Discipleship - Passing on

Discipleship  - Passing on

Pr Janice Chern

29 January 2017

Our KKE theme is Revisioning Discipleship

Matthew 4:19

Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.

2 Timothy 1:13-14

13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

v13 “…keep as the pattern of sound teaching…”,
v14 “…. guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...”
The context of the above verses is in verses 5 & 6 where Paul was reminding Timothy that it was his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice who had faithfully been passing on the faith they received to him.

We are called as disciples of Christ to pass on our faith as we were reminded in Matthew 4:19 “….Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” to make disciples not just in teaching but is also reflected in our lifestyle. A disciple is essentially following a lifestyle - the way we live our live.

Introduction

The example of the celebration of CNY are in many ways instructional based where cultures were passed on and modelling of these instructions by elders reinforces the instructions. In the Christian context, the elder’s lifestyles will coach the disciple the principle of Christian living. As disciples, we need to ask questions to our mentors and check the answers against the Word of God. A disciple making church is to reproduce disciples to make disciples for ultimately it is the aim to make every generation to know the great God and praise His mighty works. Psalm 145: 4

How life change can happen 

The example of how a man who struggle with his lust felt the difference when he was mentored and when he voluntarily decided to end the mentoring relationship. When he was being mentored he felt safe to confide, felt no condemnation, prayed, spent time in devotion, lived a life honouring God however when he stopped the mentoring relationship, bad decisions were made, not seeking God at lives crossroads, spiritual life went dry and felt a lack of guidance. The example showed how in mentoring both the mentor and the mentored needed to work together to reap its benefits.

What Is Mentoring 

The illustration of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, fights in the Trojan War and entrusts the care of his household to Mentor, who serves as teacher and overseer of Odysseus' son. So mentoring is a figure that imparts knowledge and share wisdom to someone who is less experience. In the biblical context, it is to ensure our younger generation is look after and brought up well thus ensuring the generations to come will follow after Jesus too.
V15 also implied that we need to guard else we may lose whatever we have gained.

Paul Stanley and Robert Clinton defined mentoring as

 “A relational experience in which one person empowers another by sharing God-given resources”.
Resources can be knowledge, money, time, experience, networking or influence. It is enabling another by sharing resources.

Why mentor

In serving together, as leaders, we are being observed. People can pick up if we are emphatic, compassionate, understanding or open. As Christian leaders our lifestyles are important as examples for others to follow. As a family of God we are to look out for each other for when distraction comes and there are disruptions in their Christian journey, support will be rallied to uphold each other. As the old adage goes, it takes a village to raise a child. We need to reproduce disciples effectively. We need to disciple our next generation to have an authentic Christian faith.

The story of Mentor

Mentor - king went for 20 years of war against Trojan and the elder called Mentor trained up his young son. The King returned to have a young man prepared for his roles as prince.

You can lose what you are taught if we do not guard it. Therefore we need to teach the younger ones how to keep the faith and make it grow.

Barriers to life change

Generational bias can be a barrier to being mentored. A young man can also mentor somebody, for age does not qualify reproducibility. Neither is an older person necessary be a better mentor for in the richness of his experience, he can be bias to the younger person’s faith as they wanted to step out in faith.
The fear of accountability where someone who consistently checks on us, fear of being vulnerable, fear of rejection, fear of commitment are some barriers to the process of being mentored.
In spite of all the above, we are called to be “FAT + H” Christians. Faithful, Available, Teachable and Hungry.
For mentoring is spiritual friendship eagerly helping one another to know, love, serve and resemble God in greater and deeper ways. So sharing of resources will bound to cause life change for life on life will impact life. Sharing of life will impact life. As leaders, our word carry a lot of weight. We need to let go and let God work in their heart. They too need to grasp the heart of the loving Father.

E Stanley jones
My life in my hand is pain and problem but my life in God’s hand is power and possibility. When I saw people who believe in me, I saw my life was different. It helps me to walk with Jesus.

What is mentoring ? 

Why we need mentoring ?

These children are left in neglect. The phenomena is very alarming. Likewise in Churches, the needs to mentor the younger Christians is also huge task. We need to model lifestyle, ask questions, 

How can we do mentoring ?    

