Bill Smith
During accountability time while listening to testimonies and reports, listen for barrier(s) which will prevent the CPM from moving forward. These barrier(s) must to be addressed right after ech accountability time, and, depending on the barrier(s), may indicate addressing only the barrier(s) instead of presenting the next level of lessons.
Address barrier(s) immediately and, depending on response, either continue with tearing down barrier(s) or proceed to the next level of lessons. Stronghold(s) must be torn down and obedience fulfilled before moving forward (II Corinthians 10:3-6); otherwise you are only teaching material not facilitating obedience and faithfulness to God’s Word.
Each of these barrier(s) can be evaluated based on the fruit of the trainers reports (Matthew 7:16-20). Trying to build a house/CPM on any less foundation than understanding and obedience to God’s Word will lead to the collapse of the house/CPM (Matthew 7:24-27).
1. Not sharing faithfully or boldly; not bearing fruit
Evaluate — Low number time sharing, few decisions for Christ
Farming & sowing analogy
II Corinthians 9:6 — Sow abundantly, reap abundantly if sow sparingly reap sparingly
Galatians 6:6-10 — God is not mocked whatever a man sows so shall he reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
John 15:5 — I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in Him will bear much fruit for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Matthew 7:16-20 — You will know a tree by its fruit. Good tree produces good fruit. Bad tree produces bad fruit. (You will know you trainees by their fruit/words without deeds is dead)
Matthew 13:1-23 — Failure to produce fruit 30 fold, 60 fold, 100 fold because of:
(1) Hard heart
(2) Fear of persecution
(3) Love of world/money and cares of this world
2.
Not
applying what you have learned from God’s Word each month
accountability).
Evaluate — Not implementing what you taught in previous month(s) or level(s)
James 1:22 — Be doers of the Word not hearers only least you deceive yourselves.
If you hear but do not do you are lying to yourself.
James 2:17, 26 — Faith without works is dead.
James 4:17 — If know to do good (God’s Word) and do not do it is sin.
Matthew 7:24-27 — If you hear God’s Word but do not apply it to your life you are like a man who builds his house on sand which will collapse when the storms come but if you are a doer of the Word you are like a man building a house on the rock which does not fall when the storms come.
3.
Not
forming house groups/house churches right away.
Evaluate — Have believers with 2 or more converts but not forming new house churches
If house churches/groups are not being formed as soon as 2 or more have been won to Christ then accountability and opportunity for discipleship is lost. We always use the term house church even when we know according to our criteria the group may only be currently a “house group” because we want to instill in the leaders the importance of moving toward a “house church”.
How many people are required to form a “body of Christ”? In God’s math 1 + 1 = 3
Where 2 or more or gathered together there I am also (Matthew 18:20).
You have a “body of Christ” where 2 or more believers or gathered together for worship because they are joined by Christ automatically.
If do not immediately form house churches there is no avenue for accountability to one another. (Proverbs 27:17, Hebrews 10:24-25)
If do not immediately form house churches there is no avenue for teaching and modeling for others how to be followers of Christ. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Timothy 2:2)
If do not immediately form house churches beginning at level 1 training then not laying your foundation on Jesus Christ before building house (I Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 2:20, I Peter 2:4-10)
4. Not baptizing immediately.
Evaluate — Ratio of new believers to baptized believers is very low.
In basic discipleship Level 2, we teach baptism as an act of following the example and commands of Jesus with baptism being symbolic of burying our old sinful life (or dying to self) and being raised again in new life with Christ and that this should be done immediately after confession of faith as a fruit of repentance (follows evidence of disciple in word and deed in Level 2: Week 4). One of the biggest barriers we face is trainers delaying baptism because of one or more of the following reasons:
a) They wait until they feel the new believers reach a certain maturity level.
b) They wait until an ordained person/leader can do the baptism.
c) They wait until they feel the baptism will not result in persecution.
A. Acts Hammer (10 passages from Acts)
Heard, believed, confessed, and were immediately baptized.
(1) Acts 2:41 3000 baptized in one day after confession of faith
(2) Acts 8:12-13 Samaritans, former demon-possessed/sorcerers/sick
(3) Acts 8:36-38 Ethiopian eunuch as traveling on road
(4) Acts 9:18 Saul (arrested and murdered believers)
(5) Acts 10:47-48 Gentiles, Peter commanded Jews not to wait
(6) Acts 16:13-15 Women by riverside
(7) Acts 16:33 Roman jailer (enemy of Jews), Disciples open wounds
(8) Acts 18:8 Ruler of synagogue (possible spy)
(9) Acts 19:15 John’s baptism not enough
(10) Acts 22:14-17 Why are you waiting? (Ananias speaking to Saul)
B. Five Questions
(1) Why? Command of Jesus Matthew 28:19-20
Symbolic of dying to sin & born again to righteousness, Romans 6:1-6
(2) When? Immediately Acts 8:36-38
(3) Where? Water Mark 1:9-11
(4) Who? Disciple John 4:1-2, Matthew 28:19-20
(5) How? Immersion Mark 1:9-11
C. Plant the seed
If have a bag of seed but never planted then no chance of the seed bearing fruit and over time the “good” seed will spoil because it was not planted.
John 12:24 — Seed planted, dies to self, bears multiple seed(s)
Bury new believers in baptism
Matthew 13 — Not all seeds planted will bear fruit but cannot measure until planted
Matthew 10:32-39 — If ashamed or unwilling to be planted after counting the cost then Jesus will be ashamed of us (Luke 14:25-33).
5.
Not
delegating authority to house church leaders (one pastor trying to lead
all
groups).
Evaluate — House group(s) stop multiplying after 5 to 7 groups because pastor is only able to lead one per day (7 days in a week) so growth stops at the limit of the pastor/evangelist.
Exodus 18:13-23 — Leadership must be delegated so do not bog down.
6.
Not
training disciples, only making converts not “fishers of men”.
Evaluate — Not seeing 2nd generation fruit because only converts not being trained.
Matthew 28:19-20 Make disciples not converts
Matthew 4:19 Make “fishers of men”
II Timothy 2:2 Train other faithful men/women to make disciples
7.
Not
maintaining “accountability” to one another.
Evaluate — New believers are not regularly attending house church, accountability missing in house church (not implementing what teaching)
Proverbs 27:17 Like iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another
Hebrews 10:24-25 Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own sight, fear the Lord
II Timothy 2:2 Pass on what you know to faithful men and women.
8.
Not
following God’s teachings but “traditions of men”.
Evaluate — Not obeying Scripture following denominational/men’s traditions
Mark 7:1-13 Traditions contradict God’s Word
Acts 17:11 Searched the Scripture daily to see if these things were so
(Standard is God’s Word not words of men)