The Adventure of Discipleship

“A breed is a group of domestic animals with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals of the same species.”

In the horse world, as well as other domestic animals, a breed is usually certified by its pedigree.  For example a young Arabian horse is certified as an Arabian breed based on the pedigree of the sire and mare.  But the Rocky Mountain breed is unique.  It is a breed established in 1986 that is certified not only by its pedigree but also by traits that must be observable in each individual horse.

Rocky Mountain horses originated in eastern Kentucky in the late 1800s, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  They were sure-footed, easy-gaited, and the mount of choice for postmen, doctors, and traveling preachers. People used them for plowing small fields, herding cattle, traveling over the steep and rugged trails, and driving a buggy to church on Sunday.  Horses were not a luxury, but a necessity.  Every horse had to earn its keep and be extremely versatile.  Occasional pleasure riding was rarely if ever an option.  Stamina was also a requirement because after each exhausting day of hard work, the horse had to be able to work just as hard the next day.

A Rocky Mountain horse is only certified when the horse has been officially examined and meets the certifier’s standards regarding:

• HEIGHT
• BODY
• GAIT
• TEMPERAMENT
• COLOR

Within each of these common categories, the Rocky Mountain horse has distinctive parameters.

During the period of the Gospels, discipleship was not uncommon.  There were disciples of Moses, various Rabbis, Socrates, Plato, etc.  Jesus took a common term and gave it His own description.  He called and taught His disciples to be a “breed apart”.  It was not enough to be just a disciple/learner.  As His disciples they were to demonstrate distinctive qualities, without which they were not “certified”.  His apprentices were uncommon men and women who demonstrated certain traits that reflected who Jesus Christ was and what He stood for.

Since making disciples of Jesus Christ is a mission that transcends time and cultures, you would expect that these traits would be transcultural, multi-generational, and applicable throughout history.  They couldn’t be a list of activities such as “goes to the temple to worship” or “doesn’t go to the Coliseum on game days”.  They would need to be qualities that were more embedded in a person’s character: the very DNA of his life.  And that is exactly what we find.

Notice how quickly His disciples were recognized as a breed apart.

“Now as they (the Jewish leaders) observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Act 4:13).

If Jesus gave us a picture of what His disciples look like, we are not free to make up our own version.  We should be able to see similarities in a Chinese, Brazilian, or Swedish disciple regardless of whether he lived in medieval Europe or in 21^st century America.

The George Barna Group was asked by The Navigators a few years ago to do a study to determine the state of discipleship in America.  The opening statements of the executive summary said this:

“A critical component of this study is to define “discipleship.”  The concept is familiar to many, but a widely accepted definition remains elusive. “

You would think by the ambiguity of responses to the question, “What does a disciple of Christ look like?” that we have not been given clear direction other than the overused generic “looks like Jesus”.

A critical reading of the Gospels show us that there are many implied characteristics of discipleship, but Jesus gave only a few definitive statements.  I would suggest that a good starting point for being and making a disciple, is to understand those definitive statements that Jesus made.  Since Christ is the only one who can certify His disciples, we would do well to develop the traits He is looking for and expecting.

In the following blogs I will identify and reflect on the five definitive traits that Jesus said would characterize His disciples.  These traits are not electives from which we can pick and choose.  Like the Rocky Mountain breed, all traits are to be present to receive the certification.  There are a lot of horses, but only a few qualify to be a Rocky Mountain horse.  In a similar way, we are told to become and to make a certain kind of disciple:  a disciple of Christ.

Reflection

1.  If you were on trial in God’s courtroom, accused of being a disciple of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
2. What are some of the common cultural expectations for a follower of Christ today?  How have they changed over your lifetime?

Success in baseball is simple to explain but much harder to achieve.   The number of hits, errors, base runners, or any other of the myriad stats that go into making baseball interesting, do not count in the end.  All that really matters is the number of players who touch all four bases in a counter clockwise sequence in a particular inning.

Spiritual coaching/mentoring, like baseball, has 4 bases which need to be touched each time you meet.  The bases are the same regardless of the level of maturity or the type of coaching that is taking place.  Whether you are following up a brand new believer or coaching a ministry leader with years of experience, touching these four bases is necessary to create an effective discipling relationship.  The same four are important in face to face meetings or over the phone.  And they are vital in a setting that is formal or informal, structured or unstructured.

