Discipling in a Distanced Environment
Notes
Transcript
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
Or maybe we’d be better to say
“Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures”
It has been interesting over these last several months to pay attention to advertisers. When the governing officials finally made the decision to shutter the economy in order to protect the population from the predicted effect of the coronavirus - so many people and businesses were scrambling trying to keep their heads above water in the midst of these “unprecedented times.” Some businesses got creative others hobbled along little changed and still others closed - unable to weather this storms.
Through all of this, various advertisers have used the pandemic to their advantage.
One local retirement community concludes their radio ad with something to the effect of: (Asbury village) -
We’re all in this together. Things are going to get better. Through it all we are Asbury strong
Another one even says: “I’m going to say it…unprecedented.” (look up)
As we’ve tried to navigate this “unprecedented” season ourselves, we had to make some big changes - adding streaming to our times of worship, sending sunday school lessons to parents, doing virtual classes.
But I would like to submit to you that these times are not necessarily unprecedented. There have always been challenges and threats to the church, to humanity, to the world.
In fact, for the first couple of centuries, being a Christian was outlawed - and yet during that era - the church continued to expand and grow - to the point where Constantine had to normalize Christianity because its had become a major factor under his reign.
So are these times unprecedented?
Yes, No, Maybe.
They certainly are different, but the challenges that we’re facing do not change the commission that we’ve been given.
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.”
So the question that I have is - how do we make disciples in a distanced environment?
In some ways, the answer is quite simple - creatively!
Today, as we consider this topic of making disciples, let’s look at the imperatives (or the verbs) that are before us in the Great Commission and let’s ponder through how we fulfill what God has called us to do.
The first verb that we come to in the this commission gives us...
Our mission - Go!
Our mission - Go!
Jesus gives them this command after telling them...
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
In other words, Jesus is saying… “Because I have been given this authority, you all go...”
Some have suggested that it might be better to render this...
“As you go”
But the point here that Jesus is making - whether we are going intentionally or incidentally - making disciples while we are going - the subsequent verbs are unchanged.
When you consider Jesus’ own example, He modeled both thoughts of this verb.
Jesus left the glories of heaven to be among us. He intentionally came here.
But as an adult, his disciple making happened as he was travelling around - incidentally. Once he began ministering, there are very few times when we see him by himself. He rarely walked alone.
I think the point that we need to understand is that we do have a mission before us. COVID hasn’t changed that. Masks haven’t changed that. Physical or social distancing hasn’t changed that. The mission to go is there.
What has changed some is where we’re going. We are going to work - but many of us from home. We are going to school - but from home. We are going to the store - and doing curbside pick up.
All of those things are making the incidental going more challenging - the “as you go” - but it doesn’t change the mission that is before us.
But what is our mission? The next verb that Jesus presents is...
Our mandate - make disciples
Our mandate - make disciples
Did you know that the word “disciple” is the word that the New Testament uses most often to describe Christians? (Dodson, 29).
According to Mark Dever, in its most simplest definition, a disciple is a follower - someone who follows another person in order to learn from them (Dever, 13).
Several years ago, one pastor (Rob Bell) referred to the rabbinical process of making disciples as being someone who would follow so closely as to get the dust of their master on them.
But is is getting people to follow us really what Jesus was getting at?
Jonathan Dodson, in his book Gospel Centered Discipleship talks about the idea that disciples are not simply followers as in some cogs in an overall program. He says...
“This repeated usage tells us that disciple is a fundamental category for Christians. We are disciples first and parents, employees, pastors, deacons, and spouses second. Disciple is an identity; everything else is a role. Our roles are temporary, but our identity will last forever.”
(Dodson, 29)
Rather than simply defining a disciple with a catchy phrasing - Dodson goes on to discuss three aspects of a disciple’s identity. (from Dodson, 29-31)
“Rational” - this gets to the part of discipleship that we’re familiar with - looking at the idea of a disciple being a student or a pupil. This often refers an exchange of information or knowledge - which we’ll get to in just a minute. This, in many ways, is the part of discipleship that we like. We like to sit and learn - at least many of us like that. There is something to be said about that transfer of knowledge. We can take in new knowledge and take time to assess whether it’s real or true or applicable.
