Discipleship Focused | Steven Soon

You're listening to a message to go from at church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Today we're gonna talk about discipleship focus. All right, Today

we're gonna be talking about discipleship focused. I want to

start off with a story. Okay, I'm gonna start off

with a story. Yeah. I know that's a little bit

of noise opening, but hey, we are kid friendly church,

so I hope we are going to be okay that

I hope we're gonna be okay with a little bit

of noise, a little bit of mess, it's fine, right, Yeah,

as a church, we don't have to be so polished

until we cannot focus on the world of God. Yeah, wow,

on queue, well done. Rather, it's gonna be okay. So

I pray that we will just be try our best

to pay attention to the lot. Yeah, okay, all right.

You know, let me start also with a word of prayer. Okay,

let's start with a word prayer. Thank you Lord, Hallelujah

for the God. We thank you love for today. We

thank you Lord. We get to be here, Lord, We

thank you Lord that we have the privilege of just

worshiping in such a nice place that you've provided. We

don't want to take it for granted. We thank you

Lord for this luxury that we have, and prayer God

load that we will not take comfort for granted. But

we'll keep our hearts open to you. And we pray

that comfort will not distract us away from you, but

comfort that you've given us will bring us closer to you.

So pray Lord that keep our hearts open and allow

us to receive your word for us this morning. Just

name we pray amen. Amen. I want to also give

a shout out to Moses and alex Or being here today.

They're part of our sound ministry and they're here to

help us to check. So they go around different church

plans to help our sound team to see how to

better write the sound for us. Right, And that's what

our teams, our volunteers are doing, our team leaders are

doing different things are doing just so that we can

receive the word better. Right, So we honor you. Thank

you so much for being here. Yeah, all right, I'm

going to share a little story. I'm going to put

up the first picture. Thank you so much. Kennov. Anybody

recognize this guy, Yeah, Elliott keep jogay, Kenyon Runner. He

is one of the best in the world. He competes

in marathons. In twenty sixteen and twenty twenty in the

Olympic Marathons, he was the champion, right he has. He

held the world record for a period of time from

twenty eighteen to twenty twenty three before it was broken.

But another fellow Kenyon Kenyans are they're famous or running? Okay,

they're really good. Now, this guy Elliott, he also runs

a training camp, all right. He runs a training camp.

And you would in your mind thing for a world

champion that represents the nation that there'll be pop class facilities,

high tech measurements of pace through electronics, measurement of breathing,

measurement of the amount of oxygen, measurement of micro movements,

measurement of probably making up the best tailoring the best

sportswear to reduce resistance with the win to be able

to be a world champion. You would think of that, right.

Let me share with you the philosophy of Elliott. He

runs a training camp that functions entirely on the philosophy

of exact replication, as zach to the t. Let me

tell you what he does in his training camp. His routine. Basically,

he just he in his camp. He just beat himself

a He'll wake up at a certain time. Everyone else

in the camp follow. Go and brush his teeth. Follow

he goes for his first run at six am. Follow

and follow even the pacing and readom of the right

when he takes a snack bar to reveal Follow. Come back.

Time to do chores, swep and clean the camp. Follow

after that, have lunch, simple meal, follow, go back into training,

run again. Follow at night, dinner whatever he eats. Follow,

go to bit early sleep. Follow. No state of the

art training program written on paper, no state of the

art machines to measure their performance, no state of the

art diet to give them the best nutrition. No. All

they did was follow Elliott's footsteps literally. And you know

what that has happened. They call this shadow metter, Right,

you guys would probably have heard of this before. Dozens

of young, unproven runners, young men who have a dream,

young men and women who ever dream of becoming the

best runners in the world. They look to Elliott because

he has done it, he has shown and they say,

I want to be like that person. One day they

come into this camp. They chopped wood for fire. They

had to do that so that there's fire in the camp.

They did everything, clean the dishes, swiep and mop the floor,

ate the same diet, wake up and sleep at the

same time. They followed his redom running reedom to the tea.