The four bases are:  Connection, Exploration, Application and Intercession.  Each time you meet for coaching or mentoring, you need to spend some time on all four areas.  It doesn’t mean you spend equal time on each one, but you should touch each one.  Just like a baseball player may spend extra time on first base before running to second and third to score at home.

An easy way to remember these bases is to think of four questions each time you meet.  Whether the questions are addressed in a formal or casual way is not important.  The important thing is that the heart of each question is addressed each time you meet.  Flexibility is important because the time spent on any one question is adjusted to the current needs of the individuals.  The goal is not equal time on each base but touching each one consistently.

The four bases are as follows:

First Base is about Connection:  “Because we care, what do we need to know?”

Often people feel isolated and are asking the question, “Who knows and who cares?” An effective discipling process creates a safe environment in which people can relate with one another on a deeper level than news, weather, kids, and sports.  Initially this question is answered by sharing personal history.  Gradually it involves more current events that are affecting lives in a positive or negative way. However, people will not feel free to honestly share real and relevant concerns unless they feel safe: confident of continued acceptance and respect.  They must also know confidentiality is strictly adhered to.

Second Base is about Exploration:  “Because God’s Word is true, what are we discovering?”       Scripture needs to form the core of a coaching relationship.  It is our source of perspective and learning (Ps 119:105).  We want to help each person become comfortable and skilled in handling Scripture, able to personally search the Word for answers to life (2 Tim 3:16-17).

This base includes teaching and/or mutually sharing what we are learning.  It can be done by reading and discussing the Word together, discussing a prepared Bible study, or sharing from personal time with the Lord.

Third Base is about Application:  “Because God’s Word is relevant, what is He telling me to do?”

In order to follow Christ on this journey, we need more than knowledge and understanding.  We need application.  Application takes the truths of the Bible and integrates them into the fabric of life.  Maturity comes as we apply God’s truth to our personal, family, and professional life.  Spiritual truth must not be isolated to a “spiritual compartment” while most of our thoughts and energy go into the business of everyday living.  God’s plan is to integrate his truth into all aspects of our everyday, ordinary lives.

A helpful way to think about application is to use the acronym SPECK.  As we reflect on Scripture we should ask ourselves if there is a:

• Sin to avoid?
• Promise to claim?
• Example to follow?
• Command to obey?
• Knowledge (truth) to believe?

Part of the coaching process includes a periodic review of previous applications for the purpose of praying for specific needs and holding one another accountable.

Home Plate is about Intercession:  “Because God cares, how can we support each other in prayer?”

Holding each other up in prayer is critical for spiritual encouragement.  Sharing needs and victories together in the context of prayer, builds a connection and puts the focus on God’s powerful, transforming work in our lives.  Continued prayer during the week is an essential part of effective discipleship.

Reflection:

Can you arrange a time when you meet with another person (or small group) and try using each of the four questions?

Before ascending to the Father, Jesus gave His disciples the mission to disciple the nations.  During the next 250 years, the gospel spread throughout the Roman world and beyond without the aid of political power, military force, financial aid, or educational clout.

The dynamics behind the amazing mission movement was very simple — as it had to be.  It spread through family and relational networks.  This strategy was central in the Old Testament where each Hebrew family was responsible for expanding the kingdom of God from one generation to the next.  It was an organic model of growth involving successive generations.

Ps. 78:5-6  “…He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children.”

Let’s review our description of discipleship to orient where we are.

Discipleship is the personal, persistent pursuit

of knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ

by means of critical spiritual disciplines (previously discussed)

in the context of supporting relationships, (current discussion)

resulting in the distinctive marks of an apprentice of Christ.

The supportive relationships in a healthy family involve three generations:  Grandparents, parents, and children.  With each generation there is a relationship and a responsibility.  I am referring to that structure as a relational triad.  Notice that Jesus expanded the OT model beyond the physical family, but His discipleship strategy was still through relational generations.  Although He was preaching to the crowds, He was discipling a few who would be the next generation.

The Hebrew strategy was familiar to Paul so we shouldn’t be surprised that he used it when taking the gospel into the Roman world.  He modeled it and then codified it with Timothy (the next generation) when he said, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2Tim 2:2).  Paul (the first generation) was reminding Timothy (the second generation) that what he had learned in the context of many witnesses (a band of second generational brothers), he was to pass on to faithful men (a third generation) who would be able to teach others (continue the pattern of organic disciplemaking).  The strategy for expanding the kingdom was through successive generations of supporting relationships.

