Making Disciples with Paul
Art at “Church Task Force” has put together a great series of articles concerning making disciples and planting churches. (Are these different activities?) For example, consider his article “Rediscovering Paul’s Church Planting Strategies.”
Art finds seven “observations” from examining Paul’s example in Scripture, “which would be considered ridiculous strategies by the church planting movements in the West today.”
- On average, churches were planted and self-sufficient in 12 months
- The work was unfunded, accomplished by bivocational servants
- Paul planted multiple churches regionally, often from a base camp church in a major city (churches that planted churches)
- There was follow-up by Paul and/or itinerants as well as letters to continue to support and encourage, especially through troubles
- Whole households were being converted, not just individuals
- After an initial time in weeks or months of reaching new disciples, they are left on their own as a church without formal leadership for months
- Paul enlists additional workers from among the new churches as local elders (on average with 6 to 12 months experience as believers) and as itinerants (with about 2 years experience as believers). They all share the same focus (see Eph 4:11-16).
Do you see also see these “observations” in Paul’s example? Should we take these into consideration when making disciples (planting churches) today?
Considering Mutuality – Individualism and Collectivism
In this short series on “mutuality,” I’m considering the concept of mutuality and how living as the church “mutually” might affect our maturity in Christ. Remember that “mutuality” is related to our concept of interdependence, and that mutuality stands apart from both individualism and collectivism.
In an individualistic lifestyle, the person reigns supreme. From what to believe to how to act, everything begins and ends with the desires of the individual. The desires of the group are considered only when it is beneficial to the individual.
Why would someone with an individualistic mindset be interested in the church? Because there are benefits to the individual for being part of the church. In fact, the church often trumpets its benefits to the tune of individualism: a personal relationship with God, personal salvation, personal growth, etc.
Meanwhile, collectivism is at the other extreme of the spectrum. In a collectivist society, people are told what to do and what to believe. Everyone in the group must do and believe (or at least profess) the same thing. Questions, disagreements, and diversity are not allowed.
For an extreme example of a collectivist society, think of George Orwell’s 1984 (i.e. “group think”). However, churches can become collectivist groups as well. Phrases such as “What does your church believe?” or “What does your pastor say about X?” demonstrates (at least the beginning of) collectivist thought and action.
In the introductory post in this series, I suggested that mutuality is important for maturity in Christ. (I will continue to unwrap this idea in the following posts.) For now, consider both individualistic and collectivist groups – or those who tend towards individualism or collectivism.
In either case, maturity is stifled. Without mutuality, a group of believers will not grow (as intended) toward maturity in Christ.
Agree or disagree? Why or why not?
Submission = Authority?
In several passages of Scripture, followers of Jesus are instructed to submit in various contexts (i.e. see Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 5:22, Hebrews 13:17). But, there are no contexts in which one believers is instructed to “exercise authority” over another believer or over a group of believers. Instead, the idea of authority is usually inferred from the idea of submission.
So, this is my question: If one person submits to another person, is the other person therefore in authority over the one submitting? Why or why not?
Considering Mutuality – Introduction
According to one definition, mutuality is “a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities.” In fact, mutuality is directly related to a state of interdependency. For mutuality to exist between two or more individuals, the individuals involved must recognize that they depend upon one another.
Beginning a 1985 article, Leonard Swidler said:
What is the fundamental matrix within which humans must live if they are to lead mature lives? A simple, but momentous, question to which everyone has an answer, even if it is inarticulate or unconscious. In the contemporary world there are two very dominant but extremist answers abroad: individualism and collectivism. There are other, better, answers and in these reflections I want to put forward one that takes the best insights of the two extremes and puts them together in, I believe, a truly creative, humanizing way: mutuality. (“Mutuality: The Matrix for Mature Living,” Religion and Intellectual Life 3.1, Fall 1985, p. 105)
For the remainder of the article, Swidler considers mutuality from various perspectives: metaphysical, epistemological, psychological, and ethical. He concludes as follows:
How these principles of mutuality, relationality and dialogue, which are at the very foundation of our human existence, understanding and action, and hence at the core of our religiousness, are to be applied to the further building of the community of men and women is a matter of hard thinking, work and experience by many individuals and groups. Simply knowing these principles will not solve specific problems; they are myriad and unending. But knowing them should keep us from unconsciously resisting them – always to our distortion and destruction – and also provide us with starting points which orient us in the direction we need to move… (p. 119)
While Swidler’s article considers mutuality from the perspectives of metaphysics, epistemology, psychology, and ethics, for the past few years, I have been considering mutuality from a different perspective: Scripture. I have become convinced (as has Swidler according to the title of his article) that mutuality is the matrix through which Christians grow toward maturity in Jesus Christ.
