothy 2:2

7. Paul instituted the school of Tyrannus; at times, there were up to twelve men in apprenticeship.

8. Paul talked about qualifications for selection of leaders. 1 Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:5-9

9. John chose Polycarp.

C. The pastor must respond in love and truth to church members.

1. Selection is made from a pool of people who go through the training.

2. It threatens no one's position in the church.

3. The existing church leaders provide the training and experience.

4. We must not discount the importance of qualifications.

5. The lowest common denominator for choosing a candidate for leadership is church attendance.

6. We must not stop there.

7. We must consider people's spiritual gifts.

8. We must add people's spiritual training.

9. Churches are like taxpayers: We all want to see the government cut spending, reduce the deficit, but we don't want it to cut anything that touches our individual lives.

The Opposition of the Saints

I. It upsets the existing structure, the balance of power, the people who have influence

II. It modifies the criteria for obtaining a position.

A. Length of membership

B. Faithfulness to the organization

C. Willingness to serve

D. Popularity with the church fathers

E. Equal value of everyone's opinion

III. It changes the rules

A. The rules are not emphasizing attendance, singing in the choir, tithing, serving on the board ....

B. The rules are emphasizing training to be a fruit-bearing disciple, a witness, a reader of the Word, a teacher, a trainer ....

IV. It protects the product.

A. We must discriminate to protect the disciple.

B. All members are of equal value to God in His creation.

C. But all members are not equal with respect to God's mission to His creatures.

D. Those outside Christ are not candidates to lead Christ's church.

E. The young and inexperienced are not in line for leadership roles.

F. The busy, weak, apathetic, disobedient, burned out people are not in line for leadership roles.

G. The opinions of the immature are not as important as those of the mature leaders.

H. The quality of the church will be reduced if there is no process to choose leaders.

I. When everyone's opinion is equal, confusion reigns.

J. The church that thinks everyone must agree before taking action never acts.

K. A selection process reduces the amount of people-pleasing that goes on in the leadership selection.

V. It protects the church from trouble.

A. No philosophy or system will keep the church from conflict. John 16:33

B. But some practices reduce the possibility of conflict.

C. Selectivity means choosing the most highly trained people.

VI. It means you base your decision on an objective standard.

VII. It weeds out the unqualified.

VIII. It models the objective.

A. Models, not rhetoric, change people.

B. The most powerful teaching tool is the model.

C. The weakness of the church has been in its duplicity: "We say you should witness, but we don't really mean it because, as you can see, we don't witness ourselves."

