An Introduction to Discipleship

Title: An Introduction to Discipleship
Teacher: Jacob Bender
Key Verses: Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 6:40, Luke 9:57-62, Luke 9:23

The last thing that Jesus said to his disciples before his ascension was:

“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 28:19-20.

And as overwhelmed as I feel like I would have been, had I been there, and suddenly realized that I was being entrusted with taking the steps to carry on the legacy of Jesus, who had just changed the world… I often overlook the fact that Jesus had spent the last three years teaching his disciples how to do this. Showing them what it tangibly looks like. Training them. He gave them a commission that he fully believed that they were capable of carrying out!

In the first century, students who would want to become the disciple of a Rabbi would have to go through a grueling process. Even after memorizing word for word all of the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament), many would still be sent home to learn the family business after applying to study under a Rabbi, if that Rabbi did not think that they could do what the Rabbi did. The Rabbi’s, they looked for the best of the best, the ones that the Rabbi believed had what to takes to actually be LIKE them… and everyone else would be sent home.

But then comes Jesus, and he starts building his ministry with a bunch of outcast and misfit disciples… 12 guys who didn’t make the cut. 12 guys who had already stepped into the family business and other marketplace jobs because they realized that the reality of actually becoming the disciple of a Rabbi was virtually non-existent…

And so Rabbi Jesus looks at these guys, and he says “Come, Follow Me!” Essentially saying “I believe that you have what it takes to do what I do…” and his band of misfits are the ones who went on to change the world. Who went on to have a greater impact than any other Rabbi’s best disciples…

Because Jesus was never looking for the best.

Jesus was looking for followers who were all in.

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Writing your own biography

DATE: Jun 21, 2015
TEACHING: Austin Young
TITLE: Writing Your Own Biography

#5 The Layered Heart

DATE: June 14, 2015
TEACHING: Jacob Bender
SERIES: Intentions
TITLE: The Layered Heart

SCRIPTURES: Philippians 2:1-13, Philippians 1:27, Ephesians 5:22-23, Galatians 6:2, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Genesis 2:18, James 5:17, Isaiah 53:3, Luke 5:16, John 14:12-13, 1 John 3:16-17, John 13:35

We have come to the end of our first series. I have been so encouraged by all of the feedback everyone has been giving us through this series, and the reports of the healing it has been for peoples lives. I know it has impacted me greatly to study it and to put it together.

Last week, Dawn talked about transparency, which could not have been a better lead-in to the Layered Heart. As we go through life, tragedy, heartbreak, disappointment, etc. we tend to put layers around our hearts… because nobody wants to be hurt over and over and over again so we put up a layer against a person… “They will never get through again… They will never hurt me again…”

but before long, somebody else, or something else, will let you down. And you put up another layer.

And soon enough, you decide to block everyone out from that part of your life, from that part of your heart, and transparency gets thrown out the window and your whole life becomes about the appearance of strength. Nobody can hurt a strong person, right?

The layered heart (or whatever you want to call it) is the number one killer of community. It stops community dead in its tracks. But Paul tells us that we should bare one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)… how are we suppose to bare each others burdens, if we don’t know what they are.

He tells us that we should not only look out for our interests but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4), and he tells the Philippian church that he hopes to hear reports of them “standing firm in ONE spirit, with one mind, STRIVING SIDE BY SIDE for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27).

I love this quote by Paul David Tripp, he says “Autonomous Christianity never works, because our spiritual life was designed by God to be a community project.”

This whole series has been about working out our minds, so we can be effective in our world. Well the church is the hope of the world. Discipleship happens in community. Life transformation happens in the context of healthy relationships… and as we work out the Intentions of our hearts, lets do it standing side by side together, striving for the faith of the gospel. Lets do it understanding that two are better than one, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

Why do we do what we do?

We do it because we are the bride of Christ.
We are his representation here on Earth.
We are his ambassadors to the city of Detroit.

We do it because Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient, to the point of death (Phil. 2:8).

We do it because the local church is the hope of the world. And that is us.

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#4 The Transparent Heart

DATE: June 7, 2015
TEACHING: Dawn Bender
SERIES: Intentions
TITLE: The Transparent Heart

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#3 The Intentional Heart

DATE: May 31, 2015
TEACHING: Jacob Bender
SERIES: Intentions
TITLE: The Intentional Heart

SCRIPTURES: Proverbs 20:6, Proverbs 22:1, Matthew 6:1-2, Matthew 19:16-22, Luke 18:18-30, Psalm 112:1, Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 23, Jeremiah 31:33, Isaiah 32:8, Proverbs 19:17, Psalm 112, 1 John 3:16

Love. Serve. Repeat.

“a generous man devises a generous plan, and on generosity he shall stand” (Isaiah 32:8)”

Love. Serve. Repeat.

