“Let’s Create A Culture Of Discipleship!” Message Notes (Ephesians 4:1-16); Pastor Curt Audet 1/18/26
The 14th in the 14 message series: The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples
BI: Prepare yourself to intentionally grow in Christ and to invest in the spiritual growth of others in too.
In Fair Haven, Vermont my brother and I worked for Breadloaf Construction to build a new McDonald’s Restaurant in the area. It was around 1988. We were part of the team of carpenters brought in for this task. We built the walls, roofs and remained at the site until the final trimwork was completed and detailed. We were building a fast food icon in the lower Champlain Valley area only about 10 minutes west of Rutland, Vermont.
The process of building was a well-choreographed chaos. After the concrete foundations were poured, we came to the site and dozens of people moved methodically through the project. There were designers, architects, supervisors, foremen, our carpenters and laborers just from our company. There was a flurry of delivery drivers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC people, inspectors, window installers, tile installers, technicians, equipment installers and an ever moving team of specific people from the McDonald’s corporation all visiting, working on the 4500 SF—give or take—footprint (60’x75’). While it seemed at times that we were tripping over one another, I marveled over the skill set each person brought to the project. Each was trained to accomplish the set of tasks he or she was sent there to do. Each (generally) respected one another and began their work on the prerequisite work before them. I marveled at the smoothness of the progress of the project as it ‘grew upn from the ground’.
Altogether it was less than 4 months from the groundbreaking to the first customer through the door. This was a testimony to the dedication, leadership, planning and follow through of every member of that team from the architect to the fixture installer; from the general contractor overseeing the big picture to fine detail construction cleaners detailing every window, seat, countertop and parking space with careful attention.
A well-orchestrated building project does not come to completion by accident. Neither does a disciple-making local church become active and effective in making disciples without intention.
You know we have a website, and on that website we have dozens of messages and message series preached and taught here. This is stored on the website for your resource.
In particular, since August 17 we have had a series of sermons on the subject, The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples. Today’s is the final installment of the 14 message series. You can view the whole series on the church’s website:
The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples Series
8/10/25 – CREATING A CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP Workshop #1
(1) 8/17/25 “The Master’s Plan For His Disciples” (Matthew 4:19)
BI: The Lord Jesus calls and designs His disciples to make disciples.
(2) 8/24/25 “Disciple-Making In The Old Testament” (Deuteronomy 6:1-25)
BI: In its simplest form Biblical discipleship is openly talking to others about faith in Jesus Christ.
(3) 8/31/25 24 “The Disciples God Can Use” (2 Timothy 2:15-26)
BI: God uses His disciples that choose to prepare for His will to be done in and through them.
(4) 9/14/25 “How New Disciples Are Made” #1 (Genesis 12:1-3)
BI: God reaches new disciples by ever expanding His family through close personal relationships.
(5) 9/ 21/25 “How New Disciples Are Made” #2 (Romans 10:1-3)
BI: God transforms people as transformed people reach out to make disciples.
(6) 9/28/25 “How New Disciples Are Made” #3 (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
BI: Discipleship forms lasting faith as we help people belong to God and His Kingdom, believe in Jesus as our Savior and King and become like Christ in our character and life choices.
(7) 10/5/25 “Can I Get A Witness?” (Isaiah 6:1-8 / Romans 10:13-15)
BI: We witness to those we love of the Gospel and King Jesus from the testimony of ourselves having been given grace, mercy and forgiveness.
(8) 10/12/25 “How Does A Lost Soul Become Found?” (Luke 19:1-10)
BI: God calls and draws people to Himself while people seek and respond to His initiation.
(9) 11/2/25 “The Cost Of Disciple-Making” #1 (Matthew 13:3-50)
BI: Discipleship is the conscious choice to live daily with Christ as our Master.
(10) 11/9/25 “The Cost Of Disciple-Making” #2 (Luke 9)
BI: Disciple-making requires an all-in effort to faithfully invest into the next generation for the Kingdom of God.
(11) 11/16/25 “The Disciple’s First Stand” (Acts 8:26-38)
BI: The Disciple’s first stand is identifying with Jesus as Lord, Master and Savior in baptism.
(12) 1/4/26 “Stages Of The Disciples Growth” #1 (2 Corinthians 6:16-21)
BI: Lean in to and embrace growth being a disciple-making disciple of Christ.
(13) 1/11/26 “Stages Of The Disciples Growth” #2 (1 John 2:7-17)
BI: Expect and embrace spiritual growth in your life.
(14) 1/18/26 “Let’s Create A Healthy Culture Of Discipleship Here Together” (Ephesians 4:15-16)
BI: Lean in to and embrace growth being a disciple-making disciple of Christ.
TBD – CREATING A CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP Workshop #2
HOW TO LISTEN TO THIS MESSAGE SERIES
Step 1 – Go to vvbcil.com on your phone or computer.
Step 2 – Go to the Sermons tab.
Step 3 – Go to the Sermon Series tab.
Step 4 – Go to The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples Series tab.
Step 5 – Find message #1, ‘The Master’s Plan For His Disciples’ and listen and read the notes.
Step 6 – Comment on the message to begin conversation there.
Step 7 – Discuss and determine how to apply the message to yourself.
Step 8 – Invite another person who had not heard the messages to listen too.
Step 9 – Encourage one another in our new Culture of Discipleship.
What I am encouraging and leading in is not unique or novel.
- What is a culture of discipleship?
A culture od discipleship is a healthy disciple-making church community. A culture of discipleship is a community of Christ-followers who build one another up spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally.
This is what is visible in the entire letter of Ephesians. It is graphically described in Ephesians 4. Its form is described in Ephesians 4:1-16 –
Called to follow Christ our Lord. (v.1-6) I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Empowered by Christ’s gifts to each of us. (v.7-12) 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,‘When He ascended on high He led [as conquerer of sin, death, Satan] a host of captives and He gave gifts to men.’ 9 (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Maturing each one us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. (v.13-16) 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
- What is needed for a ‘culture of discipleship’ to thrive?
Obedience to Jesus’ Commission. Accept your commission.
Intention to pursue making disciples. Pray and invite
Commitment to stay the course.
OBEDIENCE.
ASSIGNMENT: Relisten or review all 14 messages from the website. Become crystal clear on Jesus’ Great Commission. Plan to be at the rescheduled discipleship workshop.
INTENTION
ASSIGNMENT: List and pray for friends, work associates and family that you wish to see saved. Invite them to listen to the 14 messages and join you at church.
COMMITMENT
ASSIGNMENT: Determine to be ‘One That Stands’ for Christ, for the Gospel and for this Church.
Bring questions and conversation to the upcoming workshop.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Minyahn (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4510); Strong’s Hebrew: 4510. מִנְיָן (minyan) — Number, count, quorum) – Ten people totally committed to being God’s community. The bear minimum of people needed for a synagogue to be established.
BE ‘One that is counted’.
Steko (https://biblehub.com/greek/4739)
BE “One That Stands”
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