“How New Disciples Are Made” #3 Message Notes (2 Corinthians 3:16-18) ); Pastor Curt Audet 9/28/25
6th in the 14 Message Series: The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples
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.
Joe and Matt had just finished their lunch together a couple blocks from their office. They regularly met together once or twice a month ever since they started working in the same building. As they returned to their office and were walking back together. Joe asked, ‘Matt, are you witnessing to anyone at the present time?’ Matt was not proud of his answer: ‘No, not really.’ There was a pause in the conversation as the two entered their office and sat down. ‘Is that because the people you usually relate to, your neighbors, your relatives, your friends and the people you work with are already believers?’ ‘Oh, no. I don’t think any of the people I work with are believers. Neither are my neighbors and relatives. Well, I’d say that maybe about half of them are Christians.’ ‘And with how many of these unreached people do you have a good close relationship with?’ asked Joe. ‘Well, I guess I’m on a first name basis or better with about 9 or 10 people.’ ‘So are they responding to your witness?’ asked Joe. At first Matt thought he heard Joe wrong. ‘Responding? Didn’t you hear that I said I had not been witnessing to anyone?’ Joe’s words stung a little: ‘Oh, they are responding even if your witness to them is not intentional.’ ‘How do you mean? By the way I act?’ ‘Yes, you witness in everything you do. In the things you do, or don’t do. In the things you say or don’t say. This is all part of your witness.’
Recently we have been moving to intentional discipleship. We already know that Jesus calls us to the Great Commission to Go and Make Disciples, but the familiarity of the Great Commission has been losing the intentionality. We are building a culture of discipleship within our community seeking to move us from comfort and complacency to passionate and consistent sharing of the Gospel with our oikos—our own natural relationships in our families, friends, neighbors and work associates. How is this going in your own life? Have you begun personal, relational, natural conversations with those who you love about the consequences of sin and your testimony of the mercy, grace and forgiveness from sin that you have received?
Open The Eyes Of My Heart
Open the eyes of my heart. Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see you. I want to see you.
Open the eyes of my heart. Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see you. I want to see you.
To see You high and lifted up. Shining in the light of your glory.
Pour Your power and love. As we sing holy, holy, holy.
This song is burned in my heart. And 2 Corinthians 3 describes the opening up of our hearts creating within us a disciple, Gospel mindset.
“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
Discipleship Is
Coming (to Christ)
Connecting (to Christ)
Confessing (Christ as LORD)
Conforming (to Christ)
The essence of disciple-making is God transforming us from the inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit. So how does what the Holy Spirit is doing on the inside work itself out in our disciple-making of a new believer? People transform into disciples as they progress in growth identified in three important words: Belong, believe and become.
The discipleship philosophy of Belong, Believe, and Become is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. These run concurrently throughout the discipleship process. This discipleship philosophy helps us to understand the motives, desires, and expectations of our Savior and the corresponding and complementary behaviors of people. In that, humankind can understand true belonging, because Jesus came looking for us. (Luke 19:10; John 1:14); we can see that God’s desire is for each of us to believe in Him for salvation and for living. (2 Peter 3:9; John 20:30-31); And finally, that He desires for each of us to be become who we are created to be and to fulfill our purpose in carrying out His will for our lives. (1 Peter 2:2; Romans 8:28-29; 1 John 3:2).
Discipleship happens among us as we help people grow to . . .
- Belong to God and His Kingdom. (v.16-18; Rom 1:6)
Discipleship pleads with all: ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness’. (Mt 6:33)
The same writer, the Apostle Paul, greets the local church in Rome by identifying the brothers and sisters in Christ this way:
“You who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1:6-7)
This is an intimacy between God—the Creator of the universe—and humanity which He loves. We are made in His image, we are given a redemption path to restore what sin destroyed. People were always created to be in familial, close proximity to God. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
At one point Jesus pulled to Himself nearby children, and told all:
“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 19:14)
And what does the Lord call us to do but to “… love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:37-40)
Every part of discipleship leads to deeper relationship with God, and then deeper love for and of humanity. We create a culture of discipleship when we love God and help others to love God. We create a culture of discipleship as we genuinely love others with that love God showed and poured into us. Live that out; love that out.
Discipleship happens among us as we help people grow to . . .
- Believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord and King. (v.16; John 20:30-31; Rom 10:9-10)
In our text, the entire work of transformation of the Holy Spirit from the inside out is based on that critical turning from all idols, beliefs and philosophies to believe in Jesus Christ. Not simply acknowledge Him, but believe. This word (#4100: πιστεύω pisteuó) is used 244 times in the New Testament as the verb form of the word faith. To believe means to commit to, to place your trust in someone or something. At the same time we place are placing our full trust in the Lord, we are breaking away from self-centeredness, we are breaking free of sinful patterns and we are saying a resounding ‘no’ the world’s demons masquerading as gods.
You may know that the Gospel of John with a series of incredible signs and miracles accomplished by Jesus all aimed at the same conclusion: That Jesus is God the Son, the Anointed Savior and LORD.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)
There is no salvation of sin outside of faith in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And there is no Biblical discipleship without Christ crucified, risen and coming again.
As we make disciples—and within a new believer the Holy Spirit is working—we call the disciple to confess throughout life that Jesus Christ is Lord and upon He alone—His death and resurrection– must our faith be resting.
Do you desire to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? A follower of our Lord? Than we must be clear, bold and obedient on the question, ‘Who is Jesus?” He is the Christ, the son of the Living God! (Mt 16:13-16)
- Become like Jesus Christ in our character and our life choices through the power of the Holy Spirit. (v.18)
16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
What is happening here? We all—who turned to the Lord (v.16)– with unveiled face, continually see as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and are progressively being transformed into His image from minimul glory of humanity to infinite glory of the image of God, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. He resides within us. And He is set out for radical transformation.
As we are discipled and become disciple-makers, we embrace and own His purposes for our lives. This sets discipleship in this church on fire.
Live up! (Surrender to the fruit of the Spirit in your life)
Pray up! (Pray every day for your people.)
Speak up! (Break the Gospel conversation wall.)
Open up! (Invite your people to Jesus, to Church and to other events)
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 choice
Prayer
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