Just Do It: Providing Discipleship to New Believers

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org pastor Greg Laurie points out, believers need to disciple those were new to the saying we need to show them the way new believers need an exam. They need to see when Christian looks like they need to see Christian like you may need to see how a Christian Drive. They need to see what it looks like to go to church with Christensen and what you do and how you do it. They need to see what a single Christian looks like to see some things are taught and something smart and big box stores. You feel like you been walking for ever. The employee is usually where the paper towels.

You hope they don't just point to the other side of the store. The word you want to hear today is a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie explains the new believers need that kind of assistance we need to show them the way personal discipleship topic today.

The title of my message today is just to her that anywhere. All right, when the first cell phone came out everybody knew was going to be a game changer. I don't think anyone knew how much when this technology first emerged.

The phones got smaller and smaller. But then Steve Jobs came along with the new paradigm, a new concept. What we now know as the iPhone. Now we have the android phones and all the others that are like that, but basically he introduced to us a computer in your pocket. It was far more than a phone. He introduced at the opted not exist prior to that. So now we have absent we have social media.

These things did not preexist before and this is having an interesting effect on our country and it's not good. In fact, there is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University. Her name is Jean twins and she's written a book called I said it's a name she came up with for people born between 1995 and 2012 I just she says, quote members of this generation are safer than those that came before them. They drink less they learn to drive later and they hauled off having sex was a will.

That's probably a good thing right.

Well, not so much, he says, but psychologically there far more vulnerable. She says it's not an exaggeration to describe IGN's been on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades, and she says it's largely due just smart phone. She said because today's teens are spending less time with friends there, far higher rates of depression and suicide. She says, quote look at the patterns of loneliness that suddenly begins the increase around 2012 that for the majority of Americans got a cell phone."

Interesting trend isn't it.

And you see all people are disconnecting from real life and living in a virtual world digital world, actually thinking those people on your Facebook page are really your friends are those people on twitter are really your followers and then with the phenomena of the Kardashians where you can be famous for just being famous. That's a whole new kind of celebrity thing that is developed in this strange culture that is really created, but I think it gets down to what people really want in life.

People want to be love. People want to be needed and people want to be appreciated and they want to feel that someone values them and cares about them and many try to do it through digital connection will listen.

This is where the church comes it. This is what we are here to do to give them what the really longing for more to the point. This is work discipleship comes now as I said this is my last message on the topic of discipleship and I want to focus on what it means to disciple others. I want to get to the bottom line. But before I do, let's review what we have learned together you're taking notes you might want to write these things down cares six things we learned about disciples number one, a disciple of Jesus loves God more than anyone or anything else.

This is based on the statement of Jesus in Luke 14 when he said if you want to be my disciple. You must hate your father, mother, brother, sister, and your own life or you can't be my disciple.

But remember I pointed out that is not literally telling us to hate because in other passages were told to love one another, even love our enemies, but it's a phrase that he uses to effectively say your love for God should be else so intense that your love for anyone or anything else including yourself would be like hatred in comparison to point number one if you really is disciple of God more than anyone or anything else. Number two. A disciple take up their cross daily and follow Jesus. Jesus said if you want to be my disciple.

You must take up your cross and did not yourself and take the cross up daily. So every day we put God first in our life and deny ourselves. Thirdly, the disciple must turn over the title deed of their life to Christ or the pink slip of their life to Christ.

Because Jesus says in John 14. If you want to be my disciple, you must first take all that you have a doesn't mean you have to think about poverty. That phrase forsake all that you have could better be translated surrender your claim to so you recognizing your life, your resources, your family, your future. Everything belongs to God. Number four. A disciple impacts their culture because there toward the end of Luke 14, Jesus says here the salt of the earth and Salton that time. Remember it, stop the spread of the writing process and the meat did rub it in and then also it would stimulate first word there to do the same in the world to stop the spread of evil and to speak up for our faith and then number five, a disciple brings forth spiritual fruit because Jesus says here's our people will know you're my disciples, that you bring forth fruit and that means results in your life and then six and lastly a disciple will carefully read, study and live according to God's word because Jesus said if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples. Now I want to look at what a disciple does, hence the title just to it. Just do it. You know when I first became a Christian I really didn't fully understand what I've done, I would forward a little Bible study. In my high school campuses. I've told you many times and I pray this little prayer I didn't know what was ahead of me. I didn't know what was going to happen to me but I I believe what I heard. And not long after that a guy comes up to me that I don't know from Adam's house. Did you know Adam had a house cat would probably not, but he says hi my name is Mark and I saw that you went forward and prayed to accept Jesus the other day I was going resentfully get out so nobody hey I want to help you wanted to keep the church of Mike Knotts Academy to go to church. No, not really want to give the church and to Tyson about this guy Mark. Mark wasn't a cool guy. He was a mechanic I would've normally hung around but he was so doggone, persistent, and he wouldn't take no for an answer and the best way let me take you the church.

