Today we completed the third section of our four-part series on discipleship titled "I AM A DISCIPLE."
The question we should ask ourselves is: AM I A DISCIPLE? How do you know if you are a disciple? Jesus clearly spells out the marks of a disciple in John 15:7-13:
"7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments,
you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my
joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
NOTE: Other marks of a disciple are listed in the PowerPoint, slides 27-28.
Every human being lives by a story narrative that they believe--if not
explicitly, they live by it implicitly. It is a story narrative
that has been provided for them, or one that they have chosen.
We are living in a unique time in history where you have to choose which story narrative you are going to live by--the modern, secular narrative or the Biblical narrative. One author describes these conflicting narratives as "cross-pressure" (exposing someone to different, incompatible opinions).
Five-hundred years ago the default story was always to believe in God and the supernatural. At that time it was even considered irrational and ridiculous not to believe in God. But today, due to the many voices claiming and exerting pressure on us to believe the modern, secular narrative, the default story is always going to be the modern, secular, capitalistic, consumerist narrative.
On a practical level, everyone is making choices based on a guidance system powered by the narrative (modern, secular or Biblical) they believe to be true. To some degree both narratives might exist within a person. Amazingly, in such a case, it is possible for a person to keep moving forward while feeling the tension from the internal conflict. This "cross-pressure" is one of the reasons we find disagreement within churches and Bible study classes. This is also why we often find pastors who are unwilling to preach/teach on sensitive issues that might "ruffle the feathers" of those who are trapped within the "cross-pressure".
In the rise of the modern, secular age it is not that people don't believe, but it is an age where everyone is uncertain about what is ultimately true. The result is cross-pressure and spiritual lethargy. This creates a struggle between situational ethics and moral absolutes. There is the chronic compromising of sin (Romans 6), especially in the areas of business ethics, greed, drunkenness, and sexual immorality.
If I am going to believe in the story of Jesus, I'm going to have to actively and consciously cultivate that belief. This is done by developing the habit of immersing myself in the Biblical narrative!
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).
Next week we will complete the Discipleship Series with the final lesson: TRANSFORMATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP. In this lesson we will discuss the role the heart and the mind play in transforming the believer into the image of Christ.
This week Tommy T. taught the lesson "The Great Commission" in our Discipleship Series. I will summarize a few of the highlights from the material.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
The Great Commission is worshiped in many North American churches, yet not obeyed. I'm not just talking about sending mission teams to foreign countries. I'm talking about each believer personally accepting Jesus' call to follow Him and become His disciple. To fulfill the Great Commission every day. To embrace the cross--the true gospel of Christ. We do this by:
- Saying "no" to self.
- Surrendering the direction of our lives to Jesus.
- Choosing God's will over our own will.
- Enduring any sacrifice for the joy of obedience to Jesus.
- Following Jesus wherever He leads.
- Boldly proclaiming the gospel.
We either choose to follow Jesus, or we choose to follow the culture and the world. We embrace the commandments that Jesus taught, or we find reasons to compromise His Word. We are either all in or all out. You can be sure that Satan is always ready to help you find a compromise to being "all in." He is quick to whisper in your ear and tell you, "That isn't what that means..." or "There is nothing wrong with doing that..." or "The Bible was written long ago and in some cases doesn't apply today..."
This lesson reminds us that the Great Commission was Jesus' last words to us. You could say it was His GREATEST PASSION that we "Follow Him and become His disciples..." and then "Go make disciples...". In commanding us to "Go..", He made sure we understood that we would be going with His authority: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
We fulfill the Great Commission through four primary actions:
1. The Great Commission is fulfilled by GOING: Being intentional in our effort to reach the lost for Christ. Being sensitive to always be willing to intercede for others.
2. The Great Commission is fulfilled by PREACHING: Telling others about Christ. This is done in our everyday encounters with people God brings in our path. As we listen to others talk about their troubles, we should be in prayer asking God to give us an opportunity to point them to Jesus. Rarely will a day go by that your path doesn't cross someone who is hurting and in desperate need of Christ.
3. The Great Commission is fulfilled by BAPTIZING: We baptize the new believers in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Next, we incorporate them into the fellowship of the local church where they can be taught (discipled) all that Jesus commands.
4. The Great Commission is fulfilled by TRAINING: We teach the new believer all the things Jesus commands of us, including the command to make other disciples.