“Whoever is generous to the poor LENDS to the Lord… and HE will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)

Love. Serve. Repeat.

“Bare one another’s burdens, because that is how you fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Love. Serve. Repeat.

Love. Serve. Repeat.

And before long, its just you.

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#2 The Pretending Heart

DATE: May 24, 2015
TEACHERS: Jacob & Dawn Bender
SERIES: Intentions
TITLE: The Pretending Heart

SCRIPTURES: 1 John 1:5-10, Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 6, Genesis 2:16, Hebrew 6:17-19, Ephesians 6:20-21, Hebrews 4:13-16.

Who are you?
Where are you?
What are you hiding behind?
What are you hiding in front of?
Why are you hiding?

And when do we get to see the real you?

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#1 The Sinful Heart

DATE May 17, 2015
TEACHER: Jacob Bender
SERIES: Intentions
TITLE: The Sinful Heart

SCRIPTURES: Proverbs 20:6, Matthew 6, Romans 2:16, Psalm 103, 2 Corinthians 5, Matthew 5:27-30, Matthew 5:17, Luke 13:10-17, Philippians 4:8, James 1:14-15, Matthew 5:21-22, Ephesians 4:26-27, Hebrews 12:15, Isaiah 53:5, Hebrews 12:2, Isaiah 42:3, 1 John 1:9, James 5:16, 

The Hebrew word picture for the word iniquity is: an eye. a hook. and fish multiplying.

Its the word Avon. A-V-N.

And what it means is “whatever your eye hooks to, multiples.”

Most people believe that when Jesus came to earth, he made things easier for us. He came and died for us and saved us by grace, and now we don’t have to worry about the letter of law or anything like that. He came that we may be free. and he did.

But a closer examination of  the sermon on the mount will reveal to you that in a lot of ways he actually made it harder, before making it easier. He made it easier because he took the weight for us… because he knows that there is no way to live up to the law… but he did not come to abolish the law, but to sustain by properly interpreting the law (Matt. 5:17)

And then he goes on to start saying things like, “you have heard it be said not to murder… BUT I SAY…” and suddenly he takes it further beyond the letter of the law and addresses the Spirit of the law… what is going on in your heart?

Matt: 5:21-2 – you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder… but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…

Matt: 5:27-28 – You have heard it said, “you shall not commit adultery… but I SAY that everyone who even looks at a woman with lustful INTENT has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

The key word is intent. What is going on inside your heart? Do you have secrets? Do you have a part of your life that you don’t want anybody else to see? Jesus understood that transgression (outward actions) ALWAYS begins with iniquity (inward motivations)

And with this thought, we are embarking on our intentions series. Looking deep into the depths of our hearts, to work out the things that we know are in there… the things that we don’t even realize are in there… the things that we know are in there but don’t want anybody else to know are in there, and even the things that we know are not in there but want other people to think are in there.

I want to invite you to join us over these fives weeks that we really begin to work out ourselves, before we look at what is next for our church.

Because “you have to have intent, before you can have content.” (Ravi Zacharius)

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The Mothers, The Midwives, and the Man with no name

Date: May 10, 2015

Teacher: Jacob Bender

Title: The Mothers, the Midwives, and the Man with no name

scriptures: Exodus 1, Exodus 2, James 1:2-4, Leviticus 18:12, Hebrews 11:24, Luke 9:28-36

“Mom’s, you are like Jesus”

Come and See

Date: May 3, 2015

Teacher: Jacob Bender

Title: Come and See

scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-2, John 1:43-46, Genesis 33, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Luke 4:16-21, John 12:47-48, 2 Corinthians 6:2

“optimum remedium contra opiniones praeconceptas”

Bengel in his commentary of the conversation recorded in John 1:43-46 between Philip and Nathaniel, uses this latin phrase to describe Philips response to Nathaniel’s question “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

It means “The best remedy against a pre-conceived opinion.” The only remedy to a pre-conceived opinion is to show him something different.

Well, we have only been here, living in Detroit for a few days now, so we don’t want to pretend like we know everything about this city yet, but one thing is for sure. We live in a place that has a lot of pre-conceived opinions formed against it.

It kind of sounds like the church.

People who draw conclusions about the church based on past experiences, probably in most cases justified. About the way someone treated them in the “name of Jesus” – someone who didn’t act like Jesus but did so while claiming to represent Jesus. And I think that its time that those people “come and see” – but when they do come and see, will they see anything different than what they saw in the past? Will we be any different than the pre-conceived opinions that they have already formulated in their minds? What will they see?

By the grace of God, when they do come and see, I want them to see Jesus.

I want them to see a place that is all about restoring them back to Jesus.

A place that is all about reconciliation.

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