HOW TO LIVE A LIFE OF DISCIPLESHIP

WELCOME ADDRESS BY PASTOR J.A. ADEFILA IJANIKIN ZONAL SUPERINTENDENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE 5FT IJANIKIN ZONE MINISTERS, ELDERS AND DEACONESS REFRESHER COURSE HELD ON 9^TH-13TH OF AUGUST,2017 AT C.A.C IJANIKIN ZONAL HQ, NO 1 .C.A.C STREET IJANIKIN.

The District Superintendents,

The Pastors,

The evangelists

All Midwives,

All Elders and Deaconesses

 Glory and Honour and Majesty to the king of kings and Lord of Lords, for giving us grace to witness this day, May His name be praised forever Amen.

I am very glad to welcome you all to this year 2017 the Firth edition of Ijanikin Zone refresher course in Jesus name.

Our Theme for this year is “LIVING A LIFE OF DISCIPLESHIP”. This forum will further increase our knowledge and understanding and expose us into some realities on how to Disciple others both in our personal life, home as well as the ministry.

The word Disciple is defined as, following Jesus, being changed by Jesus and committed to the mission of Jesus.

Jesus has already established the purpose for the church and they are not negotiable.

A. CHURCH PURPOSE:

In related with what the bible says, we have five great purposes:

1. WORSHIP: Love the Lord with all your heart. Matt 4:10, Psalm 34:3

2. MINISTRY: Love your neighbor as yourself. Eph 4:12

3. EVANGELISM: Go and make disciples. Matt 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

4. FELLOWSHIP: Baptizing them in the name-identification with the body of Christ. Eph 2:19

5. DISCIPLESHIP:  Teaching them to obey. Col 1:28 

Jesus’ call to follow Him is never meant for an interim period of time. It is always an invitation for the person to commit the whole of our life to him.

Discipleship focuses on helping people obey everything that Jesus commanded. That is a really big, lifelong shift. Look again at discipleship in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.

“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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (NIV).

Foundational Tenets of Christian Discipleship

Listed below are some core foundations of biblical discipleship. Though not exhaustive, this list highlights what Scripture teaches about what it means to be a follower of Christ.

1. Christian discipleship is the ongoing transformation of an individual’s becoming like Jesus in character and purpose as he grows in intimacy with Him. Matt. 5:48; Eph. 4:13-15; Phil. 2:5

2. Christian discipleship addresses every dimension of life. It is concerned not only with doing the right thing in every circumstance but also with doing the right thing for the right reason Phil. 1:27

3. Christian discipleship is progressive in nature. When someone stops growing in intimacy with Christ, John 15:4

4. Christian discipleship is a work of grace. It is the Holy Spirit who transforms life, not someone who tries to be good. Phil. 2:13; 1 Tim. 4: 7-8

5. Christian discipleship always manifests itself in ministry to others. Every Christian has been spiritually gifted for the purpose of service. 1 Pet. 4:10

6. Christian discipleship was intended by Christ to be reproductive. Those who follow Jesus’ life and teaching will be prepared to eagerly share their faith experiences and to invest themselves in the spiritual nurture of others  Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2

7. Christian discipleship is cantered in the life of a local church, where the fellowship of other disciples encourages, teaches, and safeguards the believer’s discipleship process. Heb. 10:24-25

Disciple making is much more than baptizing people. It is equipping people to embrace the lifestyle of surrender and obedience to all of Jesus’ teachings.

Yes, conversion is the most important step in the journey, but life transformation is the goal.

CONCLUSION

The mission He entrusted to us is to teach people to form their entire lives around His Lordship. This is why our definition of disciple is not just the commitment to follow Jesus, but also to “being changed by Jesus” and “being committed to His Kingdom mission