As a new grandparent, I have been reminded what is required to care for an infant. My grandson is totally dependent on his parents to take care of his EVERY need. There is nothing wrong with him being an infant and living on milk while someone else is attentive to his every need. But there would be something very wrong if he continued to desire only milk. This analogy also holds true for the new believer in Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11:
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."
Discipleship is an important part of our spiritual growth process. It all begins with the Great Commission.
We had a great turnout and another great lesson today with lots of discussion. As I mentioned in class, I am trying to shift more to a discussion-style lesson and away from the "pure" lecture. In our last three classes we have had some great discussions about discipleship and the false gospels. Let's keep it up.
Starting soon... For those who miss a class, I am working on putting together a weekly 3-5 minute video review (ROLLIN' REVIEW) and podcast of the prior week's lesson to help continuity and keep us better connected.
Today we completed section 1 of 4 in our discipleship series: THE GOSPEL. Below is a brief summary of today's lesson.
First, the TRUE (Kingdom) Gospel:
1. Apart from Christ, we are spiritually DEAD (Ephesians 2:1-3).
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
2. With Christ, we are spiritually ALIVE (Ephesians 2:4-7).
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
3. In Christ, we are GOD'S WORKMANSHIP (Ephesians 2:8-10).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
The Biblical gospel is about the glory of God through our complete redemption (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It's not about us; it is about Jesus. God not only forgives our sins but also gives us His Spirit to walk with Him (Romans 5:1-5). Jesus gives Himself for us "to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).
Jesus is our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18) who summons us to follow Him daily (Mark 10:45) and to do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23). He calls us to make disciples and teach them to obey everything He's commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).
Non-discipleship gospels (the 5 false gospels listed below) are all about the individual (individual needs, individual salvation, individual benefits). The gospel Jesus preached moves beyond individual benefits and demands multiplication to others for the benefit of God's Kingdom. Jesus' gospel is a "Kingdom-centered" gospel, as opposed to a "self-centered" gospel.
It is very easy to slip off the path that leads to the one true Gospel of the Cross. Just look at the large megachurches that we all know are preaching false gospels. The path to the true gospel is narrow. It is not natural and easy--and requires total sacrifice--for us to do what Jesus asked. It will cost you everything! Jesus said:
"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
People don't like to hear preaching and teaching that says they must "surrender all" or "die to themselves" or "take up their cross"... or give up anything! People don't want to wait for God, they want it all NOW! God tells us through the Psalms and many other places to "Be still..." "Be Patient..." "To pray..." This is why the false gospels are so popular--especially in our self-focused culture.
Paul warned the Galatians of
the danger of "turning to a different gospel." (Galatians 1:6-12). Paul also speaks to the importance of reexamining the gospel you
are hearing.
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
While Christianity is growing and flourishing in many parts of the world, it seems to be declining in America. Why? Because of the preaching and teaching of false gospels. Listed below are the narrative sections that describe the 5 false
gospels we have been focusing on during the last few classes.
1. FORGIVENESS ONLY GOSPEL: The most common gospel preached today focuses almost exclusively on forgiveness. The forgiveness gospel explains salvation simply means getting your sins forgiven and gaining entrance to heaven. This gospel tends to equate faith with agreement to a set of religious facts. The decision to agree is typically followed by a prayer or some other protocol, after which a person is proclaimed a Christian forevermore. What’s wrong with this, you might ask?
The primary weakness of this gospel is what it doesn’t mention. This gospel typically makes no mention of repentance and does not discuss obedience to Jesus and the cost of discipleship. By this gospel, you simply manage your sin rather than have your life transformed. This gospel preaches a Christ that exists for our benefit alone.
2. THE LEFT GOSPEL (LIBERALISM): The motive behind the liberal gospel is relevance. The main goal is to make Christianity relevant for the scientific age, which means removing the spiritual and miraculous. This gospel focuses on a grander goal of transforming society through social justice rather than on saving souls from hell. This left gospel is tied up in liberal politics and ideology, but their gospel is devoid of real hope because they have abandoned the heart of the true gospel. This is the gospel of the old left.
The new left has made a different choice. They have deconstructed the gospel and rejected foundational teachings such as the exclusivity of Christ, the existence of hell, and the definition of sin, especially as it relates to human sexuality. By the time they finished their reinterpretation of the gospel, they determined that no one will go to hell except Hitler.
