What if you went outside and saw a catterpillar working to become a butterfly? Except, instead of spinning a cocoon it was trying to literlaly make wings. That's silly!
Yet that is what we do, when we as Christians try to "look" like Christ. We try to make good deeds, try to obey the law. Really, the law serves as a reminder that we cannot do it. The only way anything good comes from us is from Christ being in us. The more time we spend with Christ, the more we look like Him. When we try to do good deeds, we are only deceiving ourselves and those around us. When we focus on Christ, however, we suddenly find ourselves doing these good deeds, though it is Christ working them through us.
So clearly we aren't just sitting there "letting Christ work". Just like the caterpillar is working to make a cocoon, we work to spend time with Jesus. Doesn't it sound so silly now to even mention our "wings" we have made? "I had this many people at Bible study." "I gave this much money." We (and by "we" I mean "ME") have missed the point! Christ did those good things, we were just blessed enough to have been chosen to be used.
So, basically being a Christian means spending time with Christ, with the purpose of becoming more like Him. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!
David Platt had a incredible sermon on discipleship over the summer ago entitled "Commisioned by the King". In it he says "Scripture knows nothing of a disciple of Christ who isn't making disciples." Those are some strong words for some of us...wow! Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus command people to go to church twice or even three times week. The only command remotely close is Hebrews 10:5-
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." It would be so easy to say that being a good Christian means I go to church every time the doors are open. Or even to say tht I go to church twice on Sundays. Yet nowhere in Scripture to you see this. Dawson Trotman was the founder of the Navigators. If you haven't read his biography "Daws", you should!! In his book "Born to Reproduce" he says "The curse of today is that we are too busy… I am talking about being busy doing Christian things. We have spiritual activity with little productivity." So what does "productivity" look like?
Discipleship. Matthew 28 is the classic example: "Go, make disciples...." What good is "worship" on Sunday morning (and Sunday night) when your life is not a life of worship? A life of worship is constantly looking for ways to make God famous; ways to draw near to God. A life of worship isn't concerned with how many good deeds I've done this week. A life of worship isn't concerned with how many sermons I've listened to this week. A life of worship is looking for needs around you. How can you encourage the person next to you in their walk (or lack thereof) with God? How can you yourself worship God while at work?
Being a Christian means spending time with Christ, with the purpose of becoming more like Him, and encourging those around you to do the same! Live life with each other! Be honest with each other. Challege one another in their walks with God.
Discipleship may look like going to church on Sunday nights, or it may not. It may look like going on Wednesday, or it may not. Each one of us has a unique ministry that God has given us. Thats does not mean, however, that we ship fellowshipping with other believers entirely. Again, Hebrews 10:5. But why do you go to church on Sunday mornings, or Saturday night (whenever your body of belivers meets)? To disciple one another, and encourage one another.
This week I have decided that I am going to live more intentionally. I am going to look for ways to disciple others, and to be a disciple myself. My husband rightfully said "Disciplship isn't a program." It's a lifestyle.
