Discipleship is Impossible!!!

I admit that for the nearly 10 years that I spent working on a church staff I am not sure if I made one reproducing disciple of Jesus Christ. I am a hard worker. I take pride in my books and teaching. I have worked hard to make sure the Gospel is the center of all I do and teach. Yet, not one reproducing disciple.

Why?

Well, I guess along my journey this is what I learned about discipleship.

DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT EASY

I spent much of my time focused on writing lessons. I tried to make sure that they communicated truth from the Word of God. I sought to make every lesson, every story, every teaching opportunity point to Jesus. I wanted to display to the people that I was teaching the grace of God toward the lost, hurting, and broken. That took a lot of time.

Time is a key to relationship. Relationship is the core of discipleship. That is hard when you are busy.

So, I substituted teaching for relationship. I counted time on a stage or in a classroom or in an office as time that I was engaged in discipleship. It is not discipleship. Discipleship is not easy. You cannot create a curriculum (or buy one), develop a 101-501 class structure, or bring people to your office once a week and call that discipleship. That is easy. But that is not discipleship.

I know why we do it. Well, I know why I did it. I was busy. I was working. I was trying. I cared. But I did not pursue the only thing that Jesus commissioned me to do, "make disciples of those that need to know the real Jesus."

DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT HARD

The truth is that I had a load full of excuses but there was nothing in the way of me forming relationships that centered on the person of Jesus Christ. Discipleship happens in everyday life. It happens as you go out to eat and have a chance to share Christ with the waitress (with someone else watching). It happens as you discuss the Bible and then look at each other and say "okay, let's go do this...right now." It happens when you gather people over at your home from around your neighborhood and love on them (with someone else watching). Discipleship is not hard.

I think that is why it hurt when I graduated seminary, looked at my relationships in the church, asked myself if this is the life Jesus called me to, and began to get honest about the people that I had discipled over a decade of ministry. It hurt. Because it is not hard.

DISCIPLESHIP IS IMPOSSIBLE

I have been discipling reproducing disciples for less than a year. I have already seen Jesus move in mighty ways. I am not very good at this. But that is okay. I am learning. We walk together through the real stuff of real life. We share life on life. We see the people that gather in my home being moved by God and we get excited because we get to share life in community. I have a schedule arranged to reach my neighbors and we get to rejoice with every conversation, game of kickball, or opportunity to share food. We share life on mission.

But life is messy. We take steps backward, We takes steps forward. And we get stuck in the status quo for days and weeks at a time. My heart has rejoiced...my heart has broken. I have tried. I have failed. I have tried again.

One thing that I have learned...Discipleship is Impossible.

For me.

But God's Holy Spirit keeps reaching, keeps moving, and keeps changing our lives.

So keep in mind...Discipleship is not easy...Discipleship is not hard...Discipleship is Impossible.

I see God reach into people's hearts in ways I never could. I see him teaching and using me every now and then to share some helpful truth from his Word. I see him drawing us together by the power of the love of his Son and his Holy Spirit. It encourages me to take risks, to talk to people I might not have before, to share more than I think I can. Because I have found freedom when I venture out into the impossible.

It is the best experience of my life.