I Found It - Discipleship

'Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.' Luke 9:23

In 1976 the Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) launched a world evangelism campaign, 'I Found It.' CCC, Singapore, partnering 200 churches used this theme to bring the gospel to as many as 71,841 persons. Of these 36% indicated decisions for Christ and more than 5000 enrolled in follow-up classes. It was a very successful campaign perhaps the first of its kind to use the mass media extensively.

On 24 May 1738 an earlier I Found It moment occurred. John Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed and recorded in his journal, "I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins." The Methodist Church was born that day and today there are 40.5 million of 'the people who call themselves Methodist' in 138 countries.

Why the name Methodist? Bishop Solomon explained, 'the word "Method" comes from two Greek words - meta (after) and hodos (way). It means "following after a way." In this regard it is noted that in the Gospels, our Lord described Himself as 'the Way' (John 14:6).' Ref 1. Methodists, so to speak, have found found the Way, Jesus.

Finding Christ is not just a simple slogan of I Found It. Finding Jesus in Jesus' time meant to go with him, observe him, study him and follow him by imitation and obedience. My brother Quek Koh Eng, in contemplating Luke 9:23 wrote "the challenge is for all who are called by God to take their faith seriously, grow as disciples of Christ, and not be content to be merely pew warmers but true believers who know and serve the will of God." Like a true army Colonel, Koh Eng said "God’s order has always been that every believer should be a witness; "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

Of this John Wesley said “we are all at it and at it always.” It means having a desire and  making a decision to be a follower of Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book the cost of discipleship, pointed out that one cannot be a disciple of Christ without forfeiting things normally sought in human life. On the other hand, Dallas Willard wrote that the cost of non-discipleship will be much more than what a disciple might forfeit. Willard wrote, non-discipleship costs 

• abiding peace, 
• a life penetrated throughout by love, 
• faith that sees everything in the light of God's over-riding governance for good, 
• hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances
• power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil.

Willard wrote, "non-discipleship costs you exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)." Ref 2

During the 'I Found It' campaign many found salvation in Jesus Christ but they stopped there. No doubt, it is a very important first step; the Chinese have a saying, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.' However there are innumerable more steps to take. The Christian journey will go on through eternity, so we cannot stop there, congratulating ourselves. The 'I Found It' campaign was not just to get people a ticket to heaven but to bring them to God.

Salvation alone does not define a Christ follower and does not lead to Christian witness and testimony. The last imperative Jesus gave whilst on earth, is recorded in Matthew 28:19 and 20 "Therefore go and make disciples....teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Being a disciple is a inner transformation of our core being in such a way that the we take on the character of Christ. This inner transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit aptly described by this hymn, Breathe on Me, Breath of God

1. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Fill me with life anew,
   That I may love what Thou dost love,
   And do what Thou wouldst do.
2. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Until my heart is pure,
   Until with Thee I will one will,
   To do and to endure.
3. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Till I am wholly Thine,
   Until this earthly part of me
   Glows with Thy fire divine.
4. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   So shall I never die,
   But live with Thee the perfect life
   Of Thine eternity.

There is a the car decal that states, 'Don't Follow Me. I'm Lost.' This is terrible testimony but articulates the pathetic situation of the modern society. On the other hand, the transformed Christian disciple lives by the example of St Paul the apostle, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." 1 Cor 10:34. In other words, 'Follow me. I'm Found.'

Lionel        

  

Ref 1: Robert M Solomon. Following Jesus in a Fallen World. Chapter 20, Beyond Method; Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism. Genesis Book 2009

Ref 2: Dallas Willard. The Great Omission- Reclaiming Jesus' Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Chapter 1, Discipleship, For Super Christians only? HarperOne, 2006