Disciple & Discipleship???

I have been hearing, reading, and studying about discipleship since my salvation in 1985. The unfortunateness of this is that is basically all that has been done. There is no doubt that the mission of the church, the primary emphasis in all we do, where our energy and budget should be placed is on “making disciples.” However, in our church culture of today it’s an “all you can eat buffet.” Here we can pick and chose from the different ministries of the church that will serve and satisfy us the best. We have subdued true discipleship for a superficial self-serve “community” that is program-driven and superficial at best. I put community in quotation marks because there is no authentic community absent the mandate to make disciples. Real, authentic community always happens around and centered on the Scriptures. There is a clear biblical call that discipleship doesn’t happen alone and we all grow as we learn from Jesus Christ and one another. Making disciples, as easy as it sounds, requires a high level of commitment and work. Our fast-food, instant-access church culture model may grow a church numerically, but it only scratches the surface and remains in the shallow end of knowing God versus delving into the depths and often dangerous depths with God.

Discipleship means, “If anyone would come after me (Christ), let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Discipleship is a costly endeavor as Jesus again admonishes us to count the cost (Luke 14:26-35) and very succinctly states is verse 33, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” All of this to state the obvious that churches are involved in many activities that could not be classified as disciple making. The one main thing is not the main thing if it’s even a “thing” at all.

We do, however, every now and then talk about and even emphasizes rightly evangelism. I’m all for that, but think about it for a minute. How many of those that are “evangelized” are in our churches? How many of them do we even get into the baptismal? By the way, there is no need to baptize someone unless they have become a follower of Jesus…right? Jesus also included in the Great Commission: “… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (v. 20).

What the culturally comfortable church has done and is doing is sure, people can be a “disciple” and carry a Bible and have Jesus bumper stickers, and even post one man and one woman on Facebook; they could even teach in a small group or be a “professional” pastor if they so desire. What all that adds up to is a people who believe in Jesus as far as a mental assent to His teachings and to that of the doctrines of their particular denomination. They can do all this and decide NOT to follow Jesus. Many of our so called churches have relented to the ideals of what they have created culturally in their church – they have checked the block on the facts of the gospel, got their sins taken care of and have got their ticket into glory. But all of that does not come close to fitting what Jesus describes as His disciple.

The culturally comfortable church has reduced the gospel and hollowed out a new disciple’s natural response to the gospel, which is to follow Jesus and build his or her life around His practices. Receiving Christ as Savior is the beginning line, not the finish line. It means, “Whatever it takes.” What did salvation cost Jesus? His life! What does it cost me? My life! My life, then, is an answer; it is an offering, a living sacrifice. As Bonhoeffer so eloquently said, “We must not make cheap what cost God everything.” (Bonhoffer, 48).

What is the gospel? Does it have the power to save and to transform lives? Hull states, “The most common view of salvation does not require or include transformation. It creates the disturbing question for congregations, ‘Who is saved and who is not?’ or, more troubling, ‘Who is not saved and who has been taught falsely that they are” (Hull, Making Disciples, 12)? In other words, what Hull is saying is we make a mockery of the gospel when it does not require repentance and desire for a new life. The gospel has the power to make and keep those who are truly disciples. I would submit to you based on Scripture that those who made some kind of profession, signed a card, walk an isle and yet are no longer able to be found are indeed NOT a true disciple. Paul says, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:1-2). The text is clear and needs little commentary, they have “believed in vain.”

I’ll stop ranting and sum it up this way. Our problems that we have in our lives, families, church, and in this country is that we are not Making Disciples. We must get back to what Christ defined as a disciple and those that are not going hard after that definition, I would ask you to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor 13:5). And as for the local New Testament church, it needs to get back to making the main thing the main thing – Making [true] Disciples. That means we Go and preach and baptize and teach them to obey everything that Christ’s and the gospel commands.

Bibliography

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New Your, NY: Macmillian, 1963.

Hull, Bill. The Disciple-Making Church: Leading a Body of Believers on the Journey of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010.

Are You a Spiritual Person?

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Cor. 2:14-15).

