DISCIPLE MAKING No Plan B VERGE NETWORK
DISCIPLE MAKING No Plan B Verge Network
LifeWay Press速 Nashville, Tennessee
Disciple Making: No Plan B Published by LifeWay Press® ©2013 Verge Network All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without express written permission of the publisher. Request for permission should be addressed to LifeWay Press®, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0152. ISBN: 978-1-4300-2551-1 Item: 005588802 Dewey Decimal Classification Number: 269.2 Subject Heading: DISCIPLESHIP \ CHRISTIAN LIFE \ EVANGELISTIC WORK Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To order additional copies of this resource, order Online at www.lifeway.com; write LifeWay Small Groups: One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0152; fax order to 615.251.5933; call toll-free 800.458.2772. Adult Ministry Publishing LifeWay Church Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0152
CONTENTS About Verge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About Disciple Making: No Plan B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 How to Use This Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Session 1 Discipleship: Becoming Like Jesus. . . . . . . . . . . 11 Session 2 Discipleship: Being a Parent to Imitate. . . . . . . . 23 Session 3 Discipleship: Motivated by the Gospel . . . . . . . . 31 Session 4 Discipleship: Pointing to Jesus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Session 5 Discipleship: Putting It Into Practice . . . . . . . . . 53 Session 6 Discipleship: God’s Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Leader Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Project Planner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Group Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
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about Verge Vision of Verge As a network, Verge seeks to be an advocate and champion for movements of gospel-centered, missional communities. Our hope is to resource everyday leaders—from church pastors, to college students, to artists, to entrepreneurs— for the mission of God, in community, for the sake of the gospel. We provide resources that are useful for equipping God’s people for God’s mission. Our passionate and engaged audience wants to see the gospel change them, their communities, their neighbors, and the world they live in. So we help Verge leaders and churches missionally engage and contextualize the gospel for everyday people where they live, work, and play.
History of Verge Verge Network started as a church-based training seminar at The Austin Stone Community Church in 2008. During the weekend seminar, Austin Stone discussed what it would look like for the church to engage the city of Austin with the gospel. We discovered, however, that groups from other churches were there with us that weekend. After that seminar, we thought more about the other churches and considering how to engage our neighbors with the gospel. There were many other churches we could learn from. Thus, the Verge Network started in an effort to facilitate a conversation about the missional church. In 2010, the Verge Conference launched as a gathering for people engaged in the mission of God in their everyday lives. In our first year we had more than 2,000 attendees and nearly 3,000 online viewers from 11 countries.
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Following the conference, we launched vergenetwork.org, a website that offers timely and topical information, videos, interviews, articles, and ongoing dialogue about living in gospel-centered, missional communities. Our desire was to continue the missional conversation and provide leaders with great content year round. In 2011, Verge partnered with Exponential, the largest church planting conference in the U.S., to equip and teach more than 4,000 leaders what it means to live out the gospel on mission in community. In 2012, Verge was back in Austin. Around 2,000 people gathered to learn from leaders like David Platt, Matt Carter, Jo Saxton, Dr. John Perkins, Christian rapper Propaganda, Alan Hirsch, Mike Breen, Hugh Halter, Neil Cole, and many more. Additionally, through live streaming, the conference had almost 1,000 multi-sites in 49 countries, with nearly 30,000 people participating worldwide. In this study guide, we share with you what we learned at the 2012 conference so you can share it with your missional community right where you are.
Looking Forward As Verge Network continues to grow, we have a deep desire to create more gospel-centered missional resources to equip leaders. Our hope is that we can play a part in resourcing the church to build the kingdom of God in our generation. Michael “Stew’” Stewart Founder and Director of Verge Network
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about Disciple-Making: No Plan B If we were responsible for putting into motion a plan for the whole world to hear the gospel, we would probably question Jesus’ approach. He healed people, raised a few from the dead, and preached to the multitudes, but then He left the scene. Surely Jesus could have maintained a thriving ministry, healed many more people, and taken the good news to numerous lands before He departed. But He didn’t. Instead, Jesus revealed Himself and His Father to twelve men for three years. He taught them how to live in His kingdom. He encouraged them, corrected them, and sent them out to do what He did. Certainly it was hard, and at times messy, but this was His method for disciple-making, and these were the people He trusted to carry the gospel to the rest of the world. What was Plan B? Jesus should have made a backup plan, right? Some kind of safety net to ensure that if these guys failed, the message would still go forward and people would hear the good news of the gospel. There was no backup plan—no Plan B. And we don’t need one. God will rescue every one of His children from every nation, tribe, people, and language. And He will do it the way He said He would when Jesus looked at His disciples and said,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 Join us for a few weeks to look at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Together we’ll join God’s plan to take the gospel to the whole world.