D. The current model teaches people to disobey.

E. The church leadership team must model their objective.

IX. It gives people something to which they can aspire.

A. When a disciple is fully taught, he will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

B. When standards are set and kept, people accept them as the norm.

C. Every endeavor needs models and mentors.

The Model of the Pastor

I. He teaches and practices philosophical purity at the leadership level.

II. He supports the unity of the body.

A. Unity is "coming to agreement based on a common objective."

B. Unanimity means "complete agreement on all issues."

C. He does not mistake unanimity for unity.

D. The Bible calls for unity, not unanimity.

E. The church members do not always agree on the method, though they may agree on the objective.

F. A case can be made for the small group being the primary vehicle for discipleship.

G. Many oppose this saying it is hard to control and a seedbed for cults.

H. Some believe it involves too much training with too little result.

I. The leadership must agree, not necessarily the congregation.

III. He has a heart for disciple-making.

A. This means the pastor has a conviction for it.

B. I know it intellectually.

C. I've experienced it practically.

D. It is a fundamental belief that governs my life.

E. It means his number one priority is disciple-making.

IV. He sees disciple-making as the fountainhead for effective, reproducing ministry.

V. He believes the Great Commission will not be completed without it.

VI. He establishes a training program.

A. Trained disciple makers don't just pop up.

B. They must be developed over a period of years.

C. The model you will study can last up to three years.

D. Time is critical for development.

VII. He sets the course.

A. He asks the members to make their way through the course.

B. He provides three levels of character building.

1. Skill development

2. Philosophical training

3. Biblical training

VIII. He is a proven disciple-maker.

A. He can name those he has trained, who are now discipling others.

B. He can also name those he has trained, who are now in leadership positions.

C. The church no longer needs armchair ministers who talk good ministry, but have no product.

D. A disastrous end is that the leaders are not equipped to do their work.

IX. He finds time to spend with eager believers who want to reproduce.

The Establishment of a discipleship program

I. The pastor establishes four areas of qualification.

A. Motivating

B. Teaching

C. Delegating

D. Coaching

II. He teaches those in the various ministries to reproduce themselves in that ministry.

III. He makes the disciple earn his position; otherwise, he won't appreciate it.

IV. He establishes a biblically based training program.

A. His philosophy is biblically based, well thought out, and application-oriented.

B. He defends, explains, and teaches basic doctrines of the Christian faith biblically.

C. Special seminars are held to teach specific doctrine.

D. Basic doctrine is taught in a two-year discipleship group.

E. There is a workbook self-study stage covering the doctrine of the Church.

F. The trainees must teach the material they need to know.

G. There are two written exams.

1. General Christian doctrine

2. Philosophical foundations of disciple-making

H. There is an oral exam based on his writing.

I. The qualified leader learns more about the Bible in leading than he did in formal training.

V. He agrees with methods and priorities of the church.

A. The Church and pastor agree on the small group as the primary vehicle for disciple-making.

B. The Church and pastor agree on the process of selection of leaders

C. The Church and pastor agree on the standards set in the training program.

D. The Church and pastor agree on the people being required to earn their way to leadership.

E. The Church and pastor agree on the priority of decentralization of ministry.

F. The Church and pastor agree on the role of the pastor.

G. The Church and pastor agree on church planting.

H. The Church and pastor agree on giving at least ten percent of income to missions.

The Accountability of the Saints

I. It is a means of quality control.

A. Teaching people to obey means more than telling people they should obey. Mt. 28:19-20

B. It provides the encouragement, support, discipline, and training necessary for prolonged spiritual development.

C. Christians will not work together as a loving team without authority.

D. No discipling without obedience; no obedience without submission to authority;

E. There is no submission without humility. 1 Pet. 5:5-6

F. People must submit their personal goals to the corporate goal. 1 Cor. 12:24

G. practicing selectivity and accountability IS A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT FOR PASTORS.

II. It facilitates leadership.

A. God's judgment fire will either refine or destroy our life work. 1 Cor. 3:10-15

B. Many accept submission to God's authority, but not to man's:

1. "I will accept accountability in the future, but if it starts interfering with my present, personal life, forget it."

2. There is little hope for the person who will not accept the authority of the local church.

C. The authority of the local church comes from God's authority. Rom. 13:1-2

D. If the leadership in a church fail, they should be rebuked, even removed. 1 Tim.5:17-21

1. To rebel against authority is to rebel against God.

2. God is opposed to the proud, and He gives grace to the humble. 1 Pe. 5:5

E. Leaders need accountability in order to lead. Heb. 13:17

1. Since leaders are to be followed, the selection must be carefully made.

2. A church member submits to their authority.

3. A church member does not submit to personality, expertise, giftedness, or position.

4. Who the leaders are is not the issue; what they represent in my life is the issue.

5. Obedience is submission with feet on it.

III. It protects the congregation.

A. Keeping watch is correcting people when they do wrong & helping them do right.

B. Pastors help people do what they don’t want in order to become what God wants.

C. Submitting & obeying gives direction, encouragement, & protection from excesses.

IV. It makes the ministry a joy.

A. Leaders and followers equally share the responsibility for leaders' success.

B. If a leader is to succeed, part of the groundwork is the agreement of the followers to submit to and obey their leadership.

C. Most modern-day problems in the local church stem from the general populace's unwillingness to submit and obey their leaders.

