Archive for January 2011
Discipleship 3.1 – The Method
January 23, 2011 | 
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Whenever we encounter elemental, or core theological principles, we often feel as though a tsunami-like wave has crashed over us – because we just want to know:
1. What do we do?
2. (and maybe more forefront in our minds) How do we do it?
Now, there is a danger crouching behind these questions, but I will deal with that in 3.2.
So far we have seen that we have been given a Mission and such an imperative has the implied call to obey it. I suppose it isn’t too cliche to say that God doesn’t make suggestions. This should be delightfully obeyed, because it should find an immediate harmonious connection within our own desires, thus given us a very organic internal Motivation – namely, that we are Christians who love Jesus and we want others to love Him too. If you have trouble agreeing with the first two points in this paragraph and series, then you may not know Him, even likely so. If that is the case, go here.
So, to answer the first question, we are to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This must never be eclipsed by men, fellowships, denominations, traditions nor religion.
We DO NOT make disciples of ourselves.
We DO NOT make disciples of (human) leaders.
We DO NOT make disciples of our local fellowships (churches).
We DO NOT make disciples of a denomination.
We DO NOT make disciples of a particular school of thought.
We DO NOT make disciples of Christianity.
Discipleship 2 – The Motivation
As we saw in the first post, we have been sent on mission. Now, I did neglect to go back and back to THE Mission, which is to glorify God – to radiate and reflect His glory. That is the Big Picture. This has also been born into an organism – not an organization – called the Church – but making followers of the LORD predates the Church, only now the disciple-making has taken a very personal fulfillment in God, the Son. We are to Glorify God and do what He has said to do, which is also glorifying God.
Having said that, we might ask “Why should we be a disciple of Christ?” Is this just a modern movement? Is it biblical?
Well, to get right (back) to the point, we do it because we were told to, both in Matthew 28:18-20 and in the echo of Jesus’ call to His disciples, when He said, “Follow Me.” That call still echoes today and will continue to echo until He returns. We are Christ’s disciples because the God of the universe has told us to be.
Also, implied in the “Why?” question, is “What’s in it for me?”
Posted in "Ruminations", Lessons Repository | 
Tags: Chief End, Christianity, Discipleship, Religious Affections | 
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Discipleship – 1: The Mission
What if we were given one thing to do – just one main mission – and we didn’t do it? Now, this does not imply that this one thing is an all encompassing definition of our lives and all of the reality adjacent to our lives – but, it is the one thing – the main thing we are to do. I guess it would depend upon who gave us the mission and what was at stake . . . right?
When reading Acts 14, specifically Acts 14:21-28, I see an interesting, rather arresting pattern. The text says that Paul “made many disciples . . . strengthened the souls of the disciples . . . and spent a long time (not a little time) with the disciples.” This is a profound narrative. Paul could have, according to some – should have, kept working “for the faith”, since all of these people were already converts. Yet, he spent precious time encouraging and building up the Church and he spent large amounts of that time. Why? Why would he do that?
Posted in "Ruminations", Lessons Repository, Paradigm Shift, Sovereign Christ Church | Tags: Discipleship, Obedience, The Gospel | No Comments »
The Gospel
Christianity is not one of many world religions – it’s reality . . . only because Jesus/God is reality. That is where it must always begin.
God really Is. (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Daniel 4:34)
The Godhead is made of of Three Persons, yet Triune as God (Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 45:5; 1 Cor.8:4; Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:18, 10:30, 14:9; Col. 1:15-20) unique in Roles and Personhood, but not essence nor being.
This means the Father is God (John 6:27)
Jesus is God (John 20:28-29)
The Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4) {At this point let me mention the obvious that these are but granular sample-texts within a Sahara of truth the Scriptures teach on the subject}
So, there is God and He is before all things, made all things, holds all things together and will bring to account all things – AND He made it all for Himself. (Romans 11:33-36)
That is what is really going on. That is where it must always begin.
Posted in "Ruminations", DailyTheocentrisms | Tags: Gospel, Jesus Christ, salvation, Sin, The Gospel | No Comments »
An analogy of sin and Christ
When I was a boy, we lived in a rural part of Alabama. We had a creek behind our home and it had countless joys for young boys in it: crawdads (crawfish), cool rocks, snakes, water and mud – lot’s of mud. We spent a many a summer day in that creek and in the evening, as we were being called in for dinner a common scene took place:
Rob approaches the sliding-glass door at the rear of the house bearing the filthy joy of creek-playing hedonism
Dad: “Stop right there! You are not setting foot in this house until you clean up.”
Rob starts to attempt wiping off the mud – only there is mud on his hands and on every part of his body. Only smearing and deeper staining is occurring.
Dad: furrowed-brow looks
Rob: “This isn’t working.”
What Rob needs is an outside source – something clean that can take the filth from him. Rob needs a clean towel and his brother to spray him with a water hose. Without a clean source to take the stains away, there is no hope.
Truly on this side of the analogy AND the sliding glass doors, the fried chicken has never tasted so good.
Thank you, Jesus.
Posted in "Ruminations", One as Another | Tags: analogy, Atonement, Jesus Christ, salvation, The Gospel | No Comments »