Sunday, July 21, 2013

A New Commandment...

John 13:34–35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 What is a Christian?

Ask ten different people and you’ll probably get ten different answers: someone who goes to church every Sunday; someone who was born into a Christian family; someone who believes Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead three days later; someone who celebrates Christmas and Easter; someone who doesn’t drink, smoke, or use profanity. Others take a darker view. They’d say Christians are judgmental, homophobic moralists who think they’re the only ones going to heaven and secretly relish that everyone else is going to hell.

If there’s so much disagreement about what a Christian is, how are we supposed to know who to trust on the matter?

 
Right, Let's look in the Bible...

PROBLEM. The word “Christian” only appears three times in the Bible. First-century Christians didn’t call themselves Christians. It was a derogatory term used by outsiders to describe followers of Jesus. Christians called themselves something far more intimidating: “disciples.”

“Disciple” is an intimidating word because it’s concrete. It means a learner, pupil, apprentice, adherent, or follower. A disciple learns and grows by obeying and imitating his or her master. Discipleship isn’t as simple as going to church services or believing a set of facts or observing rituals or celebrating holidays or being born into the right family or behaving morally. Being a disciple is active. It requires effort…and sacrifice.

We can hide behind the word “Christian,” but early Christians considered themselves disciples. So, what does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus? In John 13:34–35, he gives his disciples their
marching orders: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” When Christians live like disciples, outsiders look at their communities with wonder: “Look at the way they love. Look how they honor women, children, the elderly, and the sick. Look how they respond to persecution—it’s like they don’t even fear death.” That kind of love has the power to change the world.

Jesus calls his followers to build communities of world-changing love. Too often, we fail and outsiders end up viewing churches as places of scorn, hostility, rejection, and stifling moralism— exclusive, self-serving clubs in which they’re not welcome.

So here’s the question: Are we going to be content just being Christians, or are we going to be disciples?

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