This sermon is from the series THINGS JESUS TAUGHT US and was preached at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Cherry Log, Georgia on September 8, 2013 by Pastor Paul Mims.

Matthew 18:19-20John Bunyan wrote the allegory “Pilgrim’s Progress” while he was a prisoner in Bedford Jail. Because of his faithful witness he was hushed up by being incarcerated. While being locked away, the Holy Spirit was active in his mind and he wrote about the things that a Christian learns as he or she goes through spiritual growth and becomes a disciple of Christ. This book has been an encouragement to Christians in their pursuit of the Holy.

One of the great joys that I have as pastor is to see people grow from new believers to strong disciples. This is what Jesus commanded the church to do – to make disciples and teach them to obey his teachings. There are four levels of spiritual growth in a disciple’s life.

I. THE FIRST LEVEL – BECOMING A DISCIPLE. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”

How a church treats new people who become a part of the fellowship determines their progress as a spiritual pilgrim. John Bisango, who was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas found that their church was having a problem with this. They were adding about 1200 new members a year. But they found that they were losing about 1000 members each year. They did an exit poll of 500 who left the church to try to determine why they left. There were 300 responses returned and what they said was very interesting. John thought that they did not like his preaching. The Minister of Music thought that they did not like the music. The Minister of Education thought that they did not like the Sunday School. The Youth Minister thought that they did not like the Youth Ministry. Each of the staff felt somewhat responsible for the large numbers of people leaving the church.

However, 93% said they loved the preaching, music, Sunday School, and youth ministry. In response to the question, “Why did you leave First Baptist Church?” they said, “We left because we could not find a meaningful friendship.” When people join a church they want good preaching, good music, good education, and good care for their children and youth. But they also want somebody like them that they can identify with as soul mates and friends. They must feel accepted, loved, and nourished by the members of the church. They must feel included and welcomed. It has been found that 40% of new members will become inactive in 18 months unless the church takes intentional steps to involve them.

The Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, completed a 7000 seat Sanctuary at a cost of $30 million dollars. They found that they were adding about 550 new members a year, and that 53% of them became inactive in 12 months. When they began to analyze why this was happening, they found the same thing that the Houston church did. They found that people were coming to them looking for honest relationships and sometimes were getting a plastic response.

Both of these churches changed their approach to Discipleship Development. When these needs were presented to the congregation they determined to do something about it. New members were assigned to someone near their age and sex to care for them and mentor them through their involvement into the church life. This is why our deacons are taking up this ministry along with their wives to care for our congregation. The two churches that have been mentioned found that after two years of this one on one care of their congregation, only 3% were leaving the church. They called it “The Barnabas Ministry of Encouragement.”

Look at the ministry of Jesus. Some of it was one on one. Some was one on some. Some of it was one on many. At Cornerstone, we want to be intentional about one on one. Of course, others than the Deacons and their wives can perform this ministry also.

To develop as a disciple, a Christian needs one on some (a Bible study class), one on many (corporate worship), and one on one (a friend and mentor in the fellowship.)

When you go to the Atlanta airport and board a plane to fly to Seattle, you know that the pilots have had ground school, flight school, simulator training, and many hours in the particular plane that you are boarding. They also want a back-up. One time when I was flying to preach in Korea, the flight attendant asked over the inter-com, “Is anyone aboard that has had flight training?” No one answered, so I said, “I have flown a 737 on the flight simulator.” She said, “Good, I will tell the Captain.” I thought “Oh no, please don’t! All I have to offer is prayer! I could imagine one of those airplane movies where the flight crew is disabled and a complete novice tries to land the plane.” But that is just how some new people feel when they come into the church. They wonder “How will I navigate through this new experience – for it really is a life and death experience for my spiritual life.”

Studies show that the written training materials that a church gives a new members makes an impact of about 15% and relationships affect spiritual growth about 85%.

II. THE SECOND LEVEL – BECOMING A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. “…baptizing them…”

We have a wonderful custom that when a person presents himself or herself for membership, we extend to them the hand of Christian fellowship. By this process we welcome them into the membership of the church. But there is much that needs to be done to truly make a person feel that he or she is a vital part of the congregation.