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how to use this study We’ve designed this study guide to be used by a missional community. The sessions are most fruitful in a cozy atmosphere where people can speak freely and listen and love well. We envision groups of 6 to 12 people hanging out in a home and discovering Jesus together. The ideal environment for these sessions includes food. There is something about eating together that allows people to push below surface conversations. We encourage you to start your time with snacks or a small meal. As you eat, learn about each other and how God is working in your lives. But don’t let the fun stop when you put your forks down. Gather around for a candid discussion, a short video about God’s Word, and a glimpse of what God wants to do in your hearts, your families, your community, and the world. Each session has four sections:
RECOGNIZING OUR PERSPECTIVE Each of us has a worldview—a basic set of values and beliefs that help us interpret the world. Our worldview shapes our decisions from where we choose to live, to the relationships we choose to have, to the job opportunities we pursue. In this section you will explore your worldviews and begin to understand how what you value and believe influences your lifestyles.
REFOCUSING OUR VISION We live in a broken world. Our values have been marred by sin, and therefore, our lifestyles often fail to reflect how God has asked His people to live. In this section a new idea will challenge your current worldviews. As you consider this new paradigm, you will reflect on your lifestyles and note where they differ from God’s plan.
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ALIGNING WITH THE GOSPEL Often we look for motivation outside of God. We adopt a try-harder attitude or create a new list of rules to follow. But the Bible is clear that true, lasting change comes by remembering the promises of God in the gospel. In this section you will consider how the gospel motivates you to change your current lifestyles so that your life aligns with its truth.
STANDING ON THE VERGE At this point you may be standing on the verge of something new and exciting. God may be asking you to change where you live or work or to build relationships with people who are different from you. He may also be calling you to engage more faithfully right where you are. Each group has particular strengths and weaknesses, so growth will be different for each community. In this section, you will work out practical steps to put into practice what you are learning. At the end of this study, your group will complete a project together. And in light of what God shows your group, you’ll create a plan for living missionally beyond the extent of this study. This study is merely a jump start to a lifestyle of following Jesus. Thanks for letting us stand here on the verge with you.
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SUGGESTED CALENDAR Week 1 Becoming Like Jesus Week 2 Being a Parent to Imitate Week 3 Motivated by the Gospel Week 4 Pointing to Jesus Week 5 Putting It Into Practice Week 6 God’s Plan Week 7 Review and finalize plans for group project Week 8 Begin group project
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SESSION 1 Discipleship: Becoming Like Jesus
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In this week’s session, we’ll look at what we’re imitating. More than likely, we’re imitating our idols and leading others to imitate them with us. We’ll also discover a life-giving truth about Jesus that is much better than anything these idols could ever give. Before group members leave, we’ll commit to exchanging our idols for this truth and make a plan for imitating that truth about Jesus as a group.
RECOGNIZING OUR PERSPECTIVE After you read the excerpts from the articles below, you’ll answer a few questions to help identify your idols. Try to be specific and transparent in your answers.
READ | “A NEW AGE OF CELEBRITY” In [a study] with more than 600 people, psychologists found that about a third qualified for a condition they coined “celebrity worship syndrome”—a condition wherein, at its most severe, the object of our worship becomes the central figure in our lives. … “The whole Hollywood spin machine works together to create images that are impossible for any of us to live up to. They purposefully set us up to admire and even covet something we can never have,” says Long Island, N.Y., psychologist Abby Aronowitz, Ph.D. “Then,” she says, “when we are completely vulnerable, they sell us the image even harder—from headlines that titillate us with ‘celebrity secrets,’ to the books, diets, cosmetics, foods, jewelry, and clothes that promise we’ll be closer to the ones we adore.” “There are fortunes being made by turning fans into victims, and [it all] starts by creating that frenzy known as celebrity worship,” says Aronowitz.1
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Disciple Making Which celebrities have you found yourself worshiping? Who was your first celebrity crush?
Look beyond celebrities to the personal influences in your everyday life. Other than your family members, who are you most like? Who do you want to be like? Complete the sentences below to find out: I dress (or I want to dress) like _______________. I talk (or I want to talk) like _______________. I listen to the music _______________ listens to. I watch the movies or TV shows _______________ watches. I eat what/where _______________ eats. I buy (or I want to buy) what _______________ buys. I drive a car (or I want to drive a car) like _______________. I spend/save/invest money (or I want to) like _______________. I have (or I want) the same career/calling as _______________. I have the same values as _______________.
When you look at your answers, who do you seem to imitate the most? What are some other ways you’re like this person or want to be?
