Sermon Three: Progression vs. Congestion
Summary: The process of moving people from salvation, to spiritual maturity,
to meaningful ministry needs to have sequential steps that cause people to move
to greater areas of commitment. Like Jesus who had three distinct phases of
calling, building, and sending in Lk 5-9, so the church should also have distinct
phases. Beginning with the process, each ministry should fit and be placed
sequentially in the process with a clear beginning point and clear transition points
to the "next step" with "leaders" (not travel agents) who lead the way.
Know: Just as Jesus had specific, identifiable steps in his discipleship process
that involved modeling the steps, so we also need to have the same.
Feel: Excitement or an Aha moment in seeing how this is not only practical, but
modeled in scripture and therefore biblical
Do: Discuss and identify steps of discipleship in the ministry of Christ and the
possibilities of applying the model in our situation.
Text: 2 Cor 3:12-18; Lk 5-9
Scripture Reading: Lk 9:1-6
Intro:
1. Congestion occurs in so many areas of life - traffic, online, blood vessels,
chest congestion, etc.
- It impedes good healthy progress and flow
2. Churches can be congested
a. No progression or transformation, nothing changes
b. Church at large is stuck spiritually
3. In change a Biblical concept? (2 Cor 3:12-18)
a. Moses was changed by having been in the presence of God
b. We are "being" changed by his continual presence
c. Word is "transformed" Greek - metamorphasis or "morph"
d. God's part and our part
1) Gods does the transforming (verb is passive)
- God has designed this to be a process
- It takes place "with ever increasing glory (NIV)," or "from
one degree of glory to another (RSV)."
2) Our part? - Place selves in the right place to be transformed
- God does the transforming, but we need to be in the right
place
3) A simple process that "moves" people and removes congestion
is indispensable
- Greg Ogden in "Transforming Discipleship" has noted that
Jesus had distinct phases in his discipleship process
- Phases included: Inviting, Observation, Students, Short
Term Missionaries, Apostles
- However you label his phases, what is clear is a sense
progression to greater levels of commitment and growth in
Jesus' process.
- Scripture Reading shows Jesus operating in one of those
stages
4) Ogden points out: Jesus had three years.
- He asks: "If you had only three years to train reproducing,
growing, transforming disciples, what would you do?"
- This question shows the importance of a process that
moves people to transformation
4. How do we remove congestion that keeps us stuck?
a. First of all, clarify the process. We talked about that last week
b. Then you need to identify the journey (movement)
c. Here is how: (some common sense practical steps)
I. Have a ministry for each step
A. We have identified our purpose to be a "Christ centered family,
learning, sharing and caring"
B. The thing to do is to have a ministry for each part
1. A "Christ Centered" - What ministry fits this?
a. Our worship service is a place where we do this
b. We meet weekly and express praise, love, adoration, and
the centrality of the Lord in our life
2. Learning - What ministry do we have for learning?
a. Obviously, our education ministry is for learning
b. There should be a greater level of commitment
c. Not just show up, but reading, learning, discussing,
applying
3. Sharing - What ministry is for sharing?
a. Life Groups is where we "Share Life" together
- Challenge each other to greater commitment
- Practical application
- Doing the application together
b. Spiritual growth happens in relationships
c. Fellowship is not optional
4. Caring (What we are talking about is service)
a. We have been talking about "We Care"
- This is only an "event" though
b. Don't yet have an ongoing ministry of caring/service
c. Ministry Teams oriented toward caring service is what
can grow out of this
d. Some of this already is happening
C. The idea is to have ONE ministry for each step
1. Each ministry needs to have a crystal clear purpose
2. Each ministry needs to be squarely a part of the process
D. Remember to start with the process
1. If not, then will have a tendency to fit your process to the
ministries rather than vice-versa
2. Any ministry that does not fit squarely in the process is clutter
3. May need to come up with new ministries
II. Sequence your ministries to the process
A. Any "process" needs to have sequential, logical steps
B. ILL: Learning to ride a bicycle for the first time
1. My Dad didn't just sit me in the seat and say "go"
2. There was a process of "sequential steps" involved
a. Had to show me how the pedal works
b. Began with training wheels, gradually shortened them
c. Eventually, took the training wheels off
3. If went out of sequence, it could have been disastrous
4. It is the same in so many areas of life
a. Don't learn calculus or geometry until lean arithmetic
b. Don't learn to write short stories until you learn to read
c. Don't learn to fly a plane until go through ground school
d. Don't learn to hunt until you learn gun safety
C. We are talking about process more important than all of these -
Spiritual Growth and Discipleship
1. Need to identify a sequential process for growth in our ministries
2. "Christ Centered family, learning, sharing, and caring"