In this short series that I’m calling “Considering Mutuality,” I will be considering what it would mean for the church to lead mutual lives, as opposed to independent or collectivist lives. Note, as Swidler says in the quote above, all of us relate to one another in some way, whether we are aware of it or not. For those who desire to mature in Jesus Christ, and if the way we interact with one another affects our maturity in Christ, then it is important for us to consider how we relate to one another instead of relying on our culture or personality to form our default manner of interaction.
Again, as Swidler says, this is a “a matter of hard thinking, work and experience by many individuals and groups.” I certainly don’t intend to answer all of my (or my readers’) questions concerning mutuality in this short series of posts. Instead, I hope that this series can help us all begin to ask questions concerning mutuality, and how our lives either demonstrate or hinder mutuality.
Furthermore, if you conclude – as I have – that mutuality should be a characteristic of both the individual believer and the church, I hope that this series will also help us begin to consider our own manners of interactions, and how we – individually and as a church – can begin to relate in a manner that better demonstrates our mutual relationships – our interdependence.
Examples and Models
Two years ago, I wrote a post called “Examples and Models.” In that post, I tried to explain how my course has changed from seeking “full time ministry” to seeking full time ministry. Of course, a few years before that, I thought that the only way to seek full time ministry was to be in “full time ministry.”
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I love the latest post by a new blogger, Trey from “One Man’s Journey“. The title of the post is “Walk Away for the Love of Christ?” I love his honest reflection and life-changing questions. I also see in his questions many of the questions that I started asking myself a few years ago. Here is an excerpt from Trey’s excellent post:
As my family and I sunk into a financial pit of despair, I began to read much in the realm of finance, investing, financial planning, and biblical financial stewardship. I grew to love this and can see many ways in which the average Christian and also the average church misuses the resources provided by God. I began to see myself as doing this sort of consultation work to families, small businesses, churches, and parachurch ministries once I gained the proper training. But what about seminary? What about my calling? What will my family think?
As previously, most issues discussed here have not been settled in my mind completely. I have been reminded in my prayer times that God certainly does not need me. He has managed eternity just fine before me and will do so long after I become one of saints on high. Also, why do I need the spotlight of an official pastor-elder of a local congregation? Can I not teach and serve in other ways just an important to the kingdom?
Several years ago, I also had this “calling”. Looking back, I think that God was calling me to a more committed life of serving himself and others – he was calling me to full-time ministry, although I don’t think he was calling me to “full-time ministry”. At the time, though, I only saw two options: 1) become a vocational pastor, or 2) become a missionary.
Why did I only see these two options? Well, those were the only two options that I saw modelled. These were the only examples that I saw of what it meant to serve God full-time. So, I picked one – vocational pastor – and did what I was supposed to do: I went to seminary. But, as my family will tell you, I struggled with the idea of being a full-time vocational pastor from day one. I did not think that this accurately reflected what God wanted from me, but I did not have any other categories, models, or examples to compare to.
I knew what God wanted from me: he wanted me to serve him and serve others in everything that I said and everything that I did. But, this couldn’t happen if I worked a regular job, right? I mean, regular people are distracted by work and commuting and co-workers and business trips and office parties. But, God didn’t want me to be distracted by these “secular” things, so I needed to give all of that up, go to seminary, get hired by a church in order that I could concentrate on “spiritual” things.
