Here’s the third…
#3 - Your Church Doesn’t Disciple Anyone.
Ever heard this one? Once again…look at WHO it usually comes from…a guy who ISN’T actually discipling anyone himself…but LOVES to sit around and complain about what he perceives to be a problem.
This may sound a lot like the last post I did not this…but, ANYTIME someone asks me to define what making a disciple is they usually just look at me with a blank stare. AND…when I push them on it they finally admit that a disciple is usually someone who acts and thinks JUST LIKE THEM!!! (Which is the pinacle of arrogance!)
Anytime I hear this argument I think about the story in Acts 8:26-40 where Phillip led the Ethopian eunech to Christ…and then BAM, the Bible says God took Phillip away! OBVIOUSLY God doesn’t care about discipleship because he didn’t tell the eunech to immerse himself into a culture that ignores the world.
Should we desire to grow in our faith? ABSOLUTELY! Should the church provide an environment for that to take place in? Once again, ABSOLUTELY!
HOWEVER, it is not the churches job to MAKE people grow…but rather to provide the environments for it.
Every Sunday at NewSpring Church it is our goal in every sermon to either…
#1 - Teach someone something they did not know…
#2 - Remind them of something they have forgotten…
AND…
#3 - Challenge them to take action based on what they learned.
THAT, in our minds, is discipleship. If people are reminded or learn 52 news things every single year and follow through on them…they are changed…and so is the world they live in!
Sure, we do other things as well…groups, volunteer teams, taking an offering (all a part of discipleship)...but, in my opinion, we make the process of discipleship WAY too complicated!
Paul dealt with this in Acts 15 (great story)...and Acts 15:19 is one of the most descriptive verses on what the responsibility of the church is when it comes to discipling…we should NOT make it difficult…but rather do our best to assist people in taking their next steps…which are usually difficult without the church even getting involved.
One more thing on this…the person who usually throws this argument out there will also say things like, “I’m not being fed!” Which actually is a reflection of their pitiful spiritual condition!!!
You see, when Charisse was a little girl, I fed her. She is now 17 months old…and I place the food in front of her and she eats it. In a year or so she will be able to go to the fridge and get her own food…THAT is simply a sign of her maturity.
The same is true spiritually. When someone first comes to Christ we should invest heavily in them. As time goes on we should consistently place the food in front of them. (We do this every Sunday). And then, one day, we should hope that they actually open up the Bible and feed themselves.