Making Fully Devoted
Followers of Jesus Christ
At Cross+Crown we define a Disciple as… |
A Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus. |
A Disciple is not something that you become after completing a task or achieve by participating in a program. It is devoting your life fully to following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A fully devoted follower of Jesus is evidenced by the FOUR MARKS. Cross+Crown Churches work to offer opportunities for each mark to increase in the life of a disciple. Programs, classes, events and resources are designed to encourage individuals to not only develop in one area, but to equip, encourage and empower believers to live as fully devoted followers of Jesus. The FOUR MARKS are most easily understood as “ingredients” of spiritual maturity which become “active ingredients” when all four are engaged. |
Discipleship is not a destination, it is a journey.
We believe there is not one discipleship path that works for everyone. You have been uniquely created for good works. Therefore, each “mark” holds constant opportunities to grow on your journey.
There is a danger in assuming that any of the marks are simply a box to check and set aside for “bigger or better” things. A “Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus” does not rely on the knowledge and skills of yesterday to fight the battles of today.
The journey is constant and so we must set our eyes on the one who gives us purpose, surround ourselves with the people who will push us in the direction we desire to go, and keep perspective when the journey gets difficult. You are not alone!
BELIEVING
Believing in the power of the Gospel unlocks the new life that is promised in the Scriptures. To respond to the truth you must understand who God is, who you are, and how you fit together.
BELONGING
Belonging requires a sense of security in who you are and your connection to Christ, community and cause. Belonging is more than an association or acquaintance. Belonging happens when a connection moves to ownership. Belonging happens on the other side of vulnerability, trust, and common belief. As a believer you have been adopted into the body of believers and a disciple finds identity in belonging to the Kingdom of God.
BECOMING
One of the many scandals of the Gospel is that there is no pre-requisite to harnessing its power. You don’t take a class, or receive a certificate. You don’t serve long enough that you are endorsed as worthy. You believe, are saved and are deployed.
This sounds crazy if you think of the Gospel as a weapon. We would be much more comfortable handing it over to someone who has been trained, proven themselves competent and capable, and had some sort of credentials to prove they could wield the weapon.
Instead Jesus invites us into active duty and trains us as we follow Him. When we actively and obediently follow Jesus He is making us something more.
As Believers we can easily fall into two camps. We either, want to hide behind the idea that we have not arrived, so we don’t have to live as disciples (i.e. “I will make disciples after I take this class, or read this book, or get older…”) Or we hide in the safety of belonging to Christ without the sanctifying obedience to become like Him.
It takes an increasing amount of humility to remain teachable. A disciple is literally defined as a follower or a student of a teacher, so “becoming” is a constant state for a believer as they obediently follow Jesus. Being a disciple is being a lifelong learner.
BUILDING
When you respond to the good news of Jesus Christ, you are given a purpose. In Matthew 28, Jesus acknowledges the authority that He has and commissions the disciples.
“And Jesus came to them and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20
This commissioning has been passed on to you as you step into the role of a fully devoted follower of Jesus. Making disciples can sound daunting at times, especially when we are faced with the reality that we ourselves are still works in progress. It would be tempting to put it off or let someone else handle it, but that is not an option for a fully devoted follower of Jesus.
We have a temptation to over-formalize the disciple-making process. We can turn our relationships into transactional events in order to appear faithful. Instead, we want to encourage you to see it as building the kingdom of God through relationships. All of your relationships have the potential to be impacted by the Gospel. Whether you aim to persuade someone towards truth (evangelism) or progress them to be more like Christ (discipleship) you are building the kingdom of God.
Making disciples does not always mean adding new things to the calendar, but it does mean adding intentionality to your relationships.
DISCIPLESHIP, TOGETHER...
As a personal study tool this workbook will help you understand your personal journey as a disciple. Process through the scripture and take the time to answer the questions whether this is the first time you have thought about them or you feel you have known the answers for years. See what the Lord has in store for you as you inventory the ways He is working.
Much of the disciples journey is experienced through relationship. Answering the questions in this handbook with another person is not only great accountability, but an opportunity to deepen a healthy relationship that will encourage you on your journey.
Here are some ways to engage in discipleship…
With someone you want to learn from
The Bible gives us some great insight on discipleship and mentorship relationships, but often we don’t know how to start these type of relationships. This workbook is designed to be an easy way to invite someone you respect or desire to learn from to join you on a short journey that has the opportunity to last much longer. While it may sound risky to ask someone to invest this time in you, we want to encourage you to take the chance because the reward is worth the risk.
With someone you are building up
The questions in this workbook provide multiple opportunities to risk vulnerability and create connection while on a designed journey of discipleship. The workbook is not comprehensive but if you were to spend time answering these questions with someone you were invested in, you would have the foundation for a fruitful relationship.
With a non-believer
Too often we assume that people don’t believe because they have heard the truth and have rejected it. This workbook asks questions that allow those who believe to challenge their faith, but the questions were designed also to allow those who don’t profess a faith in Jesus to process questions while encountering some of the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. This workbook is trying to answer the question “What does it mean to be a disciple?” without the expectation that everyone approaches that question the same.
With a new believer
A person’s journey to Jesus is as unique as their journey with Jesus. When we are new in our faith there can be a lot to understand. We come to faith with our own experiences and beliefs. We work to understand this new life that has begun but many feel a desire to stop asking questions in attempts to fit in. Working through these questions and processing the accompanying Scripture will give a new believer a broader understanding of the journey they have begun. You may offer a gift by inviting someone to join you on the journey instead of making them ask or leaving them to figure it out alone!
With a group
The IV MARKS are not reserved for one type or group of people. Approaching the workbook as a group would allow everyone to feel comfortable and aligned with each other as they encourage each other on the journey. The challenge here will be to stay vulnerable and honest with the questions and to take the time to answer them. Each question has the potential for vulnerability and/or challenge. Every group is made of individuals on their own journey and the temptation to answer questions as if they are foolish or below someone can be tempting. Stay humble and honest and even the most basic sounding question can uncover opportunity to love and care for one another. At Cross+Crown we believe that Community Groups are foundational to what we do, so we encourage Community Groups to spend time together with the questions in this workbook. Our Community Group Leaders are trained to encourage the group members in all FOUR MARKS, so going through this as a group is a great way to kick start the process. If you are interested in this kind of encouragement and not already connected, we would love to help find a Community Group for you to join.