As Trey expressed in his blog post, I thought that the real work of God was done by those people who prominently stood before me each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, etc. These were the people who knew God and what God wanted from me and others and how to teach the Bible and how to put on Bible studies and where to find the lost people and when to schedule the Children’s program.
A strange thing happened on the way though. As I was happily preparing myself for just this type of “spiritual” vocation, I took my professors seriously, and I read Scripture to find the answers to my questions. It began with recognizing that Scripture does not call the Sunday morning routine “worship”. I asked myself, “If that’s not worship, then what is worship?” Again, I turned to Scripture for answers. From those answers, I was forced to ask other questions and search for more answers.
In fact, the more I studied and read and asked questions, the more I realized that the type of “spotlight servants” which Trey mentions – and to which I was aspiring – was not described in Scripture at all. In fact, I would suggest that “spotlight servants” are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, Paul, Peter – in fact, all the books of the New Testament. Instead, Jesus calls all believers to be servants – not “spotlight servants”, but servants.
And, slowly, I began to understand that “vocational pastors” may be necessary to carry out what we typically see associated with church today. However, when we examine church in Scripture, we see that “vocational pastors” seem out of place. Instead, we see people shepherding as they work, and discipling wherever they are, and teaching in any context, and caring and comforting wherever they find people who are hurting. We find leaders who lead by example, not from the spotlight. We find elders who are mature and wise and known, not hired for their education and speaking abilities. We find prophets and teachers and apostles who are willing to dialog instead of monologue. We find disciples who are constantly and consistently attempting to live for Christ with the help of other brothers and sisters. We find that there is no secular and sacred divide. Through the indwelling Spirit, all things become sacred – every place becomes a sanctuary – every believer becomes a priest and a temple.
In other words, God can use me as his full-time servant when I am selling cars, or writing code, or running a business, or seeing patients. I can pastor while I am teaching in a school or college, or taking care of the home, or packing boxes, or delivering mail, or selling clothes. I can meet with other believers as the church in a church building, or in a restaurant, or in a park, or in a home, or in a car, or in an office. God was calling me – and he is calling others – into full-time service, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing.
It is my desire to live the rest of my life as an example of following God and serving him full-time in whatever vocation he provides for me. I hope that the believers who come along after me will see my example as another option when God calls them also.
Didache 12
Last weekend, Dave Black (Friday, December 10, 2009 @ 5:10 pm) challenged us with a picture of a passage from the apostolic fathers (from Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians to be exact). Of course, once my mind was on the fathers, I kept being reminded of them. So, I read Polycarp’s letter and then the Didache. I love this passage from the Didache:
Let everyone who comes in the name of the Lord be accepted. Then, after examining him, you will know him, for you will understand all about him. Now, if the one coming in the name of the Lord is passing through, then help him as much as you can. But, he should only stay with you two or three days, if necessary. On the other hand, if he wants to stay among you indefinitely, and he knows a trade, let him work and support himself. But, if he doesn’t know a trade according to your understanding, then you should consider beforehand that an idle person will not live among you as a Christian. But, if he will not work in this manner, then he is a Christmonger. Guard against people like this. (Didache 12.1-5)
Grace to be wrong
Two and half years ago, a published a post called “Grace to be wrong.” I know that I’m wrong about many of the things that I believe about God. (Of course, I don’t know what those things are.) I’m learning not to trust my understanding [of God] as much as I trust God himself. (That’s a difficult lesson.) I also want grace from others when I’m wrong… but am I willing to offer the same grace when I think they are wrong?
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I’m wrong. There are things that I believe with the utmost confidence, but some of these beliefs are wrong. How do I know that I’m wrong? Because I’m not perfect. I may be wrong in some of my beliefs about God. I may be wrong in some of my beliefs about the church. I may be wrong in some my beliefs about other people. I may be wrong about what it means to be mature. I may be wrong about what it means to be wrong. I don’t know exactly what points of my beliefs are wrong, but I know that some of them are wrong.
Paul told the Philippians that he wanted to know Christ and everything about Christ (Philippians 3:7-11). He wanted to share in Christ’s life, suffering, death, and resurrection. But, Paul also recognized that he was not “there” yet (Philippians 3:12-14). He was still on the journey toward knowing God – and knowing him more.