Paul, in writing to the believers in Thessalonica, gives additional insight into how he did ministry.  In 1 Thess. 2, Paul reminds the believers that he shared with them not only the gospel but his own life like a nursing mother and an encouraging father. The implication is a highly relational, one to one, strategy.

With his own life as a model, Paul then encourages these new believers to build up “one another”: one by one¹.  With this strategy in mind it is not so surprising to read in Romans 16 that Paul not only refers to people in his ministry by name but includes personal commentary.  They were not a group but individuals that Paul knew personally.  So when Paul gives Timothy a relational strategy (2 Tim. 2:2) he was reminding Timothy of what he had already experienced.  He was to embrace the wisdom of “start small, go slow, build deep”.

Supporting relationships could also be expressed as a relational triad in which each person has a mentor to help him or her grow, peer relationships to give support, and younger Christians to mentor.  Consider the apostle Paul’s own relational triad.  Paul was mentored by several men along his spiritual journey.  Initially it was Ananias (Acts 9). Then it was Barnabas who took Paul under his wing, protected him, and eventually brought him to Antioch to help with the ministry.

As Paul grows in maturity and experience, Barnabas shifts from being a mentor to being a peer along with the other apostles.  They became a support team.  The elders at Antioch also became part of Paul’s support team as they send him and Barnabas on their first missionary journey to Asia Minor.

Of the many Paul mentored, the most familiar are Timothy, Epaphroditus, Titus, and Mark.  Mark’s story reflects the value of having several mentors along the journey.  From our story of Paul’s first missionary trip, we know that Mark didn’t fit into Paul’s idea of a faithful man.  However, Barnabas and Peter stepped in and invested in Mark for several years resulting in his growth and value to Paul later in the story line.

Discipling through the strategy of successive generations, one person at a time, is a proven New Testament strategy.  During the centuries since the initial expansion of Christianity, we have tried other plans, resulting in many converts to Christianity (current world estimate of 2.2 billion), but are we discipling the nations?

Reflection

1. Who are you investing in on a personal level, intentionally passing on what you have learned into the life of another?
2. Who do you have who can speak truth into your life, learn from, and if you make a 911 call, you know they would show up?

¹  1 Thess. 5:1 Roberts Word Studies:  “build up one another” – Literally, build ye, one the one.

The keel is an essential part of every sailboat.  It is basically a flat blade sticking down into the water from a sailboat’s bottom. It has three functions: it creates forward motion, it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast (counterweight) that keeps the boat right-side up.  Pretty simple, right?   Also very essential.

Utilizing our sailing metaphor one more time, the keel could represent faith.  We cannot spiritually sail in God’s direction without it.  The mast of discipline, the sails of spiritual practices, and the tiller of obedience are useless without the keel of faith that keeps us from capsizing or drifting in the wind.  Although hidden from view, the keel of faith is an essential part of turning wind power into forward progress.

The writer of Hebrews declares that without faith (our keel) it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  The author also describes faith as assurance, conviction, and evidence of things not seen.  The Amplified translation states that faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses (Hebrews 11:1).

Sailing paraphrase:  Without the keel of faith which is the conviction of an unseen reality, we cannot successfully sail under the power of the Spirit of God.

Webster defines believing as the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.

However, biblical faith is more than cognitive acknowledgement that what is declared is true.  It includes “trust” which implies a conviction strong enough to inspire action in line with the belief.  Faith and hope are very similar but with a slight difference.  Faith sees what is real but invisible while hope sees what is real but not yet.  Faith is a function of visibility, hope a function of time.

It is important to remember that faith does not create reality; it captures it.  Therefore, biblical faith is not superstition, fantasy, or optimism.  It is the lens by which we can see what is real though not visible to the natural eye.  Our culture would have us think that science is comprised of the world of facts while religion is the world of faith; science is real while religion is pretending, superstitious, illusionary or imagined.  In reality we all live by faith.  The only difference is the faith lens we use.

For example, a faith lens used in science is illustrated by the electromagnetic spectrum.  Our eyes are excellent receivers of visible light.  However, visible light is but a small part of the total electromagnetic spectrum of energy waves.  The rest are real but invisible.

