THE SOLDOUT DISCIPLING MOVEMENT’S
Distinguishing Core Convictions
1. We Are A Bible Church, Not Simply A New Testament Church
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16)
“…the words “other Scriptures” in this passage may refer to the Old Testament, but clearly inferred is that the writings of Paul in the NT are equal to the ‘Scriptures.'” Furthermore, revelation refers to itself as “prophecy” (Revelation 1:3) and we know that comes by the Holy Spirit and the will of God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)
The Old Testament principles and lessons apply to our lives – as much as the New Testament – except for the Mosaic Law and any teaching in the New Testament that supersedes or has fulfilled the Old Testament.
2. “Be Silent Where The Bible Speaks, And Speak Where The Bible Is Silent”
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19)
In applying Scriptural principles to build the visible church, we believe we must obey God’s Word, but where the Bible does not prohibit a practice or name, we are free to use our God-given creativity.
“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’ – but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)
We are free to practice or name something as long as it does not contradict the Scriptures, it edifies, and it is done in faith. (Romans 14:19,23) For example: Chemical Recovery, Internet Ministry, AMS (Arts, Sports, Media) Ministry, and “Bible Talks” to build a spiritual family. The word “Bible” is not in the Bible.
3. Discipling Is A Command Of God And Not Optional
“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.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Discipling is God’s plan for everyone, not just leaders.
Discipling is teaching obedience to Scripture and is detailed in the over 85 “one another” passages.
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:28-29)
God gives us the strength to disciple one another. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16)
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2)
Discipling multiplies the number of people we can reach with the Gospel.
4. A Central Leadership With A Central Leader
“Moses said to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a] and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.” (Numbers 27:15-23)
Throughout God’s Word, when His people were unified, there was a strong central leadership and a godly central leader.
“Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.” (Exodus 18:24-26)
Even from the earliest times the people needed a central leader to provide direction and unity to ensure every sheep is cared for and every disciple is spiritually satisfied!
“Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corinthians 4:15-17)
The New Testament Church was a unified movement as we must be today. This is achieved by overseeing evangelists with the authority to send Timothy to teach them and to send Titus to “Straighten” out churches by appointing leaders, disciplining, and teaching disciples. (Titus 1:5, 11, 2:1)
“The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up. ‘Brothers,’ he said, ‘listen to me’ … ‘It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.’” Acts 15:13-19 (Abridged)
In the New Testament, Jesus is the leader of “the Movement!” When He ascends to Heaven, Peter takes on this responsibility as “the apostle to the Jews,” since for the first seven years of Christianity only Jews became Christians. Interestingly, after Paul became “the apostle to the Gentiles,” the leadership of the movement by Acts 15 had passed to Jesus’ oldest half brother James. At the Jerusalem Council, James, after listening to both sides of the circumcision issue, gives his singular authoritative “judgment,” which is then bound on all the churches.
5. The Dream Of The Evangelization Of The Nations In THIS Generation
“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.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
If the world was evangelized in the first century, we can certainly do it again in the twenty-first century! This will be accomplished through every disciple making disciples, and every disciple having discipling relationships.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit gives us the power to evangelize the nations! They did it in their Generation! (Colossians 1:6, 23) We must do it ours!