5-25-08Being a Disciple

BEING A DISCIPLE=

Matthew 28:= 16-20

May 25, 200= 8 - Rev. Janet Robertson Duggins

Last week, Jerry talked about the words of Jesus which= are often called “the great commission,” and how hard it can be for u= s to find our motivation for the evangelism it calls us to. You know in Matthew’s gospel = the very first thing Jesus says to his disciples, when he first meets some of t= hem by their fishing boats and recruits them is “Follow me, and I will ma= ke you fish for people.” A= nd at the end of Matthew’s gospel, the last thing we hear him say is “= ;Go into all the world and make disciples, …baptize them… teach them everything I’ve commanded. And I will be with you always….”

There can’t be any doubt that Jesus’ instructions to “go and make disciples” is not a throwaway suggestion but an integral part of the gospel, and of his call to us.

As we think about that, we have to being in the most o= bvious place: before we can start to “make disciples” or even figure out what might be involved in t= hat, we need to figure out what it means to BE “disciples.” I invite you to think about what it= means for YOU to be a disciple of Jesus. That’s not at all because I’m suggesting that following Jesus is only or primarily a matter of personal or individual devotion. There will be other opportunities to focus on being disciples together as a community of faith. B= ut a common commitment is hardly possible without the commitment of each one<= /u> of us.

So, what IS a disciple?

A disciple is one follows someone, affirms what that p= erson teaches, learns from and emulates him or her,

To call someone a “disciple” of Jesus does= not necessarily say anything about how long that person has followed Jesus, how devoted or knowledgeable he or she is, how closely his or her life mirrors = the character and the priorities of the one who is followed.   You can be anywhere along th= at path and you are a disciple – look at Jesus’ disciples: they were all over the map –= some more ready than others to hear his words; even after his resurrection, some still had trouble believing. = But all of them were called “disciples” from the first moment they started to follow Jesus.

I visited a church once whose motto was “Whereve= r you are in the journey of faith, you are welcome here.” It was on the bulletins, in the fr= ont of the sanctuary, articulated by the preacher… and it said clearly that = they understand discipleship starts where you are and goes from there.

So let’s think a little bit about what it means = to be a disciple of Jesus - whereve= r we happen to be right now:

+ Being a disciple means identifying yourself with Jesus and with his people.   What does it mean for you to identify yourself with Jesus?

It says something about how you understand who you are= , and who you belong to.   It i= mplies a commitment to genuine connection with other people who also identify themselves as followers of Jesus. (More about that another time!)

It doesn’t mean you give up your unique identity= as a person; it means simply saying “yes” to following Jesus, and tr= ying everyday to figure out what that means in your life, and taking the next step.   It implies a certain humilit= y; you’ve got to realize that you aren’t the one in charge, that y= ou aren’t on a solitary quest, and that you need help sometimes.

+ Being a disciple implies discipline= 230; not perhaps everybody’s favorite concept, and not one that necessaril= y is comes naturally to some of us!   But some sort of spiritual discipline is really necessary for a life= of discipleship.   Too often= that word conjures up images of restrictions and dull or unpleasant or even pain= ful exercises. But think about wh= at it means to become really conversant with a “discipline” as in some field of learning - think abo= ut dance, or carpentry, or cooking, or a branch of science, or … whatever. As you become more knowledgeable, more comfortable, more involved… more possibilities present themselves. Doorways = to greater understanding open up. Your confidence increases and you feel freer to go in new directions. You grow. Maybe if we thought of spiritual disciplines along those lines we might be more eager to embrace some of the= m as enriching and exciting as well as helpful for our lives.

A spiritual discipline that helps you keep on following Jesus doesn’t have to be the same thing that draws somebody else clos= e to God.   Think about the many possible spiritual disciplines Christians practice.

For some people prayer books and classic prayers keep = them focused. For other people, qu= iet walks allow opportunities to listen to God and open their hearts with or without words.    You might make a habit = of praying with the newspaper, for the many needs of our community and world.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Some people read the Bible from co= ver to cover; some people read and meditate on one verse at a time; some people dig deep into research to help them interpret the meaning of scriptures. Some Christians’ spiritual disciplines are action-oriented: opening their hearts and minds to connection with God as they garden, or pick up tr= ash, or serve others, or sacrifice something in order to be more able to give.   Some people find the most he= lpful spiritual disciplines are those they engage in with other believers.

