Discipleship in a Digital World

We’re called to communicate unchanging truth to a continually evolving world. The dynamic tension often strains our ability to relevantly influence our cultural toward Christ. Yet Jesus’ final desires were for his followers to create disciples, and change the culture. “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them” (Matt 28.19-20)

If we are called to make disciples, what does that mean? What is discipleship’s place in today’s digital, live-streaming, instant world? Can a modern church reach the digital generation and fulfill the great commission with these modern, plugged in, wired, yet personally disconnected tools? How much lasting, life changing impact is the church having with respect to the increasing commitment to technology and multi-media resources dedicated to preaching to the masses?

Discipleship is the means to transform a person into the image of Christ. Discipleship takes time, effort, love, prayer, and a commitment to walk with another person until you see Christ formed in them. Without discipleship, a new convert is likely to remain culturally connected the world outside of Christ. Old habits remain unchanged – former personal identity untransformed, and the new life planted with great expectation tragically fades, like a seed planted in shallow soil.

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, we have make a personal investment. Here are 5 points to ponder.

Win: The process starts when one person wins another to Christ. Paul was willing to become all things to all men so that by all means some might be saved. 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: Like any newly born child, a newly born Christ follower must learn how to follow. Babies are fed, with milk, mush and then meat. Our task is to walk alongside these new believers, for 6 months, a year or longer, and teach them to walk with Christ. They will fall, and disappoint you. But without your example of faith and friendship, a new believer will likely return to what they knew, when what is new isn’t working out so well. (Philippians 4.6-9, 1 Thess. 5.11ff)

Equip: “You give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish . . .” You know the rest. Each and every Christian can, and should feed themselves daily. Then we learn the power, and reach toward our potential in god’s kingdom. We are called to share what Christ has given to us with others. (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 spent 2 years with his disciples, and then sent them out 2 x 2, preaching and demonstrating with miraculous signs that the kingdom of God was come. 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.

If the Church is to look like the Church, and be the bride of our Bridegroom . . . we must take on the work of the church – making disciples and transforming the world. Then we will be like Him. Then we will be ready for his return.

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.

Man of Sorrows

Man of sorrows

 

“He was despised

Rejected by men”

That included me too

Even though I was not there

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

“A man of sorrows,

familiar with suffering”

The entire world’s sin rested

Upon His solitary shoulders

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

“Carried our sorrows,

Considered stricken by God”

Even though I was not born yet

He knew me and my propensities

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

“He was pierced for our transgressions,

Crushed for our iniquities”

It must be

There is no other way

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

The punishment that brought

Us peace was upon him”

What strange manner of love

To willingly give up all

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

“By His wounds we are healed”

His stripes secured our freedom

Help us remember this day

And never forget

That fateful day,

That Good Friday

 

Our pardon secured

Come Sunday morn

‘Up from the grave He arose!’

 

By Teresa Lasher/Good Friday: 4-10-09

 

“Found Wanting” does not mean “Hopeless”♦

American Minute with Bill Federer (used by permission)

March 26th

Richard Allen was born to slave parents in Philadelphia and sold with his family to
a plantation in Dover, Delaware. With the permission of his master, he began
attending the Methodist meetings and learned to read and write. Richard Allen
was converted at age 16 and is said he worked hard to prove that Christianity did
not make slaves worse servants. He then invited a minister to visit and preach to
his master, resulting in his master's conversion after hearing that on the Day of
Judgment slaveholders would be "weighed in the balance and found wanting."
His repentant master then made arrangements for Richard, now 26, to become free.
Richard Allen became a licensed exhorter and founded the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, their building being dedicated by Francis Asbury, the
circuit-riding preacher who became the Methodists' first American Bishop. By the
time of Richard Allen's death, this day, March 26, 1831, the African Methodist
Episcopal Church had grown to over 10,000 members.

_____________________________________________________________________________

“This is the interpretation of the thing…God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it…. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting… Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5:26-28 (KJV)

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” Jonah 3:10 (KJV)

“And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” Mark 5:20 (KJV)

The Bible reveals that God is longsuffering and desires to see all people acquire eternal life. God cannot and will not tolerate sin, and He turns His face from it. The Bible tells us that while God turns His face from the presence of sin, He never retracts His hand of mercy. What this implies is that regardless of how great of a sinner we are, God is willing to help us acquire spiritual restoration.

We often ignore, or mentally write off people who we esteem to be hopeless sinners. God does not do this. When God says that we are found “wanting”, He is not saying that we are a hopeless case. He is saying that unless we turn from sin, we will be given over to eternal punishment.

The scriptures contain numerous accounts where sinners repented of their evil and God turned from wrath and extended compassion and mercy to them. God is not interested in filling the depths of the lake of fire. He wants to save sinners, and use these repentant followers testimonies to draw others to Him.

