I was reading through Mere Discipleship tonight after our Bridge meeting (the young adult meeting that we’re having at ACoG) and came upon this quote by Lee C. Camp:
When the word of God was made flesh, ‘all hell broke loose,’ and we should expect no less when the body of Christ continues its work of faithful discipleship. (p. 118)
Camp explores a bit how the Church serves as an extension of the ministry of Jesus. Meaning that if we look at the ministry of Christ as found in the Gospel accounts, then we find the model of how the Church should operate. The same Spirit who led and empowered Jesus also empowers the Church to be, as my good friend Jason Toole says, “Jesus with skin on.” When Christ was here on earth it was as if there was a big bulls-eye on his life, set there by the devil and his imps. And since the resurrection of Jesus and the empowerment of the Church, the bulls-eye has been transferred onto those who follow in the Way of the Lord.
As we have mentioned in the past few posts (as well as in the comments of our readers), discipleship is by no means an “easy” task. It costs everything. However, the return is that we have Him. And in having Him, we have each other. In pledging our lives to Jesus, by faith, we turn our back on the ways of the rebellious worldly system. In doing so, we participate in the Kingdom of God – a Kingdom which is not here yet in its fullness but, nonetheless, is here.
What are some ways that you think discipleship should be re-centered into the local church? How does your church go about training folks to follow in the way of Jesus? If your church has “discipleship programs” in place, please describe the programs a bit and tell whether these are sufficient in your estimation? Is the church building the place where the heart of discipleship occurs? Why or why not?
Peace,
Shannon
