MY DISCIPLES - Week 4 - WINNING WAYS

John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples . . .

Make disciples: To cause someone to become a follower

Matthew 28:19. . . . 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.

When church became state religion, the Great Commission changed:

Therefore go and make disciples by imposing my teachings, values and worldview on all nations, threatening them with judgment and destruction if they don’t do everything I have commanded you.

WIN don’t IMPOSE or threaten

1 Corinthians 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

WIN: To acquire by effort

1 Corinthians 9:20-23 I’ll do whatever it takes to WIN disciples

Invite them, don’t impose on them

Can't win a person’s heart by imposing your will

When church leveraged power and authority it changed:

From “winning" to “threatening”

From “God is love” to “God will get you”

Corinthian church struggled to live out Christian values

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate:

1 Corinthians 5:1 A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.

1 Corinthians 5:2 And you are proud!

1 Corinthians 5:2 Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?

1 Corinthians 5:3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.

The Bible doesn’t tell us to never judge, the Bible tells us WHO to judge

1 Corinthians 5:5 Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Sin always has a consequence

Romans 3:23 that the wages of sin is death

1 Corinthians 5:13 Expel the wicked person from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

1 Corinthians 5:11 I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy . . an idolater or slanderer, drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

Wisely judge the people on the inside but have no business judging the people on the outside

1 Corinthians 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

1 Corinthians 5:12 Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside.

WINNING WAYS: Loving judge those on the inside

WINNING WAYS: Loving WIN those on the outside