Defining Discipleship

hey family,
so one of the things that i've heard recently on here, is that we have a real problem with our mission of making disciples, since we haven't really defined that. so here's my crack at it, in the form of commentary on the "great commission", Matt. 8:18-20.

"Jesus came and said to them, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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.”

if you look at the greek, the only active verb in verse 19 is matheteuw, make disciples. the other 3 verbs (going, baptizing, and teaching) are all participles, which i think means Jesus sees them as 3 parts of disciple making.


1) go: Jesus seems to assume that the disciples will go. i've heard some scholars translate this as "having gone", that going out is a foregone conclusion in Jesus' mind. this first part is us not only reaching out, but going out, putting ourselves out into the mess of this broken world and meeting people where they're at. this is where recent terms like "incarnational ministry" and "being missional" come from. book could be, and have been, written on going out and reaching the lost, but i'll leave it there for now, as simply going to the "them" of the world.


2) baptize: as i've studied the Scriptures, it amazes me how closely the apostles tie salvation and baptism together. they almost use them interchangeably, like in Gal. 3:27, Col. 2:12 and Rom. 6:3-4. God uses this symbol to impress upon us the union with Christ, His death and resurrection, that we have through faith. and it is written, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17) so this is about people coming to saving faith in Christ, being united with Him, and professing that publicly. as a command to Christians, this is about proclaiming the Gospel.


3) teach: if the last part is what modern evangelicalism calls "evangelism", this is what it calls "discipleship". however, i think both of these terms are false, in that evangelism and discipleship are the same. it is a myth that the Gospel is "Christianity 101", something that is basic and mastered and then moved past, and equally unBiblical is the notion that Christians don't need to hear the Gospel.

paul writes in to the Christians in rome, "i am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in rome." he's eager to evangelize (euangelizw) the Christians! because while non-Christians need to hear the Gospel in order to come to Christ in the first, Christians need to understand the depths of the Gospel and how it transforms a life, how it becomes a lifestyle. that's why almost all of paul's letters start out with an unpacking of certain aspects of the God's ways and His redemptive history, and then he goes into application, because all of the Christian life is an application of the Gospel.

we are generous with our money, because Christ has secured our ultimate Treasure in heaven for us. we are not obsessed with position-seeking vanity, because our identity is in Christ. we honor God in the stewardship of our bodies, our minds, our hearts, and our souls, because He has bought us at the price of Jesus' blood. we love sacrificially, because that's how our adoptive Dad has loved us, and we as His adopted sons want to be like our Father. i could go on and on, but you get the idea.


4) don't forget verses 18 and 20. we make disciples, because Christ has all authority, and He's commanding us to do this. and that authority is also our bedrock. when things look worse, we know Christ has all authority over all things, and that it is His will that we make disciples. He will see this through. we have a divine promise: "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. so there will be one flock, one Shepherd." (John 10:16) it is a sure thing, for "there will be one flock, one Shepherd." not maybe, not possibly, but surely there will be, this will come to pass.

and secondly, He's with us. both joshua of the OT and the hebrews of the NT are comforted by the words "I will never leave you nor forsaken you." (Jos. 1:5, Heb. 13:5)

Christ repeats these promises to comfort paul in corinth. "the Lord said to paul one night in a vision, 'do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are My people.'" (Acts 18:9-10) Jesus was with him in his disciple-making, and was making sure it happens, because, as far as i understand it, the "My people" Jesus is referring to are not yet believers. and paul, being so encouraged, "stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them." (v.11)



now i know this is simplistic, and will continue being fleshed out for til Christ comes back. but i think a pretty good, brief definition of discipleship, for our purposes, would be "going into the world with Jesus to proclaim His Gospel and teach His commands to His people by His authority."

i would love to hear your thoughts on this.

the other end of the spectrum

that’s where i feel i’m at. i just spent a large chunk of today catching up on the last two months of posts, and there are a lot of ideas floating through my head, so bear with me. (i’ll try to be concise.)

it’s been several months since i’ve posted anything, so let me give you a bit of background to put this in context:

• i’ve grown up since day 1 in the cggc.
• i was highly involved in my church growing up, and feel very close to it.
• i just graduated college with an engineering degree.
• i feel called to the pastorate, or training indigenous pastors overseas (probably both).
• over the course of my college years, my theological understandings have changed somewhat, leaving me feeling a bit of an outsider in the cggc. (primarily, for those interested, i’m now a calvinist and a complementarian. don’t worry though, i don’t sprinkle babies ;-).)
• in spite of this, i still feel a love for the cggc, especially the church i grew up in.
• i’m young, cocky, arrogant, and in desperate need of grace. yet, i hope Christ will work in, through, and even in spite of me.
  

that being said, i’m not here to debate the finer points of creationism or predestination. but if you’ll lend me your ear (or rather, eye), i’d like to be a little radical among you, since there’s been so much talk of it. bill, this one’s for you ;-).

