D17 Part 3: Gospel-saturated Discipleship

Paul has a mess on his hands with those Corinthians. The people who claim to follow Christ ... to be disciples ... are taking advantage of the poor in their own congregation, in-fighting, and committing indecent acts against each other. Things were such a mess that Paul had to write them at least four times (only two of those letters have been preserved), send emissaries, and even revisit them personally.

His goal was never to merely adjust their behavior. Paul was always about their discipleship - the quality and strength of their following of Jesus. He taught and encouraged them to cling to the Gospel and let it fill their minds. If they would remain focused on the Gospel, the behavioral issues will largely take care of themselves. By all means, stop doing that stupid thing now, but in the long run, drown yourself in the Gospel for real change.

In 1 Corinthians 15, as he's discipling these believers through his letter to them, he states it plainly: "Now I want to make it clear to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand ... for I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received -- that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (emphasis added). I've got to make it clear to you what is of first importance - Jesus and what He did. Everything about my discipleship of you hinges on this.

This leads us to the third of our 17 truths about discipleship that we have been considering these last several weeks (the "D17"):

Discipleship must be Gospel-saturated (1 Cor 15:1-11).

The process of cultivating one another to become fully formed followers of Jesus must be drenched with the Gospel. We cannot intend to disciple one another without basing everything on who Jesus is, what He did and said while in the flesh, and everything He accomplished on the Cross. Specifically, the books of the Bible we typically call "The Gospels" must be our foundational texts ... moreso than other books of the Bible. The story in the Old Testament is vital. Paul's letters are indispensable. The rest of the New Testament is crucial. But the Gospels are our primary text for discipleship - because in them, Jesus most directly teaches and models discipleship with His followers.

We can even turn the noun "gospel" into a verb - we can "gospel one another." Especially for those who already follow Jesus, we need to continually gospel one another - to keep reminding and encouraging one another based on Jesus' words and actions. We all need the Gospel to continually saturate every aspect of our lives. This is because the Gospel is bigger than just "getting saved." The Gospel does contain the message of receiving eternal life through the forgiveness of sins. But the Gospel also includes walking in obedience, thinking more like Jesus, surrendering more to Jesus, and seeing how the Gospel affects ... and should rule over ... every nook and cranny of our lives.

I took part in an internet-based reading plan where we read through all of the Gospels in a week. We were supposed do that six weeks in a row, but I managed only the first week. Even with that, reading large passages each day, the sweep of the Gospel opened up in surprising new ways. Now, I'm spending time each day reading smaller passages, but staying strictly within the Gospels until I've read them several times through.

I suggest making a goal that you read through (or listen to) all four Gospels at least three times through before going on to study other books of the Bible. Large passages, small passages, in a week or in a month, whatever plan will best keep you on task. (By the way, just three chapters a day gets you through all four Gospels in a month.) Then think about the question, "What is the Gospel about in full?"

Furthermore, consider the idea of "gospeling one another." Paul said in Romans 1 that he was eager to preach the Gospel to the church at Rome - but they were already believers. So, Paul wanted to "gospel" them even though they were already saved. He wanted to see the Gospel apply to more and more of their lives by "gospeling" them. Rather than trying to fix each other's behavior, let's gospel one another instead.

The phrase "Discipleship is Gospel-saturated" comes from Caesar Kalinowski.

Mt 6.25-34

Psg: Mt 6.25-34 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Mt6.25-34)
Date: 6/20/12

Read

6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry* about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26Look at the birds in the sky:* They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds* them. Aren’t you more valuable* than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?* 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers* of the field grow; they do not work* or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass,* which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven,* won’t he clothe you even more,* you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32 For the unconverted* pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom*and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.*

Record

Do not worry (25, 27, 28, 31, 34) … you people of little faith (30).

Reflect

• The clear implication here is that when we worry, it is because we have little faith.
• If we are in fact valuable (26, 30) and God knows what we need (32), and if we believe this to be true, we need not worry about clothing (25, 28) and sustenance (31).
• Note that the objects here are not luxuries, but necessities.
• The replacement activity is pursuing God’s Kingdom and his righteousness (33).
• This is the act of faith.
• Having “little faith” is not fixed by squinting one’s eyes and just believing harder, but pursuing God’s Kingdom out of faith, pursuing his righteousness out of faith. In other words, living out life with the faith that what he claims is true.

Respond

• Father, I do have too little of a faith. The evidence is my worry about the basic necessities. The complication is that I include non-necessities as necessities in my thinking.
• Your better idea is for me to singlemindedly pursue your Kingdom and your righteousness.
• CR: Consider one nonessential that stimulates this kind of worry and if I can’t find a way to use it to pursue his kingdom and righteousness, toss it.

Mt 28.16-20

Psg: Mt 28.16-20 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Mt28.16-20)
Date: 5/20/12

Read

28:16 So* the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 28:17 When* they saw him, they worshiped him,* but some doubted.* 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them,* "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 28:19 Therefore go* and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,* 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember,* I am with you* always, to the end of the age."*

Record

Therefore go...

Reflect

• We focus on the "go" / "going" / "as you go" - the action, the command. But it's not just "go." It's "therefore go." Go because of something.
• Go because all authority on heaven and earth has been given to Christ. Because he has all authority, go make disciples.
• Making disciples cannot be done apart from Christ's authority, and must be done because of his authority.
• The question: how does his authority affect our task of going and making disciples?
• It motivates us, because his authority will also be over those who reject him.
• It frees us, because it's his power and authority at work, not just what little we can muster.
• It commands us, because he sends us out based on his authority.
• It focuses us, because we are on the right team - on the team of the one who has all authority.
• It prioritizes things for us, because this is what the authoritative one wants us to do.
• It obligates us, because the one with the authority has given this purpose to all of us.
• It points us in the direction of joy, because this is the joy of the one who has all authority over heaven and earth.
• It empowers us, because he will not send us out having that authority, but not applying it to our obedience to the commission.
• …?

Respond

• Forgive me for treating the Great Commission like a Really Good Suggestion.
• You have all authority in heaven and earth. Because you have that, you send us out - you send me out. And you send me out grounded by that authority.
• Change every part of me that doesn't want to go.

Mt 25.14-29

Psg: Mt 25.14-29 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Mt25.14-29)
Date: 4/29/12

Read

“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Record

Good and faithful slave / evil and lazy slave

Reflect

• By parallelism, the opposite of faithfulness is laziness.
• That doesn't mean that they are ontological opposites, but that they are opposites in this context.
• Faithfuness, then, is in terms of activity (of a certain kind).
• How am I "lazy" with faithless inactivity?
• We are slaves, either way. The question is, "What kind of slave am I?"
• In then parable, as well as in our normal life, we know the Master's will and the Master's character pretty well. Our lack is not that we don't know what he wants or what his character demands.
• How much do I mind hearing, "Evil and lazy slave!"?

Respond

• Father, I confess my spiritual laziness. It is especially apparent with assignments and responsibilities that I don't want to do.