Resilient Discipleship

Last year, I wrote a short piece titled ‘Deconstructing Deconstructions.’ In that piece, I sought to define deconstruction quickly, and diagnose the problems of deconstruction. Toward the end of that brief piece, I gave three responses for the church to combat widespread deconstructions. These responses were: (1) The church needs to construct more resilient disciples, (2) the church must learn to live on the outskirts of cultural influence, and (3) the church must stay steadfastly biblical. I want to press in on each of these responses with their own brief articles, or maybe a series of articles.

To begin with, I posited that the church must construct more resilient disciples. Of course, I was writing in the face of deconstruction but this stands as less than a response to a specific situation and more of a general attitude the church must have at all times. Resilient discipleship is not purely a reactionary measure the church must take against the rising tide (tsunami?) of secularism. Rather, the church must always be edifying the saints for kingdom work. Edification is a construction, building word. What I mean to say is this: The church must seek to build people up into maturity; to give priority to the ministry of disciple-construction.

Resilient Discipleship Defined

First, some definitions are in order. Discipleship, as helpfully defined by Mark Dever is “doing deliberate good to help someone follow Christ.” This is tough work, hence the word deliberate. The call to discipleship is a call to all Christians. If Christ has called you to himself in salvation, he has called you to disciple others and to be discipled by others. While discipleship can take place in the home and a myriad of places, the primary function of this post is how the church ought to respond to deconstruction, and a correct response to deconstruction is for the church to build resilient disciples. I will assume Dever’s definition of discipleship throughout this post.

Next, I want to parse what I mean by “resilient.” Resiliency is not synonymous with macho masculinity or tied to physical toughness. Resiliency is not stoicism or a lack of emotion. Resiliency as it relates to discipleship is the ability of a Christian to withstand trials and suffering. This resilient disciple is perhaps not the strongest person in the room, nor the most emotionally stable, but is the one who has been discipled in the context of the local church to the point of withstanding any trial that comes his or her way. The resilient disciple is building his house on the Rock, so when the storms of life beat against the house, it doesn’t sway. It doesn’t fall. Rather, the faith-house of the resilient disciple stands strong as a house of stone.

As a brief aside, suffering and trials will be a reality for any follower of Christ. Scripture never promises that we will have a struggle-free life. We inhabit a fallen world, and we must also live with the ongoing effects of our own sin. Whether by external forces outside of our control or by our own sinful mistakes, we will suffer. We will have trials. The task for the Christian is to be resilient. What will happen to you when you suffer? Will your faith be shaken? Will you go the way of the deconstructionists? Or will you be resilient? Those are the questions we are asking and hopefully clarifying a way forward.

The Foundations of Resilient Discipleship

The church that continues to confess Christ as the Son of the Living God will survive. We are promised as much in Scripture (Matthew 16:18-19). However, the temptation to be “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” is ever-present. Local churches, if they are to endure, must seek to build resilient disciples. These are men and women who are built strongly upon a commitment to their local church, founded and built upon God’s word, and pursuing sanctification. This is the goal of discipleship, and these are the foundations of resilient discipleship in the church.

Church Committed

A primary foundation for resilient discipleship is church commitment. This is a dual commitment of sorts. First, local, Bible-believing, gospel-centered churches must be committed to the hard work of discipleship as defined above. Second, disciples must be committed to the local church. Both of these commitments are equally difficult. The church is a top priority for the world, the flesh, and the devil to tear down. The local church exists, however, in a fallen world as a disciple-making outpost of another, better world. When the church abandons its commitment to making disciples, it abandons its God-given directive. Certainly, the rise of deconstructions can be partially linked to the failure of local churches to disciple their people.

Every disciple needs the church. We were made for godly community, and this godly community expresses itself most faithfully in the form of the local church. Each time you hear the word preached, each time you sing Christ-exalting songs, each time you pray, each time you bear witness on mission, each time you celebrate new life through baptism, each time you remember Christ’s death through the Lord’s Supper, you are being built up into a more resilient disciple. Through the mission and ministries of the church, you are being made into a resilient disciple. You are adding stones to your house that will add to its strength. The Lord is at work in the local church. You need the local church and the local church needs you.

Bible Founded

Resilient discipleship is also founded in Scripture. This is why it’s important to qualify the above point about church commitment with the caveat “Bible-believing.” If the church gathers, sings, and hears messages but the Bible is forgotten and ignored, it is no longer the church but a civic organization. When troubles rise and we are tempted to leave the faith or abandon our first love, our eyes should go to the Lord, where our help comes from. And we encounter the Lord in the Bible. God has miraculously inspired, preserved, and protected the Holy Scriptures as we have them today for us and for our growth. A Christian cannot expect to grow in holiness, godliness, and faith apart from the study of Scripture.

Resiliency is found on the pages of the Scriptures. We see how God has saved and called his people, giving them enduring faith. In Scripture, we encounter story after story of a holy God giving endurance to a stubborn people who consistently mess up. I can relate to that, and I know you can, too. We must believe that the Bible is not another antiquated book that might be of some use for wisdom in living, but rather is the living and active Word of God, profitable for holy living. When the temptation to deconstruct comes about, turn to the fount of wisdom and life that is the Word of God, and in that Word meet the God who loves you and desires your growth in him.

Sanctification Seeking

Finally, resilient discipleship must be done with the purpose of seeking sanctification. Sanctification is that process by which Christians are made to be more and more like Christ. Through repentance, and by the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to repent of sin and seek after the ways of God more and more throughout their lives as believers. In other words, God calls us as we are, but does not expect us to stay where we are. He desires us to grow in holiness over days and months and years of following him.

Disciples who stall out or give up on growing in faith will be more apt to be given over to a deconstructionist frame of thinking. Again, not growing in faith is building your house on sinking sand. Resiliency is grounded in growth. The more a disciple is growing (which happens in the context of the local church and must be based on biblical truth), the more resilient they will become.

Conclusion

Our age is the age of deconstruction. Young people are leaving the Christian faith left and right, and louder than ever. But let’s not lose hope. Let’s not move backward or in on ourselves. Instead, my prayer is that the church will stand strong, working hard to equip the saints by building resilient disciples, those who are grounded in the Scriptures, committed to God’s ministry in and through local churches, and living a sanctified life of growth in the gospel.