Paul also recognized that some of the people in Philippi were not as far along on their journey to know God more. He wanted them to know God, and so he spent time with them and wrote them a letter to help them know God. But, he recognized that the Philippians would not know God simply because Paul told them about God. They would only know God as God revealed himself to them. Thus, instead of forcing his knowledge about God on the Philippians, Paul recognized their need of God himself and his grace:
Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (Philippians 3:15 ESV)
Perhaps there were some in Philippi who did know God as they should. Perhaps there were some in Philippi who cared more about their own desires than the desires of God. What was Paul’s answer to this problem? Paul taught them about God, then he trusted God to reveal this to them. Paul trusted God’s grace, even when he thought others were wrong. Yes, Paul stated his understanding about God very clearly – he taught. However, he did not trust his own teaching to change anyone. He trusted God’s grace.
Paul knew (as he had told the Philippians earlier in the letter) that despite his own actions in teaching and modeling the life of Christ, it was God himself who worked in the Philippians to make them into the people that God wanted them to be. (Philippians 2:12-13) Thus, unless Paul wanted to try to usurp the authority and power of God, he had to trust God to change people. Paul had to trust God’s grace.
This is very difficult. This means that we have to allow people to be wrong. Do we state what we believe to be true? Yes. Do we show evidence from Scripture? Yes. Do we continue to browbeat someone to get them to agree with us? No. Do we attempt to force them to agree based on our position or maturity? No. Do we stop associating with them because they do not agree? No. Why? Grace.
When I look back on my life, I can see how much God has taught me by his Spirit. I can remember times where I held firmly to a position that God later showed me was incorrect. I can remember times when my feelings, emotions, or habits ruled me more than the Spirit of God. But God worked in me according to his will.
I have had teachers who taught really great things about God, but the teachers did not change me. I have read books that explained God and his ways, but the books did not change me. I’ve been in relationships with people who followed God, but even those relationships did not change me. God changed me – and he is continuing to change me.
Now, I should offer others the same grace – the grace to be changed by God, which includes the grace to be wrong. I must be willing to accept someone even when that person doesn’t agree with me, and trust God to change them. And, to prevent myself from becoming proud, I must also admit that God may be working to change me, and not them.
God loves us, and he pours out his grace on us, even when we are wrong. We demonstrate the character of God – Christ-likeness – when we love others and offer them grace when we think they are wrong.
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Discipleship
Now, before someone slams me for the title of this post, it is simply a play on words… or actually, a play on the saying, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” No, I don’t believe that imitation is actually the “sincerest” form of discipleship. However, I do believe that imitation is an important (and often overlooked) aspect of discipleship.
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he said:
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 ESV)
His exhortation to “remember” their hard work was not a call toward mental exercise alone. Instead, Paul was telling the Thessalonians to remember how he and his group lived their lives among them, and then for the Thessalonians to imitate that way of life.
In fact, in may instances, Paul specifically told his readers to “imitate” what they had seen him and his team do (for example, see 2 Thessalonians 3:7 and 1 Corinthians 11:1). He was not content with teaching people a set of lessons to be learned by memory. Instead, his lessons included instructions and demonstrations in how to live as a follower of Jesus Christ.
This idea of imitating someone else’s faith (which would include their manner of living) seems fundamental and foundational to discipleship in the New Testament. Paul often commended people to his readers as people who should be followed (Philippians 2:19-30). John warned his readers to make sure they are imitating good examples, and not bad examples (3 John 1:11). The author of Hebrews exhorted his readers, “Consider the outcome of [your leaders’] way of life and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7 ESV)
Do we still practice imitation as a form of discipleship? I haven’t seen it as much in my life, although it is growing more common among the believers that God has placed in my life. I have seen example after example of someone taking another person aside to teach them “correct doctrine.” But, it has been rare when I have seen someone show someone else how to live, how to serve, how to love as a follower of Jesus Christ.
