Ep. 336 What is a "supernatural" ministry? David Dennis

Why do we often not see growth in ourselves or others as we would hope. The answers are complex. However, Jesus teaches us in John 15 that "apart from Me you can do nothing." He also, in the same verse says, "He who abides in Me and I in Him bears much fruit." It is possible to see growth, but it will not occur if we rely on human wisdom alone. We do have a role to play, but something bigger is going on when we enter the spiritual realm, something that is a battle that must be fought in faith and on our knees. 

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David Dennis 2:55

I have spoken to my friend for literally years about his spiritual journey. I've listened to him, I've asked him questions, I've invited him to a group study where we looked at the Gospel of John, a so-called investigative Bible study. Yet he has not shown much interest in these things. He is getting along just fine without God, or so it seems. Hi, I'm David Dennis with the Kansas Communities Ministry with the Navigators. Thank you so much for joining us. Today we're going to take a look at what kind of ministry we are called to. I submit it is a supernatural ministry and in many ways an impossible one. Another friend is quite hostile to the idea of going to church. He really has no concept of a personal relationship with the Lord. While he works hard and has a heart for helping people, his relationship with his wife seems cold and lacking in depth. He's often depressed and expresses anger. I've asked him about his spiritual journey and tried to listen to him and see where he's coming from, but there seems to be no movement toward the Lord. I met with still another friend for about a year on a regular basis. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus. We read scripture together, tried to apply it to our lives, and memorized scripture verses together. Yet I found out later that even during that time he was having an extramarital affair. What was going on? Why is it often so hard to encourage people to see real life change transformation in the area of spiritual growth? Why do I find it hard to see growth in my own life in the way I think it should be seen? Well, I hope that today's podcast is an encouragement to you as we look at what the scriptures say about real life transformation and how that applies to the process of making disciples. Our ministry, the task given to us, is to make disciples. It's impossible for you and me to accomplish this. It is way beyond anything you or I could ever do. You know, in the Kansas Communities Ministry, we want to see people come to know the Lord, to receive the wonderful gift of eternal life by faith alone in Christ alone. We long to see the believer's life transformed, to live a new and worthwhile life of meaning and purpose. We also long to see them pass this along to others. Our prayer is to see spiritual generations made with people investing in the lives of others, then passing that along and helping them pass it along to still others. But in many ways that is an impossible task. For one thing, I can't force anyone to believe. I can't force anyone to behave. What I desire to see, what I think the Lord has called me to, I am unable to accomplish. I got to thinking about this recently after I recorded a podcast with Elmo Joseph, Ryan Henderson, and Arch Sauter. During that podcast the idea was presented that ours is a spiritual ministry. Now what does that really mean? Elmo reminded us that we do not have the knowledge nor the right to speak into someone's life on our own power. We must depend on the Spirit of God. What we are about involves the Holy Spirit working in the lives and hearts and minds of the people we love and serve. We are not able to accomplish anything without Him. But again, what does that even mean? I think part of the answer is found in Jesus' description of the vine and the branches in John chapter fifteen. This helps us see more clearly what this is all about. In John fifteen, verses one through seven, Jesus says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, or you could translate that he lifts up. And every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. In verse four, abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Jesus says Apart from me you can do nothing. True life transformation and character change come about only through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be working in a person's life to draw them to himself, John six forty four and forty five, and the person must in humility be willing to listen to the word of God or be taught by God as John six forty five says. They must be open to the Spirit's work in his or her life. Now what is this supernatural ministry to which we have been called? I think it's a battle that must be fought on our knees. Richard Span wrote in a blog did it august eleventh, twenty nineteen and found on our website at Kansas Navs.org forward slash blogs the following Quoting Howard Hendricks, it is more important to talk to God about men than to talk to men about God. Richard then says God has called us to talk to men, we are to affirm the gospel with our lives and proclaim the gospel with our words. A testimony of our life alone without relating that the source of our life is Christ is a proclamation of self, not Christ. It is not only important to talk to men about God, it is necessary. What Howard Hendricks is emphasizing with his remark is the comparison of the overall effectiveness of the two forms of communication. More is accomplished when God works than when man works. To speak to men about God and not to speak to God about men is to neglect the power that God offers. We need to rely on his wisdom rather than on just our own. With the pressure of numerous responsibilities, however, it is not always easy to remember to talk to God consistently about the people with whom we are working. Leroy Imes tells the following story in his book The Lost Art of Disciple Making, published by Zondervan in nineteen seventy eight, pages sixty nine and seventy. J O Fraser was a missionary in southwest China, ministering to tribal people living in that very mountainous region. After some years he noticed a strange thing. The churches which were miles away from the city in which he was living seemed to do better than the church in his own town. He would visit the distant churches occasionally and discovered that they were healthy, active, dedicated, and growing, much more so than the church in which he ministered regularly. Why was that so? Finally the Lord showed him, he found out that he prayed far more diligently for people who were miles away than for those with whom he fellowshipped regularly. From this discovery he concluded that there were four basic elements in developing disciples and churches prayer, prayer, prayer, and the word of God. A close friend for many years had steadfastly refused any efforts on my part, this is Richard Spann, writing in his blog continuing, on my part to share the gospel. He would stiffen visibly whenever the subject was introduced. He moved to another town and I would occasionally call and send some books that I thought might interest him. All to no avail. The only recourse was