Disinfection vs. Discipling (Part 2)

The second concept that I really liked was the idea of Disinfection vs. Discipling.

“Disinfecting Christians from the world involves isolating followers of Christ in a spiritual safe-deposit box called the church building and teaching them to be good.” (Platt)

Your goal is to retain as many people for as long as possible in a clean safe environment to make ‘em good. More people, more programs, more goodness. It is a simple concept. The problem with this is, we can find ourselves in a “Christian Ghetto” we have become cut-off from the world. Surrounded ourselves with like-minded Christians and forgotten to execute the great commission. Super good and super safe we turn our radar off, and miss looking for the billions who haven’t heard the good news of Jesus. Learning holiness requires some field time. There is a balance between spending time with Christians and spending time in the field practicing what you have been taught.

Discipling is different…

“Discipling involves propelling Christians into the world to risk their lives for the sake of others. Now the world is our focus…” (Platt)

For all the strategies and components available for development of Discipleship, one seems pretty simple. Read the bible. It is the best way to encounter God and understand what it means to follow him. If you spend time with God, you will want to go and share the good news. Discipleship is an equip AND go process. We should be equipped, but the perfect chance to go…is right now. Yes, the moment you learn the good news of Jesus is the same moment you should want to go out and share it with others.

Think for a second of every encounter Jesus has with blind, lame and demon possessed people (Luke 7:22). After they are healed THEY GO OUT AND TELL PEOPLE. Jesus didn’t say;

“come to me and discover the good news. Once you have heard, spend 16 weeks developing that knowledge in a foundations course. After that spend a further year doing our going up course work.”

Nope, remember this “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”(Phil 2:12) comes just after a charge to imitate Christ and just before a reminder to show Christ to a community. Our goal is to share Christ, while we continue to grow in our love and understanding of him.

Discipleship requires you to be actively involved in the field, not shut off in a lecture room. Your goal is to be putting into practice what you just heard, all the time.