Introduction
It’s Time to Change the World!
Now is the Time
Welcome to the revolution! Here is where we make our stand and now is the time we fight for the spiritual freedom of our nation and the nations of the world!
This book is meant to be a manual to teach you how to be a true follower and disciple of Jesus Christ. It is designed to teach you how to give your whole life to Jesus Christ so that you will be able to say with all your heart both now and forever, “Here I am Lord, use me! Whether in life or in death, I will glorify you!” Do not wait or hesitate, now is the time!
Enough is Enough
Today in America we are watching the armies of darkness attempt to bring death to the Christian church and destroy the validity of the Bible and the truths it presents. We have watched prayer be taken out of our schools and be replaced with metal detectors. We have watched the result of godless pride bring death to literally millions of unborn children in abortion clinics.
We have seen the mass media present fundamental Christianity as a promoter of hate speech and intolerance, while the “wisdom of this age” has resulted in more depression, more suicide, more violence, and more broken lives and families than ever known to our country. Sins that used to be hidden in the closet are now in the open while the church has been forced into the closet.
We need God to change our communities, our cities, and our nation. God’s method of change is to use people, people like you and me who will rise up and be His disciples and go out into the world and preach His message. Therefore, true discipleship is the only hope for this wicked generation (Acts 2:40-41).
Be a Disciple
Being a disciple means, “to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ.” It is not enough to just “believe” in Jesus, you must live like Jesus. The Bible says that even the demons believe in God and they tremble! Therefore, demons are smarter than some Christians, because they not only believe but also fear God (James 2:19).
The word “Christian” is only mentioned 3x in the Bible. The word “believer” around 26x, but the word “disciple” is found over 250x. Thus, it is clear who Jesus wants us to identify ourselves as, he wants us to be His disciples!
From the very start of Jesus’ ministry He set out to make twelve disciples who would live like Him and follow all of His teachings. After three years of intensive training He then told them to do the very same thing for others that He did with them. Therefore, Jesus taught His disciples to go out and make new disciples.
Matthew 28:16-20,
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Jesus, God in the flesh, perfect in knowledge, obedient to the Father, could have chosen a million different methods to change the world, however, He only choose one- discipleship. He spent His entire three years of ministry 100% focused on it. Today making disciples should be the only clear choice for churches to change the world.
Consumers vs. Disciples
Jesus did not say, “go and make church members” or “go and make believers,” He said, “go and make disciples.” Consider this, when we are saved by grace through faith we are rightly called, “believers.” When we identify our system of beliefs with the teachings of Christ (the Anointed One) we are then rightly called “Christians.” However, we are only rightly called Jesus’ “disciples” when we live like Jesus and become His students.
Today, many in the church have become “make believers” and “casual consumers of comfortable Christianity.” Consumer Christians just want the best deal at the best price. They pick churches that tickle their ears, suit their selfish desires the best, and leave when things get tough (2 Timothy 4:3). Disciples, however, are in the Kingdom of God for the long haul. They are willing to do whatever it takes to see the Kingdom of heaven invade the kingdoms of earth.
Here are some helpful comparisons that I believe will teach you the difference between just being a “consumer” in the church to being a “disciple” of Christ.
· Consumers give their free time to sports and entertainment, while disciples give their days to ministry and nights to prayer.
· Consumers want the American dream, while disciples want the power of God to change the world.
· Consumers desire comfort in life, while disciples live in constant conflict and opposition.
· Consumers want to be taken in and accepted by the world, while disciples are put out and rejected by it.
· Consumers want to be thought of as reasonable and considerate with those who differ with them, while disciples are called “extremists,” “intolerant,” and “trouble makers.”
· Consumers live for the praise of people, while disciples live only for the praise of God the Father.
· Consumers will only give to Jesus when it is most convenient and stop when it hurts or brings any discomfort, but disciples give their whole life in sacrifice and selfless dedication.
· Consumers are only consumed with their wants, their needs, their families, their desires, and their dreams, while disciples are all-consumed with God’s wants, God desires, God’s family, and look to other’s hurts, other’s needs, and solve other’s problems.
· Consumers wish to save their lives, while disciples choose to lose their lives.
· Is it any wonder we fail to make the kind of difference that Jesus and the first disciples made with a church full of consumers?
The Stats Don’t Lie
George Barna, a well-known Christian researcher, has spent years studying the decay of the modern church. Some of his research was published in his book, “Think Like Jesus,” Barna. Here is just some of his shocking research:
· Only 2% of young adults in the church have a “Christian Worldview,” (Believe the Bible concerning six main Christian doctrines, “Jesus is God, the Trinity, etc…”)
· Only 14% of all Christians believe the Bible teaches absolute moral truth and is relevant to their everyday lives
· Only 23% of US church goers attend small groups or any other kind of bible class during the week
· Only 29% of Christians volunteer one hour outside of the church service a week
· Only 30% of church goers believe there is a major difference between the Quran, the Book of Mormon, and the Bible
· Over 30% of all adult Christians either smoke cigarettes or cigars, 37% for those outside church
· Over 53% of all Christians do not believe homosexuality is a sin
· Over 60% of all Christians believe as long as a person does good things in life they can go to heaven
· Over 78% of all Christians do not believe the devil is a real person, he is just a “force”
· The rate of divorce outside the church is 33%, inside the church it is 32%
The data may be shocking, but it is also verified by the headlines in contemporary Christian leadership. Therefore, the head is sick and so is the whole body. Here is just a short list of headlines in the past five years:
· “Pastor caught doing drugs and paying for sex with a homosexual prostitute”
· “Pastor found dead in hotel from suspected drug overdose”
· “Bishop’s wife files for divorce after sex scandal involving three young men in the church”
· “Bible college president forced to resign after allegations of stealing money”
· “Bishop comes out of the closet with the support of his wife and congregation”
· “Church declares bankruptcy after federal investigations, causes lead pastors to divorce… former pastor caught in DWI after losing church and marriage”
Only One Way To Serve God
Today I challenge you to read this book and become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I challenge you to stop making excuses, to stop comparing yourself with others, and start talking, acting, and living like Jesus.