D. The root cause is a lack of trust and confidence in the leadership.

E. Often, the congregation has not been taught the benefits of following leadership.

F. Often, they don't have good leadership because they don't value good leadership.

G. Frankly, most congregations are not capable of deciding what is good for their spiritual lives; they are sheep, and they need to follow a shepherd.

H. The church is less because the followers have compromised what God wants.

I. Joy is not happiness, because happiness is derived from circumstance.

J. Joy is experienced, independent of circumstance.

K. A leader can be unhappy and joyful: Jesus experienced joy in going to the cross.

L. Joy comes from knowing that your life counts., that you are making progress, that you are pleasing God with your actions.

The Submission of the Saints

I. The starting point for good leadership and good followers is faith.

A. If one can't submit to honor and respect of leadership, the person should find another church

B. If the person insists on staying in the church and rebelling, then he or she should be disciplined.

II. Discipline helps people keep their commitments to God. 1 Thess. 5:14

A. Warn the idle.

1. "idle" - to be out of rank and disorderly

2. "noutheto" - to verbally admonish one who is in error. Ac. 20:31; Rm. 15:4; Col. 1:28

B. Warn the rebellious. Pr. 22:17; Ecc. 4:9-11; Gal. 6:1; Phil. 2:19-24; Col. 1:28-29

1. The disobedient must be confronted.

2. Confrontation is not usually practiced because of the lack of respect for authority in the local church.

3. Confrontation restores the repentant rebellious and rids the church of the unrepentant rebellious. Titus 3:10

4. Confrontation is often practiced outside relationships and consequently taken badly.

5. Scripture is clear on the benefits of confronting those with whom you have a relationship.

C. Warn the neglectful.

1. Exhorting the apathetic is expected.

2. Paul advocated pressurized preaching. 2 Tim.4:2

3. The uninvolved must continually be called to action.

D. Encourage The timid.

1. "paramuthia" - to cheer up, console, to speak close

2. "oligophuchos" - worried, discouraged, fearful

3. People need the supportive encouragement of caring Christians.

4. Many more people are qualified and willing to encourage than to confront.

E. Help the weak.

1. "antecho" - cling to, help, take an interest in

2. "asthenes - without strength, to be sick

3. Normal human beings cared for in their time of need feel motivated to be part of the ministry.

4. God uses sickness and tragedy for His purpose.

5. The church's role is to prop up those who cannot stand on their own.

Forms of Disciple-Making

I. The large group: It tells people what and why.

A. Examples

1. Public address

2. Drama

3. Film

4. Music

5. Spoken word

B. Strengths

1. It can powerfully communicate to many at one time.

2. It is good use of one's time.

3. The large group is used for inspiration and motivation as well as interesting people in Christ and His work.

C. Weaknesses

1. It lacks the personal touch

2. It is only a start to disciple making

II. One-on-one: It permits a high degree of accountability.

A. Some one-on-one should be done with every small group member.

B. Strengths

1. It provides a great deal of fine-tuning.

2. The one-on-one fine-tunes the discipleship.

C. Weaknesses

1. It takes a long time

2. The disciple maker spends unproductive time with many who are not valid candidates.

III. The small group: It shows people how.

A. Jesus chose the small group as His primary vehicle.

1. Jesus ministered to the multitudes.

2. John records over 25 personal interviews.

3. But the small group was his primary vehicle.

B. The small group gave Jesus the proper platform to continue ministry.

1. He chose the twelve to be with Him.

2. It was sufficient to provide variety.

3. It was small enough so there were no spectators.

C. It provides the proper ministry flow.

· The small group trains them.

