One Christ Fits All
One Christ fits all. One discipleship strategy, not-so-much.
Jesus is the one and only path to a relationship with God, the only way to prevent our eternal exile. This is the gospel, and it’s for everyone. We who trust this gospel are commissioned to go make disciples. See Matthew 28:18-20 New International Version (NIV):
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus spent at least 3 years teaching His disciples how to make disciples. Participate in wedding feasts, serve unseen, meet needs in unexpected ways, boldly stand for the holiness of God and the cause of mercy in the face of abuse. Proclaim the possibility of a personal relationship with God and explain the scriptures in the context of that relationship. Know individual names and histories, and break through surface chatter to answer the real questions of the heart. Weep at gravesides, wash feet, and commit yourself and your case to God in the face of injustice and death. Jesus did all of these and more, showing His first disciples, and us, how to live in communion with God and invite others to do the same.
There is only one Jesus, only one gospel – but there are many ways to reach the people who need to know it. Paul writes of his approach to disciple-making in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV):
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Whether age groups, geographical origins, or stories of family heritage, people groups and the individuals within them are different and perceive messages in different ways. So, effective delivery of the gospel, effective disciple-making, requires different approaches.
One Christ fits all. One discipleship strategy doesn’t.
We have one command: “Go make disciples.” Who are your people groups, and what are your strategies?