Discipling Christians to Maturity

Christianity has a problem with the culture of modern day America. This culture injects sex, violence, and bad language into the books, movies, and music it creates. It is a culture that some Christians just can't engage with, and that's the problem. I refuse to believe that a strong, mature Christian is supposed to simply withdraw today's culture. The movie you are watching, the book you are reading, the music you are listening to -- it is not about you. Someone is trying to tell you who they are, how they think, and how they feel and they employ a certain media to convey that message. Understanding the world we live in is necessary if we are going to be able to speak the truth into that culture. Yet some seem to suggest that a Christian, as they become more mature, should withdraw from the "old way" and instead start to read only Christian literature, see "good" movies, and listen to Christian music. Is it any wonder that these same Christians are ridiculed for being out of touch and naive?

No, this is not the persecution that Jesus taught us we'd all endure for choosing to follow Christ. That persecution comes when we confront culture with the truth, not retreat from it into our own fairy tale land. Yes, we are to guard our hearts. Yes, we are to think about true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable things. However, we do not need to live in fear of our culture, scooting away when the language doesn't suit our sensibilities. We all to often misunderstand our threat environment. Is listening to what the culture has to say going to change our minds? Are they going to convince us of a lie when we already know the truth? What is our testimony for Jesus Christ when we can't even handle a little swearing, a little violence, or a little sex? We're making it look like good cannot stand up against evil, as if darkness could drive away light. We are already victorious over all the evils in our culture today. They can't hurt you if you don't let them.

The biggest threat to Christians are those who appear as light, and as those we can trust. Christian writers, music, and even pastors are more likely to harm your Christian walk than the anything American culture can throw at you. Guard your hearts. Before you allow your life to be completely changed by what you just read or heard check it against scripture. It sounds true, but is it really?

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it." (Matthew 11:12). Mature Christians need to be trained to stand up against evil, with evil all around holding fast to the truth. Instead, all to often, it seems we've won the battle then started an disorderly retreat. Jesus Christ won the victory, but it is up to us to hold the ground and put down the insurgency. Now, to be clear, the people aren't the enemy. The culture isn't even the enemy. The evil that inhabits the people and makes its way into our culture is what we are fighting. Sin is the enemy. We need to know how sin has gotten ahold of people, so that we can help them to be free of it. Everywhere, they are telling us. They're writing books about it. They're making movies about it. They're making music about it. And we're walking away because we don't want their evil to rub off on us. People everywhere are in great pain brought about by sin in their lives. We need to understand that pain, understand the sin that lies beneath it, and free them from it.

I think I've made clear what I think a mature Christian should look like. The remaining question is, how do we train Christians to reach that state. If we are not prepared or not yet mature, coming into conflict with evil can lead us into temptation. I don't know that small group studies get us there. It seems too comfortable, too much like a retreat, and not a forceful advance. I came across this story today, apparently from 2005, about a man in Nairobi, Kenya who was attacked by a leopard. "A voice, which must have been from God, whispered to me to drop the panga (machete) and thrust my hand into its wide open mouth. I obeyed," he said. The man ended up pulling on its tongue until it died, at some point ripping the tongue right from the beast's mouth. To witness such an event must inspire courage. I can only think that real discipleship must be like that man's actions. Seeing courageous actions inspires courage. Is there a way to program that? To structure that into something that can be repeated as successfully as small groups can?