D. It does it with them.

1. The small group allows the cream to rise to the top.

2. The leadership may filter down through the small group and need one-on-one.

E. It provides a controlled environment.

Disciple-making in the small group

I. Skill development

A. Group members learn how to pray.

B. Group members are taught basic Bible study skills.

C. Group members learn how to share their lives with each other in peer relationships.

D. Group members learn how to reach out.

E. Group members prepare for ministry.

II. Prayer

A. "There where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them."

B. The disciples met together in homes for prayer Acts 12:12

C. The small group is ideal for prayer requests and the sharing of burdens.

III. Bible study

A. The small group is ideal for Bible studies Acts 2:42-47

B. There is more participation in discussion.

C. There is more commitment to each other.

D. More neighbors see the Bible being studied in homes.

IV. Peer relationships

A. The small group adds another dimension to accountability.

B. The leader cannot make the group accountable alone.

C. Many will take rebuke better from a peer than from a leader.

D. The bonding which takes place cannot happen in large groups or one‑on-one situations.

E. Spiritual growth consists of little daily battles over Scripture memory, prayer time, Bible reading, faithfulness to attend a group, or faithfulness to share your faith.

V. Outreach projects

A. Outreach training changes a person's attitude.

B. Religion is not a private matter.

C. Christians are not to stay separate from the world.

D. Outreach training changes a person's skill development.

E. The Christian is taught responsibility and authority for proclaiming the message of Christ.

F. The training starts with simple tasks.

G. No member CAN move to the next step until all have completed the last one.

H. If Christians don't become comfortable with outreach, Bible study becomes academic, prayer is boring, and fellowship is superficial.

I. Success is doing your best to get a non-Christian to a Christian event.

J. Even if the non-Christian does not come, there is success because of the skills learned to deal with non‑ Christians.

K. Without outreach, the church has failed.

VI. Training disciple-makers

A. There is a two-year, small group, training cycle.

B. At the end of the cycle, there is no finishing line, but a starting line for ministry.

C. A few of the group graduates will become leaders.

D. The disciple becomes a disciple-maker by leading a small group for two years.

E. The two-year discipleship group is steps 3 and 4.

F. The leader of the discipleship group is steps 5 and 6.

The Decentralization of Pastoral Care

I. The pastor believes and practices the decentralization of pastoral care.

A. Pastoral care is a ministry given to the entire body.

B. Leadership has the role of preparing God's people for the ministry. Eph. 4

C. It is not the clergy alone who are to do the pastoral care.

D. The pastor is to lead, protect, feed, taking the overall responsibility for sheep.

E. Most people filling the office of pastor have the gift of administration, teaching, leadership, exhortation ....

F. The pastor can do pastoral care, but it isn’t his exclusive domain; Others can do it.

G. Care is paying close attention to people and their needs.

H. The pastor is usually not strong in the gifts of showing mercy, help, encouragement, giving.

I. He does the pastoral care because everyone expects it, but he is often not gifted for it.

J. Examples are counseling, home visits, involvement in times of grief, hospital visitation, and crisis intervention.

II. The pastor is properly trained by the seminary.

A. The seminary must rethink pastoral models.

B. The ministry philosophy and style must lead to the equipping of the church.

1. The pastor has convictions about people being properly taught.

2. The pastor seeks to develop the proper ministry skills to accomplish the task.

3. The pastor has a target, and he shoots straight.

III. The pastor is properly used by the church.

· How the church uses its pastor will determine the quality of the church's ministry.

A. He declares - The pastor declares the what and why of the church's ministry.

B. He trains - Then, he trains those willing to do the work.

C. He manages - After that, he must manage the ministry.

IV. The body is properly used by the pastor.

A. The pastor is the key to the church's growth.

1. The pastor is not a dictator, but one who influences.

2. Leadership grows a church, while ministry builds the people.

B. The pastor must insist that people be trained for the ministry.

1. There must be care not to label certain ministries as essential and others as unimportant.

2. The picture in Ephesians 4:16 is every member doing his or her part.

3. Effective ministry is best accomplished by laymen reaching out to those with whom they have existing relationships.

4. People should be bonded to Christ and His church.

5. It is not enough simply to lead people to Christ, but they should be become active members, involved in ministry, fellowship, education, worship, and stewardship.