Lifestyle and coaching spiritual life for the younger members. 

Conclusion 

Grow FAT and be hungry for God

Faithful 

Available 

Teachable + 

Hungry for God

Questions :-

1) Name the real reasons people don't Mentor. Go deep in your hating.

2) How are you availing yourself to be mentored ? if not, how can you start ? 

3) So, why mentoring in a disciple-making church ? 

Celebration of Spiritual Habits

Celebration of Spiritual Habits

Pastor Renny Khoo

22 January 2017

1 Timothy 4;7b - 8

1 Timothy 4: 7-8 

Context of this verse, to train ourselves in godliness as it has its values in this present life and life to come

What are the spiritual habits ? 

What would be some of the spiritual habits we would like to have as compared to the physical habits that we practice. Some examples would be Bible reading, scripture memorisation, prayer, worship, evangelism, service and stewardship. The practice of spiritual habits is an indication of the transforming power of God in our lives.

There is a powerful relationship between discipline/ habit and being a disciple.

How does this occur in practice?

The key is submitting ourselves to be trained.

1)   Training is a retooling experience

 2Tim 3: 17 Proficient and equipped for good work

Hebrews 5: 14, 12: 11 trained by practice to distinguish good from evil

Retooling is making changes in order for us to further improve. It can be gradual and incremental. It is making minor changes to align ourselves.

Training is an indirect way of establishing spiritual habits in order to know God better. It puts in motions positive events in our experience with God. Spiritual habit are regimes to keep us fit for service so that we are fully fit and ready to answer the call of God. It is to attain a quality of spiritual strength and stamina which is otherwise impossible. The more we do it, the better we will be. Training is a retooling experience.

The Training enable equipping for good work.

2) Training requires effort

The word train comes from the Greek word gymnós, where the word gymnastic is derived.

In this age of constant debate between grace and work, the balance between grace and effort will bring upon an understanding that God opposes earnings but urges effort on our part. We must actively participate in order to bring about the results that we expected.

This is consistent with the Bible as it exalts us to “running to get the price”, “working hard”, “facing danger”, “suffering”, “pressing on”, “labouring”, “competing as an athlete” and “working hard as a farmer”.

D.A Carson - People do not drift into holiness. Apart from grace driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith and delight in the Lord.

We need to submit ourselves to be trained but all in the light of grace from God. We can “catch up” on our “cheat days”

Grace-driven effort

Disciplined grace Vs Cheap grace

A balance of our efforts to cultivate good spiritual habits. God honors and urges effort from us. 

Grace is given to us as free gift 

3) Training is best done in a community

Have a friend and family member to support your effort to train.

Richard Foster - (Celebration of discipline), “The disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our relationships with our husband or wife, our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbours.”

In establishing spiritual habits, it is essential that we belong to a community of faith or Connect group as we help one another on our journey. It is the best place for our spiritual habits to be formed, encouraged, celebrated, challenged and trained.

In conclusion, Ps Renny shared the story of a legendary Sportman from 2500 years ago. He is Milo of Craton, he was a 6th-Century BC Wrestler from the Magna Graecian city of Croton, who enjoyed a brilliant wrestling career and won  many vicotories in the most important athletic festivals of anceint Greece. 

His strenght was desrcibed as legendary :-

He carried a bull on his shoulders, and to have burst a band about his brow by simply inflating the veins of his temples. 

And this was how he trained, he carried a calf when it was young and until it was a 4 years-old bull.

The illustration of Milo of Croton’s training is an example of incremental physical transformation over a period of time.

Practical ways of celebrating spiritual habit are, be reasonable, start “too” light, be consistent but remember grace – “catch up days”, “cheat day” and always improving – retooling.

Maturity comes when new habits slowly take over our old habits.

The key to inner transformation is to submit ourselves to training habits until they become second nature to us. It is not about information but as we train, we are continuingly form as a disciple conforming to a true follower of Christ.

Lessons to learn from Milo :-

1. Start "Too Light" - be reasonable
2. Be Consistent
3. Always improve - retool

The key to inner transformation is to submit ourselves to be trained.

