Discipleship – Union Community Bible Church

Text: Colossians 2:6-7

Introduction: Hindrances of Not Evangelizing:

Disobedience
Lack of knowledge (clarity and definition)
Lack of prayer (faith and discernment)
Lack of confidence (fear of failure)
Lack of compassion (apathy and indifference)

Main Idea: Setting Up on the Gospel Foundation

Biblical Mindset:
- > Agricultural Images: “Some sow the seed of the gospel, others water the seed others have sown, and even others reap where people have already sown and watered.” ~ Greg LaurieRead 1 Cor 3:5-9*
- > Building Images: someone lays the foundation, and someone builds upon it. But Who already laid the foundation? Christ himself. Read 1 Cor 3:10-11*

Our Challenge: Many see serving others and obedience to God as a burden instead of joy. Others do it as virtue signalling than a model of faith. // The world’s religion (v. 8) vs the gospel (v 9; 13-15). We just need to point them to Christ. Lead them. And tell them about him.

Commit to “each one reach one” (write their names) next week we will give them books, gc, fellowship, more

Our Response:

Building Upon the Sufficiency of the Gospel of Christ (Col 2:13-15).

Our Takeaway:

Just do the first-step of obedience.
Let God show you the next steps after.
“Your job is to be faithful. Your job is to do your part and leave the results in the hands of God. // You cannot lead everyone to Christ, but by God’s grace you can lead someone to Him.” – Greg Laurie

Conclusion:

Don Whitney says, “Evangelism is a natural overflow of the Christian life. We should all be able to talk about what the Lord has done for us and what He means to us. But evangelism is also a Discipline in that we must discipline ourselves to get into the context of evangelism, that is, we must not just wait for witnessing opportunities to happen.” Later Whitney says, “Unless we discipline ourselves for evangelism, it is very easy to excuse ourselves from ever sharing the gospel with anyone.” Whitney believes that the point of disciplining ourselves for evangelism is to plan for it—for Christians to actually put it into their schedule.”

Ptr. John Paul Arceno
UCBC New Jersey
November 20, 2022

Text: Psalm 78:1-8

Christ, Church, and the Nexus Generation (Full Sermon Manuscript)

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Introduction:

Who is the author? Asaph. He is one of the Chief musicians during the reign of King David. He is part of the worship service if we will put that in today’s context.

What is a Maskil? A wise saying, verse, or a musical composition. What is he telling us? He is urging the Israelites to take care and give importance to the next generation. Henceforth, the next generation matters. He is also warning them that if they will not obey God’s command to take care of the next generation, they will fail like what happened to their ancestors.

Two things that we can clearly take home from this passage: let me pose it from a negative point; first, not reaching out to the next generation is unbiblical. Second, not seeing the next generation as important to the community is a sin—disobedience to God’s imperative call.

Main Idea:

Further Biblical grounds of reaching to the next generation:

Deuteronomy 6:7-9, “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

The Generation of Nexus

The Millennials (Working Young Adults – 25 to 35 years old)
The Gen Zs
▪ College Young Adults – 18 to 25 years old
▪ Youth – 12 to 18 years old
The Generation Alpha (Students – 12 years old below)

The Visible Nexus: Church as a Hub

Titus 2:4-8, “Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

Meaning, the duty to take care of the next generation is only dependent on one person. Not the youth pastor, not the pastor, not the Sunday school teacher, nor the Elders and deacons. But rather the entire community of believers.

The Ultimate Nexus: Christ

Jesus did not only embrace the next generation. But he is the ultimate nexus of this world. It was on the cross of Christ that he offered reconciliation, redemption, and the connection of God to humanity. Our goal is not simply catering to the next generation to the church. But we need to lead them to Christ.

Conclusion:

Nexus Generation in a word is a generation that is ought for Christ. Christ the ultimate manifestation of nexus. Connecting both humanity and God. Reconciling the relationship between God and man. It is Christ the nexus generation needs. And the church as the visible community of Christ should be the frontliners and defenders of each nexus point.

Ptr. John Paul Arceno
UCBC New Jersey
February 20, 2022

This section is an excerpt only; download the full manuscript here.