6. The pastor must not burn out, and the people must not rust out.

C. The pastor must develop a leadership team for every mini‑ congregation.

1. The appropriate vehicle for training the body is the small group.

2. The pastor must develop mini-congregations of 40-70 people for the training of those with the gifts of pastoral care.

3. People are asked to join; no one is assigned.

4. A member is part of a group that knows his name and misses him when he is absent.

5. Members give up their demand for the pastor's personal attention.

The Method of Jesus

I. Telling them what to do

A. Preliminary commissions

1. Open your eyes and look at the harvest. Jn. 4:35

2. Come and follow me. Mk. 1:16-17

3. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers. Mt. 9:36-38

4. Go to the lost sheep of Israel. Mt. 10:6

B. The Great Commissions

1. Make disciples. Mt. 28:19-20

a) We teach disciples to reproduce: winning a convert.

b) We do not teach them to multiply: training him.

2. Go and preach the gospel to all creation. Mk. 16:16:18

3. Repentance and forgiveness of sin will be preached ... Lu.24:44-49

4. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Jn. 20:21

5. You shall receive power ... you shall be My witnesses Acts 1:8

II. Telling them why to do it

A. If a person knows why, he can bear almost any how.

B. Jesus gave his disciples a passion.

C. Jesus' desire was to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10

D. Jesus' attitude was not to be served, but to serve. Mark 10:45

E. Jesus' goal was not to condemn the world, but to save it. John 3:17

F. Disciple making is a means to an end.

G. The reason is to save mankind and to establish Christ's kingdom.

III. Showing them how to do it

A. Jesus decentralized his ministry

1. The disciples slowed Jesus down.

2. They tempted Him to disobey His father.

B. Jesus saw the world through others, not just Himself.

C. Jesus had a small group of disciples who remained with him.

1. Jesus invited a large group to "come and see."

2. From that, Jesus created a smaller group to "come and follow."

3. After their training, Jesus took a few to "come and be with me."

a) Train them to replace you.

b) Do the ministry with them through observation and supervision.

4. Finally, Jesus let them do the ministry. Luke 10:1-12

D. Jesus didn't ask the disciples to go beyond their training.

1. They would return to Jesus for debriefing, evaluation, and affirmation.

2. The twelve were not totally unleashed. They remained tied to Jesus.

IV. Sending them into the harvest field

A. The whole process may take three years.

B. The person is evaluated on progress, not perfection.

C. The person is selected according to his conversion, faithfulness, call, spiritual gifts, training, and availability.

D. If a person doesn't measure up, there is no need to continue his leadership training.

The Ministry of the Saints

I. The character of the saint must be determined.

A. saints must be faithful, able, teachable, available. 1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 16:10; 2 Tim. 2:2

B. The disciple-making pastor gives assignments.

C. He monitors progress and moves people along.

II. The ministry of the saint should be matched with his spiritual gifts.

A. Teaching: does he communicate the Scripture? 1 Cor. 12:28; 2 Ti. 2:25

1. Without communication, there can be no multiplication.

2. He must be able to teach.

3. He transfers knowledge, passion, and convictions without a decline in quality.

4. He must not necessarily be a gifted speaker.

5. Values are more caught than taught.

B. Leadership: does he manage by delegating? 2 Ti. 2:2

1. He has the ability to get work done through others.

2. The toughest issue in leadership today is delegation.

3. There are steps to follow for successful management.

a) Develop convictions in the trainees for decentralization of ministry.

b) Help them understand the steps in delegation.

c) Monitor their attempts to work through others.

4. Leadership is not dictatorship, but influence.

5. Good leaders cause the church to grow.

6. Good leaders use the ministry to build the people.

C. Administration: does he motivate and inspire? Rm. 12:8

1. Experienced leaders don't waste time lamenting apathy and inertia among followers.

2. The prescription for apathy is inspiration.

3. Leaders give reasons for motivation.

4. Inspiration and motivation are the oil that takes away the irritating grinding of the ministry.

D. Exhortation: does he counsel others? Romans 12:8; 15:4; Col. 1:28

1. "Nouthea" means "instructing and admonishing."

