Scriptures: Psalm 139:16 & Ephesians 4:13-15
Pastor Ben shared about the Whole Life Approach. It is a holistic lifespan approach to discipleship. Pastor Ben shared that the purpose of attending church is not about being a good person, but to be a disciple of Christ. Finding the content for discipleship is not the most critical. It is more important to first know the context of discipleship, before the right strategy can be implemented and the right content is found. He shared that orientation of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) is relational, and as for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) it is action.
Pastor Ben shared that the 5 Pillars provides the context of discipleship in the Whole Life Approach - FIRSV
1. Faith: 24/7 Relationship
a) Going to church is a “popular” form of Christianity. Christianity has become “event-based”. Discipleship of ourselves and our children has been outsourced to the “professional” pastors. Pastor Ben exhorted families to take back the ownership of discipling the children e.g. praying or reading the Bible with them, and discussing faith at home. See Deuteronomy 6:1-9.
b) Disciples to live out Christianity 24/7, every day.
2. Identity: Purpose and Calling (Luke 19:12-27)
a) The Singaporean Identity is built on 5 Cs. Pastor Ben shared that Christian parents are also caught up in enabling their children to attain the 5 Cs, however children may end up having no soul though they have a degree. They are unable to ascertain who they are and what they want to do in life.
b) Disciples discover and develop God’s call for their lives. As Christians we have a primary calling (to follow Christ) and a secondary calling (our Vocation and Ministry, depending on our spiritual gifts).
3. Relationships: Authenticity and Intimacy
Pastor Ben shared that only 19% of church goers shared that they were being mentored. He also mentioned about how families described in the Bible referred to extended families, instead of nuclear families. He shared about the importance of community for disciples to grow.
a. Within the community, unintentionally, we become superficial and transactional.
b. Disciples live out authentic and intimate relationships within the context of the community. (John 15:15, 1 Thessalonians 2:8). Pastor Ben exhorted for the mentoring process to be personal and authentic, which cannot be done in big groups. As it is only through such an approach, can a community help to sustain marriages, family, discipleship, etc.
4. Sexuality: Wholeness
a. Popular culture is sexualized and sexually broken. The Church needs to rise up to speak about issues of sexuality. If not, disciples will be educated about sex from a worldly perspective. Pastor Ben also asked the Church if the Church is ready to disciple and mentor those in need of sexual wholeness.
b.Disciples are sexually whole (Genesis 1:27, 2:25). Pastor Ben reminded us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and not an amusement park like how the world has portrayed it.
5. Values: Biblical Worldview
a. Pluralism and secularism teaches that truth is relative and God is irrelevant (Proverbs 23:7). Pastor Ben shared about three different worldviews – 1) Eastern worldviews - “There is no purpose / Forget it” 2) Secularism - “Do It yourself” and 3) Biblical worldview - “You can discover your purpose through your calling.”
b. Disciples embody Biblical Truth (Ezekiel 33:10).
Discussion Questions
1. As a cell, take some time to think through the pointers shared in the sermon. Share about one or two points that spoke to you. [5 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a recall / recap question for members to think through the pointers shared in the sermon and how it spoke to them.
2. We are called to be disciples of Christ. What is your experience/understanding of discipleship, and how is discipleship as shown in the Bible similar or different from your experience/understanding? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a relate question. Leaders can choose to let members share about their experiences or understanding of discipleship. Leaders may ask members to reflect on the purpose of discipleship and how becoming more like Christ in the process can look like with the different ways of discipleship in today’s context.
Leaders can draw contrast on what popular culture expects and how Christians should aspire to. Read Matthew 5:13-16. Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and to be the light of the world. We are therefore called to let the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control shine through us. See Galatians 5:22-23.
3. As a cell, think about the discipleship needs of your life stage and share with one another. [15 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a reflect question. Leaders may wish to facilitate members to share about the difficulties faced in a particular life stage. Pastor Ben mentioned the importance of context in discipleship. The 5 Pillars in the Whole Life Approach (FIRSV) can provide a framework for members to identify areas where they need to grow in knowledge and/or receive encouragement in. Leaders can encourage members by inspiring or challenging them to adopt a holistic and lifespan approach to discipleship.
Pray for each other, asking members to reflect about how they can support the community and vice versa. Leaders can encourage members to complete the Whole Life Inventory survey (wholelife.sg/inventory) which will be used as a tool for the RiverLife Church leadership to identify the needs and work on a strategy to follow up.
4. What is one step you would like to take in growing as a disciple of Christ? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a response question for members to reflect on how they are doing in their walk with God, and how the cell can grow together as a community in Christ.