[References: Luke 7:40-47; Luke 15:7; Acts 2:37-41]

Sincerely:

Rev. Patrick Steiert

Philppians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Calling someone a “do nothing” seems somewhat out of place in our achievement
oriented world. We all know that people are judged by what they accomplish.
The one who focuses on being rather than doing is considered out of touch.
So we are struck by the admonition in Philippians 2:3 which starts out “Do nothing.”
Once we get past those first two shocking words we enter into the Lord’s mind.
For, His command is not to inactivity.  Rather, He tells us how to live in a way that
reflects His heart.

The Apostle Paul tells the Philippians to “Do nothing out of vain ambition and self conceit,”
two more motivators that characterize the world we live in.  But, as we are told in another
place, living in the world does not require us to be part of the world system. Instead we are
to cloak our thoughts and actions with humility.  The type of humility that considers others
to be of more value than we are.

This is not the “woe is me, I am nothing but a worm” mindset.  Rather, it is recognizing that
as Christ-ones we are to put the needs of others ahead of our own.  That is what Jesus did.
In case you have ever asked yourself “What would Jesus do?”

The mind of Christ that we are told to “put on” is the one that stripped off divine rights,
emptied out self, and put on the garment of a servant.  In John 13:1-16, that garment was a towel.
In John 1:14 that garment was human flesh.

Jesus Christ was not a “do nothing”. In fact, He did the greatest thing that has even been done.
He did what we could not do for ourselves.  He paid the debt we could not pay. And He did
it because of  love.

How to “Do Nothing” in a goal centered world.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

Calling someone a “do nothing” seems somewhat out of place in our achievement
oriented world. We all know that people are judged by what they accomplish.
The one who focuses on being rather than doing is considered out of touch.
So we are struck by the admonition in Philippians 2:3 which starts out “Do nothing.”
Once we get past those first two shocking words we enter into the Lord’s mind.
For, His command is not to inactivity. Rather, He tells us how to live in a way that
reflects His heart.

The Apostle Paul tells the Philippians to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,”
two more motivators that characterize the world we live in. But, as we are told in another
place, living in the world does not require us to be part of the world system. Instead we are
to clothe our thoughts and actions with humility. The type of humility that considers others
to be of more value than we are.

This is not the “woe is me, I am nothing but a worm” mindset. Rather, it is recognizing that
as Christ-ones we are to put the needs of others ahead of our own. That is what Jesus did.
In case you have ever asked yourself “What would Jesus do?”

The mind of Christ that we are told to “put on” is the one that stripped off divine rights,
emptied out self, and put on the garment of a servant. In John 13:1-16, that garment was a towel.
In John 1:14 that garment was human flesh.

Jesus Christ was not a “do nothing”. In fact, He did the greatest thing that has even been done.
He did what we could not do for ourselves. He paid the debt we could not pay. And He did
it because of love.

Old and New

Here is the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
King Solomon; Eccl 12.14

Love God, and do as you please.
St. Augustine. 4th Century AD

Faith . . . based in the Law or Love ??

Worship While You Wait

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” - Psalm 69:30

In autumn, a drive to enjoy the spectacular range of color God has created can be restorative. My family and I like to travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee where the scenery is magnificent.

The last time we visited, the weather cooperated with temperatures in the seventies with a slight breeze. It seemed like everyone came to Gatlinburg that weekend. You couldn’t move your car down the main street more than a few feet at a time, or edge more than two feet through a store without running into someone or something. The motel charged us double the going rate because of the demand. We checked in and after shopping, we came back to find we had no place to park.

I remained thankful for a safe trip and the means to go, but what was supposed to be relaxing turned into an exercise in patience. It would have been easy to forget about thankfulness and become as impatient and rude as some of the travelers.

Thankfulness is an attitude. The American Heritage Dictionary says thankfulness is “to be aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful and to be expressive of gratitude: a thankful smile.” Isn’t it better to smile at someone than frown? It is better to speak kinds words than lash out in anger.

When we have to wait in line to pay for something, rather than be impatient, why not use that time to thank God for our money? When we’re forced to wait a whopping twenty minutes to be seated in a restaurant, let’s breathe a prayer of thanks that God provides us with another meal. We are so blessed we forget there are millions of people in the world who have no idea where their next meal will come from.

We sing a chorus, ‘Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart’. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” When our hearts are grateful, we make up our minds to be thankful and worship while we wait.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the beauty of this world, and for Your many blessings. I pray I’ll be grateful in spite of and in the midst of all of life’s circumstances. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Donna J. Shepherd looks at everyday life and finds God’s fingerprints everywhere. A columnist for The Dabbling Mum, NABBW, and CWAHM, she has hundreds of articles and devotionals to her credit.

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In Christ
Timothy Burns