Every step the paste followed to the tea. And what

that has happened is they call this the Shadow Factory

because they have churned out one of the worlds. They

have churned out the world's best runners just by this

one of them. In the next photo, it's Joe Free.

Next one the one that they are doing SUPs I

think or just cooling down? Is it there? Uh? Okay,

no worries x TV all good. I would just share

that there's this guy called Jeffree came more all right.

Jeefree camore Are is one of those young people that

looked at Illiot and go like, I want to be

like him one day. I want to also be one

of the best runners in the world. He followed exactly

what Elliott did every single day, and what happened to

us He became a multi time world half marathon champion.

That means he one multiple times, and he became the

New York City marathon winner. New York City Marathon is

one of the top marathons in the world, and he

became a winner. Many more are following this program. Right

at the pictures? Really okay, well, I mean okay, it's okay,

it's okay. If we don't have the picture, it's fine,

don't worry about it. So Elliott understood a philosophy that

if this works for me, it should work. If this

fundamentally all the things I'm doing works for me, it

should work for the rest. So if you want to

be like me, you gotta follow what I do. And

in ex church's something we really believe in, and in

the Bible and in the spiritual world we call this discipleship.

Call this discipleship, Gordian. Okay, let's just show the picture.

The next one, Yeah, the pearying is it there? Okay, okay,

I'll just show you guys. I think those pictures are

quite heartwarming. I just want to show you guys. Yeah,

dom Panic Dompanic, It's okay. Ah, there we go. So

that's Elliott and there's Geoe Free during their training together.

And the next picture that's them training running together. Elliot,

this Elliott, this is jee Free right. You can read

up about them. But there's Elliot's philosophy. So I want

to talk about again. I won't take long. Probably I

will wrap up in the next fifteen to twenty minutes. We

talk about being discipleship focused, and that is something that

is X. Church is a core value. Why because it

is topped by the Bible. So why is discipleship important?

Now you can you can write your notes. Really, I'll

be following the questions that in your notes. Why is

discipleship important? With this next answer I gave you, I

actually can wrap up my preaching because Jesus commanded it. Simple.

If Jesus commanded it, it means we ought to do right. Simple.

Jesus commanded it and not just commanded it. It was

his last words, last words before he went to heaven.

We all know how important last words are, right, crucial

because we don't waste the last words saying stuff like

I like rota and I no, you say the most

important thing to you, And Jesus said this, 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. Last words, we have this saying right.

His last commandment aur first priority Matthew twenty eight nineteen.

Discipleship is important. You see the word go here. What

did Jesus have to say go? Because permit me some

creative license to imagine two thousand years ago when Jesus

said that, he probably would have imagined. Maybe can't speak

for him, but maybe if I were him, I would

think two thousand years later, in a place called Emerald Hotel,

in ruby light room, there will be people there sitting

on the chairs, being too comfortable. So I won't just

say make disciples. I need to tell them to go.

We're very blessed. You know this hotel five style hotel.

All this really is God's provision that were in a

love favor with the hotel. Right, But let's not let

this comfort causes a take it for granted. Sometimes we

are so good at doing church. It's a part of

the script. I just felt as in it we're so

good at doing church that we forget the most important

thing we should do, discipleship. We start commenting about a

lot of things. Thankfully we don't lie here, right, But

when we start to get comfortable, that's when we start

to look, Hey, that church did this, and how come

we don't have this one? How come how come our

children ministry only two weeks or four weeks? Be a teacher,

then we can do three weeks. Yeah, giving a plot

for ex kids. Hey, we have to be very careful

that we don't allow comfort to distract us from what

is really important. See discipleship. I'm just gonna run through

this next point really quickly. Discipleship requires the highest commitment

because it takes time. It takes trust, it takes vision.

Time because in X when we do discipleship, we spend

time with the disciples, right. It takes trust. We need

to build that trust with each other, right, and it

takes vision in discipleship. That's what we strive to do

as leaders. When we disciple people, we want to have

a plan for them. We want to go And this

is a reminder to myself as well as a disciple.

It's not just being a friend. It's not just about

being a confidant that someone can talk to, but it's

about having a plan for them to become more like

Christ and telling them that, hey, God has a plan

for you, and why not I've crapped out this program program,

I've crowd out this something. Let's will you trust me?