Finally I said okay but even just take me to church. He introduced me to whether Christians had me over at his house for dinner with his mom and his dad were just kids. At this point I'm talking to Christians. I'm asking questions.

No question was too ridiculous to ask is Mark was doing. He was discipling me and if he had not done that. I fear I would've fallen through the cracks because a lot of times after a person accepts Christ they don't know what to do next and so he held me in that transition and what Mark did for me. We need to do for others because that's what the great commission is again it's the gold all the world and preach the gospel and then make disciples of all nations listen, if you're following Jesus is a real disciple, you will be leading others to Christ to reverse that. If you're not leading others to Christ.

Are you really following him as you want to, as a disciple. Again we must be salt and salt stimulates the first of another person.

One of the greatest compliments.

A nonbeliever can pay a believer is when they say what is it about you that makes you different, you have this piece you have this joy. I'm interested all that's so great when it opens the door for conversation. Listen if you want to win some you need to be when some were there to build those bridges.

You know sometimes you sow a seed sometimes you water is the sometimes you report others of salt and water. Don't ever try to harvest to see this are ready to be harvested, but told messy opportunity to harvest when it's harvest time is a great theologian Kenny Rogers once said, you need to know when to fold them. No one to hold him no one to walk away right into the ideas you need to pray for wisdom will give this a seed sowing time. This is just being a witness okay this is a time to try to close the deal. Here's your commission again. Matthew 28 verse 16. Go therefore says Jesus and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit, teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I given to you. Hello, I am with you, even to the end of the age.

So here's our job here is discipleship simplified. I've told you what a disciple is now let me tell you what a disciple does what it means to make disciples of other.

Our objective is to go lead others to Christ established them spiritually and do it again and again and again. Basically it's a wash, rinse, repeat, evangelize disciple stabilize, repeat, do it over and over again, but somewhere along the line we sort of separated evangelism from discipleship and their one and the same one I just called to invite people to Christ but then we need to take these new believers under our wing and help them get up on their feet spiritually and be like delivering a baby in a hospital and then just given the little baby some pampers and say okay, buddy. God bless you tough world out there, but would like to buy. Go all little babies need to be nurtured and a lot.

New believers need to be nurtured and loved as well.

One of the specific things. New believers need as they begin to grow as Christians. Pastor Greg answers that in just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from Pastor Greg Staley messages God's word ministers to them and often gets them through some of their darkest hours down on your back hurting her really, how you live here and are not any how can I have been any way been working here and your hard work and getting I'm not reading when you get back.

I'm reading the Bible, which I read that he kind now turn when I go in thinking again for you if you had your life changed because of harvest ministries which you let Pastor Greg know just drop him an email. great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org today. Pastor Greg is presenting a message called just do it. It's the final study in his series discipleship the road less taken read about an interesting study conducted by a large hospital where they discovered something they noticed that the babies that were near the door were healthier and stronger than the other baby and they wondered why so after careful study, they noticed that the nurses were more prone to give attention to the babies near the door as they went about their duties they would pick them up and hug them and speak to them so they thought Vincent but the children need just a little baby can tell when they're being left when they're being embraced or when they're being cared for and then new believers need the same thing from all of us.

Here's a few things I knew believer needs number one they need assurance they need assurance they need to be reassured that God loves them and got us forgiven them and that their name is written in the book of life. One passage everyone should commit to memory is first John 513, where John writes I write these things to you that believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Reassure a believer of that because remember, in the garden of Eden. Satan attacked Adam and Eve remember how we attack.

He said to them, did God say what you really thought God said he'll do that in the life of a new believer, and for the that matter order believer sometimes do right. Are you really saved in crisis really forgiven you is not based on how I feel. It's based on what God is done. New believers need assurance number two new believers need protection they need protection when you're holding up a little baby.

You have to call them carefully and hold them in the proper way and support them in and anything that could harm them. You you put yourself in the way of that thing a new believers the protection as well.