Spirituality is something that everyone wants but what does that look like for a Christian? In that sense, the word ‘spirituality’ focuses on the ‘spiritual person’ (pneumatikos anthrōpos), the person who has placed their faith in the risen Christ, and is in the process of being renewed through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. The big question to ask oneself is “I’m I becoming more like Christ in the way I think, feel, and act?” We call that spiritual growth and development, which includes all aspects of our life in Christ. We don’t get to pick and choose, as Christ demands all of us as He has demonstrated and given (Matt. 16:24-26; Luke 14:26-27). In light of this a ‘spiritual person’ will develop ways of reading and engaging with God’s word that will promote spiritual nourishment to sustain the life of faith, enabling him or her to grow, to include any and all conditions. In fact, our greatest growth comes through trials and tribulations (James 1:1-13).

The ‘spiritual person’ will be a focused person. First, with all that this world is trying to get us focused on the primary focus must be on the person and work of Christ. This in part is what it means to be an Evangelical. The focus is on the ministry of Christ, the way in which he interacted with people through compassion and love. Focused on his suffering and death on the cross – a costly redemption in which Christ drank fully the cup of the wrath of God for our account.  Then there’s the resurrection, ascension, and the coming again, the sure hope that spurs us on to live a life that glorifies the Father. This is far different than other “spiritualties” that are out there on the American landscape.

This brings us again to the obvious conclusion that this ‘spiritual person’ will put an emphasis on reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture. This is where God has revealed himself and tells us about someone who matters more than anyone else – as well as us mattering to Christ as well. If there is no desire to learn more about this person, so you can draw closer to him then he has not initiated (grace) that relationship with you. In other words you are not saved. You only have a “form of godliness” in which these are people that we are actually to stay away from (2 Tim. 3:5).  Scripture is what helps us to understand more about God and his purpose for us in glorifying him fully and how we are to keep Jesus centered and as our vision for our faith. So then, what did you read, and study this morning? What Bible study groups are you in to learn, share and strengthen our faith? I firmly believe that small groups are the backbone of the church and our faith.

The ‘spiritual person’ will have as well an appreciation for hymns, commentaries, and other tools to help come along side the Scriptures. These are not substitutes for the Bible but they are like magnifying glasses to help us bring clarity to biblical ideas and principles.  We understand that we stand on broad shoulders from our past as the Holy Spirit worked through great men and women to bring about our rich Christian heritage.  We love the hymns that focus on the person of Christ and the majesty and character of our great God and Savior.  Evangelicalism has no place for writer of book, commentaries or songs who point us away from Scripture or Jesus Christ. The dependability and trustworthiness is to be determined by the extent to which these writers are centered on Christ and focused on the Scripture.

We must face the reality that we often take our faith for granted; we loose the awe of our great God and it becomes commonplace in our lives. We become culturally comfortable in our Christianity. This must be shaken off and a restoration needs to take place in our lives where we again and again reignite a passion for Christ. If we our to be ‘spiritual people’ and our faith is going to work, it must have both nourishment and enrichment. So in conclusion, are you a biblically spiritual person? Does your life reflect Christ? Is the word of God prominent in your daily life?  

Good & Best

I know it has been awhile since I posted anything. It's been quite a busy time in my life with studies, preaching, family, and oh yes, life. However, I will try to get back into it at least begin to try.

What I have noticed lately, especially in the last 5 years, is that one of the greatest issues facing many families is all the good stuff they are doing. Spending time with family on one, two and even three vacations, along with several "get aways" in order to build up and have a good family time building memories. Then there is all the good that comes with all sports. It's not just baseball, basketball, and football anymore, oh no, we have so much more good stuff to do. Now we have soccer, cheer-leading, gymnastics, karate, swimming, and on and on I could go. There is never a break between any of them and they probably even overlap in most cases. There is no longer just a couple of channels on TV, there is now so many good channels and good movies that are good and wholesome for the whole family to watch no matter what time they come on because we can always watch them no matter what time, we've got DVR's!