“Relational” - Have you ever noticed that there are some in the body of Christ who refer to each other as “brother” or “sister” rather than by their first name? Now, it could be that they simply don’t remember names, but it really speaks more fully to the familial element of being a disciple. Jesus’ entire ministry was relational. Sure - he had moments when he would simply stand on a hillside and speak (Matthew 5-7), but so much of his ministry was done in a relational format - one on one or in smaller groups. He spoke in ways that communicated that he knew his disciples - individually. He knew Peter would shoot off at the mouth. He knew that James and John could be ambitious hot-heads together. He knew that Andrew was a good gatherer. He knew that Thomas had doubts. Beyond the 12, he knew the others. He didn’t treat Mary and Martha the same because he knew them differently. He knew the woman at the well had a past but would be a great evangelist. He knew the pain of the woman who had been bleeding for years. This is one part of making disciples that is so fun but also frustrating. The relational dynamic of discipleship is both personal and messy - because we are both personal and messy. He knows our insecurities, strengths, weaknesses, tendencies. When we’re making disciples in a truly relational way, we are going to be seen in those same ways. This relational aspect takes into account family sickness and struggles. It recognizes that there are no real deadlines - but only growth - and that often times through failures. It understands that there will be good and bad days. But not only is the identity of a disciple marked in a rational and a relational way, but finally, Dodson notes that it is...
“Missional” - Disciples make disciples who make disciples. Dodson says, “In this commission, Jesus reveals his agenda to make disciples, not just of the twelve, but also of every ethnic group in the world.” (Ibid, 31). It’s this part of what makes us disciples that is the forward progress. You see it’s not just about me learning more so that I can be more holy - it’s about us going out, rationally conveying the knowledge we’ve received in a relational way conveying it to others so that they can do the same.
To summarize his definition or really description of a disciple, Dodson writes:
“A disciple is a rational (learner), relational (family), and missional (missionary).”
So, in essence, if we are truly disciples, we’ve just discussed who we are and what we should be making. But this still doesn’t get to the issue - how do we do that in a distanced environment?
Let’s move forward in our commission and look at how we can adapt to our current setting.
After giving us our mission and mandate, Jesus continues by giving...
Our mode - baptizing
Our mode - baptizing
“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.”
Our English word “Baptize” is borrowed from the Greek word “bautizo.”
In considering the original meaning of the word, one Biblical dictionary defines it this way:
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 53.41 βαπτίζω; βάπτισμα, τος; βαπτισμός, οῦ
to employ water in a religious ceremony designed to symbolize purification and initiation on the basis of repentance
Strong’s dictionary defines it:
“to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N. T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially of the ordinance of Christian baptism:—baptist, baptize, wash.”1
1 Strong, James. A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible 2009 : 18. Print.
In our tradition, we have taken this to refer to the full immersion of a person under water - which is why we have a big bath tub at the front of the sanctuary. Other traditions have applied baptism differently. Today, we’re not going to split hairs on the actual mode of baptism.
But, there is something beautiful that baptism does as it relates to our identities as disciples - again Dodson reflects on these.
First of all, baptism reveals that we have “learned the gospel.” (rational)(Dodson, 32). It reveals that we have learned who God is - as the Holy, Just, Loving, Perfect Creator of all things. It reveals that we have learned who we are - made in the image of God but corrupted by the sin we that we are born with and the sin that we commit. It reveals that we have learned that Jesus - the perfect, sinless Son of God - took our sin on Himself in order that we might have abundant life now and eternal life into the future. As we go under water, we are buried in the likeness of Jesus’ death - dying to our old way of life. As we come up out of the water, it symbolizes being raised in the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection to the new life with Him.
Secondly, Dodson notes that “we are baptized into two overlapping communities. The first is the divine community of the Trinity [in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit].... The second community is the church.” (relational) (Dodson, 32-33).
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
We essentially get baptized into a new family - a family that, like Jesus himself, has human and divine elements - it’s identified by more than language, melanin, gender - it’s identified by Christ. The Apostle Paul talks in Romans about us being grafted into the vine.
Thirdly, baptism, like our identity as disciples, has a missional element. The end result of our baptism should be our obedience to the Great Commission. (Dodson, 33).
If we were to go through the book of Acts, we would see how this three-fold identity of the disciple is lived out in multiple ways. For example...
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8) - the man was a worshiper of God and was returning home from Jerusalem. Philip explains the Bible to him (he was reading form Isaiah) - rational and relational. The man asks about getting baptized - and his is on the spot. Tradition tells us that the Coptic church in Ethiopia finds its roots in this man as he returned - missional.
The Apostle Paul (Acts 9) - He already had a great deal of knowledge - but was blinded intellectually from seeing the truth of the gospel, so God blinded him physically for a few days. Ananias is sent by God to open Paul’s eyes - physically and intellectually. Look at how he addresses him.
So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
So now - he has been rationally instructed and relationally accepted. In the very next verse, Paul got on his mission...
