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The most famous statement about discipleship comes from our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching him to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." To understand discipleship one must decipher these words.
This statement from Christ is often referred to as the Great Commission. Christ is sending out the men that he has been working with for three years to take all of his teaching to the world. In this passage we see that there are three aspects of discipleship, baptizing, teaching, and obeying.
Baptism is something that you do in entrance to the church. It is the initial sacrament which shows that one has been cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. However, once baptized you remember and improve upon your baptism as a believer (Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 167). It is only performed once. Baptism is an element of discipleship but its not the main subject of this commission. The main active words for our discussion are teaching and obey.
These two words give us the two main points of discipleship. A disciple is someone who is taught the words of Christ and one who obeys them. In other words one who is a disciple of Christ learns his teaching and then puts it into practice in their life.
Teaching can be communicated a number of ways; group discourse, individual rebuke, song, small group discussion, godly living, etc. It is fair to say that Christ practiced all off these methods and more. So too we have to use every means necessary to learn the words of Christ. In teaching we are using our minds to change the way we view the world. In other words our worldview is affected by the way that we think. The teaching of Christ opens up how we think about everything. As C.S. Lewis says, "I believe in God like I believe in the Sun. Not because I can see it but because by it I see everything else." As we look at the teaching of Christ we realize that it sheds light on everything else.
Today, culture is not prone toward learning. There are many who are content to never be a learner. Education seems to be increasingly diminished. Now, athleticism and aesthetics are taking more precedent over the value of learning. To be a learner means that we have to fight against all in culture which says learning is boring and not useful.
Obeying is the second half of the Great Commission. Discipleship is not just cerebral and philosophical but also practical and down to earth. The commands were not meant to be kept in a book but to be put into practice in daily life.
Obedience is also not in vogue right now because it means giving up your rights. Ironically, think of how often people in our litigious society demand their rights in today's society! Obeying Christ means that we renounce rights to our own desires are allegiant to him. In a real sense we bow the knee to Christ as our King in submission. Yet our obedience is not a mandatory response to a tyrant. No our submission to his authority comes out of our respect for him as a Just and Right King and more importantly his love for us as his children (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.26).
How does God show us this love? Answer: Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We demonstrate our love for God? Answer: 1 John 5:2-4 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world."
The Christian Education and Discipleship at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church takes all of these things into consideration. Through Wednesday Evening Electives, Sunday School Communities, the Bible Memory Programs, the Fall Conference and other Resources the CE & D want to give an overarching diet of God's Word at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church.
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