Right now most of you think you know where I might be going, right? This of course leaves no time for the church. But hold on a minute because the church has followed the culture and now you can go online and look at what church offers the most good stuff for your family. They have ministries for this and ministries for that, they have sports ministries, and exercise ministries, and video ministry and on and on we could go.

All of this stuff if good! Don't we believe that more is always good? The problem, as I see it, is that we are so consumed with the good that we have not had time to even contemplate and ask the question "What is best?

That's the question that I leave you with. Oops, one more good best thing I want to mention. A guy by the name of Solomon did a lot of good stuff and he talked a little bit about that in a book he wrote - Ecclesiastes.

On Being a Disciple Based on the Word

This is an article I read written by Dr. Matt Wilmington that I thought I would share:

1.      Someone who is willing to deny himself and take up his own cross–Luke 14:26

2.      Someone who is willing to prioritize his relationship to Christ ahead of all other relationships–Luke 14:27/ Matt. 6:33

3.      Someone who seriously counts the cost of following Christ–Luke 14:28-32

4.      Someone who is willing to give up their possessions–Luke 14:33

5.      Someone who remains in God’s word–John 8:31-32/ Acts 17:10-12

6.      Someone who is walking in freedom and victory–John 8:32,36 / Gal. 5:1

7.      Someone who loves other Christians–John 13:35

8.      Someone who realizes that they can do nothing apart from Christ, remains in the Vine, prays, bears much fruit, and glorifies God–John 15:1-8

9.      Someone who will become like his Master–Matt. 10:24

10.  Someone who is obedient to Jesus–Matt. 26:19

11.  Someone who is continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit–Acts 13:52

From these PASSAGES we can extract three principles: sacrificial, relational and transformational.  We can begin to develop a definition that will help de-mystify what a disciple looks like; once the fog is lifted, only then can we begin to design an organic process for disciple-making. Here is my definition for a person, who would follow Jesus:

A disciple is a person who has trusted Christ for salvation and has surrendered completely to Him.  He or she is committed to practicing the spiritual disciplines in community and developing to their full potential for Christ and His mission.

From this point your church must develop effective, measurable practices that will produce “Dangerous Disciples” who will be in love with both the person and mission of Christ!

What is Your Goal?

More specifically, what is your goal as a disciple of Jesus Christ? And if you can articulate your goal, do you know how your going to get there? In serving in the Army Special Forces, we often trained to fight and called it combatives. The combatives that I'm talking about here are not the ones we see in the video games and in the movie house per se. However, cabatives in the US Army and biblical are similar in that they are both fought for a honorable and principal cause.

When I joined the military and volunteered to be a Special Forces Green Beret, my motives we not exactly honorable. The motto within Special Forces is "De Opresso Liber" - To Free the Oppressed" and as time went on that motto took on a greater significance in what I was training and fighting for. In other words, I learned that I was fighting for something worthwhile and much bigger than I was or ever could be. I believe that part of the image of God (Imago De) of man is that we hunger for a noble fight.

I mentioned the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28) above and in a nutshell that's what discipleship is - image. We were created in the image of the Father but sin messed that image up and were put in a position of desperation for renewal (Romans 5:12-21). Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and soon return gives us that renewal and ability to relate again to a holy God as well with one another (2 Cor. 3:18; Colossians 1:15, 3:10). He (Christ) is our example and the One we must look to and at as a disciple, which means we must look away from our sin and self (2 Corinthians 4:6). That's why our vision here at Mt Zion Baptist Church is to glorify God by igniting a passion for Christ, period. This vision and gospel knowledge of Christ keeps is on course so that we not only behold but our transformed into the image of Christ to the glory of God. We fight for many things and my fighting in the Army started out in selfish desires but as I beheld the the cause as honorable and principled it changes me. The same is with discipleship - true nobility and honor converge at the foot of the Cross with the Person and word of Christ. It is a true when one says we become what we behold.

