It Takes One to Make One: The Confusion of Discipleship and the Fate of Truth in America.

**This a research paper that I had written last year.  I figured I would share it.  It's a bit lengthy, however it is relevant to today in charging our churches to becoming more like the Church seen in Acts.

IT TAKES ONE TO MAKE ONE:
THE CONFUSION OF DISCIPLESHIP AND
THE FATE OF TRUTH IN AMERICA

A pastor stands over an enthusiastic crowd and asks, “How many of you would consider yourselves Christians?” A myriad of hands spring forth. Again he asks, “How many of you would say that you love Jesus?” Precisely the same amount of hands rise this time. Once more he asks, “How many of you would call yourselves Disciples of Christ?” Only a few unsure hands poke above eye level. The once enthusiastic crowd looks at one another as confusion rules the pews. This is the scene in many churches when the topic of discipleship is mentioned, but why? The culture’s entitlement mentality has pervaded the church, and as a result, lay-members sacrifice less, expect more, and serve their own self-interest. There is little mention of relationship building and personal sacrifice from pulpits. Instead, church events seek to drive church membership and making converts takes precedence over making disciples. All the while, lay-men sit back, relax and enjoy the show. While evangelism and missions are at an all-time high, short term missions and tract ministries leave new converts vulnerable. “What is discipleship?” “What does it look like?” and “How is it done?” are questions that reign in fellowships today. Unless the church is freed from the entitlement mentality, Christian discipleship will falter and the gospel will lose influence in America.

We live in the I-generation. If anything has relevance to society, it must have an app, appear on a Google image-search, and upgrade itself every eight months. Commercial advertisement has trained people to expect more, drug manufacturers resolve to cure all with little or no effort, and fast food restaurants contend to serve their consumers at the fastest rate conceivable. Altogether, a consumer-trained mind that expects all to be done according to its preference emerges. If there is any doubting this, ask any church-goer his opinion on worship style, song choice, or tithing and be prepared for a lengthy discussion.

Through the recent recession, churches have been affected as tithing has seen a drop in recent years. “According to a national study done by the Barna Group of California, fewer than 5 percent of Americans participate in the practice of tithing,” says George Brennan.¹ Yet, the slack tide of tithing is not only due to a slumped economy, but the entitlement mentality of the lay-men. Sam Hodges sheds light on this growing mindset, “At the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Dallas, more and more parishioners have signed up to give tithes and offerings automatically through their Visa or American Express cards. ‘They want to get the points, and that's fine,’ said Bobby Brown, the church's business manager.”² The church-members mentality is that if he must give, he might as well be rewarded for it. Not only does that violate Biblical humility, it encourages debt, another un-Biblical principle.

The entitlement mentality has bred a new form of church, the Megachurch. With large and fashionable congregations, people gather within glowing auditoriums with onsite coffee shops brewing the crowd’s favorite roast. Marketing has intermingled itself into the faith community and as a result, the church exists to cater to the attendee. Let there be no doubt of these religious catering companies. Bob Shaw, concerning Minnesota’s Eagle Brook church in Minnesota, writes, “‘our little coffee shop is humming on Sunday mornings,’ Anderson said. ‘It's a huge hit.’ But church leaders figured it was difficult to stand, sit or praise the Lord with your hands in the air while worrying about dumping a hot latte onto fellow Christians. So they decided to add cup holders -- anything to boost their reputation for putting people at ease.”³ The expectations of a worship service are the same as a man’s steak being cooked to a desirable temperature at dinner. If the lay-men in this church cannot sacrifice a cup of coffee over the span of an hour to praise God, how will they ever achieve the sacrifice found in the person of Christ? Thus, these churches boost their rosters, but inadvertently deprive their congregant’s commitment to sacrifice.

The marketing component of the Megachurch can be scary. In reference to Creflo Dollar’s “World Changers” church, Kim Nash says, “Megachurches can look at their data and identify members who could be volunteering more, who are likely to spend money on products and contribute donations - and how much - and who are becoming discontent and may abandon the church.”⁴ This is startling. Megachurches assume the role of Big Brother rather than the humble carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. These churches are run like businesses; baptizing people into church-membership and leaving them alone to figure out the faith. As a result, a prosperity gospel is formed within the mind of the believer and the true concept of discipleship is lost.

