HOPE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
Grow Deeper 2023
  • Mission and Vision of HBF 2023 Part 3: Grow Deeper
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    Introduction
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    Good morning once again. At this time our children can be dismissed to Kid's Min time out the back door. I invite the rest of you to open your Bibles to Mark chapter one. Over the course of the last few weeks I've been breaking down the mission and vision of Hope Bible Fellowship in hopes of getting all of us on the same page and to buy in to the mission set before us. Our mission is:
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    **The mission of Hope Bible Fellowship is to make disciples of Jesus Christ by gathering together, growing deep, and going wide with the gospel of Jesus Christ.**
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    We have a very simple process we want everyone to move through: Gather, grow, go. Gather together, grow deeper, and grow wide. Today we're going to cover "grow deeper." How does someone grow spiritually? What are we talking about when we talk about discipling? How do we grow in our discipling?
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    I. What are the marks of a disciple of Jesus Christ?

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    - A disciple is a follower. There are not different classes of Christians.
    As I walk through this, I’m going to rifle a bunch of scripture passages at you. If you don’t catch them and want to look at them on your own at home, ask me and I will send them to you.
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    1. Response to God’s initial call.

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    There must be a time where a person responds to the call of the gospel.
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    Mark 1:16–20 ESV
    Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
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    Left their father - they left their old life behind and went with Jesus.
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    2. Desire to know what God has said.

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    Job 23:12 ESV
    I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
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    Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
    Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
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    Romans 10:17 ESV
    So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
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    1 Peter 2:2 ESV
    Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
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    3. A break from the world’s standards.

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    Our way of living and making decisions changes when we know Christ.
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    2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
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    4. Self-discipline.

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    Galatians 5:22–23 ESV
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
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    Matthew 16:24 ESV
    Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
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    1 Corinthians 9:25–27 ESV
    Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
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    5. Desire to seek and encourage other disciples

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    Romans 15:5–6 ESV
    May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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    Acts 2:42 ESV
    And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
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    Knowing Jesus and following Him should push us toward other Christians and not away from them.
    We should desire to gather and to grow deeper together.
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    Hebrews 10:25 ESV
    not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
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    1 John 1:7 ESV
    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
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    Walking in the light gives us fellowship with each other.
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    6. Passion for Evangelism

    Christians want other people to become Christians.
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    1 Peter 2:21 ESV
    For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
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    Philippians 1:21 ESV
    For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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    Matthew 10:32 ESV
    So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
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    John 14:12 ESV
    “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
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    7. Perseverance.

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    Philippians 3:13–14 ESV
    Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
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    Psalm 37:23–24 ESV
    The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
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    John 5:37–39 ESV
    And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
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    II. What is the larger context for discipling? - The Local Church

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    The local church is God’s plan for reaching the world. There is no plan B. That’s it. It’s our mission.
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    A. What is discipling?

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    Loving Jesus and helping other people grow in their love of Jesus. It's helping people grow in their following of Christ.
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    1. Biblical discipling is intentional and deliberate.

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    We have stop just hoping something happens and be intentional with our actions. We already know that it is the will of God for us to make disciples. You don’t have to wonder about that. It’s your job. It’s your ministry. We must be purposeful in what we do. I’ve heard a leadership cliche’ that says “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If we don’t make a plan or aim for discipline in our lives, we won’t do it.
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    Matthew 28:18–20 ESV
    And Jesus came and said to them, “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.”
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    Hebrews 10:24 ESV
    And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
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    2. Biblical discipling is relational.

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    A disciple would follow his teacher. The 12 who walked with Jesus ate, drank, slept, laughed, and journeyed together. They saw how their teacher treated other people. They watched his life. It was relational. There was time spent with each other. Lots of time. But often we can’t be bothered to give time to other people because we have “better” things to do. We would never call it that but in our hearts, if we are honest, we assign priorities and we give our time and attention to our priorities.
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    3. Biblical discipling is loving.

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    1 John 3:16 ESV
    By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
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    4. Biblical discipling involves training in God’s Word.

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    2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV
    All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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    5. Biblical discipling is a pipeline.

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    1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV
    For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
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    Galatians 6:14 ESV
    But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
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    2 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV
    1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
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    6. Biblical discipling is a process, not a program.

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    III. Why disciple?

    Why should you disciple? Why should you give your time to making disciples and helping other people grow closer to Jesus?
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    A. For your joy.

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    Philippians 1:3–5 ESV
    I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
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    Philippians 2:1–2 ESV
    So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
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    Philippians 4:1 ESV
    Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
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    The apostle Paul had a deep love for those he discipled and it is evident in his writings. He got joy from seeing them living for Christ.
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    Romans 16:19 ESV
    For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.
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    2 Corinthians 7:4 ESV
    I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
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    2 Corinthians 7:13–16 ESV
    Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.
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    1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 ESV
    For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
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    2 John 4 ESV
    I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
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    Ministry is hard. Discipling is hard. It’s work. But it’s worth it. There is joy when you see someone following Christ. There’s joy when someone repents. We do good to others so that they grow more in Christ and then we rejoice that they have grown closer to Christ.
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    B. For God’s glory.

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    John 15:1–8 ESV
    “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
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    C. Jesus laid down His life for us and calls us to do the same for others.

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    What was he accomplishing for those he had chosen by laying down His life?
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    Responses – To bring us to Father. Explain the gospel here.
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    - So that the we may share in the joy that Christ enjoys with the Father
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    - So that we can bear fruit
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    - So that our joy will be complete
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    - So that our enmity toward God would be replaced by a loving relationship.
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    D. Jesus made known to us all that He had learned from His Father

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    and entrusted us, His church with this ministry of making disciples.
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    Conclusion:
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    The process of sanctification
    Challenge to get involved in discipline
    -Life groups
    -One on one
    -D-groups
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      • Mark 1:16–20ESV

      • Job 23:12ESV

      • Jeremiah 15:16ESV

      • Romans 10:17ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:2ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 5:17ESV

      • Galatians 5:22–23ESV

      • Matthew 16:24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 9:25–27ESV

      • Romans 15:5–6ESV

      • Acts 2:42ESV

      • Hebrews 10:25ESV

      • 1 John 1:7ESV

      • 1 Peter 2:21ESV

      • Philippians 1:21ESV

      • Matthew 10:32ESV

      • John 14:12ESV

      • Philippians 3:13–14ESV

      • Psalm 37:23–24ESV

      • John 5:37–39ESV

      • Matthew 28:18–20ESV

      • Hebrews 10:24ESV

      • 1 John 3:16ESV

      • 2 Timothy 3:16–17ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 4:7ESV

      • Galatians 6:14ESV

      • 2 Timothy 2:1–2ESV

      • Philippians 1:3–5ESV

      • Philippians 2:1–2ESV

      • Philippians 4:1ESV

      • Romans 16:19ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 7:4ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 7:13–16ESV

      • 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20ESV

      • 2 John 4ESV

      • John 15:1–8ESV

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