Discipleship

[HKHaugan]

Discipleship

For some time there has been a subtle shift in the meaning of being a Christian. It’s a shift from personal relationship to institutional identity. It is important to understand this shift because it determines what we mean and the approach we use when we say we are called to make disciples. After we look at the shift we will share the approach All Souls takes in its discipleship process.

First, being a disciple in early Christian communities.

Being a disciple of Jesus was a self-conscious relational experience with Jesus the Christ. Identity was measured by personal faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. It was who and not what that identified them.

Being a conscious disciple of Jesus brought a consciousness of God being a Father who sent His Son and the Holy Spirit who made Jesus present in their hearts as they believed in Him.

Being a Holy Spirit conscious disciple of Jesus brought a yearning for the teaching of Scripture, all of which was viewed with Jesus in mind. Instead of ‘common sense,’ ‘aged experience’ and philosophy determining human maturity the Scripture was the living provision of God’s cross-generational wisdom that recovers our true humanity.

Second, being a disciple in our modern setting.

Presently for many, being a Christian is conditioned by denominational membership. It is institutionally centered. It is influenced by the idea of belonging to a group of “people like me.” It is layered by the cultural standards of acceptability by which we determine success, size, programs, buildings and wealth.

The cultural shift has been from identifying personally to identifying organizationally. From teen age and ethnic gang groupings to the vast array of social clubs and gated communities our individuality has moved from its spiritual foundation to organizations that give us social acceptability. We were meant to be spiritually unified but have become separated by external packaging.

Third, All Souls’ approach to discipleship.

So, we are not asking people to join our denominational organization. Rather, our offering is interpersonal, being mutual friends, joining us as disciples of Jesus in His Body, a family of faith built around Him. It is spiritually social, spiritually directed and spiritually in formation and constant re-formation. Basically it is a spiritual family of spiritual brothers and sisters defined as such by Jesus, its Lord.

Therefore the structure, the denominational group we belong to, is a supportive skeleton to support the command of Jesus to make disciples. Because we live in a nation governed by a protective legal system our structure has a legal name with legal responsibilities. But that structure does not define us. Again, it supports us. Our definition is based on how we as disciples undertake the spiritual task of helping people know who Jesus is and in turn helping them to be personal disciples of Jesus.

All Souls is first spiritually structured. It has a foundation upon which rest four pillars. Paul tells us, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1Cor.3:11).” The pillars on that foundation are “…the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42).” These translate into how we express them. First, there is worship (being together to thank and praise God in Jesus Christ), second, discipleship (to learn how to be Jesus’ disciples), third, ministry (to help one another grow spiritually) and fourth, mission (to bring others to know and grow in Jesus).

The first pillar, worship, is centered on the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus said to do in remembrance of Him. “19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you (Lk.22:19-20).” Our worship follows the early Christian experience of music, prayer, praise, teaching and actual receiving of bread and wine which are symbols of His presence (Acts 2:42).

The second pillar, discipleship, is learning from Scripture who Jesus is and what He is doing to bring us new life, spiritual life that is eternal life. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Tim.3:16-17).”

The third pillar, ministry, is discovering the spiritual gifts Jesus has for us so that we can help one another in our faith family grow closer to the Lord and to reach out to others who need Him. Spiritual gifts are given “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph.4:12-13).”

The fourth pillar, mission, is reaching out to others through being a spiritual witness for Jesus, offering our testimony of how He made a difference in our lives and also learning how to share the way He brought this new spiritual life into the world through His Cross and Resurrection “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Mt.28:18-20).”

The Heart of Discipleship

The human plight is that it is a flight into a night filled with fright that makes us up-tight with no light, shortened height, limited might, lack of sight, no clear right,

Where sin is in, and the devil’s spin and his evil grin makes everything thin and there is no place to pin who you are in his noisy din,

Here we are in the alone zone where a moan is the lone tone followed by a low groan

And the mind is always in a bind figuring out why sight is blind and always behind trying to find a way to be kind and unwind

Where the heart has no part and can only start in pride’s mart and fitfully dart to and from option’s cart where selfishness is smart

Is that a way to live when we were made to give?

To connect, correct and perfect?

When all is lost and we are tossed in the millennial holocaust what are we to do that we don’t rue what we have been led into knowing that the few among the many who don’t have a clue can finally come through?

Following the sound of the found that weathered the journey and now abound in the presence of Heaven’s Hound

We offer from our coffer the one true hope that helps all people cope

And gives them the line that is narrow and fine

To throw to the oppressed, the spiritually undressed who need to be spiritually caressed and know what it is to be blessed

The knowledge of Jesus the Lord and His verbal sword that carries us forward

Through the Kingdom’s gates where He stands and awaits and continually relates

His heart to our heart never to depart and right this minute we can start

Helping others find their meaning in Jesus instead of having to plod through vanity’s mire and end in the fire of unfulfilled desire

To be a disciple is our call to meet the human race to state our case about
Jesus’ grace and bring a smile to their face

That they won’t have to retrace the steps of their timely space but realize His grace and freed from guilt find their place and pace

To offer each soul the devil stole to know the Savior and His goal to make them whole

That is the disciple’s role.