Discipleship… not your average Caribbean cruise

Discipleship… not your average Caribbean cruise

July 7, 2013

RUMC

This graph reflects the history of the church in America from 1989 to 2009. That doesn't look so bad does it? Except when we add the headings we realize that this is the percentage of the population claiming no religious affiliation. That percentage has doubled in the last 20 years.

We call that group the "nones" because when we ask them for a religious affiliation they answer "none."

If the growth of the so-called "nones" continues like this, it will reach 25% in 10 more years, and 50% in 60 years.

The truth is worse than that, though… the rate of growth has increased significantly in the last 3 years. Now 1 in 5 Americans claims to have no religious connection at all.

If we extrapolate that line into the future we reach 50% in 10 years and in 60 years… well… as you might guess, there is nothing left of the church.   

Here is an astounding statistic…in 1850, 30 years after the Methodist movement was established, there were roughly 7 million Methodists in America. Today we have roughly 7 million United Methodists in America. Except today's 7 million includes members brought in through merger with other churches who existed alongside us in 1850, and the nations population has grown by 500%

You have to understand that this is not a worldwide phenomenon. African and Asian Christianity are growing at astounding rates. The Christian church in America, however, is on the precipice. We have two choices. We can change or we can die. I do not think that is an exaggeration. The church in America is really at the point where we have to change or we will fade from the history books. And the church in Reinbeck is not far behind it.

Why are we in this situation? I have some ideas. But frankly, I think we have spent way too much time mourning, blaming, and rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking ship of American Christianity.

I have spent 35 years listening to denominational leaders who say the right words but are too invested in their own personal power to actually act on them. I have spent 30 years holding the hands of church members who know what they need to do, but are too invested in the Christian cruise ship to board the discipleship.

·         A cruise ship offers 5 star service- where the crew serves the passengers. On the disciple ship the passengers are there to serve the least of these.

·         The question on the cruise ship is how much can I eat today and still have room for the midnight buffet. The disciple ship lives by faith and sacrifice, giving as much as possible to the poor and the hungry.

• The Cruise Ship is literally a self-contained fortress. Programming, classes, restaurants, movies, clubs, gyms, gift shops. You never need to leave the confines of the ship. The disciple ship is an externally focused network of relationships for the sake of better meeting the needs of the communities it serves.
• The Cruise Ship is a place of retreat. The Disciple ship is a launching pad for going out to the least and the lost.
• The Cruise Ship is based on self-interest. You show up at the things you want to do. The disciple ship is based on the call of God and the needs of others-- servants rather than volunteers.

Would Jesus be happy with a cruise ship church, or did he envision us as the disciple ship. More like a tug boat than a luxury liner.

Before you answer that let's look at today's scripture. 

How many disciples is Jesus sending out? 70… not 12… 70. Did you know there were 70 disciples? Actually, you can envision this as the second ring of disciples around Jesus. There was the intimate band of 12 with whom we are familiar. Their job was to help collect another layer of disciples around Jesus (the 70) and their job is to collect a larger ring of disciples around them… that's us. As we listen to this then, we have to listen to Jesus' instructions knowing that they are aimed right squarely at us.

The first thing I notice is that Jesus is no cruise director.,  He says, first of all there aren't enough of you to do the job, it is dangerous, don't take luggage or even a change of clothes, don't dawdle on the road, don't expect a fancy hotel or any choice food, take whatever you get. Be prepared for rejection and failure. That sounds more like a mission trip than a vacation doesn't' it? That's because it is. Discipleship is, in a sense, a lifelong mission trip.

The people going on the mission trip today are not going for their comfort. (If you are, you will be disappointed) They are not going for the recreation. They are not going for the food. They are not going for the recognition. They are going to BE the church. They are going to love, and serve, and share, and feed, and clothe, and visit the least and the lost all in the context of Christian community. That is being the church. 

Have you noticed the words to the song we have been singing at the end of the service for 2 months now? "The service is ended, O now be extended the fruits of our worship in all who believe" Worship is important. Critically important. I will never deny that. Worship, however, that stops at making us feel better is empty worship. Worship that stops at the doors of the church dies on the vine. Worship that does not extend to the other 167 hours of the week in the form of loving, and serving, and sharing, and feeding, and clothing, and visiting the least and the lost, is empty worship indeed. And may be a symptom that the cruise ship has overcome the disciple ship. So first, Jesus did not envision an easy discipleship.