2. The word is used 13 times in the N.T.

3. He helps people with the basic conflicts of life.

4. He corrects others/ 2 Tim. 2:23-26

a) He must deal with those who have fallen prey to false teachings or practices.

b) Confrontation is an act of love.

c) He helps others to keep their commitments to God.

E. Praise and prayer: does he perform in worship to the Lord? 1 Cor.12:9-10, 28-30

1. Paul mentions the gift of speaking in or interpreting unknown tongues.

2. David was gifted in music; Solomon was gifted in poetry.

3. He may be an artist, musician, writer, or craftsman, using his talent for the church.

F. Service: does he help people practically? Rm. 12:7-8; 1 Pe. 4:7-11

1. The deacons are to serve tables visit, and distribute what is needed. Ac. 6:1-6

2. The gifts of helps, hospitality, liberality, and mercy are gifts of service.

3. He helps people with the material needs in their lives.

Your Plan of Discipleship

I. "Come and see." (tell them what and why) John 1:39-4:46

A. Jesus did not demand to be followed: He simply extended invitations.

B. This was a four-month introduction to Jesus and His work.

C. Five disciples followed Him, learned, and went home to consider going on with Him.

D. We gather and interest you in Christ: 1 Cor. 14:3; Heb. 10:24-25

· Worship, evangelistic events, small groups, adult fellowship, youth, children, choir, ...

II. "Come and follow Me." (show how and do) Mt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20

A. Many in our congregations never leave the "Come and see" phase.

1. Jesus came back and challenged them after two months wait.

2. The disciples had already been with Jesus for four months.

3. Jesus extended an invitation, not a responsibility.

4. Many did not follow him; those who did believed their leader could take them where they wanted to go.

B. We train you in a discipleship group for two years.

1. Only people who make the commitment are approved.

2. The commitment is explained.

a) People have one week after the orientation to make their decision.

b) The group must be small enough to avoid spectators, but large enough to provide variety.

c) The group should be no larger than fourteen.

d) The group must meet often enough and long enough for the training process to work.

e) A proposed meeting time is once a week for two hours.

f) There is Scripture memory, Bible study, and outreach projects.

g) There must be time for assimilation and practice of the material.

C. We establish the disciple with basic skills to reach the objective.

1. Prayer: pray specifically, pray boldly, pray conversationally, pray with lists.

2. Fellowship: be accountable, memorize Scripture, do Bible studies, be punctual.

3. Witness: complete projects, reproduce, verbalize your faith, express your gifts. Jn. 15:8

D. We form ministry teams: teachers, administrators, musicians, ushers, workers ....

III. "Come and be with Me." (let them do it) Mark 3:13-14; Luke 6:13

A. About 10% of participants in "Come and follow me" go on to "Come and be with me."

B. Most churches leave this phase to seminaries, Bible schools, and mission agencies.

C. The result is that gifted lay leaders are not trained.

D. This training is done quietly, out of sight of most of the congregation.

E. Those selected for leadership training meet these criteria.

1. They are suitable, not just spiritual, faithful, gifted, and wanting to go on.

2. They discern their spiritual gifts and ministry.

3. They complete the two-year discipleship group.

4. They can effectively articulate the philosophy of disciple-making.

5. They can manage, motivate, and correct others.

6. They are comfortable with and effective in personal evangelism.

F. We let you lead through apprenticeship, growth group leadership training,

1. Supervised ministries include confronting, delegating, leading, pastoring and caring.

2. Proven disciple-makers are candidates: staff, church planters, elders/deacons, ....

IV. "You will remain in Me." (deploy them) John 15:7-8; Acts 1:8

A. Jesus left the disciples in the hands of the Holy Spirit.

B. Some will go into professional ministry: pastors, church planters, missionaries, evangelists ...; The professionals are often deployed outside the local church.

C. The layman is deployed locally.

1. He is a candidate for eldership.

2. He is a leader of a labor team.