After a sweet morning of worship in the renovated sanctuary, two ideas continue to roll around in my mind — the cruciality of entrusting the gospel to others (discipleship) and the means of suffering to accomplish discipleship.
As was said Sunday, too often we tend to think of discipleship as the responsibility of someone else, while Paul indicated that it was the privileged responsibility of Timothy — and by extension, us. This act of discipleship then implies two needs: we need a relationship and we need a message. And both those needs are not dependent upon programs. We don’t need a formalized church structure to give us permission to do discipleship (and an obligation to do it only at certain times on certain days). We just need a relationship with someone and a desire to help them grow in their walk with Christ so that we often initiate spiritual discussion with them — both formally and informally.
Of course that also means we have to have something to tell them. We do well to take a cue from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. (1:28; NASB)
In those few words he tells them —
- the message — Christ
- the audience — every believer
- the method — instruction
- the manner — with wisdom and discernment
- the goal — maturity
Now when we disciple people (which begins and centers on the gospel), suffering may also accompany that process. This is a reality:
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim. 3:12; NASB)
And it is also a gifted privilege:
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil. 1:29; NASB)
We rarely dare to look on suffering and persecution as a gift. It is. The sovereign Master who ordains and orders all things kindly brings all manner of difficulties not only for our own maturity, but also for the progress of the gospel:
Suffering is not only a result of trying to penetrate unreached peoples, but a means of penetrating them. Five verses before Matthew 24:14, Jesus said, ‘They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name’ (v. 9 NASB). This is the price of missions and it is going to be paid. [John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals.]
That means that
Being a Christian should mean that our trajectory is toward need, regardless of danger and discomfort and stress. In other words, Christians characteristically will make life choices that involve putting themselves and their families at temporal risk while enjoying eternal security. ‘Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing…having nothing, yet possessing everything.’ [John Piper, The Roots of Endurance.]
So as we venture on in the ministry of discipleship — training and equipping others with the Word of life, let us also expect and find satisfaction in corresponding suffering — both a result of and a means to sharing and living the gospel.
Words of Grace 