Discipleship Class
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Today we are going to speak about non-discipleship Christianity.
In the west, along with Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa there has been this two tier Christianity. And the west have produced this kind of view.
What kind of person does non-discipleship Christianity produce?
A good question to raise is Does non-discipleship Christianity even make disciples?
Does non-discipleship Christians create great commission oriented disciples, or does it produce consumers of religious goods and services.
The reality is that the climate which we are living in specifically in the western world produces consumers and not disciples.
You buy a book from your favorite preacher, the tee shirt.
Non-discipleship Christianity produces consumerism, not followers of Christ.
Followers of a personality but not Christ.
Unfortunately the gospel we preach has become drenched in American culture.
This isn’t all bad as Leslie Newbigin wrote “no gospel is pure, it is always embodied in culture.”
I was talking to one Pastor and we spoke about culture. And how every church has a culture. And every church will get marginalized to some extent. Even when you think your not projecting a culture you are.
“The American gospel is more activist than contemplative and usually moves towards individualism rather than community.”
How can I be my best self?
How can I be entrepreneurial?
How can I make my faith work for me?
These are all questions of a consumer. Not a disciple!
Transition:
Our altered gospel message contains several negative characteristics. Let’s take a look at the three most harmful.
1. The American gospel limits grace to the forgiveness of sins.
In America we crafted the gospel message to produce results. We place the focus of grace on conversion rather then the whole journey.
Grace is only good for salvation not our sanctification.
We often quote Eph 2:8-9 but often skip verse 10.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
We are not saved by our works, but we are His workmanship!
We have been saved unto good works like we are made for this we were created to produce good works unto Christ.
We are Christ workmanship that he has prepared before hand that we should walk in them. He has prepared. This is a grace orientation.
Versus 8-9 speaks about the mode of salvation versus 10 speaks about the result of salvation.
What does it mean that we are His workmanship?
Ephesians 2:10 . “We are his workmanship.” The Greek word is poiema from which we get our word poem.
We are Gods poem to express His creativity His artistic ability. His beauty and majesty to this world.
You ever think about the eloquence of a poem. Theres layers of it.
Our Lord’s conception of discipleship is not that we work for God, but that God works through us; he uses us as he likes; he allots our work where he chooses.
Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)
By limiting this passage to just salvation from hell and from our sin we are ultimately limiting Gods grace.
Grace provides divine enablement for all of life, for the entire journey.
Gods grace is limited when I think my salvation just saves me from hell.
So one the American gospel limits Gods grace to just the forgiveness of ones sins.
2. The American gospel separates justification and sanctification.
So justification and sanctification of course has two separate meaning.
Justification is the reality of the new birth (I’m just I’m born again) . and Sanctification is the process of becoming like Jesus.
“We have made a line of demarcation that are meant to distinguish them to a wall that divides them.”
We made a justification and sanctification two entirely separate things as if they don’t coexist with one another.
We are taught that justification is the end game. Then if I want to be a fanatic I cross over to sanctification.
But really justification and sanctification are two sides of the same coin. Its all apart of the salvation package.
And Christ died for both!
In other words the point of justification isn’t the finish line; its actually the starting line for a life long journey with Christ which we call justification.
3. The American gospel teaches that faith equals agreement with a set of religious facts.
Here me: Believing in Jesus means nothing if we don’t follow Him in discipleship!
What in your life have you not trusted in that you haven’t invested in whether time or resources
Believing with out discipleship isn’t believing its just agreeing to a set of facts about a religious figure.
If we survey people in our church and if we ask if discipleship is optional most would probably say yes. But in the Bible that kind of Christianity doesn’t exist!
I’m not speaking about earning salvation but about proof of salvation.
Table Talk: Does the gospel we preach in America produce disciples or does it produces consumers of goods and services?
The cost of discipleship.
Self denial is essential!
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
We all admire self denial in others but when it comes to ourselves its not so appealing!
But I think self- denial has been skud over the centuries.
C.S. Lewis said that self-denial in and of itself isn’t a virtue.
Because self-denial that is focused on self is actually self centered. And it falls on its head.
“If my motivation is to retrain from something , and say I can’t do this or that.” This isn’t self denial it just enhances one sense of self.
In fact denying ones pleasures just to say we did would be the apex of arrogance!
What Jesus calls self denial is a great deal of difference then maybe how we see self- denial.
There is something called asceticism.
Asceticism
Ascetics they would do simulated crucifixions and say they were denying themselves.
They would where clothing made out of hair weird stuff lol
An ascetic lives a life of rigorous self denial.
There was a man name Father Athanasius Anthony he was the founder of Monasticism (this is where we get the idea of monks and nuns). He never changed his vest or washed his feet.
Simeon Stylites spent the last 36 years of his life on top of a fifty foot pillar.
St. Ignatius said as a spiritual exercise one should open up the widow in foul weather in order to identify with the sufferings of Christ.
The Scottish preacher Alexander McClaren said, “Any asceticism is a great deal more to men’s taste than abandoning self. They would rather stick hooks in their backs and do the swinging poojah than give up their sins and yield up their wills.”
I like what C.S. Lewis said, “There’s no way one should throw out a good bottle or Port and the cigars! We don’t need to suffer without purpose.”
When Jesus is asking for self denial He is saying, say no to self and yes to God!!
He is saying deny yourself and follow me.!
“The only righteous role of self denial are eliminating options that are preventing you from saying yes to God.”
When my will conflicts with his will, self denial makes following His will possible.
Self denial opens the door to following Christ.
Without self denial that door remains shut!
I want you to interview the person sitting close to you. And ask them,
Table Talk: What has been your Greatest sacrifice as a Christian?
The greatest self- denial is giving up control.
Giving up the right to control my future. To direct the way my life should go! This is very difficult for sure.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Lord is there self in the way of me finding Christ.
Sometimes in discipleship your ministering and trying to get them to look pass themselves and see Christ.