Questions

1.    Some of the common spiritual habit include: Bible reading, Scripture memorisation, prayer, worship, evangelism, service and stewardship.

Choose one of the habit to share your experiences, thought or questions.

Share if you have plans to retool one spiritual habit this year?

2.    How do you understand joy, delight and celebration in light of training?

3.    Share how by belonging to a Connect group you are training (helping) one another to follow Christ.

The marks of a disciple of Christ

The marks of a disciple of Christ

Joseph Tang

15 January 2017

1 Corinthians 11:1

 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Matthew 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

What makes a disciple ? What makes a believer ? 

Be a believer and then a disciple. There is no difference.

Commitment and surrender. 

The journey of a disciple of Christ

With Him - Being

Being with Him is to deny ourselves.

In Him - Growing

Appetite in growth 

1 Peter 2

Stuck in growth

Hebrews 5:14

Like Him - Growing To Be

John 15:35

You will bear much fruits.

Questions:- 

How has your being a non-being with Jesus contributed to your growth or stagnation (or even regression) in Him ? 

People can come to Jesus yet unable to receive from Him. Are you experiencing this ? What do you do to prevent this from happening ? 

Name an area you are (or will be) working on for the good of many, that they may be with Jesus.

Another Notes taken for this sermon :-

Title : Marks of a Disciple in Christ by Pr Joseph Tang on 15 Jan 2017

Text : 1 Cor. 11:1

The marks of a disciple of Christ is the embodiment of Christlikeness and its characteristics in the life of the believer.

What makes a disciple?

" He is someone who is committed to deny himself, take up the cross and follow Jesus"
(Matt.16:26)

What makes a believer?

"Anyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved"
(Rom.10:9)

The Journey of a Disciple of Christ

a) With Him - Being

Relationship Stage
- We must build a deeper relationship with God and men through word and prayer.

- We must draw nourishment from the vine and remain in Him so that we will bear fruit because without Him we can do nothing (Jn.15:5)

- Be a good student under the master until we have received power from above and ready to be sent. Being precedes doing.

b) In Him - Growing

Intimacy Stage
- We must create space for Jesus and his living word in our lives.

- We must come together and testify about God's goodness in our lives e.g. Connect Group.

- We must moved on from infant milk to solid food as we mature in the word.

c) Like Him - Growing To Be

Transformation Stage
- We will be transformed into christlikeness.

- Certainly we will bear much fruit.

- The fruits of the Spirit will be manifested in our lives.

- Others will know that we are God's disciples.

- God's name will be glorified.

Questions

1) How has your being or non-being with Jesus contributed to your growth or stagnation (or even regression) in him?

2) People can come to Jesus yet unable to receives from Him. Are you experiencing this? What do you do to prevent this from
happening?

3) Name an area you are (or will be) working on for the good of many, that they may be with Jesus.

👆 is sermon notes, shared by Pr Joseph Tang on 15.01.17 was forwarded by Elder Yin Leung.

Discipleship: The Basics

Discipleship: The Basics
8 Jan by Ps Renny Khoo
Text: Matthew 28:18-20

I. Crisis of Discipleship
- we are facing a crisis of discipleship
- size ≠ health
- opposite of maturity is not immaturity but apathy
- goal of discipleship is Christlikeness

II. Clarifying terms in Discipleship
a) - Disciple - a follower of a master; primary term used in the Gospels to refer to Jesus' followers; false separation of "Christian" and "disciple"
- Discipleship - the state of being discipled; two important elements of understanding discipleship are Journey and Obedience (see III)
- Disciple-making - making disciples beyond the 4 walls of church; does not occur with Christians only but non-Christians also; multiplying our lives and inviting others to follow Christ

b) The premise - Matt 28:18-20; Jesus said it; Jesus modeled it

III. Clarion call to Discipleship
Participating in the Great Commission requires one thing - a transformed person . To experience this, there must be two ingredients:

a) Journey - a journey is marked by progress rather than perfection; becoming a disciple is a process, and failure is part of this process; belonging to a Connect Group sustains us along our journey.

b) Just do it (obedience) - obedience leads to encounters and experiences that can produce transformation from within; agreement with what the church believes in is not the same as having faith.

