Why a Triangle
The Need
While finishing my seminary degree I was asked a very simple question. “If our command in scripture is to make disciples (Matt 28:19), how good is the Church at discipling its members?” As I was contemplating this question, thinking about various churches I have been associated with, I realized that many of our churches are “disciple poor.”
As David Murrow puts it in his book Why Men Hate Going to Church, “Today’s evangelical church has discarded the discipleship model in favor of an academic model.” To a large degree he is correct. In many of our churches, we have associated discipleship with attendance of courses to gain more information about the Bible. If you make it through enough of these courses and your doctrine becomes “right” enough, then you automatically will become a fully devoted follower of Christ.
But the academic model has failed us. According to Greg Ogden in his book Transforming Discipleship the academic model has produced superficial disciples. “There appears to be a general lack of comprehension among many who claim Jesus as Savior as to the implications of following him as Lord.” There are more books about Jesus, more resources for Christians, and yet there appear to be fewer people devoted to following Him than there have ever been.
This information is troubling to me as a church leader. How can our churches begin turning the discipleship train around to point it in the right direction?
The answer came from the Word of God.
What Jesus Says a Disciple Is
In John 8:31b Jesus says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” In other words, if we can somehow figure out what Jesus commands us to do, and then follow those commands, then we are at least moving in the discipleship direction. There is a certain amount of learning that goes into discipleship, but it isn’t simply learning for the sake of knowledge; it is learning that is followed by some action. If we could only discern what Jesus has commanded us to do...
Matthew 22:36-40 may help us out in this regard. In this text an expert in the law came to Jesus and asked, “’Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”
Very simply put, Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love people, and if we are willing to obey his commandments then we are truly his disciples.
Putting It All Together
If being a disciple means loving God and loving people, then the discipleship model of the church should place people in a position to obey Jesus’ commandments. It is out of this strong belief that the triangle is formed.
Love God by connecting to God through worship, both corporate and private. Our church seeks to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through engaging them in corporate worship, and through encouraging and providing resources for Christians to engage with God through personal worship and quiet times. Worship MUST occur both corporately and privately for true growth to occur.
Love People by connecting to other believers through small groups. The early church experienced authentic Christian community. There are two things you cannot do alone, one is be married, the other is be a Christian. We need to surround ourselves with other believers who can encourage us, reprimand us, discipline us, love us, confront us, cry with us, and rejoice with us.
Love people through engaging in ministry opportunities, both in Hayden and around the world. Finding a way to meet the physical and spiritual needs of a world that is desperately in need. Participating in local school supply drives, community service projects, and short term mission trips are just a few of the ways that our church seeks to connect you with the spiritual and physical needs in our world.
Once a Christian enters into our church, they find themselves in the triangulation process. If you ever wonder where you need to go next, you will find our staff and members pointing to the other corners of the triangle. In this way, the discipleship isn’t about programs, but steps that bring you into a vibrant walk with Jesus Christ.
If you have questions about our discipleship process at FBCH, or would like to speak with a pastor, please contact the church office.
