The Christ-follower as Disciple & Missioner: Part IV

by Pastor Lane

Last Sunday I recommended a book to help if you needed an aide to begin to understand the importance of disciplines in your life or how to begin this disciplined life…or maybe just an encouragement to begin again in a disciplined practice. Here are three links to books that I would strongly recommend you read regarding this matter:

• The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

Once a Christ-follower understands what it means to be a disciple, being a missioner is the natural development. A missioner is actively engaged in making disciples of all people of the world. As missioner, Christ-followers transfer the value of transformational grace to other people. Several components are inherent in this life as missioner. In order to share the gospel, one must be able to articulate the gospel message correctly and effectively. This is in order to invest in the life of another person. Our understanding of the gospel will grow throughout our life, but an initial understanding is all that is required in order to begin sharing it. One must learn to live missionally in order to prioritize sharing the gospel. This means that life should be lived with margin, leaving space in schedule, finances, energy, resources in order to intentionally focus on building relationships with people. A third practice that must be engaged in is studying and understanding culture in order to engage it. When we study the habits and practices of people in the world, we come to understand the idols and strongholds that people have in their lives that blind them or harden their hearts to God and the gospel. When a Christ-follower knows these idols and strongholds, they can communicate the gospel as it address the deepest needs of people and impact their lives with the power of its truth.

What a beautiful plan that we, Christ-followers, get to participate in. I challenge you this week…who are you developing a genuine relationship with in order to share the gospel?

The Christ-follower as Disciple & Missioner: Part III

by Pastor Lane

Transformation impacts life through biblical thinking. Not a pattern of thinking that reflects the wisdom of man, but one that has learned the wisdom of God. Sin corrupts our mind by evil knowledge, thoughts, patterns of thinking and human/worldly wisdom and rationale. Consider Romans 8.5–7a regarding the mind:

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. the sinful mind is hostile to God.

When one is transformed by the righteousness of Christ into Christ-likeness, it occurs by the renewing of the mind.
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. —Rom. 12.2b

Transformation impacts life by understanding how the gospel transforms a life from within to daily practice. When one receives Christ (conversion), a growing awareness of God’s holiness and of the flesh and sinfulness emerges. The gospel shows how my sin has been atoned for by Jesus’ blood, Jesus’ righteousness has been attributed to me and how I am to live in freedom through forgiveness. People often look at mature Christians and falsely believe they no longer struggle with temptation, that their sinfulness is in some way less severe or that they have just overcome sinfulness. Maturity in the Christian life is learning to apply the gospel, recognize the temptation that lead to sinfulness and battles it at its core. The closer you get to root of sin in life, the more intense the battle with it becomes. The practice of sinning/committal of sins is the fruit of a root sin in life. If you wait to battle it until it begins to show itself in action, victory is near impossible. Sin must be killed at its core. Maturity in the Christian life is the gospel growing our awareness of God and self, understanding how Jesus’ righteousness has given victory over our sin and living, by faith, in the victory that he has given.

Transformation impacts life by disciplined participation. Personal participation in relationship with Jesus is essential to transformational growth. Essential personal disciplines include Bible reading, memorization and meditation, prayer, giving, fasting, confession, and witnessing. These disciplines build our relationship with Jesus. Journaling is also an important discipline as I use it to enhance and guide my prayer and Bible time. Community participation is essential to growth. Essential community disciplines include church membership (connecting with a local body of Christ/church), worship, tithing, study, fellowship and serving.

The Christ-follower as Disciple & Missioner: Part II

by Pastor Lane

As a disciple, we are transformed by God’s grace through self-denial, sacrificed and suffering to grow in authenticity of Christ-likeness. Transformation impacts life through authentic living. Established in Christ’s righteousness, authenticity is the way we begin to live when we trust that Christ has imputed his righteousness upon us. A disciple learns to live in the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ Jesus. Not by any other form of righteousness that comes through good works, good thinking, intentions, or otherwise. The gospel reveals righteousness from God to us, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (Rom. 1.17). God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5.21). God’s grace frees us from living in our own self-righteousness or worldly righteousness to rest in Jesus’ righteousness that comes through faith.

There are several killers to this authentic living that we must beware of. An unrepentant spirit can kill authentic living by hardening one’s heart toward God and allowing sin to blind them and deceive. Perfectionism takes ones fear of being wrong or ‘not perfect’ and causes them to build in standards, other than God truth, to live by. Controlling tendencies, a fear of losing control or being controlling toward others, can lead a person to manipulate and rationalize sin in life in an effort to practice ‘sin management.’ Discontentment kills authentic living by living to please others and working to make others think more highly of us than we think about ourselves. It can also cause us to be ungrateful or greedy, consumed with wanting more in life. Contentment is too often believed to be related to material possession. Paul says that contentment is to be learned in every situation, regardless of the circumstances (Phil. 4.11) “but godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6.6). Legalism kills authentic living as it bases righteousness on an adherence to a set of rules, striving to make one feel better about themselves and appear better before other people. It establishes a pseudo-righteousness based on one’s set of rules or legalisms. Inevitably it can begin to impose that same set of rules onto others. Authenticity killers are anything that creates a righteousness based on something other than God’s righteousness by faith in Christ Jesus alone.