To be a disciple of Christ is to submit ourselves to the transforming power of Christ.

To Journey and to Obey is a call to persevere.
- (video of baby bear running away from lion)
- don't give up in our journey
- God will always enable us and empower us; we go through a roller-coaster of emotions but He is with us
- Let us: continue to deepen in Word and prayer; join Connect Group; cultivate safe space for each other's journeys; respond positively to God's call to us as disciples!

Questions:
1. How do you understand Discipleship?

2. A disciple refers to Jesus' follower. Share your experiences as Jesus' follower, especially the journey on living the transformed life.

3. Share your experiences on how belonging to your Connect group is part of discipleship. Think of who you might like to invite to be part of your Connect group.

New Year 2017 Leaders Meeting

New Year 2017

Leaders Meeting by Ps Renny Khoo

1 January 2017

1-4 pm

Statement for Revisioning Discipleship 

A living Relationship births forth Intimacy which leads to Transformation.

Relationship- Connect with God in Word and Prayer, Join a Connect Group

Intimacy - Be Authentic, Broken, Courageous 

Trasnsformation - Maturity. Multify.

Pastoral exhortation for leaders in 2017 :-

1) Grow Leadership Resonance

2) Invite people to join Connect Group

1) Grow Leadership Resonance

Three paradigm Shifts :-

1) Move from Strategy Focus (highly instruction based) to romance of leadership (inspire one another)

Call to Leadership is a call to relationship with each other.

2) Move from blueprint focus to following Christ's footprints 

Help one another to follow the way of Christ.

3) Move from program focus to reproducing ourselves

At the heart of growing Leadership, mentoring is central. 

We choose to "prefer" the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Not a "no choice" syndrome.

2) Belong to Connect Group

Hebrew 10:24-25

Provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together...

Helping one another to journey through life.

A great way to give back to our community.

Receiving and Giving - how Connect Groups work.

Small Groups : Health and Dynamics

Connect Groups 

Tenure 

CGL 2 years ZL 5 years

Each CGL to have 1-2 Interns in consultation with ZLs 

After 2 years, CGL may take 1 Year sabbatical break  

Structure & Philosophy

Two main aims of CG and each member :- Maturity and Multiplication 

Format & Setting of CG Meeting :-

Welcome

Worship

Word

Wallop

Mentoring sessions :-

Grow personal life - Authenticity in our worship, Brokenness and Courage in our walk.

Grow personal Leadership - FAT (Faithful, Available, Teachable) and stay hungry (Piritual appetite) 

Once a month ZL to meet CGL, Intern to lead CG that night.

Expectations of all CGLs

Regular participation of Church services & Prayer Meetings

Attend mentoring meetings once a month.

Lead and report weekly meetings.

Willing to be equipped and mentored as guided by KKE.

Church Obligations 

To equip, train, mentor all ZLs, CGLs

Ensure availability of resources necessary 

Extend prayer covering

The Clarion Call to Discipleship

New Year Sermon

1 January 2017

Ps Renny Khoo

The Clarion Call to Discleship 

Phillipians 3:8-11

 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

What is that one thing ?

We all want to grow and be mature.

The three "SO THAT" (Shift Gears) purpose statements from Vs 8-11

Let's shift gear in this new year.

3-fold shift-gear in Revisioning Discipleship

1) From Ritual to Relationship

V8-9 so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him

Having a real living relationship with God.

Journey together in Connect group.

2) From Institution to Intimacy

V10 that I may know Him

Knowing that is experimental and intimate, God encounters us.

Our prayers are not to be over-communication and under-connected with God.

Not over-burdened and under-nourished in His works.

3 things before God as we know Him :-

Authenticity 

Brokenness 

Courage

3) From Tradition to Transformation 

V11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead

2 Peter 1:3-11

Through God, we become part-takers of His divine nature ...

Conclusion 

Relationship- Join a Connect Group

Intimacy - Be Authentic, Broken, Courageous 

Trasnsformation - Maturity. Multify.

A living Relationship births forth Intimacy which leads to Transformation.