Follow me? Whatever I ask you to do is for

your growth, is for your sake? Would you do it?

Text vision? It takes trust, It takes time because the

goal of discipleship is to make everyone more like Jesus.

That's it. That's it. To make us to become more

like Jesus. Discipleship is not just something fun to do. Actually,

discipleship most times not fun. One can I tell you that.

Discipleship most times it's not just celebration. It's a lot

of correction and challenge. Are all in sease? W Yeah,

a lot of challenging on you know, that is discipleship

because if we are not like Christ, if let's say

we are twenty percent like Christ, eighty percent more like Christ.

And if discipleship is focused, it's for us to be

more like Christ. Don't you think most of the conversations

will be about eighty percent of becoming more like Christ.

There is the twenty percent celebrations, well done, good job,

it will still come. It's important, but the ratio. So

we also have to get the idea of discipleship right

because when you sign up for the discipleship, we have

to know what you're signing up for we will be there, definitely.

I think every leader here will be a privileged to

celebrate you. There for you. But we have a call

to disciple you and can I also say this discipleship

is not for leaders on me. Jesus gave the call

of discipleship to every believer, so no one is exempted.

So let's not set conduct to leaders. We have to

ask ourself question, if we are not leaders yet, what

can we do now? God, what do you want me

to do now in the area of discipleship. Okay, the

goal of discipleship is to make everyone more like Jesus.

What is a focused second point? The second question is

why is the focus? The core mission of the church

is to make disciples. Just now, I alluded to it

that sometimes comfort, many times comfort can become a distraction.

But let's not be distracted from our core mission as

the church, discipleship. When we disciple, well, we build ourselves

an effective church. I'm not just talking about building a

corporational organization. We're talking about the House of God. When

you build the Church of God, which is God's design.

By the way, God desires for every believer to be

part of the church and not just be part, but

to build the church x Chapter two. Let's not forget

that every person shared, every person played their part. That

is God's design of the church. The closer we move

towards God's design of the church, which a very big

part of it is discipleship, the more effective will be

as a church. And when a church is effective, this

is what happens. The community is not in here around

us will be blessed. So I myself, as the church,

my God, I have to ask the difficult question. And

I had to share this with the with assault, with

the leaders here. I felt in the past here we

have not really been effective because how many have we reached? Sorry, yeah,

a very honest one. I'm not putting a blame on anyone.

I'm putting I'm asking myself that question, Stephens, has the

church been effective? I have to asked a question. You know,

if not, we will be having a great time here.

After a while, it won't be a great time because

why we will start comparing in fighting what happened? Then?

Then why are we doing this right? Allow me to

be a bit more real. Okay, because as a church,

our effectiveness is seen by this word transformation. First we

got ask ourselves are we being transformed? Are we allowing

God to transform us? Here? And discipleship is a big

part of that because discipleship primes us in a post

posture and position to be transformed. There is the focus

of discipleship. Transformation and transformation happens by the renewing of

the mind. Roman source who says this we all know

this scripture. Do not be conformed by the world into

this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

That you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God. Renewing of the mind, and

that's something we hope to do through discipleship. Is by

and only by the renewing of the mind that transformation

will take place. The renewing of the mind takes three things,

number one time. Now, not all of us are every

day we'll have a miracle, right, God delivers us from

a mindset when you know, not every day like that?

Can you imagine if every day is like that, then

we don't need to do anything. Is that what God wants?

As said that question, what does God want to build

us up to become more like Christ? I think that's

God's desire more than just he snapped his finger, than

you become like Jesus. Then what for we're here? Yeah?

It takes time. So I want to say this, if

you're trying to change something about yourself, you want to

be more godly, more holy, more like Christ. You tried

for a week and then you fail the next day.

Can I say, don't give up so fast? It's okay,

try again, next round, maybe ten days. Wow, improvement. And

then you find yourself on the eleven day and start

complaining company Wait wait, wait, oh god, I failed again.