Our eyes cannot “see” infrared rays, but they are real nonetheless and we feel their effects on a sunny day.  However, when we attach a lens specifically tuned to that range of frequency, we can “see” what is normally invisible.  Night vision goggles are a type of lens that allows us to see the infrared radiation (IR) given off by living bodies even in the absence of visible light.  Our IR lens does not create reality; it reveals it.

Another example is found in astronomy.  Scientists boldly claim the existence of black holes and dark matter even though they have no lens that actually “sees” them (hence the term “black”).  But they believe (faith) that they are there because of the evidence for them.  They even conclude that most galaxies have a black hole totally based on evidence not visual sight.  These cosmic phenomena are believed because they fit the observable data or information.

As apprentices of Christ we must have a keel of faith:  the confident belief that God’s Word is true and the courageous conviction to move in the direction of that reality.  Faith, as our keel, keeps us moving forward, avoiding the dangers of capsizing or drifting in the chaotic cultural currents of our world.

We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:14).

Learning to sail takes knowledge, skill, and practice and it involves knowing our resources and how to use them.  We are more inclined to row than to sail, but only sailing allows us to experience our new journey of life in Christ.  The conclusion is we need to take advantage of every opportunity to further our sailing skills by looking for sailing coaches who can model and instruct us in the art of spiritual sailing.

Next time I will look at the next part of our discipleship description:  The relational context of an apprentice of Christ and His kingdom.

Reflection:

1. What faith based truths are hard for you to trust and live by?
2. How has your keel of faith expanded and allowed you to see more of God’s invisible reality?

Small sailboats are steered by a simple lever called a “tiller” which is attached to the rudder.  Continuing the metaphor of discipleship and sailing, I want to add one other similarity.  We have said that in order to capture the invisible, renewable power of the wind of the Spirit, we need to rig the sails of spiritual practices on a mast of self-discipline.  But to pursue our course of pleasing God (doing His will) we need a means to steer our sailboat.

The “tiller” or steering device is what a sailor uses to keep the bow (front) of the boat pointed in the direction that maximizes the current wind conditions.  Unlike a motor powered boat, a sailboat does not steer in a straight line to its destination.  A sailor is constantly adjusting for the strength and direction of the wind as well as the currents.  The sailor’s path to his/her destination is a series of zigzags that are called “tacks” in nautical language.  Because the strength and direction of the wind is constantly changing, a sailor cannot simply be on autopilot.  He must constantly be sensitive and adjust to the wind.

Pressing our metaphor a little farther, an apprentice of Christ is one who walks by the Spirit, sensing and adjusting to His voice in the context of everyday life.  Our spiritual tiller is our response to what the Spirit is showing us in the Word.  That response involves obedience, but it is much more than following a list of rules or commands.   It is about discerning and complying with the will and pleasure of our King.  It is about aligning our lives with His will, ways, values, purposes, promises, as well as specific commands.  The tiller makes this possible as it maneuvers us into position to capture the wind in our sails, to keep us pointed in the right direction, to be sensitive to the Spirit and to thus live the life that pleases the Lord.

There is another interesting parallel of the sailboat tiller and alignment with God’s will.  The tiller, connected directly to the rudder operates in a counter-intuitive way; you move the tiller right to go left and vice versa.  Initially God’s ways also seem counter-intuitive.  His Kingdom functions in a way that is opposite of our culture and natural inclinations.  Jesus said in His Kingdom:

• To be first you must be last
• The greater reality is not what is seen but what is unseen
• Getting comes by giving
• Honor comes by humility
• Strength comes through weakness
• Influence comes through serving

It takes some practice (and faith) to live in a kingdom way.  It also takes intentionality to step in the direction of our faith.  When we are obedient, the power of the Spirit is released.  This pattern is consistent throughout Scripture.

A classic Old Testament example occurs when the children of Israel finally get to the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership.  God tells them not only to cross the river with no bridges but to cross it at flood stage, making the difficult impossible.  He instructs the priests to take the ark and precede the people in crossing the swollen river.  Only when they stepped into the water, did He stop the flow upstream.  Had they not gotten their feet wet, they would not have experienced His power (Joshua 3:13).

