Discipleship Letter 19 July 20, 2008
“Millions of Christians don’t live like Christians—and that’s partially because they don’t know what they believe and therefore cannot apply appropriate scriptural values to their lives” [Greg Ogden, Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time (Downers Grove: IVP, 2003), p. 38.].
Millions of “Christians” don’t live like Christians because they don’t want to, and they don’t care. It is absolutely not because of their limited knowledge of Christianity. No need to waste time on them. Millions of Christians don’t live like Christians because they don’t know much about what they believe and how they should live.
If the above statement is true, it implies that the church fails to do her job. Jesus said make disciples of all nations…through going, baptizing, and teaching (Matt. 28:19-20). This command is always a challenge to us. Whenever we realize we aren’t making disciples solidly, yet slowly, we must pause and think about what goes wrong. This command is a challenge especially to veteran Christians who are selfish about their time and energy to make disciples solidly, yet slowly. One day Jesus will ask you a question, “How many disciples did you make?” You’d say, “Well, I went to Sunday worship regularly and did tithe faithfully.” You know, the question is, “How many disciples did you make?”
As a church, this is our noble task—to teach the truth, to invest time in each other, and to assist one another to apply the truth. Discipleship requires time and sacrifice. Discipleship is against instant gratification.
--Discipleship Letter 20 July 27, 2008
Disciples have listening ears. Jesus said, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!” (Mk. 4:9).
Churchgoers have ears, but they don’t have a pair of obedient ears. They hear eagerly, yet obey selectively. In the Bible, hearing usually carries the connotation of obedience—he who has ears, let him hear and obey. Someone said, “Selective obedience is not obedience at all. It is merely convenience.” Why? Because selectivity yields to our sinful nature. We choose to “obey” what is convenient in our lives, and yet disobey whatever causes inconvenience. Churchgoers have a convenient lifestyle, for they don’t listen with total submission to the lordship of the Lord.
Disciples have ears and listen well. Disciples do not possess all the knowledge of the truth. Yet, they obey and practice what they have already known without selectivity. They put their faith into practice without selectivity because they know that God doesn’t delight in their sins. There is time when disciples fail to live up to the standard of Christian living. But they rarely think it is okay to do so. They understand that God deals with their sins in the wider context of love, and the last thing they want to do is to abuse that love.
Discipleship and selectivity do not go well together!
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