DSMN 500 Exam 1

From memory quote Matt. 28:19-20 and explain what the command verb is?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Make disciples.

From Dr. Dempsey's article on "What is Discipleship?" what are the 3 summary principles for discipleship:

1. Intentional- The Great Commandment. The New Commandment. Acts 2:42-47 These passages make it clear that the early church had a clear strategy. That strategy revolved around love. Love for God, love for people and love for believers. This type of love has the ability to crush arguments, confuse enemies and convince skeptics. In the book of Revelation the church of Ephesus left its first love and God gave the church a very specific prescription, "Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent." A church that has lost its love for God won't move forward with love for the lost. The gates of hades will not be pushed back. Instead the church will be afflicted with the paralysis of analysis. Maintenance becomes the goal while a movement is what is needed. When the church does not move forward it must move backward in retreat. The solution for reaching the world has always been simple. People transformed by the grace of God have always been God's method. The church must become intentional to develop people who genuinely love God, love people and love believers. This is not a program. This is a pursuit. After all love motivated God to send Jesus in the first place. Love is God's plan for God's people. 2. Individual- Ephesians 4:11-16. Colossians 1:28. The focus in this series of verses is to for Pastors to equip the saints to spiritual maturity and for the saints to do the works of service. We are saved to serve. In the Ephesians passage the emphasis is on every person "being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body." The body of Christ will grow as 'each individual part' does its unique specific function in the body. The converse is true as well... if each part of the body is not functioning properly then the body will not grow. Church growth is really more of a matter of growing and developing disciples. The body will grow in quantity as the intentionally develops each individual to reach their full potential in Christ- quality. Because as the church grows in quantity it is going to need quality disciples to lead the people in the church by example. Remember, "Christianity is more caught than taught." 3. Missional- Matthew 2:18-20. This is perhaps the most difficult one to address because the church seems to be stuck in a maintenance mindset. Pastors are viewed as shepherds who feed and care for difficult sheep instead of a general preparing soldiers for battle. The Great Commission makes it clear that we are to make disciples "of all the nations." Yet every year we seem to get further and further behind. Why would God give us a mandate that is impossible to accomplish? The answer is that He didn't. It is possible to reach the world with the gospel if we understand that the full development of every person is critical to reaching the world. As the person grows in Christ likeness and maturity we intentionally create opportunities for them to engage directly in the mission of the master. We cannot reach the world if we do not equip the saints to reach their full potential.

Give Dr. Dempsey's definition of a disciple:

A disciple is a person who has trusted Christ for salvation and has surrendered completely to Him. He or she is committed to practicing the spiritual disciplines in community and developing to their full potential for Christ and His mission.

What is your definition of a disciple and explain your 3 primary principles?

A person who has dedicated their life to the Lord to follow His instructions no matter the cost. Sacrificial- we are willing to go out of their comfort zone to do as God has called us. We sacrifice their comfort Relational- we love on everyone we encounter because Jesus called us to love our neighbor as ourself Transformational- we are constantly striving for spiritual formation because we want to be more like Christ.

Give Dr. Dempsey's definition of discipleship:

Discipleship is the process of guiding individual disciples to grow in spiritual maturity and to discover and use their gifts, talents and abilities in fulfillment of Christ's mission.

From the spiritual formation assessment what was your strongest area? Weakest area?

My strongest is that I have found what my spiritual gift is. My weakest is that I am not memorizing scripture.

What is your definition of discipleship and explain your 3 primary principles:

The process of bringing people to Christ by correctly preparing evangelistic methods that are successful in leading people to the Lord, and developing these people to disciple others in the same way.

From chapter 12 explain the three directions of spiritual formation (3 paragraphs)?

Upward- Inward- Outward-

From chapter one in "Spiritual Formation Is" give Dr. Earley's longer definition of spiritual formation:

an ongoing, gradual process of glorious transformation into the image of Jesus by the Spirit of God that is available to every believer as a result of honestly and intentionally seeking the face of God.

From Dr. Dempsey's article on "What is a Disciple?" what are the 3 summary principles of what it means to be a disciple?

1. Sacrificial- He or she has made a decision to submit to Christ and surrender their will and to follow Christ no matter what the cost. 2. Relational- He or she understands that love is the hallmark of followers of Christ. 3. Transformational- He or she understands that the purpose of spiritual growth is directed toward becoming like Christ in word, thought, attitude and ACTION.

What is the passage that explains the process of spiritual formation?

2 Corinthians 3:17-18