First Mennonite Church
February 26, 2017
“Why Discipleship Matters?”
Text: Ephesians 4:1-16
Let me acknowledge from the outset of my presentation for today that I will not be able to go over this whole passage. In fact, I will barely start touching it. I will, however, introduce the theme for today: discipleship in the context of the church. But first, we need to know what discipleship is and its goal if we want to seriously consider it.
It is said that once a little girl wanted a hippopotamus. But she did not know how hypos look. She was told these animals live in the river. She went to the river looking for a hypo. She came back home sad and frustrated saying she could not find one, even when stood on top of a “big rock.” We need to know the purpose and model of discipleship if we want to engage in it.
The letter to the Ephesians is a remarkable presentation of Paul’s understanding of the work of God through Christ. Paul gives a list of things the believers receive or become through Jesus Christ. Here are a few things Paul said we become or receive when we believe in Jesus:
- He chose us in him before the creation of the world (1:4).
- In lovehe predestined us for adoption in Christ (1:5).
- In him we have redemption through his blood (1:7)
- [We] were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (1:13).
- God . . . made us alive with Christ (2:4, 5).
- God . . . has seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (2:6).
And in him [we] are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (2:2).
We are members of his body (5:30).
And he gave [us] gifts.
Why has God invested so much in us, his children, his church? Why would God choose, predestine, redeem, seal with the Holy Spirit, make alive, seat in heavenly places, make us members of his body, build us into a holy temple and bring us to his glorious light?
Again in the words of Paul,
God chose us:
- To be holy and blameless in his sight.
- To live as children of light and tofind out what pleases the Lord (5:8-10).
- In order that we . . . might be for the praise of his glory (1:12).
- so that the body of Christ may be built upuntil we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (4:12, 13).
- So that through the church the wisdom of God . . . might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (3:10).
Put in simple words, the church is called to be a different community of people—holy/separated by and for God.
- The church is a light in a dark world.
- The church is the model of God’s new humanity in Christ and is to shows the world signs of God’s redemption now.
- The church, as the body of Christ, becomes the living witness of God’s effort of wooing those who turn their back to him.
Therefore, when we speak of discipleship in the church we are talking about the conscious effort of the church in seeing that we as the corporate body of Christ achieve these goals. It means that each member in the body should reach maturity with full potential to contribute to the growth of others and to represent Christ in the world.
With that in mind let us go back to our passage for today. Paul begins by saying, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” It is Paul’s understanding that once we become believers in Christ God expects us to live a life worthy of our new status of being united with his Son. Discipleship is the process of nurturing, helping, shaping, caring for one another with the goal that we reflect Christ in life. Living a life worthy of our call makes the task of discipleship paramount in the church. We are here because we all have something in common: we all have confessed Jesus as Lord, and we all have believed he is the mediator between us and God. He is our Lord. The second thing in common we all have is that we chose, yes, we all have chosen to be together in this fellowship of believers called the First Mennonite Church of Paso Robles. We are here voluntarily. We are here, in part, because we want to. Church people are not like the grocery store cashier. She smiles when she is checking your purchases not because she loves you, or knows you, although she might, but because she is paid to treat you nicely as a costumer. She wants your business. It is the same when you go to the therapist. He gives you 15 or 30 minutes of his time, not necessarily because he is truly interested that you walk again, or gain the movement of your arm, but because you are paying him to see you. But here in church, we are here because we choose to be here. We are committed to staying together. But there is something more we all have in common: we desire to reflect Christ to each other and to the world. And this is the task of discipleship in the church.
So what practical guidelines does Paul give us? Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. It is really interesting that the first in Paul’s list is to be “completely humble.” In the Greco-Roman society and philosophy gentleness and patience are considered high virtues, but not humility. Humility was considered a disgraceful or inferior characteristic. According to scholars, humility is called for only in Jewish and Christian writings as noble characteristic. Paul describes Jesus’ dying as the model of ultimate humility and Paul invites Christians to embrace that character.
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Why would Paul call Christians to be “completely humble and gentle”? Why would Paul call Christians to be patient and bearing with one another in love? The main reason is because Christians have the supreme call to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. You might say, I don’t get it? Explain it a little more.
So let us remember what Paul says in Galatians five, verse 22 and 23: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In order for the body of Christ to grow into the stature and full measure of Jesus Christ, it must have the living power and presence of the Spirit of God. And if the fruit of the Spirit is not present, that is, if members of the body of Christ lack visible evidence of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in their lives and interaction with other members, the church is a dead body. It will decay instead of growing!
The process of discipleship begins by our submitting to one another in complete humility. Is that a practical goal, being that we live every moment in a world that prizes power and pride and glorifies assertiveness and violence? How can I take counsel, correction, guidance, help from others if I believe I know better than the other? How can I offer to serve, to say something, or to ask about something when the other doubts about the integrity of my intentions? How can we offer advice to one another when we are afraid we might offend the other? Often times Christians make every effort to keep unity of fellowship at the expense of not keeping unity of the Spirit of God. When keeping unity of the fellowship becomes the goal at all cost, Christians sacrifice the call to disciple one another. Spiritual immaturity takes the place of spiritual growth. Divisions take the place of unity. And worldly behaviors take the place of Christ-like character.
I will talk about the importance of patience as a supreme virtue in the process of discipleship next Sunday.
For now, let me close with these words from Paul:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Jesus is our model of ultimate humility. Humility led Jesus to the cross, but because of it, God also raised him and gave him a name that is above all names,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
May we receive a fresh breath of the Spirit of God to be empowered to be completely humble. Amen.
Pastor Romero