Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The necessary ingredient when throwing out the cookie cutter

As a follow up to my previous post, I'd like to offer a bit of necessary clarification.

Yes, we ARE to be out making disciples.  No, this discipleship should not result in cookie-cutter clones of ourselves in theology and worldview.  But the way to achieve this is not to shy away from doctrinal conversations, passionate preaching of what we hold as true, and criticism of one another when our walk displays that we're off the narrow way.  Rather, we should be speaking the truth in love to one another with a humility that is rooted in an understanding that: a) we don't know it all, b) God uses the various members of His body to build itself up and c) only the Holy Spirit can reveal divine truths to the hearts of men.

In short, we must keep the gospel central in all things.  God has begun what God will finish.  We are just joining Him in His work, watering and planting as needed and instructed.  He brings the growth.  We get the reward and He gets the glory.  After all, it's all about the fame of His name.  It's not about whether or not we gain respect and admiration from those we help along the way.

2 comments:

  1. I agree. We should be making disciples just like the 12 diciples did. They did not do it by setting up programs and conferences, they did it just like Jesus Himself did.... they lived in community with one another (living with a bunch of outcasts)

    Swanny

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brian,

    Right on. And from that starting point they turned the world upside down.

    ReplyDelete

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