I am the son of my Father and he has rubbed off on me in so many ways. The same is true with many others who invested and poured their life into me. The problem, however, is Genesis three. Yes, we're saved but saved sinners. We still have that old nature in us and unfortunately find ourselves sliding back into the broken image. That's why the gospel - the person and work of Christ is not just for our new birth but that same gospel calls us back to look at Jesus over and over again. It's an everyday thing! It was the gospel - the initial grace of God through the drawing of the Spirit (Jn 6:44) that opened our eyes to see Jesus for our new birth and justification. But it is that same gospel that must continue to empower us to continue to behold Jesus and change us into the image of his glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). How can this be? Remember when Jesus ascended to be at the right hand of the Father, he did not leave us comfortless. It's the person of God in the person of the Spirit that lives within a believer and a true disciple must rely on the Spirit to focus and draw our attention to Jesus. However, that's where the fighting comes in - amen? Are you still hooking and jabbing with the Spirit to be like Jesus? I would submit to you that it's a definite goal worth fighting for, even to give our very lives to it. When was the last time, like Moses, you said "Please show my your glory" (Exodus 33:18)? Oh that we would be willing to fight the noble fight to behold the face of Jesus in our lives.

So what's the goal of a disciple? First, there is going to be a fight (1 Timothy 6:12). The fight to believe the gospel - a real belief that shakes us out of our culturally comfortable Christianity that has created our own gospel. Disciples of Christ fight in knowing that Jesus' death and resurrection is ours as well. Dead to sin and alive to Christ (Romans 6:11; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 3:18). We aren't fighting to be perfect as our perfection is already ours in Christ, but for BELIEF. Do we really believe it? If so we would be beholding Him more as revealed in Scripture and becoming more like Him every day. As we used to say in the Army, "let's gear up for the fight." Let's gear up for the fight and believe the gospel - it's a worthy and noble fight.

How's Your Holy?

In most our Sunday school small group classes this month we have been looking at holiness. That’s really something that isn’t talked about an awful lot in most churches today. I mean our life is hard enough as it is and who can be holy anyway - right? Of course, we want to be a good person and better ourselves and for the most part we don’t do the really bad sins, our sins are the respectable ones. We got the blood and have been saved and pastor (that’s me) tells us that any righteousness or good that we have was given to us by Jesus and so holiness is not so much a requirement and something I need to think about too much. That’s where we tend to go wrong and where we are so good at justifying our sin in failing to grow in holiness.

Kevin DeYoung, in his new book, calls it our hole in our holiness. In other words, “the hole in our holiness is that we don’t really care much about it.” ^[1] He rightly goes on to say that “too many sermons are basically self-help seminars on becoming a better you.” ^[2] However, in realty, the gospel is not about our good, trying to be good or being better. Any good we do and our morality without heralding what Christ has first done for us on the cross is another gospel.

Holiness comes first from Christ sanctifying us by Him giving of himself (Hebrews 7:27; 9:14) as our sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 9:28) on the altar of the cross. Jesus became our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) and took our place (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18) and bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24) and became for us a source of eternal food (John 6:53) which meets our deepest needs and gives us eternal life.  

With that said, and all that He has done He also tell us, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). And the wonderful thing is, He doesn’t tell us to do anything that He doesn’t expect to do for us through Jesus Christ. It’s all through that wonderful word called GRACE! Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 15:10  where he says, “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” There’s a whole lot of grace in that verse, did you see it?

Again, DeYoung makes a good statement here: “My fear is that as we rightly celebrate, and in some quarters rediscover, all that Christ has saved us from, we are giving little thought and making little effort concerning all that Christ has saved us to.” ^[3]

So how can we know that there are holes in our holiness? I think the Scripture gives us one way that we could possible know. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Did you read that real carefully? If so, ask yourself when was the last time someone asked you about your hope? Of course that hope is the hope we have in our salvation. And because of what He again did for us, we are to live holy lives. In other words, we live so contrary to the world that they obviously see that there is something different about us – we’re holy!

Jesus said it best: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So how bright is our light? That light is the holiness of Christ that was graciously given to us by God because Christ lived the life we could not live and paid a debt we could not pay. When we serve Him and allow Him to work in and through us our light shines like a city on a hill that cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14).

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^[1] Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap Between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012).

^[2] Ibid.

^[3] Ibid