The Diamond of Discipleship
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Rick Warren’s popular book “The Purpose Driven Life” uses a simple illustration of a baseball diamond to capture the idea that spiritual progress is a journey.
Thousands of church’s have adopted and adapted this “Life Development” process.
First base: Committed to membership- the process of knowing Christ.
Second base: Committed to maturity- the process of growing in Christ.
Third base: Committed to ministry- the process of serving Christ
Home base: Committed to missions- the process of sharing Christ.
“Spiritual growth is a process that occurs overtime in the context of community.”
Though this is a good method to under stand growth process of each believer it isn’t exhaustive. Doesn’t touch on the mysteries of Christian formation which is through prayer and genuinely seeking God with others.
First base: Committed to membership- the process of knowing Christ.
The church is the only fellowship in the world where the one requirement for membership is the unworthiness of the candidate’
Leon Lamb Morris
Membership in the world has a huge emphasis on worthiness.
You check a list of curtain qualification and you can join a sorority etc. etc.
But our membership in Christ say. I’m unworthy but He is worthy.
Our membership is based on us believing in the lead member which is Christ.
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
For in fact the body is not one member but many.
Our physical body has many limbs and organs to make up the whole of a person.
So is the church with its many parts make up the whole of Christ.
Paul is using this metaphor for underlining the relationship between diverse members of the Christian Community.
mind you Christ is the main and central focus of this long sentence vs 12 There is no body of Christ without Christ.
Thiselton reminds us that “Christ remains the main subject whom the rhetoric serves…”
The word member isn’t referring to a member of an social organization. Or even a church member of a local church.
Its referring to being a member of the body of Christ.
We don’t have membership in our church because we realize that ultimately makes us all members in particular.
Paul wasn’t the first one to use this metaphor to describe a social group. Matter of fact this very common rhetorical device. But this was used to describe a hierarchy in leadership and value. Paul used it in very different ways.
Pauls rhetoric questions that hierarchy.
No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
The First Letter to the Corinthians 1) Introduction of the Analogy: Like a Human Body, Christ’s Body Has Many Parts, 12:12–14
A a body, though one,
B has many parts;
B′ all its many parts
A′ form one body.
versus 13- Being baptized in the Spirit, happens to all who believes on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
The baptism of the Spirit is experienced by all who believe at the moment of salvation Romans 8:9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
So the first start of discipleship you must become a member of the body of Christ.
I can invest in someone who is not a believer but I can’t disciple someone who is not a believer.
So one must be born again and enter into being a member of Christ body.
Second base: Committed to maturity- the process of growing in Christ.
We are entering into fall season! Many love the turning of the leaves in the fall. The older my kids get there will be a transition to daycare to school. An elderly person going from being independent to a nursing home. Seasons, phases, stages are apart of our everyday language. And is often how we define and understand life.
There are different stages in discipleship as well.
Just as we progressed through stages in school, or careers, there are all stages in our spiritual maturity.
Though only God knows the full spiritual progress of a person but we can measure that through a clear outline in the scriptures.
There are clear examples of baby Christians or immature believers. For example:
Recent converts shouldn’t be considered for leadership. 1 Tim. 3:6
not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
An overseer of a ministry work should not be a recent convert he shouldn’t have rapid advancement in leadership. Because he can get filled with pride and conceit.
Novice simply means newly converted to christianity, newly instructed.
2. New believers should long like newborn babies for the pure spiritual milk of the Word.
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Just like a baby longs for milk a new believer should be longing for the word.
As one is maturing in the faith there responsibility is to be a receiver of the word.
3. Mature disciples shouldn’t be caught in a perpetual spiritual babyhood.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Unskilled, meaning that they are inexperienced with the word of righteousness.
Its not about the lack of information of the babe its that this teaching has been put in its effective use.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
So the person that is ready and who can handle solid food is the one who can distinguish the difference between good and evil.
4. Mature followers of Jesus are distinguished from those who, like infants, are tossed to and fro by the winds of doctrine.
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
We see deceitful plotting in politics.
3. Third base: Committed to ministry- the process of serving Christ
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
4. Home base: Committed to missions- the process of sharing Christ.