Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Thoughts on Church Membership & Discipleship Pt II

Discipleship is a lot like parenting. It involves teaching, showing example, correcting, and encouraging individuals from a state of near complete dependency to guided independence. I don't see a difference between the growing perception that parents have abandoned their responsibilities to raise their own children and the belief that the Church has drifted from the proven model of Biblical discipleship. Even the reasons are eerily similar: the caretakers are not properly trained, they were never cared for as a "babe" themselves and were raised to fend for themselves, or they just may be unwilling to invest the time.

I believe an overarching issue in this discussion is the concept of Personal Salvation or having a "personal relationship with Christ". In our modern self-focused society, many in the Church have perverted the very valid scriptural teaching that each individual must take account for their own salvation to deny the very clear and concise teaching of a common community of believers bound together, who continuously engage, support, and walk beside one another in the Faith. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone express how they don't have time for another believer's issues and struggles because they "have to work our their own soul salvation" in either a blatant misappropriation of scripture or as a poor excuse for their lack of concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Fact is, scripture very clearly states that we are accountable AND responsible for one another. This especially applies to mature saints who are tasked with the development and growth of the newly converted and those weak in the faith.

Romans 15:1 (NIV)

1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.


elder todd

4 comments:

  1. you've hit another home run, todd.
    i hope it's okay to refer to you on a first name basis.
    you can call me miguel although i go by samwise g.

    your call.
    either way, i am very interested in the discipling process of men.
    hence the reason i signed up to be a follower of this blog.
    i actually joined the christian bloggers right before you did.
    wild, right?

    anyways, you've given me something else to discuss with JESUS as He and i chat.

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  2. Thanks for the encouragement. And, todd is just fine by me. God bless you, look forward to meeting lots of Christians like yourself in a corporate pursuit of God's will for our lives.

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  3. todd, do you have a mentor?
    if so,how long has he been mentoring you?

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  4. Hi Savannah,

    No, I really don't have a mentor. I just sorta jumped out here and started writing my thoughts. Some of them are based on sermons and lessons I’ve taught at my church. I hope you enjoy the postings. Feel free to look over the older posts.

    todd

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