Culture Code

The Recipe for Ministry

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:11–13 NLT

Ministers Are Not Just the Few, They’re the Many

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:12 NLT

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

- Ephesians 4:12 NIV

Ministry Is Not Just About Doing, It’s About Building

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:12 NLT

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

- 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

Maturity Comes Through Participation, Not Observation

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:13 NLT

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

- 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

- Mark 10:45 NLT

Discipleship is Relationship

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

- Mathew 28:18-20 NIV

“I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,”

- John 14:30 NIV

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

- Colossians 2:14-15 NLT

Discipleship begins with our relationship with Jesus.

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me…….’

- Mathew 4:19 NIV

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

- John 15:15 NIV

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!””

- Romans 8:15, NASB2020

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.””

- Heb 10: 15-17 NIV

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.”

- Jeremiah 7:20 NIV

“Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”

- Jeremiah 9:15 NIV

Discipleship grows in our relationship with one another.

“…so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

- 1 Thesalonians 2:8 NIV

Discipleship multiplies through relationships.

One Move That Changes Everything

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:18–20, NIV

The Authority of Discipleship

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

- Matthew 28:18

The Assignment of Discipleship

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations

- Matthew 28:19a

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem… to the ends of the earth.”

- Acts 1:8

The Act of Discipleship

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

- Matthew 28:19b

The Assurance of Discipleship

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:20

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Famous Last Words

'After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…'

- Revelation 7:9

'And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'

- Matthew 28:18

‘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.”'

- Matthew 28:19-20

The last words of Christ should be our first priority.

We can bring the Great Commission into every other mission.