Three Ships

What does fellowship mean, or worship, or discipleship these days? These words are thrown around in church circles, like candy from a piñata these days, and they seem to mean whatever the user wants them to mean. Most of the time, the words seem to be used to characterize a normal everyday thing like hanging out over coffee, listening to a Christian song, or quality time spent with a friend. I propose that all of these things are good, but that adding these churchy words to the event, doesn’t change the nature of the event.

Hanging out, listening to music, and quality time with a friend, all are just that, and in themselves, really great things. We seem to be adding the churchy titles to make something else of them…why? I believe it is because there is a God given desire to fellowship, worship, and to disciple others. The problem is, we want to define what each means to us personally, and that is where we seem to go off track. All of these things can produce fellowship, worship, and discipleship, but just because we call them by these names, does not mean that it is happening.

First, biblical fellowship is not just like-interested folks hanging out together. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, which translates partnership, participation, and infers contribution. Old Testament fellowship was with God, and required certain sacrifices be physically made for it to happen. Today, because of the completed work of Christ, when we gather in His name for His glory, fellowship is the by-product. Fellowshipper: Are you participating in groups and with others in the name of Jesus first, and for His glory?

Second, worship should be our response to who God is, and what He has done for us – and can be expressed a multitude of ways. It is not just about music or style of music, but all about how we relate to our Creator. Worshipper: How and when are you worshiping God throughout each day?

Discipleship is the act of making a disciple. The Greek word used for disciple in Scripture is mathetes, which translates to learner (a pupil). Are we disciples? Do mature Christians consider themselves pupils? Or, is the sign of maturity when one becomes the teacher?

Jesus told us to go and make disciples (Matt 28:19), not teachers, or just believers. Maturity is all about your position as a learner, and not defined by how much you learn. As a disciple (learner), we need to help others build their desire to learn (become a disciple). We should not think or teach that the Christian walk is merely destination-based (walk right and get to heaven someday), but that it is a journey. After all, it’s in the journey where we find the evidence of the trip, not just in where we say we are going. Disciple: who are you discipling?

My suggestion is to consider these three “ships” as things we need to focus doing for Jesus, instead of terms to describe things we already do. Then when people see us doing them, what they will see will not look like everything else – it will look like Jesus.

…just prayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat