Traillblazer Ministries - Missionary to China - Lesson 38 Discipleship &“Covenant Agreement”

In lesson one in Book One of Discipleship we covered the topic discipleship, but only dealing with a person becoming a disciple, to follow the steps of Jesus. Now we need to look at this in more depth so that we as believers can find the power of God growing in our life. We will look at “Covenant Agreement” and it’s power.

Many have become Christian and have started studying the word of God, although they have not come to a place of power in their own life. Than finally they come to a realization they don’t have power to influence others and subsequently feel a bit despondent with their life.

Matthew 10: 24 A disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? ( MKJV)

Q1/ Are we above Jesus?…………………………

Q2/ Are we above our teachers?…………………

Q3/ Who do we want to be like?…………………

The Holy Spirit is the heart of the church He brings the teaching and allows us to feel the heart beat of God, but by faith we must submit to His leading for our spiritual growth.

Exodus 6:2 And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: (KJV)

Numbers 35:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, (KJV)

Q4/ Who is the heart of the Church?……………………..

Q5/ Who did God speak to?………………………………...

Q6/ Does God speak to the leaders? (Yes or No)

The Church has become in some cases impotent, ineffective, because they have missed out on a basic teaching of Discipleship. All believers hear from God in some way or form, but the Bible is clear that God speaks to the leader and then for the leader to impart the teaching to the people, to build them up.

Matthew 10: 24, 25 says we are not above our teacher, so should we make a decision for the Church without talking to the Pastor? “No” is the answer to the question, but don’t worry too much I did it in my early days as a Christian. I quickly said, “I am sorry for doing that”.

Note sometimes the leader doesn’t hear clearly what God is saying and a message may be given to another person to tell the Pastor, this is done privately and not to the whole Church.

Q7/ We should tell the whole church if we have a word from God regarding the Pastor or what the Pastor should be doing. (True or False)

Q8/ We should share things with the Pastor privately. (True or False)

Joshua and Caleb were young men when they followed Moses out of Egypt and then Moses sent them into the Promised Land to see if they could go in and possess it. Although all the others spy’s said, “ No we can’t take the land because it was full of giants” Joshua and Caleb believed the land was theirs for the taking.

Exodus 33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (NSAB)

Q9/ Joshua was Moses servant. (True or False)

Numbers 14:24 "But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. (NSAB)

Q10/ Caleb had a different spirit. (True or False)

As we spend time with Jesus we become like Him and people can see Him in us, such is the experience of the born again Spirit filled Christian.

Jesus was obedient to God even to His death upon the cross, because He knew He had to make His sacrifice so we could be set free.

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done. (MKJV)

Q11/ Jesus was obedient unto death. (True or False)

Q12/ You are the head of the church. (True or False)

If we look a discipleship program in the Church, it could be said it is the brain of the Church, because it is the teaching that builds a good foundation. If the foundation is weak a building it will fall over.

A disciple is a scholar.

The word disciple is sometimes applied to the followers of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, but principally to the followers of Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who believes His doctrine, rests on His sacrifice, imbibes (drinks) His spirit, and imitates His example. He is a learner, a pupil, a follower and a beginner. A disciple is an obedient one who follows instructions. (Matthew. 9:14, Matthew. 22:16, Matthew. 10:24; Luke 14:26, 27, 33; John 6:69).

As I said previously the Church has become in some cases impotent and ineffective, because they have missed out on a basic teaching of Discipleship.

Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.(KJV)

Q13/ Moses was God servant. (True or False)

Q14/ Joshua was Moses servant and then God made him the leader. (True or False)

“Covenant Agreement” and it’s power

Definition of Covenant a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples.

When we look at the covenants throughout the Bible we see that they are directive or decrees from God to His creation. Therefore I find it hard to say that man arrives at the agreement by negotiations with God, but by acceptance of God precepts and teachings.

We never see man saying to God, “If you God will do what I want then we have an agreement”.

More importantly it is our obedience and acceptance to His word that we find freedom and victory.

The Bible is the word of God, it is settled even if you don’t believe it, but it is beneficial to you if you believe it and follow it.

Example of God Covenant: If you (that is us) will do this I (GOD) will do this, but if you don’t do it, I (GOD) will do something different.

Leviticus chapter 26, Deuteronomy chapter 28

Deuteronomy 28:15 "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you (NASB)

Q15/ Do you want the blessing of God? (Yes or No)

It is paramount to have an understanding of what the Bible has to say about OBEDIENCE. Obedience is the outworking of faith in the believer it brings about victory in our life.

Sometimes people do things, which appear to be right, for all the right reasons, but there is a problem. We see below David’s men went to get water for him, but David felt the responsibility for his men and he needed to set an example for everyone in the camp.

2Samaul 23:17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. (KJV)

Jesus said, “I am in the father the father in me”. We are in Jesus and Jesus is in us, therefore we are in the father and He is in us too. We are in the church and the church is in Jesus.

We are all one so now we should act as one, for a house divided will fall.

There is power in agreement. A church that moves in one accord will have power and subsequently will grow.

Luke 14: 33 So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple. (MKJV)

Q16/ Do we need to give up everything?…………………….

Steps to gain His power in our life.

1. Submit to the word of God

2. Have a teachable spirit

3. Submit to leadership

4. Submit to the vision of the Church

5. Be part of the vision

6. Follow the teaching material

7. Don’t bring other teaching into the church without talking to the Pastor

8. Make yourself available to do some work for the vision of the church

9. Copy Jesus in what he did

10. Copy your leader if they are doing what Jesus did

11. Make an agreement (Covenant) with a more Mature Christian, asking them to speak into your life giving you Godly advice

Outcome of a good Decision

A person who makes the decision to follow the above points will soon see many things in their life come into order and problems will disappear.

A. Family problems will decrease / Love in the family will grow.

B. Work problems will decrease / Promotion will come

C. Personal interaction problems will decrease / People will be attracted to you

D. You will start to love yourself / Others will love you too

E. Spiritual problems will decrease / The Devil will find it hard to upset you

F. Creative ideas will come / Ministry opportunities will increases

A person who submits himself or herself to an authority will one day have authority and ultimately become Gods leader.

NOTE: The authority figure that has people who have made a covenant with them is accountable to God and twice judged for any direction or discipline shown to a disciple.

Q17/ Obedience and submission is power in the Kingdom of God. (True or False)

John 15: 8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples. (MKJV)

Q18/ If we are Jesus’ disciples who should get the glory?……………

Q19/ A disciple will bear much………………….

Q20/ A disciple will have impact upon their environment. (True or False)

John 13: 35 By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another. (MKJV)

A covenant agreement should not be entered into lightly it has responsibilities both ways.

Prayer

O Lord give me a vision beyond the horizon that I may never see the end, but Lord God please give me wisdom to see the next step that lays in front of me. Lord it is my desire to walk in your footsteps, which you have left before me. I submit my dreams, wishes, plans, ambitions and desires for life to You, so that Your will, will be done in my life.

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