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first, i’d like to point out the grace that i find flowing freely from God to all of you. your gracious attitude in your disagreements, your love for those you wish would change and for God’s church, your passion for Scripture, and your longing for the lost to enter the Kingdom are all evidences that God is at work in you, and i am glad to be a witness to it.

second, i agree with you as far as most of the problems you’ve identified. the consumer culture of spectator-sport Christianity, the lack of vision and vitality, the chasing after every new fad (especially when it comes to marketing and treating church-as-business), and even bill’s harping on the hypocrisy of paying lip-service to winebrenner while doing things that would make him roll over in his grave are things in definite need of change.

where we don’t seem to see eye to eye is the solution.

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1) i don’t understand the distaste for creeds. it’s my understanding that there are many early creeds inside the New Testament (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Philippians 2:6-11, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:11-13). i agree that we have no absolute authority other than the Word of God, yet even winebrenner thought it necessary to publish a summary of Christian belief and practice. i think ben has said beautifully everything else i would want to say.

2) this next is particularly a response to dave said about church members being “intimidated by doctrine,” though i find bits of this idea all over this blog. here, i’ll let c.s. lewis speak for me, “they all say ‘the ordinary reader does not want theology; give him plain practical religion’. i have rejected their advice. i do not think the ordinary reader is such a fool. theology means ‘the science of God’, and i think any man who wants to think about God at all would like to have the clearest and most accurate ideas about Him which are available. [they] are not children: why should [they] be treated like children?”

moreover, a large part of my generation is tired of what has been called moralistic therapeutic deism: there is a god, he’ll help you when the shit hits the fan, and he’s angry about your sin, so you’d better clean up your act. now, i know that this is not what the cggc believes, but sometimes it seems like it. i’ve been listening more closely to the sermons at my church back home since i’ve started college and thinking more deeply about what Christianity’s all about, and i hear over and over again something along this theme: “here’s a major problem with us, as people in general and this congregation in particular. Christ has taught us to live differently, and has set the perfect example for us. so now we need to fix ourselves and live better.” then we’ll pray for God’s help in our fixing ourselves and doing better.

the problem is that there’s no meat here. there’s no gospel here. and you guys have hit that latter nail on the head. but it’s also that it’s watered down, it’s simplistic. there’s no sense of the majesty of God, no desperate need for and reliance on the Spirit to move in us, no real sorrow over sin (normally either fear of a god that closer resembles zeus than our Father, or a let-down pride that knows it ought to and can do better), no turning to Christ not only our substitute but as our perfect righteousness. we need to get back to the gospel, and not a simple summary, but a meaty exposition of what it means that we’re justified, what it means that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, what it means that “God is at work in you, to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

and please, don’t be afraid of using big words. most people don’t mind as long as you explain them. carburetor, descant and modem are specialized terms, but a mechanic, musician, or techie will know exactly what you’re talking about without a degree in the subject.

3) we need a bigger view of God. as i mentioned before, there’s a distinct lack of the majesty of God in our churches, at least as far as i can tell. most people seem to go to church because it’s “the right thing to do”, or because it’s socially expected, or to clear their conscience. they pray when they need something from God. they read their Bibles every once in a while because their pastor has guilt-tripped them into it, which lasts a day or so and then fades away.

to parallel bill’s repeating question, can we talk about the glory of God? can we talk about a God who, simply because He is, is worthy of my worship? can we talk about a God who isn’t like a lost puppy, hoping i’ll notice Him today and that i’ll turn around, but a God who demands my honor and respect, both by sheer awesomeness and by His incomprehensible grace? a God whose foremost passion is for His own Name, and who loves me because of His own grace, not because of anything good or deserving in me? a God who sent His Son to die, not just to show His love for ill-deserving sinners but also to justify Himself in “passing over former sins...to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”?

that’s a God i can’t step all over. that’s a God i can’t wrap my mind around. that’s a God who is bigger and better than me in every way, and far beyond my imagination. that’s a God i can gladly worship.

4) along that same line, can we focus on God more than we focus on mission? i'm really glad you guys talk a lot about the mission of God, reaching out to the lost, doing acts of mercy and kindness, etc. but i'm of like mind with john piper on this one: “missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. worship is. missions exist because worship doesn’t. worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”

i know he’s specifically talking about frontier/overseas missions, but the same applies for being missional. we are on this mission, hopefully, because we love God and long to see His fame spread, long to have His gospel go out that the lost might be saved, not only or even primarily for their benefit, but so that more might give Him the glory that He deserves. yes, we do and ought to love people, and we want to see them saved from affliction, both here on earth and eternally in hell, and that they would enjoy God and all His gifts, now and forever. but, as far as i can tell, our primary focus Biblically is to be God and His glory, His renown.