George Bullard has written an excellent paper on the subject of Congregational Inclusion. He defines inclusion as “the spiritual and relational processes by which persons are brought to faith in God through Jesus Christ, become involved in a local New Testament congregation, are assimilated into the fellowship life and care ministry of a congregation, have opportunities for spiritual growth and leadership development, and are mentored to use their gifts and skills through Kingdom involvement.”

In order for a person to feel accepted by a congregation, he or she must feel loved and appreciated by the members. They must be able to look upon the congregation as “my church family.” They sense the expectation of the congregation toward them to be present when the body meets. They build a core network of about 15 people that they look forward to seeing each Sunday at church. They find one or several that they want to do things with during the week. They participate in the decision-making process of the church and feel like their opinion is important and heard. The person then wants to contribute to the ongoing mission of the church and truly feels a part of something that is eternal.

III. THE THIRD LEVEL – MINISTERING AS A DISCIPLE. “…teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you…”

The Christian life is to be used not just for our own well-being and enjoyment, but for others and for the glory of Christ. The expectation of the Lord is that every person don do something to serve. We find that we grow faster in grace when we are involved in service to others. Some churches find that they grow their members and their membership by involving them in the local mission ministries of the community. This keeps members from mediocrity and involves them in something noble in the Kingdom. A church that has a high percentage of its members involved in the local church or in local missions is a healthy church. A congregation where 20% gives a high per cent of the budget and does all of the work is not a healthy church.

The more members we have working to share the message of Christ – the stronger the church will be. Some people feel that their spiritual gifts have never been used. There are many mission projects in Gilmer and Fannin Counties that our members could be involved in. As Baptists, we distribute food to the needy, offer dental and medical clinics, addictive counseling, and various mission projects.

IV. THE FOURTH LEVEL – LEADERSHIP IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

Many people who join the church will go on to become leaders and teachers. Christianity is a faith of the people and it grows where they lead. If it just becomes a faith of the clergy who are expected to do all of the work, it will soon die. The role of the minister is to equip the people so that they can do the work and move the Kingdom forward. In this way they multiply their ministry many times over. There are those who will have special qualities of leadership and will be willing to use their gifts in the church – if they are asked to do so.

I would like to tell you about Dick Baker. Dick was a young man who sat in the balcony each Sunday morning at the First Baptist Church of Norfolk, Virginia. He was a High School teacher in the Norfolk School system. He was shy, but very winsome. For several months, he came and listened. I could not tell if I was making any headway with him at all. He was not a professing Christian.

One Sunday morning, I saw him sitting in his usual pew in the balcony. The sun was streaming through the stained-glass window as if to focus on him. The sermon that morning, he reminded me later, was “The Big Effects of Little Sins.” It would not have mattered what the sermon was about because it was his time to meet God. During the invitation he was holding a hymnbook and decided to respond and slammed the book closed so loudly that it was heard above the singing and the organ. He walked down from the balcony into the vestibule, opened the door of the Sanctuary, and walked down the isle to the front and said to me, “I want to give my life to Christ.”

Dick meant what he said. He gave his all. Soon he was baptized. I watched him grow and he was faithful at the services and became involved in the life of the church. He became a Sunday School teacher. As the years passed, he became the Sunday School Director. Then he was asked to be a deacon. In time, he became chairman of the deacons.

Then Dick felt that God was calling him to change from teaching school to a church related vocation. He resigned his position and went to our Southeastern Seminary at Wake Forrest to prepare to become a Minister of Education. When he finished seminary, the First Baptist Church of Norfolk invited him to join the staff as Minister of Adults. He held this position for over twenty years. Dick became a convert, a learner, a servant, and a leader. He gives a strong witness as a man who was disciple by his church.
Kurt Kaiser, who was a piano virtuoso, wrote songs for Jerome Hines, Burl Ives, Tennessee Ernie Ford and others wrote a youth musical called “Pass It On.” Here are the words: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing, That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it: You spread his love to everyone, you want to pass it on.

What a wondrous time is spring – when all the trees are budding, The birds begin to sin, the flowers start their blooming: That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it: You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring, you want to pass it on.

I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I’ve found – You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound: I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know: The Lord of Love has come to me, I want to pass it on.”

PRAISE BE TO HIS NAME!