It's okay, try again, try again, all right, keep going,

don't give up because transformation takes time. Takes time, you

guys know. But the flies, right, they have to be

they have to be in a pupa for a while,

very vulnerable state, by the way, but they have to

be patient. Then only they become a butter fly. If not,

they'll be deformed. Any sooner they come out, they'll be deformed.

Their wings won't be fully formed, they won't be able

to fly. Transformation takes time. Honor that journey, Honor that time,

Honor your mind, Honor the opportunity for mine to be

renewed over a period of time. Will God still give

you a breakthrough immediately? At times he will, But I

always believe that God wants to build our endurance. God

wants to build a character. That's why change takes time.

That is our part to play renewed or the mind

takes the teaching of the world. This is the living

world of God. I was sharing this with XBJA. That's

a journey. I want to share a very quickly a journey.

This week was somewhat a stressful week for me because

of wedding planning, because our weddings coming up. And there

was one day on Thursday that I rush through the

reading the Word, and be honest, I rushed through it

in the morning because I just couldn't get out of bit.

I just rushed through it. And then the whole day

there was just so many things we sort out, and

my mind was all over the place. I was so

overwhelmed by different things I need to do on work,

ministry and also wedding planning, that I say things that

I regretted towards shared. I say things like I shouldn't

have said those things. I should have had a clear

mind right right, and and we became frustrated at each other, which,

thank God, we we apologize to each other and then

it was okay. But then I remember that it was

a good feeling. I said, God, I don't want our

wedding planning to be like that, so stressful and so upset,

so upsetting. And God told me this, you know, say

today you rush through reading the word right. I'm like, yeah, God,

you did not spend enough time with me. It's as

simple as that. I was convicted. So I told God,

I say God, and I accounted to her to share it,

and I said, tomorrow I will wake up a bit

earlier to spend more time we've got just reading the

Word right in my quiet time. Oh the Devil knew

I wanted to do this, because next day, on a

Friday morning, it was harder to get out of bit. Literally,

I felt that my head was so heavy my IDs

couldn't open. I snoozed through all my alarms until there's

nothing to snooze. I couldn't. But in my heart I

knew I had to do this. God, I have to,

But every inch and fiber of my being is fighting

against it. By said God, I got to it, and

then the Holy Spirit just to me Stevehn, just get up.

I just stood up, and the weight left. The weight left,

So thank you Lord Holy Spirit for helping me. I

stood up and I did my devotion in the living room.

I learned this already. Don't do in the bed room

for me, for those who can, who can, don't do

it in your big room. Okay, last time I cano.

Last time I rent the only one room, so I

had to do the bedroom. Now got privilege, God has blessed

of your place. I got a living room that can use.

So I use the living room so I won't fall asleep. Right,

So I read the word. I read the word. I

read Proverbs all right, chapter six. I remember probably chapter

six a lot about immoral woman with the grade. But

I don't know why I cannot go into my mind.

You know, I really really read two times three times?

Can Lord not readily? I say, God, how reading? But

it's not going in. I'm not getting ram my word

from you from this. But then got to go and

to head for work. Got work, so so I say, okay, God,

I I tried. But you know, on the rest of

the day I was so at peace. Problems still got

work more than the day before, more things to do right.

But that night I remember I reflected and show you sharing.

I said, today I feel not overwhelmed at all. And

that was where I recognize the truth of reading the

Word of God. Because again I shared this before. It

doesn't have to make sense to you. Yet when you

read it, many times you're waiting for God to speak.

I mean, God will. But there are days where you

feel like it's very dry, like when you read Leviticus.

Oh the measurement of the effort or the sacrifice God,

we readeem redeemer, Jesus you die for across the DMA,

we cannot relate right. But I really believe this when

you read it, because it's living. It was to transform you,

even when it doesn't make sense, even if you're not

receiving something, it will change you for the day. I'm

just sharing a very vulnerable truth. I struggle, I really

struggle to get out a bit to spend a little

bit more time, really struggle. I'm like, God, you got

to help me because I need this. I need this

and God help me. So friends, I'm spending a bit

more time to think this because I'm really passionate about

this because I saw how it transformed me very real,

just very recent, and God continues to remind me about this.

