Soma School Notes Bonus | Why is Discipleship Important?

 

Verge Network: Why is Discipleship Important?

We at Emmaus City continue to go through our Soma School Debrief notes together – digesting who our identity is in the body of Christ as followers of Jesus who are to grow in becoming more like Him by learning how to obey everything He commanded. For some background, here are the links to the previous Soma School Debrief notes:

• Soma School Notes 1 | Who is God and What is His Story?
• Soma School Notes 2 | What is Church?
• Soma School Notes 3 | Who are Jesus' Disciples and How Do They Follow Him?

Our deepest prayer is for the story of Emmaus City to be about God calling many more of us to be disciples who make disciples. We want and need to become more like Jesus together throughout the city of Worcester, so we can grow our love for our communities by declaring and displaying the good news that Jesus is King and that the Kingdom of God does impact individuals, families, neighborhoods and beyond today.

God has called each of us to make disciples of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, so it's good to listen to and reflect on what current leaders in the church across the globe are saying about "Why is disciplemaking and discipleship so important?" Because the Verge Network is awesome, they created and provided the videos below to help us consider why Jesus' last command was to go make disciples. Seriously, every single video below is golden. Partake and digest. It will only take you less than 15 minutes to watch all six videos.

Jo Saxton // 3DM Frontier Leader
"Why is discipleship important?" video (1:37 minutes)

"... When we look at the life of Jesus, when you see the span of His three years of (ministry) ... eighteen months of His time was spent investing in the disciples which gives us insight into His priorities. ... He gathered a random group of people and He poured His life into them. There were crowds who wanted His attention all the time and He would pull away to be with them. ... We need to get back to Scripture and look at the structure of it and the texture of it because the way we do discipleship isn't producing the results that He did, and chances are we're missing some of the texture of how Jesus made disciples." 

Jason Petty (aka Propaganda) // Poet, Humble Beast Recording Artist
"Why is discipleship important?" video (2:37 minutes)

"Discipling and discipleship is important, essentially, because Jesus told us to. That's the short answer because He said to do it. ... The model for which it seems as though God just understands human beings and the reality is that we need to see somebody doing that. Someone to come walk alongside of you and just say, "Hey, homie, this is how you do it. This is how life is lived out. ... With my family, I didn't have to try out to be my parents' child. There were no auditions for that. 'You're already my kid. Now I'm going to show you what it means to be a part of this family. We wash dishes at this time. We respect our elders. This is why we do this.' So that was happening as we were living. You know, I think it's the same with the body of Christ. You're in here because Christ brought you in. Now let me show you how to live it. ..." 

Dave Gibbons // Founder Newsong Church
"Why is discipleship important?" video (4:10 minutes)

 "Discipleship is critical because that's what Jesus did. That was the purpose of the existence of the church. ... In Ephesians, Chapter 4, He says the main purpose of the church is to equip the saints ... God says you're supposed to go into the world and you're supposed to equip them. ... it's the church actually helping the people find their destiny and then equipping them to make a difference in their world. ... It's not so much about classes as it is life together. It's choosing to live with people because that's where the messiness of discipleship really takes root, and also, it tends to grow. That's where the soil is tilled. It's in the daily life and routines of community. And community not defined as a small group, but community defined as a family. If you really see yourself as family, then you're really going to treat yourself differently, and treat others differently. And then you'll see discipleship is not a program. You'll see it as real life."

 

 

Leonce Crump II // Pastor, Renovation Church Atlanta
"Why is discipleship important?" video (1:58 minutes)

" ...  He didn't say get big buildings, and have fantastic programs, and have the best band and music, and be the most engaging, charismatic, and compelling speaker. None of those things are inherently wrong. But when they become the end game, then they become idolatry. And we worship the form rather than the God who sent us on this mission. And so, if you're not making disciples, I would go so far as to say that you're not a church because the church's primary role is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Not to entertain. Not to do giveaways. Not to fill a room for Easter. It's to make disciples of Jesus Christ. That can happen in many different ways and many different forms. But I am convinced that if that is not your primary focus, then you're not really a church."

 

 

Alan Hirsch // Founding Director, Forge Mission Training Network
"Why is discipleship important?" video (2:20 minutes)

 

 

"... evangelism takes place in the context of a relationship that is called discipleship that can go a whole lifetime. And then we're constantly being evangelized anyway. I'm still being evangelized by the gospel right now. As I share it, I feel the resonance with it. I'm constantly trying to engage it and it's trying to engage me, too. It's important because it seems to me that Jesus gets into His people – if the fundamental definition of evangelism is becoming more and more and more like Jesus every year, and letting Jesus live more and more and more of His life in me, which I think gets the heart of the issue. If that's what it's about, then I think it's the most strategic thing you can do in the church. And if you fail at that, then you fail everywhere else. ..."

Hugh Halter // Founder of Missio
"Why is discipleship important?" video (1:15 minutes) 

 

 

"Discipleship is actually becoming like Jesus. I would say it's the most important thing. The problem is we've called discipleship knowing things about Jesus. And when you claim to just know things and you don't take on His life, you kind of arrogantly become a judge ... Discipleship gives you the ability to actually say I'm going to look at the life of Jesus and I'm actually going to try to live His life. And to me, that's a huge opportunity. ... if He hung out with the worst of the worst, then we actually get to learn how to relate with people outside the church ..."

Next post: Soma School Notes 4 | How Does the Biblical Story Shape a Contrast Community in a Consumer Culture?

– Sully

Curiosity piqued? Something inside you being stirred? Go ahead and connect.