This gospel diagnosis the human problem incorrectly and offers the wrong solutions. It declares that if no one is going to hell, relax; salvation is not that urgent. Proponents of this gospel are good at addressing temporary physical needs, but they ignore the greater spiritual needs.
3. THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL: The prosperity gospel is the centerpiece of the fastest growing parts of the worldwide church. The prosperity gospel teaches that God guarantees health and financial wealth if we just have enough faith and practice some basic biblical principles
The problem? This approach tends to ignore the context of biblical passages and does not take into account the unfolding of redemptive history. What makes this gospel so insidious is that it obscures many of the genuine works of God. He does heal, and he does bless people financially, but when we believe that God is subject to our manipulations or has guaranteed a result if we do X,Y, and Z, we are falling prey to heresy. Like the forgiveness only gospel, the prosperity gospel is a means of using the gospel for our own ends
4. THE CONSUMER GOSPEL: The goal of this gospel is to satisfy the consumer’s needs—to keep people happy and pleased. The consumer gospel is quite popular in the contemporary church because we are naturally attracted to messages of convenience. This gospel promises to provide everything a person needs: convenience, speed, and instant results. Since impatience is the besetting sin of America, the consumer gospel replaces the slow and difficult path of authentic spiritual maturity with methods and programs that give fast and easy results. As a bonus, our sins are taken off the table and the deeper life of discipleship is optional. What is not to like when we can get forgiveness and heaven and still run our own live.
The problem? This gospel creates disciples that shop for a church until they find one that meets their needs. When something happens they don’t agree with, they move to a different church because they believe pain, repentance, and difficulty are never God’s will. Disciples cannot flourish if they have been trained to measure their spirituality by what they thought of the worship service. This consumer gospel does not challenge or provoke, but rather speaks words of comfort and assurance without mentioning the cost of discipleship. It shouldn’t be surprising living in a consumer-based culture, that many times people bring the same attitudes into church: It’s my way, my preferences, my desires that are important. If I don’t get my way, I’ll take my business elsewhere.
5. THE (RELIGIOUS) RIGHT GOSPEL: Just as theological liberalism has a left gospel, the conservative religious right has a right gospel. This gospel prioritizes correct doctrine, adherence to a narrow moral code, and the exclusiveness of truth. It advocates separation from culture and normally takes a defensive posture and sees the world as a battle ground where the good and right must take on the forces of evil
The problem? This gospel tends to create disciples who live a partitioned life that is separated from those they are called to reach. The religious right gospel enforces that what you believe is far more important than what you do. This gospel narrows understanding of salvation to the next life and does not always show how Jesus and his way are relevant to this life.
Today was another great class filled with discussion about the false gospels present today. The title of this section of our study on discipleship is, "The Gospel We Believe Determines the Disciples We Make". So far, we have looked at 4 of the 5 false gospels. The false gospels are basically "non-discipleship" gospels, or "self-centered" gospels. After we look at the 5th false gospel, I'll wrap up this section with a look at the--one and only--True (Kingdom) Gospel. The one Jesus taught.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)
I know we have been taking our time working through this study on discipleship, but I think it is important. Looking at these five false gospels helps us to understand the threats to the true and only gospel. The gospel is the church's most precious gift to cherish, protect, and pass on. Discipleship is how we pass it on. We need to continue to reexamine the gospel we believe so we don't end up adding to, subtracting from, or substituting anything for the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Next week we will look at the 5th false gospel "The (Religious) Right Gospel". Then we will unpack "The True (Kingdom) Gospel.
Today we had a great discussion on 2 of 5 false gospels which we will continue next week.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)
It is necessary that we reexamine the gospel we believe. Consider Paul's words to the Galatians as he worked to organize the early followers of Jesus (Galatians 1:6-12). There is not a Christian in the world that does not need to seriously consider Paul's words to the Galatians.
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you." (2 Corinthians 13:5)
The true gospel is the church's most precious gift to cherish, protect, and pass on. A prominent pastor stated, "One of the perennial tasks of the church is to reexamine the gospel we preach and believe, alert to ways it has been reshaped by the idols of our culture."
The false gospels being preached and followed today are creating a different kind of disciple. These false gospels represent man-made, self-centered religion, as opposed to God's revealed gospel.