Jesus’ pattern in healing people was to ask them to do the impossible.  He asked the man with the withered hand to stretch it out (Matt. 12:13).  He asked the paralytic man to get up from his bed and walk (Luke 5:24).  He told Peter if he was to walk on water, he would have to get out of the boat (Matt. 14:28-29).  As they took action in the direction of their faith and God’s Word, they experienced His power.  Now as then, obedience releases the power of the Spirit of God to live the life He has chosen for us.

Our alignment/obedience to all that He has commanded is the response of an apprentice of Christ.  Our hand is on the tiller of our lives.  It is our action, choices, and responses that determine the direction of our sailboat.  It take more than the wind, mast, and sails.  It takes sensitivity to the gentle wind of the Spirit of God and obedient hands on the tiller to align ourselves with Christ.  Only then can we counter the cultural currents and arrive safely at our destination.

          Those who trifle at the tiller risk the wrath of the waves. (Anonymous marooned sailor)

*DA Carson, For The Love of God, Volume Two (Wheaton:  Crossway, 1999)

Reflection:

1. What additional counter-intuitive kingdom ways can you think of?
2. What are some implications of thinking “alignment” vs. “commands”?
3. Can you think of a time in your spiritual journey where you had to step out in the direction of your faith before you sensed His power?

There are a variety of types of sails on a ship.  Some, called mainsails, are essential.  Others are added to complement the mainsails like a jib, topsail, spinnaker, etc.   Effective sailing requires knowing the difference.  Certain spiritual disciplines act as mainsails while others are good complements.  Rigging the mainsails is critical to effectively capturing the wind of the Spirit.

The mission statement for the Willow Creek Church in Chicago is to produce fully devoted followers of Christ.  A few years ago, they were courageous enough to ask the question:  Are we producing what we say we are?  They paid an outside consultant a lot of money to design a survey that would answer that question.

The result was a very extensive questionnaire (REVEAL) that assessed where people were along a continuum of closeness to Christ i.e. mature, fully devoted followers of Christ.  They were looking for what activities/spiritual disciplines contributed to personal spiritual growth.  The church’s assumption and strategy had been to emphasize three major activities (worship, small groups, and serving) as the mainsails on their ship.

“Participation is a big deal. We believe the more people participating in these sets of activities, with higher levels of frequency; it will produce disciples of Christ.” … “I know it might sound crazy but that’s how we do it in churches. We measure levels of participation.” Greg Hawkins, Executive Pastor, Willow Creek ³

What they discovered was shocking.  Their survey found that although these disciplines were helpful in general, they did not predict spiritual maturity.  In other words, a person could do those things and remain immature in his/her spiritual life.  But they also found that there were certain spiritual practices that were consistently related to life transformation and closeness to Christ.  Historic Christianity affirms their findings.

“We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self-feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”  Bill Hybills, Sr. Pastor, Willow Creek ³

 The spiritual disciplines that contribute most to personal transformation are not those that require large structures or budgets.  They are the classic inner disciplines of the heart, learned and practiced by individual disciples.  They are the habits that permeated the life of Christ and saints down through history.

The Navigators have historically promoted six spiritual disciplines that develop a balanced Christian life.  They are illustrated by a wheel with a hub, rim, and four spokes:

• Centered in Christ
• Obedience to Christ
• The Word
• Prayer
• Witnessing
• Fellowship

(see “The Wheel” illustration)

In the REVEAL survey they found one discipline that was critical to all levels of maturity.  They called it “reflecting on Scripture”.  Distinct from reading or studying the Bible, this discipline reflects the private practice of daily meeting with God in the Scripture.  Some have called it a “Quite Time” or a “Devotional Life”, but it is a combination of solitude, silence, meditation, and prayer, enhanced by journaling.

Several years ago I led a team of three mature Navigator staff who had a combined 160 years of disciplemaking experience.  Our mission was to design a discipling resource that would be gender specific, user friendly, and reproducible.  The result was the development of the discipling series called HighQuest.  We concluded that the mainsail discipline we had personally experienced and saw effective over the years, was the daily meeting with God (MWG) or appointment with God (AWG).

The HighQuest series builds the practice of spending 15-20 minutes a day in solitude with Christ, feeding personally on His Word by reading, reflecting and journaling.  This is complemented by a weekly time to share lessons learned with a small group of other apprentices who are practicing the same spiritual disciplines.

A common testimony from those who have used the HighQuest series is that the discipline of a daily AWG/MWG began as a duty but with practice became a desire and eventually a delight.  This should not be a surprise since it has been the mainsail for power for a long time!

