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Here at First Baptist Kingsville, we are committed to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ and are inviting others to do the same.

So, what does that look like?

Our Mission Statement:
We are committed to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ,
and inviting others to do the same.

This is our Church’s mission statement and in many ways, it’s a timeless one.

This statement is our ‘north star’ along with our core values and is something of a yardstick and plumb line for our church.  The first part of this mission statement is ‘Discipleship’.

DISCIPLESHIP

‘Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ’ – in many ways this is discipleship, isn’t it?

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

In this scripture we are commanded to “make” disciples. Note, that this is a two part process.

  1. Introduce then to Christ and baptize them.
  2. Teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.

But what exactly is DISCIPLESHIP – in others words, what would we at FBK say being a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ might look like?

The word disciple is used over 250 times in the New Testament and is only found in the Gospels and Acts.

In Acts 11:26 the Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

The name “Christian” was given to the disciples through Paul and Barnabas and we believe it was inspired by Holy Spirit.

Discipleship is the teaching, training, developing and releasing of Christians.

Now, there are some things that mark Discipleship – this is from Jesus Himself:

  1. Love each other. JOHN 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
  2. Love Jesus. LUKE 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
  3. Be like Jesus. MATTHEW 10:25 “It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!”
  4. Stay Connected. JOHN 15:4 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

II. THE PURPOSE OF DISCIPLESHIP

The purpose of discipleship then is to help Believers become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ “re-forms” our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Jesus Christ “transforms” our lives.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says,

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

III. THE BENEFITS OF DISCIPLESHIP

  1. Discipleship causes us to grow into the image of Christ.
  2. Discipleship makes us “Rock Solid” in God.
  3. Makes us Stable.
  4. Makes us Strong
  5. Teaches us that our help and hope is in the Lord.

The first application point this morning – as you contemplate the new year ahead of you:

Let’s recommit to a lifestyle of learning and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Now, in our mission statement- there’s this second part – about inviting others to do the same….

You know, there is real power in an invitation!

There is something about an invitation that makes us feel special, wanted and accepted. An invitation is a powerful way to reach out to others. Think about the invitations we receive all the time:

A person invites another out for a date.

A business person invites a client out for lunch.

A friend invites another friend over for coffee.

A family invites another family to supper.

So often, it’s the invitation that is the catalyst to relationship. That is the way you get to know people and your circle of friends, and in our context, the church family gets larger. We all want our church to grow, and if it grows we all must grow. Here’s a reality to consider from our brief discussion around discipleship….When we stop growing our church stops growing.

Let us look at the power of an “Invitation” from a Biblical perspective by looking at the invitations in the Bible.

THERE IS A HOLY INVITATION

God has never been obligated to invite us into his presence. The access that we have to God is only by grace through faith. The only audience you and I will likely ever have with the King of Kings is at HIS pleasure. He doesn’t have to invite us but I’m glad that he does.

God Invites the Sinners To Come

Isaiah 1:18

““Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.”
God Invites the Hard-Hearted To Come

Isaiah 55:1-2

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
God Invites the Struggling To Come

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

God Invites The Seekers To Come also….in fact, that’s almost always where we come into the equation

THERE IS A HUMAN INVITATION

The Lord sends out his message of invitation in many forms. But the fact remains that we have a responsibility to respond to his open door.  God has chosen to use us as servants to deliver his invitation.

The Prophesy of the Invitation

Isaiah foretold of a day when God’s people would unashamedly ask others to join them as they journeyed to the House of God.

Isaiah 2:3

Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
The Practicing of the Invitation

Just as people came to Christ by invitation in the Bible, they can still come today. The Lord does the inward work of the heart but we do the outward work to expose them to truth.

Romans 10:17

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

  • In (Luke 5) Matthew gave a feast to introduce Jesus to his friends.
  • In (John 4) the Samaritan Woman at the well invited her neighbours.
  • In (John 1) Andrew invited Peter, and Phillip invited Nathaniel.
  • In (Acts 8) Cornelius invited his friends and family.

The Power of the Invitation

Isaiah 55:11

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

There are many forms of Invitation

As Disciples,  we ultimately have but one task. To simply magnify Christ and Him alone…and very often, in our efforts to do just that we can present invitation. Here’s what this means:

Invite People to See For Themselves

John 1:46

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.

God can save the curious as well as the obvious.

Invite People to Study The Word

John 5:39

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

Invite People To Church

Never underestimate the power of a simple invitation. Your personal call or contact may very be the key that unlocks the door of faith in someone’s life. It is better for them to decline your invitation than for them to have never received one.

FBK, our Mission is a simple statement, with the potential to change many lives, ours and those we encounter along the way.

Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” His desire is that all should come.