With no understanding of Biblical discipleship, short term missions have become fashionable during this age of entitlement. Although there has been a rise in recent mission sending, ninety percent of missionaries are sent repeatedly to the same regions of the world, as only ten percent of missionaries focus on people who have never received the gospel. Missiologist, Ralph Winter, calls this “The Great Imbalance.” He says, “Are we making the unreached peoples a priority? Only 24,000 missionaries out of the Global Evangelical Missionary Force of 253,000 are working within the estimated 8,000 unreached groups. That means 9 times as many foreign missionaries work within reached peoples than those doing the more difficult work of establishing breakthroughs within unreached peoples. What an imbalance!”⁵ Two week trips cater to the lay-man’s schedule and offer him an opportunity to be in the “will of God” when it is convenient for him. Unfortunately, the great imbalance, Winter speaks of, is a byproduct of poor discipleship. Yes, the gospel is put forth, and conversions are made, but when the team leaves, new converts are left with no one to teach them. The proverbial seed is cast on the wayside.

When Jesus commissioned all Christians to “make disciples of all nations”⁶, did He not imply that the one making disciples ought to be a disciple also? It has already been shown that lay-men are unaware of their statuses as a disciple. Unwilling to tithe and only willing to evangelize when it is convenient for him, it is time for the high maintenance lay-man to understand what Biblical-discipleship looks like.

Many methods of discipleship exist, but all assume an element of sacrifice. The sacrificial mentality is the mentality Jesus had in mind for his disciples. Even the apostle Paul encourages this mentality to his churches, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.”⁷

The oldest servant form of discipleship is found in the home. When God created Adam and Eve, he instilled a parental responsibility in them to further the knowledge of the God who created them. Children are enlightened to the goodness and grace of The Living God, and as they grew, the responsibility became theirs to teach their children.

During the period of the Mosaic-law, families were encouraged to house travelers, invite the homeless into their family, and never let the poor’s mouth go hungry. “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger.”⁸ Even working the field was a form of discipleship. The fruits of the law were to be a picture of the grace and loving-kindness of the God who provided for all mankind.

In the New Testament, house churches were the main ministering agents outside of the family. “Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”⁹ This is one of many mentions of discipleship occurring within a disciple’s home. First century Christians understood the sacrifice of discipleship by opening their homes, and as any parent would attest; much sacrifice is required in raising a family. There is no less effort required for raising a disciple of Christ.

A spiritual parent will have to take the time to invest in the new disciple’s life; just as a child must be fed and taught. It is a shame that many new converts are left to starve. By today’s standards, this would be considered negligence.

Parents are aware of the financial sacrifice involved in raising a family and so was the early church. “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”¹⁰ As a result of their sacrifice, God added to the church daily. Lay-men sold their possessions to meet the needs of the less fortunate and went house to house to feed and fellowship with “all”. These church members were not expecting discipleship to be handled by a ministerial staff because they were too busy being the church. These were not parents guilty of neglect; they were the disciples Jesus had in mind when he said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

If the lay-man continues to place his faith in the church rather than in the God who indwells him, leadership will crumble, truth will go silent, and people’s eternal destiny will be at stake. This oblivious mentality was shared through the middle-ages and allowed the Papacy to dominate the spiritual lives of its victims.

According to Hoover’s Inc., “‘About 70 percent of US adults say that they're more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive slate of theological views preached by a particular church,’ according to a recent Barna Group survey. For Americans under the age of 25, the number of "Cafeteria Christians" --those who pick and choose their beliefs from various denominations -- exceeds 80 percent.”¹¹ This study shows what is already happening. Truth is falling silent upon the ears of seekers. They see the hypocrisy of Christ-less Churchianity and the emptiness of the discipleship therein. Resolving to do it their own way, these once seekers pledge allegiance to anyone willing to take them under their wing, whether they be full of truth or not.