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart  (Jeremiah 15:16).

Recommended reading:

• Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney
• The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard

¹ DWillard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p156

² DWhitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p15

³ Christianity Today, online Oct. 2007

Up until the 1800’s, sailing ships of various shapes were the primary intercontinental mode of transport.  Although these ships came in a variety of designs, they were all entirely dependent on the invisible yet powerful force of the wind.  The skill of the ship’s captain was demonstrated in his ability to capture this free, renewable source of power that was productive only if the mast and sails were in good operational condition.  The captain’s first priority, therefore, was to repair any broken masts or torn sails as quickly as possible.   Without that happening his navigational and leadership skills would be irrelevant.

Sailing ships are a picture of our discipleship.  With the ascension of Christ, discipleship took on a new dimension.  His physical presence would be exchanged for the power of His Spirit.  This exchange was so important that Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Spirit’s arrival before they attempted to carry out their mission (Acts 1:8).  The book of Acts records the coming of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s dramatic empowerment of the disciples.

That same power of the Spirit is available to us today.  It is the power to live as an apprentice of the Master, experience real life change, and fulfill our mission.   But just like the sailing ships are dependent on the mast and sails to capture the power of the wind, we too must raise our spiritual sails to capture the invisible wind of the Holy Spirit.  Otherwise, we will be like a row boat drifting on the cultural currents of the sea.  We must learn to raise our sails and tap into His invisible, renewable power.

I have suggested that authentic discipleship (discipleship on the resurrection side of the cross) is defined as a life of apprenticeship to Jesus and His kingdom (read more TADB025).  This involves the intentional pursuit of knowing, reflecting and sharing Christ    (read more TADB027) … by means of critical spiritual disciplines: the sails on our ship.

In order for a sailing ship to function it takes both a mast and sails.  The mast is the structure that holds the sails in place.  Masts do not capture the wind but give support to the sails so they can function effectively.  In the same way the spiritual wind of the Holy Spirit is captured as our mast of discipline (self-control) holds up the sails of spiritual practices (disciplines).

Discipline is the ability to do what we should do even when we don’t have to.  In my infantry training with the US Army, I didn’t have to be disciplined to do calisthenics.  It was a mandatory 5:00 am formation every day.  It took endurance but not discipline.  Now, however, to stay in shape physically, it takes discipline. I should exercise, but I don’t have to.

Being disciplined does not mean being rigid, automatic, or mechanical.  A disciplined person is one who is able to direct his/her mind and body to perform a chosen action.  When a task is repeated over time it can become a habit or practice.  This is true for both harmful and healthy habits.  Spiritual disciplines are simply healthy habits of our heart and soul.

The focus is not the practice, but rather the anticipated result of the practice.  Spiritually, the anticipated result (the purpose of discipline and disciplines) is to grow in godliness just as Paul exhorted Timothy (1 Timothy 4:7)  This kind of discipline is exercising effort and commitment in order to bring the mind and body in alignment with Christ and His kingdom.  Paul’s own life was an example as he disciplined himself like a boxer or a runner so that he could finish his race well (I Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Tim. 4:7).

Could the lack of spiritual discipline in our Christian culture imply that we really don’t value the goal of godliness and finishing our race well?   Are we content with our current level of maturity or spiritual condition?  Do we get disciplined only when we are in pain or discomfort, but once the pain is gone, return once again to spiritual passivity?

If we are to live as life-long apprentices of Christ, we must learn to capture the power of the wind of the Spirit.  We must value His purposes for our lives enough to exercise self-control, intentionally raising our spiritual sails on the mast of self-discipline.

In the next blog I will talk about the actual spiritual practices that make up the sails on our ship.  Discipleship is not simply practicing but practicing the right things for the right reasons.

*D. Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p120

One of the benefits of GPS technology is the elimination of bulky road maps that once unfolded could never be returned to their original state, winding up stuffed in the glove compartment of our cars.  A cross country trip required several of these maps or a large map book that didn’t fit in the glove compartment and wound up forgotten under a seat or in the trunk.

Helpful as those maps were in showing the various routes and landmarks, they couldn’t tell you where you were on the map.  That took some crafty detective work, without which the map was irrelevant.  Many marriages were threatened (including my own) when couples, acting as driver and navigator, tried to negotiate unknown territory using a road map.   Now with GPS a voice from the phone is the final arbitrator and the focus of any anger and angst.

