A few days ago Mike Breen posted a series on his blog that essentially asked the question, “Why does most ‘innovation’ in the church revolve around technology instead of discipleship?” In other words, why do we spend so much intellectual and creative capital tinkering with technological niftyness instead of investing that capital in finding out how to make disciples well?
Most of the possible reasons he offered revolved around the fact that discipleship is difficult, and therefore left untried (like that great G.K. Chesteron quote, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”) While I think there’s an element of truth in that, I think that the real issue lies much deeper, and has to do with how our unspoken theological assumptions invariably guide our lives. And everyone has theological assumptions. You can’t live without them. But if they remain unexamined and un-articulated they could lead you to waste your life tinkering with things that don’t really matter in the long run.
My contention is this:
If we want to see a discipleship revolution take root in the North American church, we have to grapple with our inherited assumptions about what salvation is.
Until we really wrestle with this question and come to some solid answers, discipleship will not take root because it will always feel like an optional “add-on” to the “main thing,” some Christian bling for those who are into that kind of thing.
My friend JR Rozko articulated it really well with his comment on the first post in Mike’s series, and wrote a good post in his blog outlining the issue. I’ve also written about the issue a couple times (“Forgiveness Isn’t the Whole Gospel” and “The Gospel, Evangelism, and Discipleship”).
Essentially the issue is this: If salvation is merely agreeing with a few propositions so we can get into heaven when we die, if that’s what it’s really about, then of course all we’ll do is innovate new ways to attract people to hear that message and “say the prayer,” so to speak. Our goal defines the path our innovation takes.
But if salvation is something bigger, like participating in the life of God, joining with him in what he’s doing now (which I would argue is a far more biblical definition), then it makes perfect sense to make disciples of Jesus, because if we accept the invitation to live with God in his kingdom now, we very quickly learn that we don’t know how to do that. Thus discipleship follows naturally from this, because Jesus knows how to do it, and he promises to teach us and empower us to do it.
If salvation is “signing the papers” so we secure blessing in heaven, then our goal will simply be to get more people to sign the papers, and thus our innovation will take a technological turn, because you get more informational bang for your buck that way. But if salvation is participating in what God is doing now, and our goal is initiating people into that kind of life, we will naturally utilize our creative and intellectual capital to innovate ways to more effectively make disciples. Again, our goal will define the path our innovation takes.
The problem is that many churches try to “add” discipleship to their already-existing programs and paradigms, without deeply examining their assumptions about salvation, which tragically lead them to invent tricky new ways to “get the word out” and remain impotent in their ability to make disciples. Like my friend Michael Rudzena said the other day, “Sometimes it isn’t the problem that needs troubleshooting, it’s the paradigm.”
If we really want to move churches toward building discipling cultures, we need to find ways to ask this deeper question about the nature of salvation. We need ways to confront the underlying assumptions that lead us away from discipleship. One idea I’ve wondered about is using parables. Jesus used them all the time to explode paradigms and turn things upside down.
What kinds of parables could we tell that would explode our paradigms of salvation?
BOOM goes the dynamite. Love it. (and the picture you used for this post!)
Thanks Doug. The drawing was entitled "The Inventor and His Useless Invention."
I think Matthew 25 (sheep and goats) is a straight up parable from Jesus related to what you're talking about. Salvation is a way of life that we enter into. Have you seen Peter Rollins' rapture video? It's pretty provocative in many ways but I think it's a modern-day parable that hits at this too. And Doug, you should get the Boom Goes the Dynamite guy to do a 3dm promo video.
That's a great observation, Brent. I haven't seen Rollins' rapture video, but I thought of Rollins' little book of parables when I wrote the post ("The Orthodox Heretic"). He does some similar things in that book (not all of them helpful, IMO).
Parable: Once a young monk visited a very old mystic and was asked how to grow in union with Christ. "What is it that you do?" the mystic asked.
"I follow my rule: I read a chapter, pray the prayers, and fast," the young man replied.