When Jesus walked the earth He did not give two different options to follow Him- easy and hard. Jesus: “Well guys, there is “Option 1,” that is for the lukewarm and Sunday morning only follower. Then, for those who wish to go deeper there is “Option 2,” for those who really want to obey all I commanded.”
Also, Jesus didn’t come to “barter” with us like a person shopping in an outdoor market. Jesus: “Well, I’ll give you a good life if you give me everything you have. Consumer: “Wow, that’s a bit much to ask Jesus. Plus, I really don’t need all those extra things in the Bible anyway. So how about I give you half of everything I have and you give me a descent life and some rewards in heaven?”
Please take a few moments to read some of Jesus’ teachings on discipleship:
Luke 14:25-27, “Jesus is Number One”
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 16:24-27, “Lose Your Life”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Mark 10:21-28, “Sell Everything”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
Luke 9:57-62, “Forsake All”
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
The Choice is Yours
Decide right now that you will let God take over your life and make you the disciple He wants you to be. Remove the line you may have placed between going to church and being the church. Take away the idea that only a few will preach or only the “super Christians” will witness or just the first disciples could do miracles, and start believing what Jesus said you can do and start being who Jesus said you can be!
You have been chosen just like the first disciples Jesus picked 2,000 years ago. They were not any different than you. They could not do it by themselves, they needed to totally rely on the power of God and so will you. Sure you may make mistakes, so did Peter, James and John, but you will learn like they did, that Jesus has both the power of redemption and transformation.
Remember, you are saved by God’s power, made a disciple by His power, and you live your life with purpose by His power. It is all about trusting and believing that God knows what He is doing and will do what He said He would do (Philippians 4:13).
I believe in you and I know when you pray and ask God to use your life, He will. You will experience the power of God in ways you never thought possible. You will see others changed by the same power of God that is working in you. Get ready to launch out of your “natural” and into His “supernatural!”
How to Use this Book
The book is written in three main sections: Section 1, “Disciples Are,” this teaches what should be found in every disciple’s spiritual life. Section 2, “Disciples Have,” teaches what things should be done in a disciple’s every day life. Section 3, “Disciples Do,” teaches the things that a disciple should do in their life for God’s Kingdom.
The best way to use this book is to go one lesson at a time with your Bible and read all the Scriptures mentioned in the brackets ( ). Answer all the questions honestly and allow God to show you your strengths and weaknesses. Try to keep a prayer journal as well and write out your prayers and testimonies so that you will be able to see your progress and God’s power working in your life.
Try to make time each day to pray an hour and to seek God’s face. Worship Him for who He is and fall in love with Him over and over again. Also, find an accountability partner that you can meet with each week to discuss (a) your walk with God in holiness, (b) pray to overcome weakness, and (c) share testimonies to encourage one another.
Make a commitment to watch less TV, avoid all secular music, and rated “R” movies. Also, keep track of what your doing in your free time to see if you can make more time for God. Plus, memorize a verse per lesson and recite it to others. I believe you will only be able to “get out of this book” what you “put into this experience.”
Check List:
· NIV Bible
· Notebook to answer questions in
· Prayer Journal (do weekly)
· Accountability Partner (meet once a week)
· Free-Time tracking Sheet (track all free time for the first month- see where you can free up more time to be with God)
· Scripture memorization cards (do one a week)
· Weekly Outreach (find a place to share your faith for one hour 1x a week)
· Avoid all secular music, rated “R” movies, and ungodly entertainment
· Aim to pray one hour a day
Also, before you start please ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you desire God to change you from the inside out?
- Are you willing to grow, even if it gets uncomfortable and costs you everything not of God?
- Will you stop all excuses making, complaining, and simply go to God in prayer if you feel burdened?
- Are you committed to finishing what you start?
- Will you give God more than you have ever given to a job, workout plan, family- will you surrender everything to him?
- Have you counted the cost to be a disciple of Christ?
Pray this out loud:
Father, I come in the name of Jesus thanking you for the cross and for changing my life. I now pray that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead would give me power to live and die for You! I ask that You will take away all my compromise, sin, and fleshly comfort. I plead with You to set my life on fire.
I do not want to be the same; I want to be like Jesus. Start right now and right here in my life, transform every part of me. I dedicate my life to being Your disciple. Teach me to preach Your Gospel, to function in the anointing, to tear down strongholds, and to build the Kingdom of God. I praise You and thank You for choosing me.
By Your strength I declare I will see this world changed. I will not give up, back down, or compromise- like Peter, I have nowhere else to go but with You. I proclaim for all to hear, “I am your disciple!”
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Hebrews 12:1-2, “Run Your Race”
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
A Disciple Making Disciples,
Joe Wyrostek
Founder of Metro Praise Church
Chicago
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