At this rate, it is only a matter of time until religious pluralism and epistemological relativism dominate the landscape. Where the church should have sacrificed, she was found fattened, complacent, and unwilling. No longer able to compete with the philosophies of the new age, she dies. If the ignorant lay-man goes uncorrected, despite his best efforts, he will usher in the next Dark Age.

Christians, as a whole, must realize their identity as disciples and open their lives to the full investment of the converts they make. It is not enough to invite people to church and leave tracts after every transaction in a checkout line. Instead, inviting a stranger to dinner will earn his trust, selling a possession to help someone pay his rent will open his ears, and taking the time to invest wisdom and experience to a new convert will add credibility to his faith.

It is not completely hopeless; however, as this entitlement mentality only affects the parts of the world where it can exist, hence, American lay-men are the subject of such scrutiny. The churches in Europe have long been fallen, with the risk of our churches following suit. Yet, there is a flickering candle in the faith of those in the third world. They suffer, but not from a spirit of ingratitude and expectation. Instead, they remain optimistic with what little they have, knowing that all good things come from God. Discipleship thrives in their environment. Disciples sacrifice, converts are accepted into homes, and God adds to the church daily.

It may take the robbery of religious freedom in America to bring the expectant lay-men to a point of poverty. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”¹² Shall America forsake heaven in return for the riches of comfort and complacency? If churches persist to be built as businesses and lay-men are indoctrinated with an entitlement mentality, it seems so. Only time will tell, however, if the discipleship “confusion” will clear and God will truly bless America.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brennan, George. "Tithing is a Test of Faith." McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Feb 22, 2009. LIRN. ProQuest Researcher Library- Proquest Research Library. (accessed November 27, 2012).

“Churches & Religious Groups - Quarterly Update.” Austin (TX) Hoover's Inc. (3/2/2009) LIRN. ProQuest Research Library- Proquest Research Library (accessed November 27, 2012).

Hodges, Sam. "Tithing by Credit Card? Amen: More Churches Deciding on Balance that Automated Offerings Just Bowing to Reality." LIRN. ProQuest Research Library- ProQuest Research Library (accessed November 27, 2012).

Holy Bible. Authorized [King James] Version.

Nash, Kim S. "Know Thy Customer." Baseline 1, no. 52 (2005): 1. LIRN. Proquest Research Library- ProQuest Research Library (accessed December 1, 2012).

Shaw, Bob. “Faith, Supersized: By Emphasizing 'Comfy' on a Grand Scale, Minnesota's Newest Megachurch Building Attracts Record-Setting Numbers of Worshippers.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, Feb 07, 2006. LIRN. ProQuest Research Library- ProQuest Research Library (accessed December 1, 2012).

Winter, Ralph D. Perspective on the World Christian Movement. 4^th ed. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2009.

Notes:

1 George Brennan, “Tithing Is A Test of Faith,” McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Feb 22, 2006, LIRN, Proquest- Proquest Research Library (accessed Novermber 27, 2012).

2 Sam Hodges, “Tithing by credit card? Amen: More Churches Deciding On balance That Automated Offerings Just Bowing to Reality,” McClatchy - Tribune Business News, Jul 01, 2007, LIRN, Proquest- Proquest Research Library (accessed Novermber 27, 2012).

3 Bob Shaw, “Faith Supersized: By Emphasizing 'Comfy' on a Grand Scale, Minnesota's Newest Megachurch Building Attracts Record-Setting Numbers of Worshippers,” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, Feb 07, 2006, LIRN, ProQuest Research Library- Proquest Research Library (accessed December 1, 2012).

4 K. S. Nash, “Know Thy Customer,” Baseline, 1(52), (2005) 1-1, ProQuest Research Library- Proquest Research Library. (accessed November 27, 2012).

5 Ralph D. Winter, Perspective on the World Christian Movement, 4^th ed. (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2009) 543.

6 Matthew 28:19.

7 Philippians 2:5-7.

8 Leviticus 23:22.

9 1 Corinthians 16:19.

10 Acts 2:44-47.

11 “Churches & Religious Groups - Quarterly Update,” Austin (TX) Hoover's Inc. (3/2/2009) LIRN, Proquest Researcher Library- Proquest Research Library. (Accessed November 27, 2012).

12 Matthew 5:3.