I was in the Waffle House talking to a waitress. A man walked in and sat down at the other end of the counter. The waitress walked over to him, chatted with him, took his order, poured his some coffee, then came back to where I was sitting . She asked me if I knew the man and I said no. She said you should go and meet him because he is “A Good Christian.”
At hearing the words, “A Good Christian,” my discipleship mindset kicked in. What is a “Good Christian?” We in the church both hear and and say that phrase when people are described. “You need to take your car to get worked on by Bill, he’s a “good Christian.” Or “Your child is lucky to get Ms. Sally as their teacher at the school, she is a “good Christian.” We say and hear it all the time, but what does that mean? Does being a good Christian equate to being a disciple of Christ? How are the characteristics and competenciesthat a person exhibits through the lens of the church the same and/or different than the those exhibited as a disciple of Christ through the eyes of Jesus? Is a good Christian someone who imitates a church or Jesus? Is a church creating those they describe as good Christians, the same a church creating those Jesus would describe as his disciples?
See, I went to church consistently for the first 16 years of my life. I was a “Good Christian.” The church baptized me, taught me the creeds, taught me the liturgies, confirmed me, taught me the seasons and rhythms of the church, and taught me when to stand up, sit down, and kneel. I was awarded and accepted or my ability to jump through these hoops. I knew some Scriptures but I did not know Jesus. The church never discipled me, It did not have an apprenticeship process, but gave me lots of information and class room settings. It never invested the time walking me through my garbage, creating places where I had to confront Jesus, had to confront what needed healed, confronted what needed loved, so I never fell in love with Jesus. When I was 18, I chunked the church in the trash. It wasn't until 7 years later, around the age of 25 because of some "God" events, that I began slowly returning to church again. And I once again began doing the "good Christian” things of going to church services, singing the right songs, attending class rooms and jumping through hoops again. I was again a "good Christian." Yet I was still an unhealed, white washed tomb. It wasn't until I was 34 that I encountered someone who made me realize that it is not simply about the service, the songs, the hoops, or my comfort, but confronted me about becoming open and honest before God, confronted my “good Christian” life as compared to a life of a disciple of Christ:, confronted me and took the time to mentor me like Jesus would.
If I asked you Identify between 8-10 core competencies that represent the bare minimum standards for every disciple of Jesus, what would you say they are? Ccompetencies that are simple, repeatable, transferrable and scaleable. The minimum standards a disciple needs to be fairly competent possessing.. If I were to make a list, my top 7 would be:
1. Personal Prayer: The ability listen to and speak to God
2. Bible Reading: Ability to self feed in the Word, and get proficient in the Word
3. Public Prayer: Ability to pray over others
4. Personal Testimony: Ability to Share with someone, to be able to answer this question, “What difference does it make in my life today by following Jesus?”
5. Gospel: Ability To Share the Gospel, Good news of Jesus from creation, to fall, to crucifixion, resurrection and assencion of Jesus and how if applies to a person’s life and after death.
6. Discipleship: Ability to disciple another individualThen think, What is the process by which someone
7. In an accountability group. Be Accountable to others.
The How? How will I/others develop these minimum competencies? Have you developed these competencies? What is in place in your life, your church, small groups now, to intentionally grow in each area? What needs to be created or entered into that will instill these? Also, what are you doing that is not developing these, and why then are you doing them?
What tools may help reaffirm and cultivate each of these competencies? Do you possess them? Does your church possess them? If not, where do you find them?
How are you provided support & accountability for growing in these areas? How are you providing support and accountability to others to grow in these areas?
Jesus is constantly trying to find out who really wants to be his disciple. And so he keeps pushing and prodding and questioning and putting it out there until some leave, some commit and go all in. or some exist in complacency.. If I am honest, most churches I attended in my past did not do this, but left the option to simply attend, tithe, and be a “good Christian” open to me. What about your church? If you are in the Huntsville Alabama area, I would love to help your church or small groups grow in Discipleship of Jesus Christ.
My family, I pray this morning you will pray then reflect on your level of competency of basic, minimal competencies of a disciple of Jesus. You ability to mentor other in them, and how and where you are doing it, in Jesus name.
Please post and share your thoughts, reflections, questions, or prayers with us in the comment box below.
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