Galatians 419 says my dear children I feel is going going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your life. New believers are vulnerable to their emotion as well as being vulnerable to false teaching old friends will try to drag him down old girlfriends little boyfriend will materialize out of nowhere temptations will come that maybe they've never experienced before. Right.

You remember that yourself so they need to be protected and just as in the parable of the sower.

Jesus talked about the seed sown on the road side eaten by the birds and he said these are they that hear the word of God but Satan comes immediately and snatches away. The new believer does know it's happening, but we do so we need to help them number three they need food they need food you know what a baby cries, it's usually because of two reasons. Number one they need their diaper changed. Number two are hungry.

By the way those of the same reasons I cry so Kathy always has a sandwich and some depends nearby know that the job saw Troy to where to pin the heart of the ghetto from the diocese, but you as I've said before, you know healthy people are hungry people. So when your new believer you're hungry for the word of God. Can you remember the first time you read the Bible is a new Christian. Now if you were raised in the church.

It was familiar, but perhaps it came alive to you, but if you were more like me and you weren't raised in the church. He started hearing these things for the first time I'm just a kid 17 years old and I'm reading these things in the Bible that relate to me as a 17-year-old that I still relate to them as they 40-year-old with added years and so it's relevant to you in your youth.

It's relevant to you and your middle-aged it's relevant to you in your old age number for new believers need an example. They need to see what a Christian looks like is he some things are taught and some things are caught to make sense.

There's only so many things I can say from a platform teaching they need to see a Christian, like you, they need to see how a Christian drives.

They need to see what a Christian married couple looks like they need to see what it looks like to go to church with Christensen and what you do and how you do it. They need to see what a single Christian looks like they need to know what do you go to movies and what movies do you go to they observe these things as Paul said in second Timothy 312. Pretend there is no three twin 310 he says to Timothy, you've observe my teaching lesson.

My conduct, my aim in life and my faith. So side just like teaching.

That's my conduct. It's my aim in life. If I think you've seen it in example and let's be honest now.

Here's one of the reasons we don't want new believers in our life. We don't want to change your behavior to goodbye take a new believer with me. The church I will go to lunch after there with me. I can't gossip that I am a new believer with me. I'll probably drive the speed limit and I'll probably talk about the message and do things a Christian ought to do already.

Maybe we don't want that added pressure in our life were missing out not only on helping them, but on helping ourselves to see here's the thing that can come a point in our life. We can actually be guilty of over eating women explain.

I like Thanksgiving. We sit around our tables. We have prayer we had a wonderful meal and we all go into a collective coma for two hours right because her electrical fame and the turkey just then we wake up only stumble to the refrigerator and reheat some more right so you know I love Thanksgiving but the last thing I want to do outright a big meal is go exercise. Here's the thing we can be in the church were having the finest meals were studying the Bible together and obviously I want you to do that and we should do that as the disciples, worshiping together, learning together that's all great but if I don't have an outlet for what I'm taking in that can be really problematic. I must give out. Would God give given to me or I can actually reach a state of stag nation kind of a spiritual obesity is called being sedentary you know you need exercise when your dog is fat right maybe that's because you push them around in the stroller and I have a word from the Lord Bible word from the Lord for you. The push gods and strollers stop exercise.

That's not a word from the Lord. I just me but the fact is that the deviant bridge were not so far apart we wouldn't get any exercise. But here's the point we need to be giving out.

Would God is given.

This is the biblical principle. Jesus is in Luke 638 given you receive your gift will return the one fall press down, shaken together and running over, and coordinate your lab in the amount you give will determine the amount you get Greg Laurie pointing out God's plan for discipleship is encouraging and caring for those who were newborn in the Lord and there's more to come in this message here on a new beginning. The title of the study is just do it.

