Restoration of Artist Development
They Call it ‘Artist Development’; We Call it ‘Discipleship’
Stone 5 Discipleship/Spiritual Maturity – Be more like Christ
Here we go again brothers and sisters in the music ministry. We are going to cover a lot of ground (and a lot of Scriptures).
We come to our next section which is basically discipleship and spiritual maturity. In the music world music labels have stopped doing artist development all around. Now the same thing has been taking place in the church, especialy among the Holy Hip-Hop artists.
Cats is converted these artists and then these artists are performing in the pulpits of our churches in the same week without further growth and education in the foundational principles of the faith.
We don’t even know what homie believes yet, but now he’s a minister. What kind of mess is that? Somebody explain that one to me. If you can’t, then I can. Just go listen to the music being put out in the body.
I just recently started doing Holy Hip-Hop album and mixtape reviews. I’ve been just going down the line on music projects in the Sacred Apparel Mixtapes website. And in between here and there brothers and sisters have been sending in their projects. So I pull over, listen to the music about 3 to 5 times, and do my video review.
Well I came around one album, and if you know me, you know that I am not calling out names. I’m doing the David thing and letting God be the just and touch not the anointed. I don’t even know if they anointed or not. Saul had a demon on his, but David still called him anointed. So I will do what David did.
I listened to brothers album and I decided not to even do a review. I thought I was listening to a G-Unit album. No lie! The music was good, if I was a secular dude looking for that kind of music. He mentioned Christ or something of God here and there, but the mixtape had gun shots through out, bragging raps, and talking about how violent he would get with other artists that stepped to him IN THE BODY! I was highly upset. I had already promised on the music reviews that I was NOT going to talk or say anything negative about the project that I was reviewing. And I also said that if anyone wanted to get feedback on their project for anything negative to email me or get with me however they can.
The whole purpose of the reviews are to promote the positive, the strength of the project, and the artists. Plus to give him or her a little shine, give the fans some advice, and let churches know how and where to use the artist in various types of events they may have. Plus the other two purposes were to:
English: Rick Warren speaks at the 2006 TED conference. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1. Determine which of the Five Purposes of the Church was the most evident on the project (Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, Evangelism—courtesy of Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church & Life).
2. And to deterine which of the Five Fold Ministry anointings resonated the most of the artists music and lyrics (Apostle, Prophet, Teacher, Pastor, Evangelist).
This is not the first time this has happened. I know numerous hip-hop ministry camps guilty of this. And this message series is going to talk about how to develop these artists to bring out their best potential for God’s glory by discipling them and conforming them into the image of Christ Jesus.
But as always let’s start with our old and new mission statements, which basically stayed the same when our ministry changed our focus.
Here’s the Old:
DISCIPLESHIP – It is our vision to be used by God to help educate, train, discipline, mold, shape, and mentor the Faithful, Available, and Teachable (F.A.T.) Christians into spiritually mature giants in four areas: [1] continual studying of God’s Word–the Truth; [2] loving other Christians, churches, and denominations as Christ love them all; [3] glorifying God through inward fruit bearing and enduring persecution; and [4] denying self, dying daily, and forsaking all for Christ and the Kingdom experiencing His divine power for a rich, fulfilling, transforming, intimate and vibrant relationship with the Father.
Here’s the New:
OUR DISCIPLESHIP — It is our vision to educate, train, discipline, mold, and mentor the Faithful, Able, and Teachable (F.A.T.) mighty men and women of God in the Ways of God that they will be mature in four areas: [1] continued study in apostolic teaching—God’s Word, [2] fellowship and in breaking of bread—loving other Christians, Churches, and denominations as Christ loves them all, [3] in prayers—worshiping and glorifying God through inward fruit bearing of faith, hope, and love; and [4] denying self, dying daily, and forsaking all for Christ and the Kingdom not departing from Him or His New Covenant. – (King David, 2 Sam 23, Acts 2:42, John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 15:18; Luke 14:26-27, 33; Prov. 22:6; Jer. 32:38-41).
You see not much has changed. We just made it reflect more of the ministry pattern of David.
Here’s the rest of our new vision statement on discipleship.
5. Discipleship/Maturity – You have to grow up. God is calling you to be conformed into the image of His son. This always precedes ministry. It’s that time of preparation. (The opposite effect is immaturity/carnality).
5. Discipleship/Maturity (7 Pillars):
1. My job at MIC Assembly Davidical Arts Network is the lead steward in charge of taking care of God’s garden. I launch the evangelist into new territory to go and sow the seed and plant new trees.
2. I oversee the planting, growth and fruitfulness of the ministry. I am to take care of the trees in the whole of my garden, make sure that they are growing and bearing fruit, responsible for planting new trees in the garden, pruning the existing trees that are in my garden, and I am responsible for removing fruitless trees from his garden.
3. As Spiritual (Apostolic) Father I also am to handle ministry discipline. (Eph. 4:11-16; Matt. 20:1-16; Col. 1:25-29; 1 Cor. 3:5-23; Gal. 4:19; 1 Cor. 4:14-21; Tit. 1:4; 1 Thess. 2:1-8).
If you are like me, then …
You believe in growing up, learning, maturing, getting better, increasing, and putting things into practice. This has nothing to do with perfection, but it has everything to do with the principle we call discipleship. You should be growing in seven areas, which are spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually, financially, family, and socially.
This is really simple, the minute you stop learning the minute you stop being an influence in the hip-hop ministry, industry, and culture.
Foundational Truth/Stone 5: I AM a DISCIPLE (leaner, pupil, student, UNDERSTANDER) of God’s Son–Christ. I am NOT just a follower or ‘believer’. I GROW in the Grace and Knowledge of HIM and all that is of Him.– ReAsOn DISCIPLE
[5] You covenant with us that IF you love CHRIST, THEN show it by doing what HE tells you. IF you claimed to believe in Christ and IF YOU stick with this, living out what HE tells you, you are HIS disciples for sure. THEN YOU will experience for yourselves the Truth, and THE TRUTH [Jesus IS the TRUTH] WILL FREE YOU. Nothing could make me [Apostle Ricardo Butler] happier than getting reports that my ‘sons in the faith’ continue diligently in the Way of Truth! But the one who keeps God’s Word [TRUTH] is the person in whom we see GOD’S MATURE [PERFECT] LOVE. This is the ONLY WAY to be sure we’re IN CHRIST. (John 14:15; 8:32-33; 3rd John 1:4; 1st John 2:5). THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF DISCIPLESHIP!
Stone 5 Discipleship/Maturity – Be more like Christ
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