READ | “7 COMPANIES WITH CULT FOLLOWINGS” “[At] the extremes, people join cults to make up for some nagging shortcoming—like poverty or some sense of humiliation,” says William Taft Stuart, an anthropology professor at the University of Maryland. In the classic sense, “cults” are followers gathered behind charismatic and possibly dangerous leaders. But consumers can develop cultlike attachment to products when they help satisfy similar needs.
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Cult products convey membership in a cool group. They signal status. And they’re hard to quit. One great example is the way annoying early adopters in your office get a discernible thrill from checking their [new iPhone or carrying the new iPad] every time they walk into a meeting. … “It’s like the bird who weighs one ounce but puffs himself up to look like he weighs a pound,” says Philip Muskin, a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital who also teaches clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. … A recent University of Southern California Marshall School of Business study … found cultlike brand attachments can be so powerful that people feel “separation anxiety” when cut off. They will make big sacrifices to avoid this. This can give the company you own the perfect customer: someone who will buy every product, every time—and probably fight to be first in line. 2
Do you think you are obsessed with any products or brands? If yes, give an example of your “cultlike attachment.”
REFOCUSING OUR VISION In this section you’ll watch a video about consumerism and how it is linked to idolatry—substituting something else for God. See if you recognize any of your own tendencies in this short explanation.
WATCH | ALAN HIRSCH—DISCIPLE MAKING In the video, Alan Hirsch says, “Consumerism is being defined by what we consume. … It is the search for meaning, identity, purpose, and belonging, tied to the consumption of products. The problem is, I think that consumerism is the alternative religion of our day. Without doubt, it is the secular religion of our day. There’s no such religious force in the West as powerful as consumerism.”
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Think about the people you influence. What are you influencing them to put their trust in? What are you influencing them to live or die for? Are you influencing them to be consumers or disciples of Jesus?
ALIGNING WITH THE GOSPEL In this section you’ll discuss your own consumerism and idolatry. Form groups of three (men with men, women with women) for these conversations.
READ | PSALM 115:4-8 Â Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. 4
Psalm 115 says we become like the idols we worship. Take a look at the products you crave and the people, organizations, or other influences you tend to imitate. Could any of these be your idol, your substitute for God?
Have you idolized your influencers or consumed any of their idols hoping they will give you meaning, identity, purpose, or belonging? Explain.
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Psalm 115 says we will become as meaningless, powerless, and lifeless as our idols. Has your trust in your favorite products, your influencers, or their idols ever left you lifeless? How so?
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being desperately bad, how badly do you want to exchange your idol for Someone who can give you life?
1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10
Isaiah 30:22 tells us that when we see God’s grace and mercy toward us, we then see our idols as so disgusting that we want to throw them away. Let’s take a look at how we can do that.
READ | ROMANS 1:21-25 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 21
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! 24
Paul warns the Romans that some people have “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (v. 23). Most of us probably aren’t tempted to exchange the glory of God for an image of a creeping thing, but Paul also warns that some people have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (v. 25). It is likely that we’ve exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and we’ve probably worshiped and
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served something created—maybe another person, a product, a job, a goal, or a special gift from God—rather than God Himself. The apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:9-10 that we can, “Put off the old self with its practices and … put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Just as we can exchange God for idols, we can exchange our idols for our Creator and be renewed to look like Him.
Imagine taking one of your idols back to the store where you bought it and asking for an exchange. What would you say was wrong with it? Why were you dissatisfied?
Item
Defect
Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The following chart lists life-giving truths about Jesus and gives a Scripture that supports each truth. Underline or highlight the one you want to claim in exchange for your defective item. Read the Scripture and then tell how this truth gives you life.
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Life-giving truth about Jesus
Scripture
God gave His Son for us so we could live.
John 3:16
Jesus has freed us from condemnation.
John 3:17; 8:2-11; Romans 8:1-2
Rather than steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus lays down His life so we can have abundant life.
John 10:10-11
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. If we believe in Him, though we die, we will live.
John 11:25
Christ died for us when we were weak, ungodly sinners.
Romans 5:6-8
When Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected, He freed us from sin and death.
Romans 6:1-14
The fruit of sin is death, but Jesus freed us to receive the free gift of life.
Romans 6:21-23
The God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and gives us life.
Romans 8:11
Who can condemn us when Jesus died to pay the price for our sins?
Romans 8:31-34
Christ lives in us, and we don’t want to nullify the grace God showed us through Christ’s death.
Galatians 2:20-21
Christ took on our curse for us.
Galatians 3:13
God has freed us from our idols. Why would we want to return to being enslaved by them?