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it’s getting late, and long, so i’ll stop there. i know there is much in here that you guys agree with, and might wonder why i’m bringing it up. i ask that you not only believe it, and not only that you live it, but that you speak it as well. many of my generation feel like we’ve lost a lot to those who assumed the gospel and theology instead of proclaiming and explaining them.

i also know that this is far from perfect, and hope that you will extend the same grace to me that you’ve shown each other on this blog. i hope you will read this with charity, being able to discern what is good from what is false, and to be humble enough to find whatever may be profitable despite the flaws of my post. may God bless you all, brothers.

The Forgotten Ways of Jesus

Fran wrote a book. You should buy it!

2009 Exponential Conference

I spent the last three days in sunny Orlando Florida. Several CGGCers were there, including Ed Rosenberry (who I only saw at dinner... could he have been at Disney World the rest of the time? :) -- a joke). Thanks to Midwest CGGC for paying for me and one of my leaders to go.

Here are some quotes from the conference I wrote down. They may not be exact quotes. I wrote them down as I heard them.

Erwin McManus

"The church is scared to death of reality." -- Erwin McManus

"Jesus Christ died in the most heroic act anyone has ever done and then asks us to live our most heroic lives." -- Erwin McManus

"The gospel of the traditional American church is the most narcissistic story in our society." -- Erwin McManus (He was speaking of the "I'm a sinner. Jesus died for me. I get to go to heaven if I say I'm sorry.)

McManus said he almost cut his ties with Christianity (at least with organized Christianity) a couple of years ago when he was labeled a heretic for going into the "Marketplace" and discussing Jesus such as Paul did at Mars Hill. He would rather cut ties with organized Christianity than feel any limitation to sharing the gospel.

Alan Hirsch

Alan Hirsch defined what Missional is not.
-Not emerging church
-not simply being evangelistic
-not just social justice
-not church planting

"The church doesn't have a mission. The mission has a church." -- Alan Hirsch

Hirsch spoke of prevenient grace as the ability for our church to participate in mission.

Tri Robinson

"Vision is being who God made you to be and doing what he told you to do." -- Tri Robinson

Bob Roberts

Bob Robert's Ten Things to Learn from the Church Around the World

1. Gospel of the Kingdom of God -- not just the Gospel of Salvation

2. The Gospel encompasses the reconciliation of all things.

3. The focus is on the disciple not the preacher.

4. All religions are all places which makes for a naked public square and thoughtful communication.

He spoke of meeting with muslim and communist leaders all over the world and gaining access to share the gospel by invitation rather than by secrecy.

"Christianity started as a Jewish movement to Jesus. It will end as a Muslim movement to Jesus" -- Bob Roberts

5. Knowing other religions isn't just for experts but for everyone who would communicate who Jesus is.

6. Risk is seen in life and death not nickels and noses.

7. Never, never, never, never vilify another religion.

He didn't finish the ten but they can be found at glocal.net

Bob is always my favorite speaker. I could listen to him for hours. His books don't have the same effect at all unfortunately.

Neil Cole

Weeds in the Garden of Leadership

1. Institutionalism -- elevate institution as only institution doing God's work.
-Over 50% of Christian leaders will not finish well. Their calling became a career.

2. Corruption of Leadership -- the desire for power, fame (being liked by everyone), possessions, or pleasure

3. Legalism -- Protecting the powerful -- non-biblical traditions become equal to God's commands

4. Still in the Dark Ages - contributing to ignorance in an age of scholarship (keeping the Word out of the hands of the people. you do it more than you think.)

5. Bound by Chain of Command -- we're a mess from top to bottom

"Make everybody a disciple of Jesus so they will fall short of Jesus. If you make them your disciple, they will only fall short of you." -- Neil Cole

Efrem Smith

"What was it that disturbed you when you decided to plant a church? You can't live in disturbance. If you live angry, you will be dysfunctional, but that disturbance should continue to be at the core of your vision." -- Efrem Smith

"If you study the roots of most things (Hip Hop Culture for example), you will find "God Thoughts." -- Efrem Smith

Two Keys to turn white churches multi-cultural
1. Preach the Bible as a multi-culturally strong document.
2. United by Faith -- the measurements for multi-cultural church are not as high as you think. Dominate group is not more than 80%.

Francis Chan

"You wouldn't read the Bible and think, 'I need a building, a band, a sermon, and a room for the kids to have church.'" -- Francis Chan

Gospel Definitions: What is the Gospel?

It seems that it has been popular in the blog world in recent months to discuss definitions of the gospel. Some have said that we've made the gospel too small. Others have worried that our definitions have gotten too big. Some will give a one sentence definition, others require several paragraphs.

So who here wants to step up? What is the gospel?