We exist to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ - men and women who, united to Jesus, are being transformed into his likeness. We do this in three primary settings in which God meets us and change emerges:
1. Sunday gatherings in which God is worshipped, the Gospel proclaimed (in spoken Word and the visible Word of the Lord's Supper) and the Bible taught.
2. Small groups in which the Bible is studied, relationships are developed and everyone joins in humble service.
3. Weekly Bible teaching events in which our knowledge, faith and joyful obedience are developed by exposure to the Word of God.
Click here for Peter Foxwell's May 16, 2010 presentation about our mission
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Luke 24:46-47 Jesus told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Discipleship considerations:
A disciple is a person who is being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ as he or she engages with God in the Gospel. See 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Conformity to Christ is a journey that begins at the moment of conversion (regeneration, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ in response to hearing the Gospel) and continues for a lifetime.
Transformation is a mysterious and unpredictable process in which the disciple increasingly puts to death the old life of sin and strives towards the new life of loving righteousness, in union with Jesus Christ and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. See Romans 6 and Romans 8.
Union with Christ is a gift from God, received by faith alone, in which every disciple participates in the benefits of the life and finished work of Jesus Christ (his death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost). See 1 Corinthians 1:30.
Transformation is aided by participation in such means of grace as: the Worship of God including the sacraments and prayer, the reading, hearing and application of the Word of God, relationships with fellow disciples, and humble service to the Body of Christ and the world.
The Belgic Confession on Sanctification: Portrait of a Disciple
As for those who can belong to the church, we can recognize them by the distinguishing marks of Christians: namely by faith, and by their fleeing from sin and pursuing righteousness, once they have received the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. They love the true God and their neighbors, without turning to the right or left, and they crucify the flesh and its works. Though great weakness remains in them, they fight against it by the Spirit all the days of their lives, appealing constantly to the blood, suffering, death, and obedience of the Lord Jesus, in whom they have forgiveness of their sins, through faith in him.
The 1689 Baptist Confession on Sanctification: Portrait of a Disciple
Those who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having had a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, are then further sanctified in a very real and personal way. Because of the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection. and by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them, the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed. The different lusts of the body of sin are increasingly weakened and mortified, and Christ's people are increasingly quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to practice all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
This sanctification extends throughout the whole person, yet it remains imperfect in this life. Some remnants of corruption live on in every part, and from this arises a continuous war between irreconcilable parties - the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
In this war, although the remaining corruption for a time may greatly prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part overcomes. And so the saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of God; pressing after a heavenly life in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in His Word, has prescribed to them.
Sometimes we do not see or feel our transformation:
There are several reasons for this; blogger and pastor, Jonathan Dodson, provides some helpful insights here. His main points are:
▪ Feelings can be misleading
▪ We have trouble seeing incremental growth (progressive sanctification)
▪ Spiritual growth is relative but real
▪ Our church family does not encourage us enough
▪ God is using trial and temptation to grow us