Galatians 4:8-9
Christ has set us free. Let’s not submit to slavery again.
Galatians 5:1
Ephesians 2:1-9 We used to be dead when we followed the passions and desires of the rest of the world, but God mercifully made us alive with Christ. Jesus, who suffered like we do, paid the price for our freedom from sin and fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14-18
Jesus, who endured temptation like ours, gives grace and mercy to sinners.
Hebrews 4:15-16
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Think about how you can exchange your defective item for the Person of Jesus this week. If you need to fast from something or confess to someone, make plans to do that soon. Spend time this week memorizing the Scripture passage that corresponds to the truth about Jesus that you chose earlier. Next week you’ll talk about how these verses are giving you life. You’ll also have an opportunity to recite and apply the passage(s) you’ve chosen in other sessions as you move forward.
STANDING ON THE VERGE In this section you’ll join the large group again to discuss together how you can exchange your idols.
What are some of the defective items/idols you’re exchanging this week? What truths are you claiming instead?
Have you noticed any trends or common themes in the products you’re consuming or the people you’re imitating other than Jesus? Explain.
What are some of the idols that are prevalent in your city? Your nation?
What do you think your city and nation would look like if they exchanged those idols for Jesus?
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After you finish these six sessions, you’ll do a group project that will help you imitate Jesus in your city. Start by discussing with your group what you can do that will help you imitate an attribute of Jesus that opposes one of the trends you’ve discussed this week. For instance, if you consume technology, maybe you can collect and donate old phones to organizations that share them with abused women. Or you can volunteer at a local library to teach computer skills to job seekers or internationals. If you consume clothes, maybe each of you can donate three outfits to refugees in your city. If you consume music, maybe you can organize a children’s music program at your community center. If you consume cars, maybe you can provide vehicles for international students or cross-cultural workers. Whatever you choose to do, base your motivation on some aspect of Jesus’ life you want to imitate. You can choose from the list below or choose a character trait Jesus is revealing about Himself in your own lives. Character of Jesus
Scripture
Friend of sinners
Matthew 11:19; Mark 2:15-17
Gentle and humble in heart
Matthew 11:29
Humble and obedient
Philippians 2:5-8
Does good even though He suffers for it; does not deceive; does not return evil; does not threaten; trusts God to judge justly
1 Peter 2:21-23
Endures temptation
Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16
Endures rejection, oppression, and affliction
Isaiah 53:3,7
Does no violence and does not speak deceitfully
Isaiah 53:9
Shows us mercy and forgives us
Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16; 1 John 1:9
Helps us and does not forsake us
Hebrews 13:5-6
Serves us
Luke 12:37; 22:24-27; John 13:1-17
Makes peace; unifies us
Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 3:11,15
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Scripture
Receives children
Mark 10:13-16
Luke 4:16-20; Preaches the gospel to the poor; releases captives; frees the oppressed; gives sight to the 7:21-23 blind; makes the lame walk and the deaf hear Heals the sick
Matthew 8:16-17; 9:35
Feeds the hungry
Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:33-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14
Prays
Luke 11:1-4; John 17
Start a list of potential project ideas based on what you have just talked about as a group. You can come back and narrow down your options later.
Character of Jesus to Imitate
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Scripture
Project Idea
Thanks for trusting each other through this session as you’ve looked at the idols you’ve substituted for Jesus. As this group experience progresses, you will discover more about the life Jesus offers you as you exchange your idols and imitate Him together. Read the Scriptures for your group project one more time and then spend some time praying together. Pray that God will help you, your city, and your nation exchange your idols for Jesus and imitate Him.
1. Colette Bouchez, “A New Age of Celebrity Worship,” http://www.cbsnews.com/2100500368_162-1366162.html. 2. Michael Brush, “7 Companies with Cult Followings,” http://money.msn.com/ investing/7-companies-with-cult-followings/.
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God will rescue His children from every nation, tribe, people, and language. And He will do it the way He said He would when Jesus looked at His disciples and said: ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND BEHOLD, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE AGE. Matthew 28:18-20, ESV Jesus left us no Plan B. He spent three years revealing His Father, His kingdom, and His gospel, and now it’s our turn. In Disciple Making: No Plan B, you’ll hear from men and women who are making disciples around the world and in their own communities and homes. You’ll learn from them how to make disciples by modeling Jesus, pointing to Jesus, and putting Jesus’ words into practice. You’ll see how discipleship is motivated and fueled by the gospel. And if you fear you can’t make disciples because you’re unfit or incompetent, you’ll find the gospel especially qualifies you for making disciples of Jesus. Discipleship is God’s surefire plan for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. And you’re invited to be a part.