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
We could continue to talk about Cornelius (Acts 10), Lydia (Acts 16), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16) - who all, were instrumental in making disciples in their families.
Baptism is very symbolic - just as my wedding ring identifies me as united with Danielle - so our baptism reveals what we’ve learned, among whom we’ve been accepted, and the mission to which we’ve been given.
But let’s continue.
Jesus gave us our mission - to go; our mandate - to make disciples; our mode - baptism; but next - he also gave us...
Our method - teaching
Our method - teaching
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We’ve already discussed how our identity as disciples has a rational - learning element to it. There is a part of making disciples that involves instruction. The beauty is - we already have the instruction manual. But notice what Jesus says...
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
That word translated “observe” could also be translated “to keep” or “obey” or “to do” or “to practice.” The point is that being a disciple of Christ is not simply an intellectual exercise - but it’s to be lived out. What the Word says should be obeyed.
Now, I know that the Bible is sometimes hard to read. There are parts that are very challenging - but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do them.
So, if we are trying to fulfill this part of making disciples by teaching - where do we begin? I think a great place to start is the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. They all reveal Jesus from a slightly different perspective - but they help us to understand who Jesus is, how he interprets the Old Testaments, how he expects us to live.
Now - how do we do that with COVID?
Well - some of that is very virtual right now - but there are parts that don’t have to be.
For parents with kids:
consider your family - you don’t have to be distant from them - are you making time to disciple - teaching, reading, etc.?
So, what if you have to remain distant? (elaborate)
virtual classes - adults, middle school, men’s discussion group,
ice cream zoom
Lunch time Bible reading - Tom and Robin
Smaller Bible studies - (Denise and her friend) - elders will be looking for some good, flexible curricula - feel free to make suggestions for topics and ideas that would be helpful to you.
There is one final element to the Great commission that we need to consider and that is...
Our motivation - Jesus’ presence
Our motivation - Jesus’ presence
This great commission was one of the final things that Jesus gave his disciples while he was here on earth. In some ways - if we pair this with the first chapter of Acts - it might seem like Jesus is lying - he gave the commission and then ascended.
But he is with us. I think he is with us in two ways:
Historically - Jesus modelled discipling for us and it’s written in His word. We can read, meditate, study, learn, remember.
Presently - Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit - to guide us, to give us words to say, to instruct us - in fact He is the one who ultimately draws people to Him - He does the saving. He does the heart work. We get to be instruments in the process.
Putting this into practice
Putting this into practice
The coronavirus response does not give us an excuse not to make disciples. It certainly makes it harder, but it also challenges us to think and act creatively.
For the time being we don’t get to rub shoulders quite as much as we would have liked before - but we can still pray for guidance. We can still pray for people who are far from God. We can pray for God to lead us to someone who will lead. We can still pray for insights, ideas, and opportunities to enter into discipling relationships.
Imagine what would happen if we would pray for God to give us a burden for even two or three people? What if even half of us would pray for those people by name and then get creative and intentional about being disciples of Jesus Christ who make disciples who in turn make disciples? Imagine what would happen in Poolesville or Montgomery or Frederick Counties in just the next few years.
Jesus changed the world through several men. He began his discipling mission after a season of prayer and fasting (Matthew 4).
I’d love to pray with you. For those of you who are here, let me encourage you to put a note in the prayer request section. In fact, if you just write a name - we’ll know what it’s for. You can even use the QR code on the back of the visitor card to submit a prayer request. If you’d like us to add this name to the weekly prayer list that goes out to everyone put (public) after their name. if you’d like the name not to be listed on the prayer sheet - put (private) and it will stay with me and those who are praying on Wednesday nights. For those of you who are online, if you click on the visitors card link - you can include a prayer request. As God brings someone to your mind that you would like to pray about discipling - then put their name there.
We need to be praying as well that God would help us to be mindful and creative about what he has placed before us.
We have a clear mandate - to go.
the mission is clear - to make disciples - of all nations - no one is excluded and this is not simply a teacher/learner process - it’s rational, relational, and missional.
The mode is meaningful - baptism - as we get to mirror the discipleship process in our transformation
The method is familiar - teaching (and obeying) - this is where we get to be creative - using Zoom, close relationships, social media, etc.
The motivation is encouraging - Jesus is with us - and he modeled this for us.
Our job - is to see our identity as disciples and get to work - making disciples who make disciples.
Benediction
Benediction
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.”
Sources:
Dever, Mark Discipling (Crossway, Wheaton, 2016)
Dodson, Jonathan K., Gospel Centered Discipleship, (Crossway, Wheaton, 2012)