NEXT STEPS — This page is meant to help you answer the question: Now what?
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Discipleship — What is it?
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Discipleship
What do we mean by discipleship?
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
That verse is the Big/Final thing Jesus told his followers (disciples). Christians call this the “Great Commission” because all of us who call ourselves Christians are “commissioned” to do this. But, it begs the questions: What is a disciple? What does a disciple do? What does this look like in the 21st century? This will help with the first two questions:
Disciple: someone devoted to following a teacher or leader in thought and action. A Christian disciple is someone who has devoted their life to becoming more and more like Jesus Christ, and believes that Jesus brings eternal life and forgiveness of wrongdoing (sin)
Discipleship: put simply — What a disciple does. The actions a disciple does in following their teacher/leader. Christian discipleship is what Christians do to become more and more like Jesus Christ (sanctification)
At City Chapel we use three words to help us understand what discipleship looks like and specifically what it looks like in the 21st century:
ABIDE — GATHER — EMBRACE
ABIDE
Put simply:
“Spending time with God”
What it entails:
Intimacy & Intentionality — (Up)
What question you can ask yourself:
Have I spent time with God today?
GATHER
Put simply:
“The people of God coming together in fellowship”
What it entails:
WITHness & Vulnerability — (In)
What question you can ask yourself:
Who are my 2am friends?
EMBRACE
Put simply:
“Doing Good”
What it entails:
Time & Money — (Out)
What questions you can ask yourself:
Is it on your bank account?
Is it on your calendar?
Abiding, Gathering, and Embracing is not a linear process. It’s a journey; it’s a lifestyle we adopt.
Many of us gravitate toward one area or another. Some read books and are more contemplative. Others are more extroverted and naturally enjoy being in fellowship with others. Others, yet, fill all their free time volunteering and talking about their faith with others. All of these things are good, but a holistic approach to being a disciple of Jesus Christ includes all three: Abide, Gather, & Embrace
(wording adapted from Jemar Tisby’s ARC of Racial Justice)
What does this look like at City Chapel?
Our hope with this language of ABIDE - GATHER - EMBRACE is not just that you’ll know what discipleship means, but that you’ll also see where you’re already doing this in your life.
If you want to know how we do this at City Chapel, or if you want another way to Abide, Gather, or Embrace, here ya go.
ABIDE:
What can this look like?
-Praying
-Reading scripture
-Meditating
-Spiritual practices
-Etc…
Why do we do this?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in them, they will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5)
GATHER:
What can this look like?
-Worship Services
-Meals with one another
-City Groups
-Bible Studies
-Etc…
Why do we do this?
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
EMBRACE:
What can this look like?
-Public Service
-Volunteering
-Giving Money
-Evangelism
-Etc…
Why do we do this?
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31)
“Let your light shine...so they may see your good works” (Matthew 5:14-16)
**This idea for the term “embrace” in this context was originally heard and has been adapted from Pastor Denise Kingdom