Look for that study. At harvest.org if you'd like to hear it again and go to harvest.org and that is a real joy to make available a new book called the women of the Bible speak. It's written by Shannon bream anchor of Fox News at night on the Fox News Channel. She's also the chief legal correspondent for the network and pastor Greg and his wife Kathy are speaking with Shannon you know and want your chapters you Ronan, Hannah and Miriam. And you said quote my most painful valleys of made me more empathetic a better able to share and others suffering some better equipped to give them words of encouragement. So the question is how can we allow suffering and pain to make us more sympathetic and not bitter is a really tough one and I do think that we have a couple of paths that we can take and of course thinking their moment several frustrated or cry out to God. Why is this happening why is this person suffering why my suffering think it's okay to ask questions. I think God knows we are human beings we are fallible we have moments of weakness by thinking asking those questions we get closer to him and we can find our answers in hand. I talked to my first book about testing very vulnerable and honest about living with chronic pain for years and I think people who have been there will now we've all probably touched on something in our lives. It is been a physical struggle and adjust levels you and it really makes you humble and I think it makes you look at other people and think were wandering the pains they are living through right now, emotional or physical financial whatever they're struggling with. We know everybody goes through things and I it's true for me the darkest worst moments where had nothing to do but literally couldn't even form a prayer but God please help me. There were times I would just eat it over and over again. God please help me God please help me, not some big fancy deeply fight theological drawn out prayer, but just the words, knowing that the Holy Spirit would intercede for me that Christ was there interceding for me.

I just think the things that humblest and most make us vulnerable and is able to care for other people and for that whatever suffering. Amy had a smile. I love the Scripture that talks about that we comfort with the comfort that we can comfort in wet and now I know in my own life that the hardest thing that I'd ever been to Greg it's ever been to is the death of our son.

And although that devastated his level � it was absolutely one of the most imaginable unimaginable things that could ever happen when it came out of that as a result was I sought out other women who'd been to when I'd been trail who had walked that path and had survived it and it gave me hope.

Just being in their presence. He didn't have to tell me a one T3 solution. I just wanted to look at him is take. They made it they got to this end, and I found the women in Scripture were also my companions in my journey. I love how you've chosen Sarah and Hagar, and Rachel and Leah team are in risk. These women is such interesting combinations women, some who knew one another and were living at the same time and others who are in different times, but I was just fascinated by your selection of the women that you put in your book. These are some of my favorites too, and I wondered you know how you came up with this list. While I think there are stories that are well-known even for people who are not people of faith that may have heard stories like Queen Esther people know Mary the mother of Jesus coming in were ones that we thought there are base will include down by L5 for other people to be included that I thought would be important like Kmart who really, really takes them inappropriate wrong turn on and is not the easiest Sunday school lesson to teach math after so much about her story I wanted to include Rahab with a prostitute who was critical in helping Israel achieve a victory and so I thought it so important I think to include people who are fine because every single one of us in every single one of the women in this book are flawed, but he wanted people to know that hey, if you feel like you've made some bad decisions you've gotten off track Calkins to work through all that we see that through these women there in the lineage of Christ. They are people who step up to save Israel any these people are important and come from all different backgrounds so we wanted women that we thought people will probably know but show him another layer to their story but also some people that you may not now.

I think the average person probably doesn't know about Kmart or Rahab, but we thought let's include them. Some people will now that God uses every circumstance and every person who is willing to be used in his service and I think it's interesting how many women made it into the messianic line of Jesus Christ. When questionable reputations into my that the very genealogy of Christ is a story of redemption. It is giving the fact that you are considering the fact that that Bathsheba made it in there and do and others. And it's like it just says that God give second chances no matter what you've done in you know he's a God of second and third informed chances and pretty much as high in Yes this book is full of good news like that.

It's an inspiring look at the lives of more than a dozen women in Scripture and the examples they set for us at back Shannon subtitle is the wisdom of 16 women and their lessons for today and would like to send you this new book called the women of the Bible speak by Shannon bream of Fox news is I thank you gift for those you gain benefit from these studies each day and can help them continue with a generous investment right now you choose the amount but thanks for your generosity. Just try to set a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime around the clock again, dial 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg you been teaching the Bible here on radio for many years now.

In fact, almost 40 years, but you have some exciting news about television got Dave. I'm very excited to share this news with our listeners and supporters listen everybody were launching a new television program called harvest with Greg Laurie to major TV networks across the United States. This show will air on Sunday mornings on some networks you might be familiar with like the lifetime network FOXBusiness network Newsmax DayStar TBN and kcal here in Los Angeles. Combine these air times will reach listen to this. Drumroll please over 60 million viewers annually.

That is exciting and some of these are secular TV networks so were reaching more people who need to hear the gospel so I'm really excited about this and I'm also grateful for harvest partners and donors who have helped us launch this new TV program join us Sunday morning.

You can find here times that harvest.org will Hendrick brings is the finale series called discipleship the road less take care to join us next time you beginning past with me all my harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to become harvest partner sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org