to pray. Some months after I began to do this, he called and said that the Lord had brought him some circumstances into his life that were a wake up call to him. It was entirely God's work in bringing him to repentance and faith in answer to prayer. What are some practical implications of all this? Based on scripture I would suggest the following number one, abiding in Christ allows us to bear much fruit. Abiding in Christ allows us to bear much fruit. Jesus promises in John fifteen five, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If we focus on the first part of that on the promise, we learn that we can indeed bear much fruit by abiding in Christ. What does that mean? I think it means a daily intake of God's Word, as well as daily and more often prayer. Prayer for the other person, prayer for circumstances, prayer for yourself. Perhaps an ongoing conversation with the Lord and an attitude of dependence on the Lord Jesus. Colossians two verses six and seven in the New King James Version says, As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. We received the wonderful gift of eternal life by simply believing or having faith in Jesus alone for that life. In the same way I simply believe that he will produce fruit through me as I abide in Jesus. Do I believe his promise or do I not? It's a walk of faith, not a walk of sight. So abiding in Jesus does allow us to bear much fruit. Number two, I think something bigger is going on than we realize, and we must tap into that. Making disciples is much more than going through a course or a set plan. It is seeing spiritual generations as a work of the Holy Spirit and not a work of a person. Something bigger is indeed going on, and I must not forget that. We do have a role to play, we are co laborers with the Lord Jesus. But we must not forget that disciple making is not primarily the following, not primarily educational. We do hope to educate. How many people do you know, however, who know the scriptures well and all the theology and doctrinal positions yet still stumble and live lives that are not pleasing to the Lord? Head knowledge is important and critical. I'm not disparaging that. Doctrine is important, but it is not enough by itself. Knowing correct doctrine is good and needed, but it is not sufficient for true transformation of character. Secondly, disciple making is not primarily service. Now we do want to serve those that we are encouraging. However, what we are called to do is more than just to be a counselor or a mentor or an encourager or to serve the other person. We do want to see people deal with hardships and challenges in a responsible manner, but our main job in meeting with someone is not to alleviate pain. It's to help them see the importance of spiritual growth and help them allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. Thirdly, disciple making is not primarily inspirational. We do want to inspire people. But that is not our primary aim as we disciple someone. Fourthly, making disciples is not primarily an example or example giving. We do hope that the example of our lives is helpful, but it must be much more than that, it must be much deeper than that. Fifthly, making disciples is not simply a course to go through. Now we do use tools, we do use courses. So often, however, I see discipleship programs, all with good intent, be based on acquisition of knowledge or information, and maybe completing a course of some kind. While these are helpful, and God certainly uses these, life transformation is more than completing a course. Next, disciple making is not simply a series of skills or techniques to understand and use. For example, how to witness, how to use the bridge illustration, how to do scripture memory, doing a daily quiet time, journaling, meditating. All those are very key and very important, but making it a disciple is more than just those skills. We want to use those tools, but it's more than that. We want to use those tools to get to an end of life transformation. And finally, making disciples is more than just an approach to life and teaching useful life skills. We do hope to pass those along. We do want to teach people how to be good fathers, husbands, wives, mothers, brothers, sisters, servants in the church, and so on. But making a disciple is much more than that. We don't want to complicate the message. Let's keep it simple, doable, and reproducible. We want to remember that Paul told the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 2, verses 5, and I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. While he may use our books, our studies, our thoughts, our techniques, our skills, yet any life change is not to be based on human wisdom. It is to be based on the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, as Paul says, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God, end quote. So those are two encouragements. Number one, abiding in Christ does allow us to bear fruit. Number two, something bigger is going on, and we must tap into that. It's more than just education, inspiration, and so on. And thirdly, my job is to be faithful, not necessarily successful in my own eyes. First Corinthians four verse two, New King James Version says, moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. I have a friend who was discipled by a navigator more than thirty years ago, probably around forty years ago. At that time he learned how to memorize scripture. He knew all the right answers and all the right doctrine. But despite that, in the intervening time he wandered away from the Lord for years and years. Then after decades he was convicted by the Holy Spirit and came back to the Lord and is now being used in the lives of others as he disciples others today. You know, to the person who discipled my friend those thirty plus years ago, my fr my the person who discipled him may have thought that all that was in vain because he saw him wander off the path. He may have thought that he was unsuccessful. But the Holy Spirit was still at work, and the fruit that was planted by that faithful disciple disciple maker thirty plus years ago is now being harvested and used. Our job is to be faithful even when we don't see success happening. So in conclusion, I would just encourage you that if you don't see change happening in someone's life or your own, don't be discouraged. Just keep on being faithful. Walk with the Lord daily, abide in Christ, in his word and in prayer. The battle is fought on our knees. Something bigger than you or I could ever imagine is going on when we enter this battle for the hearts and souls of men and women. And remember Solomon's admonition in Psalm 127 verse one. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. So be encouraged. Transformation, true change is possible. The battle is fought primarily on our knees and in the Word of God. There are spiritual forces against us. People must be willing to humble themselves and be willing to change, but true transformation is possible and comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in the person's life. The Holy Spirit works both in my life and in the person I am seeking to help. Let's not forget that. Well, join us next time as together we learn more about making disciples naturally.