We began the class today by discussing the four questions listed below. After discussing the questions, we focused on the importance of the gospel and how the gospel we believe determines the disciples we make.
The gospel not only saves us, it sustains us (Colossians 2:6,7). For Paul, "the gospel" was not just a call to saving faith, but also a call to continue in a daily walk of faith. Therefore, when viewing discipleship through the lens of the gospel, the goal is to apply the gospel to all of life, to continually stand on the gospel--as the gospel impacts everything.
The most basic issue the church faces today is restoring the gospel message of Scripture that will create healthy followers of Jesus Christ. We must continue to "examine" ourselves to be sure we are in alignment with the true gospel of Jesus (2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 1:6-12).
Next week we will look at 5 false gospels that have put the North American church in a tailspin.
1. Does the term “Christian” mean the same as the term “Disciple”?
The word “Christian” appears only three times in the Bible (Acts 11:26; 26:28: 1 Peter 4:16)
The name “Christian” appears to have been invented by those outside of the church. It is most likely meant as a derogatory term.
Jesus used the term “Disciple” but never “Christian”.
Jesus’ followers were called “disciples” long before they were ever called “Christians.” Their discipleship began with Jesus’ call and required them to exercise their will to follow Him (Matthew 9:9).
2. What is Jesus asking of you when He says “Follow Me”?
Jesus was quite explicit about the cost of following Him. Discipleship requires a totally committed life. (Luke 14:26; Matthew 16:24)
Not all of Jesus’ followers were able to make such a commitment. There were some who said no when Jesus said, "Follow Me." (Mark 10:17-27)
There were many who left Jesus after a while. (John 6:66)
3. If we say we are a “Christian” yet we don’t “Follow” Christ, do we walk in Truth?
Jesus answered Pilate and said, “I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:33-38)
It is so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life. Simply because life has consequences for being wrong. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.
4. Can you be a Christian and not “follow” Christ?
Biblically speaking, a true “Christian” (and not one in name only) is a “disciple” of Christ if:
Has placed his/her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; John 3:3).
“Belongs to Christ” and is daily being transformed into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:18).
Has counted the cost and has totally committed his/her life to following Jesus.
Accepts the call to sacrifice and follows wherever the Lord leads.
Completely adheres to the teaching of Jesus, makes Christ his/her number-one priority and lives accordingly.
Is actively involved in making other Christian disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
While Christianity is growing and flourishing in many parts of the world, it seems to be declining in America. In the Bible Belt, the buckle is coming off. The decline in the number of Christians and cultural strength of Christianity is affecting church life, social values, and politics. George Barna and George Gallup consistently tell us that their research and polling demonstrates that in terms of moral values and lifestyle choices there is little distinction between Christian and non-Christian.
There is without a doubt a discipleship deficit in the North American church. We are suffering from the preaching of cheap grace and generations of Christians who are not interested in discipleship. It seems the pervasive assumption among professing Christians today is that we can be "Christian" forever and never become disciples of Christ. This, of course, is contrary to what Jesus said. To our own detriment, we have defined discipleship as optional, a choice and not a command. The problems found in contemporary churches can be explained by the fact that members have never decided to follow Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, "Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ."
"And 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.'" (Matthew 28:16-20)
The church must rediscover discipleship and return to the disciple-making method Jesus modeled and commanded. The solution to our ineffectiveness as church is to train people to be spiritually mature, fully devoted followers of Christ, and in turn to have those disciples make more disciples. God's ultimate plan for your life is to bring glory to His name as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
"My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples." (John 15:8)
When Jesus says "Follow Me", He is asking you to give Him everything. Jesus made it clear that the cost of discipleship is great!
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)
As we begin this study on What Does God Say About Discipleship, we see that the major problem in American churches is the drifting away from the plan that Jesus put in place to grow His church. Before we can talk about the transformation required to become a genuine disciple of Jesus, we must first address the Gospel. The Gospel we believe determines the disciples we are and the disciples we make.
Next week we will continue with a lesson on THE GOSPEL. This will include a survey of five false gospels being preached and followed today, and how each creates a different kind of disciple. These false gospels represent man-made religion, as opposed to God's revealed Gospel.
NOTE: Thanks to Dan Tankersley, Pastor of Discipleship at Calvary Baptist Church, for providing the foundation to this course. Many excerpts above are taken (with permission) from his book titled: Discipleship Foundations: A Primer for Biblical Disciple Making.
