The Discipleship Paradox: Discipline Equals Freedom

July 2007

“It is when the well is dry that we know the price of water.” Benjamin Franklin

In the first three centuries of the church the emphasis was not on going to church but on being the church. The church is not a building or an institution but a body to which one is part of. Regardless of our efforts to do so, church cannot be reduced to a weekly sixty-to-ninety minute gathering; it is instead a seven-day-a-week identification.

For the original disciples of Jesus Christ, there was no mystery or misunderstanding regarding the Great Commission, i.e., “go and make disciples”. Sadly, this is not true of most of us today who describe ourselves as Christians, and to our own detriment, those of us in Christian leadership.

In general, the Western church has separated salvation from transformation. Those who are “evangelized” are brought to the point of decision, go through membership procedures, and then continue as part of the worshiping congregation as passive church members.

George Barna’s research indicates that only 10-30 percent of a typical congregation is regularly involved in ongoing Christian education classes, small groups, or ministry teams. Most evangelical churches suffer from a chronic problem of undiscipled church members; this creates an environment that serves as the perfect breeding ground for “nominal Christianity.”

For many Christians today, discipleship is too close to the term discipline for comfort. It conjures up thoughts of ……… well, uh, submission. We all know how undesirable that is, and yet we speak of submission to Jesus with passion and in loving terms.

Discipline entails setting priorities, making commitments, and surrendering our agendas to God’s agenda daily. To be disciplined requires vigilance and consistency.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Edison

Discipleship must never be allowed to degenerate into legalistic, judgmental, and grim determination. In contrast to the burdensome legalism and unreasonable demands of the Pharisees, Jesus invited the weary to take his yoke upon their shoulders, and promised that they would find it surprisingly light (Matt. 11:29-30).

To the extent that we submit ourselves to the yoke of Christ, we will find an exhilarating freedom. Such is the paradox of discipleship.

“… let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us …” Hebrews 12:1

The Kansas-Nebraska ReFocus strategy exists to assist your church become the church God envisioned it to be. To learn more about the KNCSB ReFocus strategy and process, please contact me at 1-800-984-9092.

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