Curtis’ Blog

How do I become a disciple? That questioned is often understood to mean “What hoops to I have to jump through to be in a saved condition and be a member of the church?” But as we have noticed through this whole series, to be a disciple is to be an apprentice. It is to mold ourselves after our master, Jesus, in every aspect of our lives. Thus jumping through a hoop like being baptized and then stopping at that falls far short of being a disciple. Being a disciple is a life-long experience of becoming like Christ. Being baptized is simply the birth into that experience.

As with any apprentice, if you are going to grow to become more like your master, you’re going to have to put something into it. It is no wonder that so many get nothing out of their church experience when they have put little to nothing into it. They got themselves wet in their baptism and left it at that. But later they find themselves spiritually shallow. They often imagine that if they should go to another church that that will solve all of those issues. But in a few years they are back in the same rut.

However, those who plug themselves into the life of the church find themselves growing in great ways. They commit to studying their Bibles in class and even take on the role of teacher from time to time. They involve themselves in a home group and the relationships that sustain their faith are strengthened. They challenge themselves to serve in ways that are out of their comfort zone and are blessed by it. They don’t simply drop their kids off at youth programs, but are active with them. Those who grow in discipleship this way are blessed in the process.

Those who do not attempt to grow as disciples often fall away from the church or go searching for another church that will serve them. Such people are referred to as babies in the Bible.

Heb 5:12-14
12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (NIV)

This is harsh but sometimes harsh words are needed. Just as we cannot allow our 30 year old child to mooch off of us and not grow up, neither can we encourage those in our midst to not develop as disciples. It is not enough to show up on a Sunday morning from time to time. It is not enough to expect others to always be doing something for us while we do nothing for them. This is pure selfishness and Jesus calls us out of that self-seeking mentality simply because it is the breeding ground of sin.

The writer of Hebrews continues.

Heb 6:1-2
6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

In other words, it’s time to grow up! The sad part of this is that those who continue in the crib are probably not likely to read this BLOG. If they won’t do the other things listed, why would they do this? And so they continue on with their milk.