By Joel Comiskey, Making Disciples in the Twenty-first Century Church
Attending church on Sunday is a tradition for many people. They “go” to church on Sunday but remain emotionally dysfunctional. I praise God that they hear God’s Word, but they often don’t apply it in a small group of believers. They might get involved in programs and activities, yet over time, emotional pain and dysfunctionality begin to appear. Hiding goes back to the Garden of Eden when Adam hid from God. Not much has changed since then.
In Christ’s small group of twelve, he expected his disciples to work out their differences. As they overcame personal conflicts, the world noticed that Christ was really among them and that the Trinity was at work in their midst. Christ wanted his disciples to face their problems and not run from them.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer discovered the same thing when he decided to return to Germany from his comfortable status in the U.S. during World War 2. He knew he could not live with himself if he forsook his brethren in their time of trial. He decided to suffer with his German brethren and wrote the book The Cost of Discipleship. In this book, Bonhoeffer differentiates “cheap grace” from the true grace that works through conflict and helps people change inwardly through the power of God.
Jesus molded his twelve disciples in the intimacy of the house environment and sent those same disciples into houses after the Spirit came on Pentecost. In Acts, other terms are used for “disciples,” like “brothers/sisters,” “Christians,” “saints,” etc. Why the change? Partly because disciple-making in the New Testament is done through the church. God has called the church to shape disciples in this present age.
We don’t “go” to church to become disciples. Discipleship doesn’t occur through sitting, shaking a few hands, or joining a church program. Jesus calls us to discipleship in community as we share a commitment to one another. Rather than running from conflict, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to make us stronger disciples as we interact with one another in community.