The old mystic stood up and seemed to fill the cave with his presence as he reached with both hands higher and higher. His face lit up and his eyes blazed and he said, "Why not rather be consumed?"
That's a great example. Thanks Darryl.
Good stuff Ben! I think hit bulls-eye here.
Thanks Jeff!
Great post, Ben. I also think that the Church must be seen as integral to salvation. We are being saved (restored) to right relationships & communion. The community of Christ is central to God's salvific plan because this is the goal (telos) i.e., a restored community living in communion under the Lordship of Christ. So, discipleship is our naturalization process as kingdom citizens.
"discipleship is our naturalization process as kingdom citizens." I love this phrase. Really articulates well the sense in which the Church is essential to salvation. Thanks.
true Biblical discipleship can't be programmed or mass produced and that's where the temptation to compromise comes in for me. It's an individual, long, messy and sometimes disappointing prospect to commit your life to walking the way with another person and not knowing how it's going to turn out. This flies against the consumer mindset that is reinforced 5,000 times a day in our society and in my opinion, that's why most churches/pastors don't even try to make disciples. It can't be measured, it's too hard and it takes too long…
Yup!
Ben
Instead of – “Why We Don’t Make Disciples” as a post…
Maybe it should read – “Why We *CAN’T* Make Disciples.” 🙂
With all the Blogs today about – Making Disciples…
ALL the books, conferences and seminars about – Making Disciples…
You’d think someone would have figured out – How To – by now. 😉
In my experience… I know of NO?ONE who has ever made a “Disciples of Christ.”
NOT even in the Bible…
Can you name ONE person – in the Bible – who made a “Disciple of Christ?”
Other then Jesus – of course. 😉
Can you name ONE PERSON ever – who made a “Disciple of Christ?”
And how they did it?
I doubt if you have ever made a “Disciple of Christ.”
And “Discipleship,” “Discipling,” and being “Discipled,” is NOT in the Bible…
So it’s NOT messy…
IMO – Those things are all – Traditions of Men – that nullify the word of God. Mk 7:13
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall “hear My voice; “
and there shall be “ONE” fold, and “ONE” shepherd.
John 10:16
One Fold – One Shepherd – One Voice
{{{{{{ Jesus }}}}}}
A. Amos, thanks for your comment.
I have to disagree with you, though. You write that all the efforts to make disciples are "all – Traditions of Men – that nullify the word of God." I know that some seek to control others and call it discipleship (it sounds like you've experienced some of this?), but that doesn't negate the fact that Jesus told his disciples to "make disciples" (the verb matheteuo).
I think you see the early church doing this. Paul clearly told his churches to "imitate" him as he imitated Christ, and to look to their leaders' way of life and imitate it if they wanted to grow in their life with Christ. The Wesleyan movement was an excellent later example of a disciple-making movement rooted in imitation and apprencticeship. This is the kind of process and practice I am talking about when I say "make disciples." It's simply the process of becoming more like Jesus, and I have become way more like Jesus when someone is intentionally discipling me (or "disciple-making" me, you could say) than when I just try to do it on my own.
They way you seem to be laying it out, we grow in Christ exclusively as individuals, everyone enjoying "direct" access to Christ as our master. But I just don't think Scripture or church history bears this out. It's too easy for us to fool ourselves unless we submit ourselves to a local body of believers (and especially those in that body who are wiser/more mature/bear more fruit than us). Check out Adam Krell's comment above for a good understanding of how we need one another if we are to see Christ clearly.
The kind of practice I am talking about is simply being intentional about what Jesus commanded us to do. And it's not theory – this is what I have been involved in and started to practice myself, and I've seen good fruit resulting from it. So I'm probably going to stick with it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, though.
Ben – Thanks for your response
You write…
“Paul clearly told his churches to "imitate" him as he imitated Christ, *and to look to their leaders'* way of life and imitate it if they wanted to grow in their life with Christ.”
That’s one reason I believe *NO Pastor/Leader* ever made a “Disciple of Christ.”