The Christ-follower As Disciple & Missioner: Part I

by Pastor Lane

The Great Commission calls Christ-followers to make disciples (Matt. 28.18–20). God’s grace empowers a life to fully experience the gospel of Jesus Christ every day and extend that grace to others. This is the ethos of the Christian life, to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God (disciple) and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people (missioner).

A clear understanding of the biblical definition of disciple is important to embrace what it means to follow Christ. Several passages guide our teaching and show that a disciple is marked by three distinctives: self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering.

If any man would come after me, he must deny himself, take us his cross daily and follow me. —Luke 9.23

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. —Phil.1.29

Self-denial is essential because without it we will impose our will upon our way and not follow Christ. We cannot follow Christ without first denying self. No man can serve two masters (Matt. 6.24). Until you know that you are not your own master, you will not follow Christ as your master. Sacrifice is essential because we will always default to self-preservation and pursue the poshest comforts of life. Jesus modeled a life of sacrifice in all things. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (1 John 3.16). Suffering is essential because it produces perseverance that develops Christ-like character that results in hope. And hope in Christ never disappoints (Rom. 5.3–5). Jesus was made perfect through suffering (Heb. 2.10), and when we suffer for Christ’s sake we are to rejoice that we have been counted worthy to suffer for his name (1 Pet. 4.13).

The Christ-follower as Worshipper & Servant

The Great Commandment (Matt. 22.36–40) calls every Christ-follower to be a lover of God and a lover of others. The gospel of Jesus Christ empowers a life to fully experience God’s grace every day and extend that grace to others. This is the ethos of the Christian life, to love God and love others. The challenge arises when one tries to define “how” to love. Love can be a nebulous verb proving difficult to show in real actions and measure in tangible terms if only considered from the world’s point of view. Thanks be unto God! He has not left us to our own imagination or compassions. He has given the supreme example of love in Christ Jesus. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins(1 John 4.9–10). God’s love shown by demonstration is the heart of the Gospel. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5.8).

Several striking truths show the supremacy of God’s love. First, love is an action because God, the One who is love (1 John 4.16), establishes this through his expression. Second, the value of God’s love is supreme because he gave his only begotten son in order to express it (John 3.16). Third, the measure of God’s love is supreme because Jesus fully emptied himself (Phil. 2.6–8) in order to demonstrate the Father’s love. Fourth, the extent of God’s love is supreme because in the atoning sacrifice through Jesus Christ he has given new life and saved to the uttermost from the curse and condemnation of sin. Finally, the effectiveness of God’s love is supreme because it compels those who have received it to share his message and ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5.14f).

Christ-followers, in considering your life as a Worshipper (love God) and Servant (love others), you must first know who God is and understand what he has done. He has revealed himself that we might know him. Here are a couple of practical ways to grow your ethos as a worshipper and servant this year. First, read his Word, the Bible. Bible reading guides are a great help. I encourage you to go to print a copy of the file we’ve created to guide you through the Bible in ‘08 or use one of the plans offered at NavPress.com.

Second, communicate with God in regular time of prayer. Let your prayer be guided by God’s revelation of his character and attributes in his Word. Pray his Word back to him and over your life. Prayer is a way of expressing love to God and also loving others by faithful prayers for them. I encourage you to be sure you are signed up for the LifePoint prayer network that comes out every week. You can join the Prayer Network or access this week's prayer list on LifePoint Online. Prayer in our community of Christ-followers is an essential strength and unity-building discipline for us as a community to be faithful to.

Third, show your love to God in the greatest demonstration he has given to his children, obedience (1 John 5.3). Sin wars against the soul of every person but God’s grace gives victory. Is there a sin that haunts you, a temptation that besets you? Repent, receive God’s forgiveness and trust in God’s grace to obey his Word. His grace is greater than our sin (Rom. 5.20).

Fourth, show your love for God by loving others. Loving others as an expression of loving God is not only obedience to his command (1 John 3.23, 4.21) but also transfers the supreme value of relationship with God to other people. When we love God by loving others, we testify of the great worth his love has been unto us. When we love others sacrificially and generously we bear witness of how God has sacrificially and generously loved us first. We are servants of God expressing his love to others as it compels us. We serve to meet needs in His name and for his glory that others might experience first-hand the love of God.

Christ-follower, how will you live the love of God in your life? Who will you share the love of God?

—Pastor Lane