Can I encourage you that every single day that you

do this, just wake up ten minutes earlier, just ten

minutes that you're not rushed, You're not rushed for work.

Just think you know that you have at least ten

minutes that you can read the world of God undistracted. Okay,

are we doing good? Okay, I'm gonna rush yourd it.

Only have five minutes. Modeling after someone who will show

you a different way of living and thinking. This is

very important because many times we think follow Jesus, we

can be on our own. Right, I would say you

trust yourself too much. Don't don't be over confident like

me thinking that. Add that would never happen to me.

I will never read the schedule wrong me happened to me, right,

don't trust your too much. The heart is deceitful, and

many times we are very good and finding holy terms

to justify our fleshly ones, be very careful. That's why

with discipleship, you allow a person that is able to

speak to you with the truth of God and objectively

think about that. Think about that all right, and the

renewing of the mind when we allow someone to give

us a fresh perspective. I think there is a very

good ROI in discipleship. Really, you know, I'm starting a

recognizer the value of having different perspectives. As I grow

more and more, I realize having different perspectives is so important,

so that we don't live in our own echo chamber

and telling ourselves what we do is the best not true.

When you get into a discipleship relationship, you're allowing someone

to give you a different perspective. You can disagree, but

at least you've got a different perspective. And I hope

that you can also trust your disciple right to be

able to go. Okay, I don't see it, but because

you're my discipler, I think God will bless me when

or and that has happened to me many times. I don't.

I don't. I don't like agree in my discipler says,

because you say it, I don't see ye. Okay, I

trust you to do and it works out. Perspective. You see,

sometimes our mind is locked up, so the lot wants

to do that. Okay. The word repentance in great very quickly.

It is metanoia. Word for metamorphosis right, it means a

change of thinking, mindset. Repentance is not just about sorry, sorry, sorry,

lot sorry. Repentance in its true essence in scripture when

this is mentioned in the New Testament, it's about us

changing our mind altogether, meaning to say, what we used

to do, we won't do it anymore, or what we

used to not do, we will continue to do it.

Change of lifestyle, change of mindset. That is metanoia. That

is what we want. That is what will bring us

long term transformation with if the renewal of minds comes,

the transformation of lives there is what discipleship is aimed at.

When we get into discipleship relationships. What we want to

see as someone who disciples is transformation full suck. That's

it become more like Christ. And how do we I'm

going to do this very fast. How do we express

discipleship in acts? Relational discipleship there's something we do very

probably a little bit different maybe from other churches. For us,

it's about the one to ones, spending time together, walking

with them, journeying with them all right, going through good

times together, celebrate and going through tough times together, and

to process tough times together and then from there asking God,

what is your plan for this? Doing life together? Being

real is the second part. You know that there's something

that we do. I just took a moment to be

very real with you guys about my past week, right,

But we believe that what Paul says, we want to

boast in our weaknesses because it's in our weaknesses that

God will be glorified. It's in our weaknesses where disciples

see our weaknesses, they'll go like it has to be gone.

I can be weak also, It's okay, I can be

weak also and you will still bring up glory. Let

me just take a seaple water. So being real is

very important in the way we do the dicipleship. Commitment

of time and finances is very real. All those who

are discipline, you know what I mean. You have to

take time, spend time with people. You just spend money,

just take people out of me Oma correct. Not to

say it's a master, but it's natural that it's something

that we do right when we bring people out. So

commitment of time and finances and lastly commitment to make

strong and women of God, that's what we want to

do in acts. When we take up discipleship. We want

to see you, guys become strong men and women of God,

meaning to say, people who are not dependent on others,

but you yourself have a strong relationship with God. That means

the leaders or the disciplers are not there to tell

you what to do, but to teach you how to

discern what God wants you to do right. And that

is not easy. Also, sometimes we grow up in an

Asian environment. Many of us are the millennials. We grow

up being told what to do right, Asian parenting right.

