Discipleship in a Post-Christian World

If you’re a Christ-follower, you’re called to communicate unchanging truth to a continually evolving world.  This dynamic tension strains our ability to stay relevant.   Yet Jesus’ final desire and command were for his followers to create disciples, and thus change the culture.  Mark’s gospel says “Go into the world and preach to every creature, baptizing them. . .” (Mark 16.15)  John recalls Jesus said “as the Father sent me, now I send you.” (John 20.21)  Matthew fills out Jesus words. “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them” (Matt 28.19-20)

What does discipleship look like place in today’s digital, live-streaming, instant world? According to Barna Research[1] the modern church has become increasingly irrelevant over the past few decades. We’ve spent time, money, resources and energy to look like the world around us, fill stadiums and conference centers, yet during the same time the results are lagging behind the effort. By most measurements, the church isn’t having life changing impact. America has taken on less of the image of Christ in the past 30 years. Maybe it’s time we take a page from Dr. Phil’s playbook, and ask, “How is that working for you?”

The proof of discipleship is a person transformed into the image of Christ. I’m not talking about perfection, but I am describing someone who is more concerned and caught up by his God’s priorities than those of his culture. Discipleship takes time, effort, love, prayer, and a commitment to walk with another person until you see Christ formed in them.  Without discipleship, Christian “raise your hand and say a prayer” converts remain culturally connected the world outside of Christ.  The new life that started out with great hope and expectation tragically fades, like a seed planted in shallow soil, withered and dry.

Discipleship isn’t simple.  But If we are to be the church,  be the salt that keeps the world from decaying, be a light set on a hill for all to see, discipleship demands a personal investment, and change our approach. We, God’s people, have to forsake building programs, buildings and traditions and commit ourselves to changing lives by truth of God’s Word and power of his Holy Spirit.

Here are 5 Steps that close the loop.

• Win: When Jesus called Peter, James and John to leave their boats, their journey was just beginning. Salvation, getting saved, praying a sinner’s prayer, coming forward to an altar call, making a profession of faith, is just a beginning. (1 Cor. 9.19-22, Jude 22-23 
• Build:  A newly born Christ-follower will learn how to follow Him by following you.  Babies are fed with milk, mush and then meat.  Creating disciples requires walking alongside new believers, for 6 months, a year or longer, and teach them to walk with Christ.  (Philippians 4.6-9, 1 Thess. 5.11ff)
• Equip:  Each and every Christian can, and must learn to feed themselves daily.  Then we learn the power, and reach toward our potential in God’s kingdom. (2 Tim. 2.2, 2 Peter 1.3-8, Eph 4.8, 11-15)
• Release: The Discipleship cycle completes when the new Christ-follower engages, giving of his life, gifts, resources and time to the life of the church and others.  Jesus didn’t come to convert the world. He came to draw attention to his Father, establish a new way to get to his Father, and to change the lives of 12 men. Today’s disciples are called to the same work. (Luke 10.1-18)
• Duplicate: Start the process again, this time two people work to build the kingdom.

2 Cor. 5.17-20

 Win:                Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation,

Build:              Old things have passed away, behold, all things are become new

Equip:              And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Release:           To know, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself . . . and has committed unto us the world of reconciliation.

Duplicate:        Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.