The USA GPS system became available for civilian use in 1980 and since then has become as much a part of our lives as the common toothbrush (don’t leave home without it).  The GPS is a system of 24 or more satellites, orbiting the earth 12,000 miles high, traveling at 7,000 mph.  When a personal receiver connects with the system, it can lock onto 3 or more satellites giving the three dimensional coordinates:  longitude, latitude, and altitude.

In addition to locating your own position, the GPS marvel is that it can identify the location of any place you want to go and give you a running commentary of how to get there.  Once your destination is locked into the system, no matter how many wrong turns you make, it will continue to guide you to your chosen destination.  (The older versions used to make you feel guilty for making a wrong turn by saying “Recalculating”.  The newer, guiltless versions just give you the updated instructions.)

When we lock in the coordinates for our spiritual journey of Christ and His Kingdom, God gives us a GPS system that will accurately direct us to that goal regardless of where we are or tend to drift off to.   The direction is based on three positioning coordinates:  knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ.

Discipleship on the resurrection side of the Cross must include all three if we are to attain a successful journey.  Each coordinate is connected to the others and, although unique, cannot work alone.  Our description of discipleship identifies each coordinate in order for us to participate and follow the voice of our Guide.

Discipleship is the personal, persistent pursuit

of knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ

by means of critical spiritual disciplines

in the context of supporting relationships,

resulting in the distinctive marks of an apprentice of Christ.

 Knowing Christ deeply

Most people find their identity in their accomplishments, titles or positions. Our lives are spent trying to prove our competence while living in constant fear that we will someday be found out and exposed. But what if our lives were based not on what we did but on who we know? Jesus said in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

The Bible’s perspective is that knowing Christ is both our greatest privilege and our greatest challenge. God has put within the heart of every man the desire to know Him. The desire may be masked by callous indifference, the cloud of sin, or the compulsion of busyness, but it is there.

Paul fanned that desire by letting go of the fickle facade of status and achievement and focusing on knowing Christ.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ…I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (Philippians 3:8, 10).

Knowing Christ is the heart of our journey of faith. Everything else flows from this one relationship.  It is more than believing facts about Christ; it is the personal, progressive process of walking with Christ through all of life’s situations.

Knowing Him demands honest and consistent dialogue which leads to the incredible privilege of a personal friendship with the living God. In John 15:15, Jesus told his disciples, “I no longer call you servants …instead I have called you friends.” Friendship with God is not a relationship of equals. It is, however, the awesome opportunity for children to relate to their heavenly Father. As we learn, believe, and obey the will of God, He reveals more of His heart to us through His Spirit.

• Reflect Christ authentically

Historically church leaders have agreed that the primary purpose of our lives is to glorify God. But glorifying God is not in its essence, the common practice of singing worship songs or thinking mystical thoughts. We glorify God as we reflect His revealed nature through our everyday, ordinary lives. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 We reflect Christ as we are transformed in character, values, beliefs, and behavior. This inside-out transformation shapes our new identity in Christ and makes us authentic. We are becoming who we really are in Christ.

As the moon reflects the light (glory) of the sun, so we are to reflect the light (glory) of God. We, like the moon, are dependent on an external source for light. As we grow to know Him our lives change to conform to His image, we become lights to those around us. “You are the light of the world,” Jesus said. God wants to display His nature to the world by transforming the lives of men and women of faith.

Reflecting Christ requires a partnership in which God’s Spirit works in us and we in turn cooperate with Him.  Our response to God’s Word is one of faith and obedience resulting in transformation to be more and more like Christ. We value what He values.  We make His ways our ways.  We make His truth our beliefs.

• Sharing Christ intentionally

God’s plan for reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ, is for people to reach people.  Each person is like a link in a chain connecting each spiritual generation to the next.

Jesus expressed it this way:  “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16).  “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).  And just before ascending into heaven Jesus gave the final command to go and make disciples.

Those few ordinary men turned their world upside down.  Without the aid of technology, political clout or social status, they launched a world-changing movement and they did it one person at a time.  God’s strategy is the same today as it was then.  We have the same commission to invest spiritually in the lives of the next generation and add new links to the spiritual chain.

Questions for reflection:

1. Is there evidence in your life that you have locked in the three coordinates of discipleship?
2. If you have drifted off course, what is your next move to get back on track?