The second thing I notice about Jesus' instructions is that he says the harvest is plentiful. The 70 came back excited saying "Jesus, Jesus, you wouldn't believe it. Even the demon's obeyed us!" They couldn't believe the results. The harvest was more plentiful than they imagined. It was then, and it still is today. If our congregation experienced the same rate of growth as the "nones" category-- the no religious affiliation category --- we would have pastors and bishops from all over the country coming to study us and write books about us. Let me tell you …There are so many people, so many needs, so many hurts, so much brokenness, so much searching, so much pain, and so much regret even right here in our little community. The potential is there. The harvest is plentiful. If we could get all the way around to the other side of our excuses- which is a long way--- but if we could find our way all the way around to the other side of our excuses we would see lives changed, people freed and relationships restored. We would be saying "Jesus, Jesus guess what… this really works." The harvest is plentiful

Third, and this is hard to face… there will be success… but there will also be failure. There will be acceptance, but there will also be rejection. There will be joy, but there will also be disappointment.

The disciples were very excited at the success they experienced. Do you suppose they were ever rejected? Do you suppose they ever failed? I am sure of it.

Did they come back to Jesus crying because they failed? NO. They brushed the failure off their feet. They left the stench of rejection behind them and gave thanks for what God had done in and through them.

Fear of failure is real, but we overcome it in other parts of our lives… as students, as employees, for heaven's sake there is nothing worse than fear of rejection when you are asking a girl out for the first time. Why is failure so much harder when we are representing Jesus? He even says if they reject you, it isn't about you… it is about me. I am the one they are rejecting.

So there will be rejection, there will be failure, we will fall on our noses, we will trip over our own feet. But there will also be great joy… unspeakable joy … unless we don't try.     

          To summarize Jesus says, it will be hard, there is a lot to be done, and you will be rejected. But Jesus doesn't sugar coat it, he doesn't excuse it, and he doesn't offer any options. If we want to be disciples that is what we are in for.

          That brings us to an article that almost made my jaw drop. It isn't that I didn't know, but seeing it laid out in black and white was discouraging. 7000 United Methodists were surveyed…

(Everyone on the largest side of the congregation) please stand. 71% of respondents define a 'Christian disciple' as "someone who believes that Jesus Christ is the one, true Son of God." "Going to church" and "praying" are the two primary (and only necessary) characteristics of discipleship for them. Disciples can do more if they want to, but they don't need to. Does that sound like what Jesus has in mind? 

16% define discipleship as "following the teachings of Jesus Christ." They begin with going to church and praying but add, "being kind to others," "reading/studying the Bible," "helping out at church," and "giving money to the church." Does that sound like what Jesus had in mind?

I don't think so. Sorry 87% that is exactly what I am talking about when I describe cruise ship Christianity… sit down.

Now, the last 12% have a better grasp on discipleship as Jesus described it. 2/3 of them define discipleship as reorienting one's life to live like Jesus. And 1/3, radically changing one's life to become the body of Christ in ministry to others.

·        They add words like "daily" and "regular" to "worship" and "prayer." Studying the Bible is paired with "sharing the faith."

·        "Teaching" is paired with "learning." 

·         "Being kind to others" morphs into "doing good for others." Connecting with other people to do good works in the community is more important. Openness to strangers, the poor and marginalized, and to the needy is named as a characteristic of discipleship at these levels

·        "Sacrificial" giving of not just money, but of time and energy and gifts is central.

·         Being willing to risk comfort, security, health, and safety are all mentioned here.

The defining characteristics of discipleship for this 13% raises the bar and bears very little resemblance to the vision of the other 87%. For almost 90% of United Methodists, discipleship is passive, rather than active — a kind of spectator sport. For 1-in-8 (12.6%) discipleship is the game on the field — you can't just watch, you have to play. (Thank you. please be seated)

Almost 90 % of United Methodists live a cruise ship Christianity- they have more in common with the "nones" than with the other 10% who live the kind of discipleship Jesus describes in Luke 10.

Is it any wonder the "nones" are winning more converts than the church? Sadly, enough 90% of the church is recruiting for the other team.

The mission of the UMC is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. Real Disciples will not be satisfied with a cruise ship. There are 5 shifts we have to make if we are to reverse the trend and become the disciple ship Jesus calls us to be.

1.     We need to shift from anything goes to greater discipline and higher expectations.

2.     We need to shift from –easy fellowship ---- to deeper mentoring relationships and accountability.

3.     We need to shift from acting like everyone else- sitting in the pews and pastor surfing, to going out and making a difference and changing the world.

4.     We need to shift from looking like everyone else- to loving and serving the least and the lost.

5.     We need to shift from focus on us and our institution to focus on knowing God and God's will

Do you want your congregation to survive the decline of American Christianity?

Do you want your church to do more than SURVIVE?

Do you want your congregation to be the community Jesus wants us to be?

If you do… there really isn't a choice to be made…is there?

Welcome aboard the disciple ship.