But what we want to teach disciples is to discern

for themselves what God wants them to do, to learn

to have a relationship with God for themselves, and not

get secondhand manner from the disciples disciplers, but to get

it first sent from the Lord. Conclusion, I'm going to

close with these few questions. If you're not disciples today,

can I encourage you to take the step of faith

to come on this journey. I have someone talk to

me recently about discipleship and wondering who to get to disciple.

I told the person, yeah, pray about it, but don't

pray too long. Some thing's already in the bibility don't

you pray to one right? Ultimately, when you get a disciple,

many times you're thinking about qualifications you see, but God

is not interested in that. Don't you think God can

work to anyone and everyone? So if discipleship is really

the blue print of God, just follow the blueprint. And

I want to say this are if anyone here thinks

that if you get a discipler, right, that will be

a discipler forever. No, we don't practice that. In the

extration at the end of the discipleship is for the disciple,

meaning we want to see the person grow. If at

the point that we realize comes to a point where

this person will grow more under this other person, we

release on. You know, it's key one. You're not signing

your life away, all right. The end goal is to

disciple and to make you more like Christ. So if

you're not part of this journey, don't take too long

God's blueprint. Secondly, has your disciples if your disciple, has

your discipleship journey transform you lately? Good question to ask

or are you just cruising? Because we can't get that.

And as a reminder to those of us who are

discipling others as well, are we just cruising with our disciples.

I have to ask myself that question when I prepare

this message. If you are being discipled and your life

hasn't been transformedately, ask yourself, why what is it? Lord?

Is it because I'm a bit too close off to

what my leader wants to say or close off to you?

Or is it because I haven't really been thinking about growth?

Think about that? Ask a self this question. What are

the areas you want to grow in? Are you looking

at a discipline and go like, Hey, that person, the

way that person lives is life, the way my Heather

leader lives his or her life. I want a bit

of that. How the person follows Jesus, how my leader followed.

I want a bit of that. Is that an area

you want to grow in? Oh? How this person will

that conviction? That value? I don't have that, but I

want that. I want to learn that. And can I

encourage you this? The leaders here have Telly Pathiona. We

can't read minds. Sometimes God reveals, many times God does,

but there are many times are we really don't know

what's going on with you? And until you say it. So,

if you have an expectation that my leader must stalk

to me. The Lord will of course reveal to my

leader that I'm going through this. I'm going to shatter

that lie. It's not true. Don't wait for a leader.

Help your leader out to help you by telling your leader, Hey,

I'm going through this, I'm struggling with this. Hey, I

want to grow in this area. Can you guide me

through it? Do that, and I think you'll flourish. Because

diciple ship is a two way street. It's not one way,

all right, So remember that. And Matthew ten says this

freely you have received, freely give I. I end with

this again, I say discipleship is not just for the

leaders of the church to do. Jesus gave this call

to every single son and daughter of God, every single

one of us. If you're not a leader yet, does

not mean you don't have to disciple. You still have to,

you know, because it's commanded by Jesus. Then the question

is how do you do it? Are do you know

you can disciple pre believers because if the goal is

to make them become more like Christ, that means if

they are negative ten, you can solely move them to

zero at the point of salvation, receiving Jesus and then

soltly move them in, growing them in their faith. There

means the people around you, your workplace, your family, your class,

the communities you're in, the gym that you go to.

Those are people you can disciple. And you know, think

about that for a moment and ask the Lord how

can I disciple those around me? And in ex Church,

we are evilage to be given a system that works.

I know, I know when we use the word system

we want to rebel. And I also I'm not a

fan of systems last time last, but I also recognize

if God has given the system and it has been proven, proven,

and it works, try to don't reinvent the will or

we have a pathway, we have classes that will help

you come in join, be part of it, be equipped right.

Systems are not bad. Hey, if it's God given and

God has blessed the system, why why reinvent try it?

Try it all right? So I end with day that

all of us are called to be discipled, and that's

something we believe in ex Church, that we are a

disciple making church and we are focusing discipleship a big

one and actually extrag is known for that. To the

other churches around and people have asked us how we

do our discipleship. Because it works, it works, it works.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit a church org. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week ahead

for you. God bless