For instance, when someone is a new believer, often Christians think, “Let’s get them into a Bible study.” That’s all well and good. But, what about also including this, “Let’s take them with us as we serve people.” (This assumes that we’re serving people of course – but, maybe that’s part of the problem.)
When a brother or sister is having a hard time loving someone else (because of any number of reasons) we can offer them a study on love, or we can take them with us to demonstrate God’s love to some other people who are hard to love.
Of course, these are just a few examples. But, I think, imitation is a very important (and scriptural) aspect to discipleship. Unfortunately, I also think imitation is an aspect of discipleship that has been lost to many Christians. Perhaps imitation is a lost art because of individualism or the extreme importance placed on education. But, for whatever reason, we don’t see much imitation discipleship practiced today.
What do you think? Is imitation an important aspect of discipleship? Have you ever observed and followed someone else’s way of life? Do you have any suggestions as to how to increase imitation discipleship?
Mutual Sanctification? Yep.
This gem is from Andy (“aBowden Blog“) in his post “Sanctification continued“:
Sanctification is not a solo deal. God intended it to occur in the midst of community. The assembly of believers is to be a place of mutual sanctification. “If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual are to restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness†(Gal 6:1). Unfortunately, many churches lack the kind of depth necessary for this type of relationship. This takes more than just a Sunday morning meet and greet. But when beleivers are really serious about being conformed to the image of Christ, correction and confrontation will lovingly be given and received.
Unfortunately, many Christians in American churches don’t have more than “Sunday morning meet and greet.” (Adding Sunday evening and Wednesday evening is little help in the relationships department.) So… what does that say about sanctification?
Church Life #11 – A member of the family
This series is about our life with the church as we attempt to live together as brothers and sisters. (For a more detailed description of this series, see my post “Church Life – A New Series.”)
The last few weeks have been emotionally draining for me and my family. Margaret, my wife, has been sick for a couple of weeks, and is still trying to shake a lingering cough.
Then, as I wrote in my post “Has it really only been 24 hours,” a friend of ours took his life just over a week ago. (I’ll call him J.) We met him about a year ago as we spend time in “The Neighborhood.” In the last week, I’ve spent time with some of his family members and talked to others on the phone.
His aunt is a good friend of our from the Neighborhood. She asked if I would speak about J. during his funeral service. The funeral home chaplain was conducting the service, but the family wanted someone that knew J. to speak as well. I agreed.
I talked to J.’s aunt about what I wanted to say, and I spoke with the chaplain. He was happy to work me into the service, since he didn’t know J.
Everything was going fine until 10 minutes before I was planning to leave my office to drive to the funeral. The funeral home chaplain called me and said, “Something has come up. I can’t do J.’s funeral. Can you do it?”
I didn’t know the plans. I didn’t know what music the family wanted. I didn’t know if anyone else was speaking. But, of course, I agreed to do the service.
Why? Because I loved J. and I loved his family. I’m especially close to his aunt, and I wanted to do anything that I could for them.
I talked about J. and his aunt and spending time with them. I talked about their love for one another and their family. I talked about how J. trusted God in spite of the darkness and pain of his life. I reminded them about how King David struggled with the pain of life as well, but was still a man after God’s own heart.
I encouraged the family to love one another and to trust God during this time. I agreed with them that we didn’t understand why J. would choose to take his own life. But, I also told them that we can trust God in spite of our lack of understanding. I reminded them of the good news that we have in Jesus Christ.
After the service (which was short), several family members thanked me for speaking about J. They said that they could tell that I knew him, and they really appreciated what I said.
I was talking on the phone with J.’s aunt a couple of days later and she said, “Our family was talking about what you said at J.’s funeral. We really needed to hear what you said. We’ve decided that you’re now a member of the family.”
I can’t think of a better compliment. I’m praying that God allows me to spend more time with my new family, helping them (and being helped by them) trust God and follow Jesus. For me, this is part of church life.
(Some of my regular readers know that our family has been frustrated in our desires to get to know our neighbors better. It turns out that two of J.’s family members live in our neighborhood. Please pray for continued interaction with them.)