3. Each "step" leads to greater levels of commitment and growth
D. The sequence of our weekly ministries should reflect the sequence of
the process as well
1. Christ centered family, learning, sharing, and caring.
2. Worship, Education, Life Groups, Ministry Teams?
3. Will reflect on where there are gaps and what this might look like
during our Life Groups this evening
III. Have a clear starting point
A. Answers the question, "Where do I start?"
B. If you don't have a clear answer, confusing, discouraging, feel lost
1. Clear answer gives clear expectations
2. Used to give "steps to salvation"
a. There were five you could count on one hand -
b. Hear, believe, repent, confess, baptism
- Of course, what they need to "hear" is the Gospel
- The Gospel is the power of salvation, the steps is to
be our response
c. The Bible never gives these steps as a "formula"
- 5 steps designed to make it clear and concise
- Stating it in terms of sequential steps adds clarity
and movement (what is next)
3. But what is next after "be baptized?"
a. Only thing I used to see was "Be faithful, Rev. 2:10"
- It was like is was tacked on at the end
- What does it mean to "be faithful?"
b. Other than attendance, never made it real clear what we
are to do next
c. Need to spend time and identify "sequential steps" like
we do for the plan of salvation
C. ILL: If up to bat in baseball, where do you start? Home plate
1. One of the strengths of the purpose driven model is its use of a
ball diamond as a model
a. Identifies clear starting point and clear steps
b. Start at first base, move to next level
c. Bases were: Commitment to Membership, Maturity,
Ministry, Missions
d. Classes, training, ministry, all geared toward the level
2. I'm not advocating we adopt it, but the principle of having a clear
launching point and next step is a must
3. Need to know where to start, and what is next
D. This can happen at a new member's fellowship/class
1. Studies found that churches that do a new member class have
better assimilation
2. Purpose is to lay out clear expectations and ask for commitment
3. This is when you explain the clear simple process
IV. Always emphasize the "next step" in the process
A. A program should never be an end in itself
1. Needs to be integrated along the process
2. Need to emphasize that there is a "next step" after this
3. Never leave the question, "now what" unanswered
B. ILL: Perpetual Student 9 years (Johnny Lechner)
1. Been full time college student in Wisconsin since 1994 (13 yrs)
a. Good academic record - No grade lower than a b
b. Started to graduate a couple times, but changed his mind
c. Earliest class is at 2:15, involved in extra-curricular things
Sleeps in, goes to parties, writes, music, etc.
d. Even though he has over 300 credits, doesn't want to
move on to the next step in life
2. Passed a slacker law to pay extra taxes and tuition after 160
house - Nicknamed the Lechner Slacker Tax
a. He now has to pay double tuition
b. Maybe this will force him to graduate and move on
c. College is not an end in itself
3. College is not an end in itself
4. Much the same way with our ministries and programs
a. They are not to be ends in themselves
b. Should be part of the process
C. In any weekly program, emphasize the next step before concluding
1. If the next step after worship is small groups, emphasize it
2. If the next step is ministry teams, emphasize it
3. Always make clear what the next step up in growth and
discipleship is
4. Need to be intentional about moving people to the next step
D. Relationships are important in this
1. Like Jesus, people help you move through the process
2. New Christians active in small groups 5 times more likely to still
be around and still be growing in 5 years
Concl:
1. We do not want congestion in our discipleship process
2. Helps to have ministry for each step, to sequence it, and have a clear starting point and
clear next step
3. If you have not obeyed the Gospel, the next step is obey (invitation)
4. Remember, it is not just about attendance (you can have attendance with congestion), but
how many are moving "through the process" -- PROGRESSION
======================
Small Group Questions: Progression vs. Congestion
Summary: The process of moving people from salvation, to spiritual maturity, to meaningful
ministry needs to have sequential steps that cause people to move to greater areas of
commitment. Like Jesus who had three distinct phases of calling, building, and sending in
Lk 5-9, so the church should also have distinct phases. Beginning with the process, each
ministry should fit and be placed sequentially in the process with a clear beginning point and
clear transition points to the "next step" with "leaders" (not travel agents) who lead the way.
Open:
- When was the most frustrating incident you experienced of being "stuck" in some way?
Explore: 2 Cor 3:12-18
1. What caused Moses to change?
2. Moses' transformation or "metamorphosis" was covered by a veil to hide what was "fading
away." Can a Christian's metamorphosis "fade away?" Why or why not? What causes it to
stay or increase?
3. According to this passage, describe what appears to be the nature of the change that is
supposed to happen in us. It if is caused by God, then what is our role in the process?
4. Reflecting on the ministry of Christ (especially Luke 5-9), what are some of the steps Jesus
used in the spiritual growth of his disciples? What was the "starting point" in their spiritual
growth with Jesus? Where was it leading?
Apply:
5. What has been our view of spiritual growth in our congregation?
6. Reflect: Is our church congested or is there progression in spiritual growth and discipleship?
Please explain your answer.
7. Are all of our regular ministries and programs (worship, education, life groups, ltc, etc.) placed
along a process? What is the current sequence and logic of our programming?
8. Do we have a clear first step for new believers or new members? Do we have a clear next step?
Using our motto as a process, how could we sequence our ministries to it? Discuss how each
ministry would be a "next step" to the one before it in the sequence.
Prayer
