Christ is Central

8/12/2019 Christ is Central

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Christian in Discipleship

Submitted to Dr. James Wood, in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the completion of the course

DSMN 500-D06 LUO

Contemporary Evangelism

by

Shamyra Kennedy-Jones

July 30, 2014


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Christ is Central

The centrality of Christ in Christian discipleship is vital. Paul best discusses this in

Colossians 3 where he tells the people of Colossae to seek the things that are above and not to

seek those that are earthly. Colossians 3:1-11 states that: 1If then you have been raised with

Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your

minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life

is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear

with him in glory. 5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,

passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which are idolatry. 6On account of these the wrath of God

is coming. 7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you must put

them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to

one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10and have put on the new

self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11Here there is not

Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all,

and in all.

In the last part of this scripture Paul uses is, Christ is all, and in all. As a disciple of

Christ we need to put away our old self. And the only way for us to this is through Christ.

Without Christ as the center of our Christian discipleship and that we need to focus on what not

to do so that our action as Christians will not dilute the message of Christ. Our action should not

take the focus off God. In his Unchristian, David Kinnaman talks about the many current

negative views that modern Christianity has, by providing this answer for the negative outlook

on Christianity:


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Why would present -day Christianity inspire such unfavorable reactions? Our studies

explored the nature of the perceptions about Christianity not just pro or con but the substance

of how people feel about Christians and Christianity. The central goal was not just to determine

if people feel negatively but why. What are we known for? One Crucial insight kept popping up

in our exploration. In study ing thousands of outsiders impressions, it is clear that Christians are

primarily perceived for what they stand against. We have become famous for what we oppose,

rather than what we are for. [1]

Disciples of Christ should not be known by what they oppose. Jesus said in John 13:35

all will know His disciples, if they have love for one another. Discipleship begins at salvation. At

the center of salvation is the Gospel. At the center of the Gospel is Christ. Christian discipleship

can only begin with and exist within a relationship with Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship does

not deal with theoretical ideas or a set moral code the disciple must follow in order to be worthy.

A Christian disciple is one that has a relationship with the risen living savior Jesus Christ. His

life, his teachings, prayer and devotion to him must be the central invading force within the

Christian. That is where the disciples growt h and transformation comes from.

Once the disciple has Christ as the center submission and obedience in all aspects of life

are demanded. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explains how important submission and

obedience is for his disciples. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth Matthew 5:5.

[1] (Kinnaman and Lyons 2007, 26)
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The word meek used here is a husbandry term. Its not an idea of weakness but one of a

powerful draft animal using its strength to fulfill the will of its task master. Christ does not desire

mindless drones for His disciples. He wants use our personalities, quirks and uniqueness to His

glory. This requires submission of every aspect of the disciples life to the will of Christ.

Bonhoeffer describes the idea of discipleship without submission or obedience as cheap grace.

Cheap grace means justification of sin but not of the sinner. Because grace alone does

everything, everything can stay in its old ways. [2] Christian disciples should instead be seeking

after costly grace. It is costly, because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to

follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby

makes them live. [3]

This call to obedience on the Christian is not selective to certain aspects of life. Christ

wants submission to him in everything. Looking at the example in Christs own life he submitted

everything and expects the same from us. Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on

his face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless,

not as I will, but as you will. Knowing that complete submission to His Fathers will required

His life Christ submitted.

This perfect submission and obedience is not something easily achieved by the disciple. It

is only obtainable as the Gospel transforms the disciples life. In the Earley and Dempsey text a

disciple is described as a protg. The word disciple means student or learner. It describes a

[2] (Bonhoeffer 2003, 43)[3] (Ibid., 45)
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protg who learns and follows his teachers precepts and instructions. It speaks of a follower

who adopts the lifestyle of his master. In the first century, a disciple-making relationship was

based on intimacy and obedience. [4] Being a disciple of Christ requires a biblical world view.

Tha t means that every aspect of the disciples life must mirror that of Christ when

interacting with the world. George Barna Writes: If you are to act like a Christian, you must

think like a Christian. And to think like a Christian, you must be fully immersed in the

knowledge of your faith and the application of its principles in godly practices. Because every

thought, word, and deed has consequences, every choice we make must be carefully considered.

The only way to truly ensure that we represent Christ well in every aspect of our lives is to

respond to reality on the basis of a Bible-based worldview. In other words, we must filter every

choice through a mind and heart so saturated with Gods perspectives that our choices reflect His

choices. Our fallen nature prevents us from flawlessly representing the ways of God, but the

more we own His truths and principles, the better we will be at living a truly Christian life. [5]

This shows how imperative it is that every aspect of the disciples life is lived in

submission to Christ. The disciple must completely submit because Christs way is superior to

that of the world. Jesus lovingly rules our lives, and as He does H e replaces the falsehood we

were handed from the world with the truth. [6]

[4] (Earley and Dempsey 2013, 49)[5] (Barna 2001, 100)[6] (Putman, Harrington and Coleman 2013, 47)
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Three Stage Discipleship

According to the Earley and Dempsey text there are three stages of discipleship. Stage

one is Declaration. This stage is where investigation leads to repentance and faith in Jesus. Stage

two is Development. This stage focuses on immersion into the new life, abandonment of the old

life, and apprenticeship into ministry. The third stage is Deployment or intentional global

commissioning .[7]

These stages are a representation of how the Discipleship process should work. It should

be a progression of salvation, training and sending. Where the end goal is for the disciple being

sent in turn begins presenting salvation through the gospel to future Christian disciples. These

steps are progressive and disregarding one step and skipping to the next is detrimental to all

steps.

Salvation must come first. Without the act of acknowledging sinful nature, repentance

from sin and acceptance of Christ as savior submitting to the teaching and calling of Jesus Christ

is impossible. The goal is to arrive at a place of committed belief. [8] This committed belief is

the foundation for the rest of discipleship. The main act of obedience in stage one is submitting

to the initial call of salvation and repentance.

Stage two and three are ongoing processes these two stages never end. However stage

two must be begun and accomplished to a certain point prior to stage three beginning. Stage two

is the act

[7] (Earley and Dempsey 2013, 59)[8] (Ibid.)
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of being made perfect or fit to serve. This stage the act of obedience is submitting all of the

disciples life to the better way of Christ. This is where the disciple does away with the things of

the world and replaces them with the things of Christ. The reason stage two is never completed

is because our sinful nature and desire is never completely gone until we are with Christ in

heaven. So stage two will constantly require maintenance as evident by Pauls words in 2

Corinthians 12:7, Therefore, in order to kee p me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn

in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, even though Paul was most definitely

pursuing stage three being sent out to do ministry he still required maintenance in stage two.

Finally the third stage is that of being sent out to be a disciple maker. The obedience

required of this is to willingly go where ever it is that God sends the disciple. This stage is not

fulfilled until the disciple is called home to be with Christ in heaven. This is the fulfillment of

the great commission.

Bibliography

Barna, George. Growing True Disciples. Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2001.


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Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 4: Discipleship. Edited by Geffrey B.Kelly, & John D. Godsey. Translated by Barbara Green, & Reinhard Krauss. Vol. 4.Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003.

Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is Nashville, Tennessee: B&H PublishingGroup, 2013.

Kinnaman, David, and Gabe Lyons. Unchristian. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2007.

Putman, Jim, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. Discipleshift. Grand Rapids, Michigan:Zondervan, 2013.

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Christ is Central