So-called “Pastor/Leaders” think, and teach, it’s a good idea for a wannabe “Disciple” to imitate them. IMO – Paul had his eye on Jesus, following and imitating Jesus. NOT following and imitating a mere fallible human. Paul taught, follow and imitate Jesus. Jesus did nothing of Himself – He trusted in the "ONE" who lived with in Him.
I agree when you say, “Jesus told his disciples to "make disciples"
BUT – Jesus also told them how to do it. Quite simple really…
*teaching them to “observe” all things that I have commanded you*
Mat 28:19:20 NKJV
How many “Leaders” do you know who teach, are examples to, wannabe “Disciples”
NOT to be called “Leader?” 😉
When you were “being discipled” by someone you were told was your “Leader”
did they teach you NOT to be called “Leader” as Jesus taught “His Disciples?”
That’s right – really – One thing Jesus taught, commanded, “His Disciples” was…
NOT to be called “Master/Leader” in Matthew 23:10.
King James Version –
Neither be ye called masters: for “ONE” is your Master, even “Christ.”
The Interlinear Bible –
Nor be called leaders, for “ONE” is your leader the Christ.
Phillips Modern English –
you must not let people call you leaders, you have only “ONE” leader, Christ.
Today's English Version –
nor should you be called leader. your “ONE” and only leader is the Messiah.
Jesus told “His Disciples” NOT to be called "leaders" and none did.
Ro 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ…
Php 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ…
Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ…
Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God…
Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God…
2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant…
His Disciples "all" called themselves "servants."
None called themselves "leaders." None? None.
None called themselves "servant-leader." None.
If Jesus instructed “His disciples” NOT to call themselves “leaders”
and someone calls themself a "leader" or thinks they are a "leader;"
Are they really a "Disciple of Christ?" ;-(
Or, did they become a disciple of the mere fallible human "Leader" who “Discipled” them?
So – Step one in “making a Disciple of Christ” is to model, teach, command what
Jesus taught “His Disciples”
“you must not let people call you leaders, you have only “ONE” leader, Christ.”
What is popular is not always “Truth.”
What is “Truth” is not always popular.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall “hear My voice; “
and there shall be “ONE” fold, and “ONE” shepherd.
John 10:16
One Fold – One Shepherd – One Voice – One Leader
{{{{{{ Jesus }}}}}}
Thanks for the response, A.
I do think I've met quite a few people now who have their eye on Christ and are seeking to imitate him. Those people have invited me to imitate them as they imitate Christ, but have also said, "Be aware that there are parts of me that are not yet like Christ. Don't imitate those parts. But inasmuch as you see Christ in me, try doing life how I do it and let's talk about it as we go."
I'm sorry that it seems you've never met anyone like that, but I assure you, they exist 😉
Ben
Much agreement when you write…
“simply being intentional about what Jesus commanded us to do.
The matter is quite simple. The Bible, the Gospels, is very easy to understand.
And to be a “Disciple of Christ” it will cost you;
A “Disciple of Christ” – Will…
Forsake all…
Hear “His” voice…
Love not the world…
Love not their own life…
Just want to know Him…
Count all things but dung…
Always take the lower place…
Do nothing apart from Jesus…
Take on the form of a servant…
Make themselves of no reputation…
Count others better then themselves…
Gives thanks for all things… All things? Yes.
Deny themselves and pick up their cross daily…
Count all the shame, “joy,” for what lies before them…
Love the Lord their God, love their neighbors, love themselves…
Forsake all power, profit, prestige, honor, glory, praise, recognition, reputation…
A “Disciple of Christ” – Will NOT…
Honor themselves…
Speak of themselves…
Seek their own glory…
Be called rabbi/teacher…
Be called Master/leader…
Receive honor from man…
Lord it over God’s heretige…
Exercise Authority like the gentiles…
Peace…
I love these lists, A.
And I agree that the Gospels are very easy to understand. But I have found I need help in practicing the teachings of Jesus, and I have sought it from those who are further along than I am. That's discipleship, in my view.