Spiritual disciplines ground us, nurture us, focus us, connect us, and give us insight. &nbs= p; They help us to more fully claim our identity as disciples of Jesus.=

+ Being a disciple means constantly considering the qu= estion “what would Jesus do?”   I know that question has beco= me almost a cliché.   Maybe the whole idea of WWJD? brace= lets and such puts you off.   = Maybe you associate the phrase with some expressions of Christian faith that seem= superficial or with Christians you disagree with about some things.    Maybe it just seems too simplistic a question for life in a complex and ever-changing world: how can we talk about what Jesus w= ould do with dilemmas that are unlike anything people experienced in Palestine in the = first century? how can anybody really know what Jesus would do, anyway?

In spite of those objections, I still think it’s= a great question, possibly even a necessary question for disciples.    Not so much because it= can always be answered with 100 per cent certainty that we know the mind of Chr= ist. Not because there is always only o= ne clear and straightforward answer.    It’s the asking of the question that’s important. It’s whether= the answer to it matters to you. = “What would Jesus do?” is about whether or not we are desirous of living Christ-like lives.

There are certainly some general things we DO we know = and could say pretty confidently in answer to that question:    Jesus would do acts of compassion, pray for others, give of himself, tell the truth.   Jesus would hang out with pe= ople who aren’t in the popular crowd. <= /span> But we might not in every situation= be able to answer easily.

It’s entirely possible that even when we make a = habit of asking “what would Jesus do?” we will still sometimes come up w= ith an answer that’s wrong. Bu= t over time the practice of considering that question will almost certainly shape = our choices and our character so that we will better reflect Jesus’ call = to us.   When I read the gos= pels and see what amazing – and seemingly unfounded – confidence Jes= us places in his disciples, I see that we’re not supposed to be paralyze= d by the fear of not getting everything = exactly right. We are to “seek = first the kingdom” and trust God. &nb= sp; That’s what Jesus’ disciples do.

+ “Disciple” is a verb, too. Being a disciple means looking for opportunities to disciple others… which is just a fancy way of saying help and encourage them a= long the path of following Jesus.   <= /span>Sometimes we overlook this part, and maybe think this is only something that those who’ve gotten to the “advanced” level of discipleship hav= e to think about. But this is part= of being a disciple for everyone Jesus calls.   You don’t have to know= a lot. You don’t have to = have your act all together.   = I like the old image of one thirsty person telling another one where the water is.

It’s part of the nature of the gospel that we mu= st pass it on. It’s like love &= #8211; if you keep it to yourself that only means you don’t really get it. Where would any of us be if there = had not been people who encouraged us onto and along the path of following Jesus?    There are = all kinds of ways every one of us can disciple others; what possibilities come to mind?   There’s teaching Sunday School, being a role model as a parent or an older friend to someone younge= r, befriending someone new and helping that person get more connected with the ministry of the church, sharing a book that helped you, listening and asking good questions, praying for someone and letting him or her know about it, encouraging a friend to step out in faith to do something new, or sometimes= even saying, “perhaps that’s not what God is calling you to right now.” Some of that is n= ot unlike just being a friend… but discipleship is kind of like friendsh= ip plus… it says not just “I care about you,” but “I c= are about you being all that God calls you to be.”

They say you can’t teach what you don’t kn= ow. There’s no way to obey Jesus’ command to “make disciples” without being a discip= le yourself.   A church can’t be effective at making<= /i> disciples unless it’s a church made up of people who ARE disciples.

Another day, we will think more about what it means fo= r us to be disciples together, as a community of faith.   For= right now, I invite you to spend some time considering what it means for YOU to be one of Jesus’ disciples= .

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

+ How do you identify yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Is it clear to everyo= ne who knows you that you follow Jesus?

+ if you asked “what would Jesus do?” woul= d that question change your decisions or actions?

+ How do you need God’s help?

+ What spiritual discipline would help you stay focuse= d on the path of discipleship?

+ Who can you help along the path of discipleship?