The Cost of Discipleship

I just got back from our Southeast Asian Mission Trip. We were in northern and southern India and in Nepal. Plus, we had our leader from Pakistan join us in Nepal. After our meetings and training times we have reported over 200 churches and 110 pastors in these areas. This was the most fruitful 14 days of ministry I have ever witnessed- God is faithful!

While traveling through this part of the world one thing came up continually- the cost of following Jesus. The pastors in India had suffered persecution and the Nepal church is still underground, with many leaders being placed in jail and beaten severely on many occasions. I talked to the leader in Pakistan and he recounted the times he was beaten, disciples who were shot, and the times he saw shootings in the church and bomb blast!

The words of Jesus came to light so much clearer while over there. For example Luke 14:27, "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" - this passage now has a much deeper meaning. These disciples have to be willing to die just to go to church! However, during one of my talks about suffering with the leader of Nepal, he began to share how every disciple must suffer. At first I was reluctant to receive this, I said, "Ya, but not like you!" However, as I was praying today I was reminded that he was right!

Suffering happens in every disciple's life and the devil comes to try to get the suffering disciple to quit. I was reminded of how many times in Chicago I saw people quit on the process of discipleship and either backslide or simply compromise and choose to live a lukewarm life.

Therefore, here are some things I have suffered to follow Christ (I still believe my sufferings are not worthy to be compared to my fellow disciples):

1. Loss of Friends: When I first was saved there was a group of friends I would hang out with after church. However, when I took a stand for holiness and radical discipleship they asked me to "simmer down" or they would not hang out with me anymore. RESULT: I made new friends with senior citizens in a local church that still loved holiness.

2. Loss of Leadership: I used to go to prayer meetings where a pastor was so much fun to be around, however, he left his wife and had an affair with the secretary. Others wanted to follow him and still affirm his leadership, but I knew he was wrong. RESULT: I started Bible studies/prayer meetings on my own and left for Bible college.

3. Loss of Ministry Partners: When I was in Bible college I had fellow pastors work with me in the ministry. However, some dropped out of school, made bad decisions and were kicked out, or just turned lukewarm. RESULT: I started a church in my house by myself.

4. Loss of Denominations: I remember being in a denominational meeting speaking to all the leaders of the state saying, "I just want to be discipled, will someone here please take sometime teach me the ways of Christ?!" One older man stood and said, "Young man, it is not our job to disciple you, that is what Bible college was for... just do your job!" RESULT: I became non-denominational.

5. Loss of Church Givers: As a church planter I have noticed that many times those who give the most usually have trouble being a disciple. They believe if they help the church with their money they can "buy their way into heaven." I remember a man once saying to me, "If you require me to do discipleship with my family we will not come." RESULT: We have lost tens of thousands of dollars.

6. Loss of Church Attendees: I cannot count how many times people leave our church because of our standard of discipleship. The story always sounds the same, "Pastor, thanks for the help, but I feel called somewhere else." "Pastor, I just feel led somewhere different, we will try to find another good church." RESULT: We lose 10-20% of all the people we win to the Lord.

Though I have suffered both personally and as a pastor, I am reminded of the words of Jesus, Matthew 19:28-30, "Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

Therefore, here is what I have received from the "suffering":

1. Loss of Friends- NEW GODLY FRIENDS: Over the last 15yrs I have had the chance to make some great friends. Many of whom I met in Bible college. Plus, these friends shared the same experiences I had and thus we are closer than brothers.

2. Loss of Leadership- SPIRITUAL FATHER: Very few people can say they have had the same pastor in their life for 15yrs, however, because of God's faithfulness He brought me true leadership that has been in my life ever since I started ministry! Plus, I have had the chance to be close to many great men of God with over 25 years ministry experience!

3. Loss of Ministry Partners- APOSTLES TO THE NATIONS: I could never had imagined that by the time I was 33 I would be working with leaders from all over the world. Some of these men oversee 70 churches! Wow, God does save the best for last!

4. Loss of Denominations- A REVOLUTION: The Metro Praise Revolution now has over 200 churches with over 110 pastors over the world in just 3 years! I would not trade what God has done with just a few for all the denominations in the world!

5. Loss of Church Givers- INCREASED GIVING EVERY YEAR: Despite losing people every year and their support, we have gained more monies every year! Thus, God always makes it happen, the church is a testimony to God's ability to provide! We not only make up the loss, but also bring in increase! We have raised over $4,000 in just one week for missions!

6. Loss of Church Attendees- INCREASED DISCIPLES EVERY YEAR: We have doubled just in 3 months and soon we will be starting a new campus! Plus, we have more disciples than ever before. Thus, despite who gets off the bus, God keeps bringing new people to get on the bus! Just like He promised!

I pray this blog encourages the suffering to remain faithful. Do not give up during the times of suffering! You may feel like your doing something wrong or that the "grass is greener" on the other side. However, remember there are places where all Christians suffer. However, here in America it is the disciple that suffers. Jesus promised that all disciples would have to "carry a cross." Therefore, do not quit!

Luke 14:25-33,

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

"Five Things Leadership Books/Blogs Wont Do For You!"

I have spent the last four years earning a Master's Degree in Religious Studies from Liberty "Cemetery," excuse me... I mean, "Seminary." During this time I was introduced to leadership books, blogs, and the like. I must say that coming from a Pentecostal "the Holy Ghost will lead background," I have been blessed by many of the strategies and wisdom given by the "leadership" group.

However, during this time of subscribing to the blogs, twitters, facebooks, and reading the books I have found the following five things they do not do:

1. Teach How to Cast out Devils: I just like the sound of that phrase and I love the action as well. I have found that leadership books and blogs leave out what I like to call, "the sheka-boom-ba work of God." If there ever was a time we needed the Holy Ghost it is now!

2. Inspire Prayer and Dependence on God's Power and Presence: The leadership movement can do just the opposite, as a matter of fact, I have been the most successful in the ministry with the least amount of prayer because marketing and the like works. We saw over a 100% increase in attendance in just the last 9 months in our church- more than double! However, I believe success is empty without God's power and presence and this only comes through prayer. No short cuts in the eternal things of God.

3. Encourage Suffering: Everything is seen as "win & loss" and "problem & solution," too many times leadership books forget suffering can be godly and God ordained- not because it "works towards outward success" but because it "works towards dying to self- inward success." I still love to hear about Paul's struggles and say to myself, "It hasn't got that bad... yet!"

4. Celebrate Failure: One day I would like to write a book (please hold me accountable to this) on leadership called, "How to Die a 1,000 Deaths: Welcome to Your First Week of Ministry." I love to ask my friends who are starting new churches for the first time, "How many times have you died on the inside since starting?" After they answer 10x, 15x, etc... I say, "Sounds like your doing great!"

I want the world of future ministers to know how many outreaches God lead me to do and they failed to reach my expectations. The times I heard God to make a disciple and they quit. I would like to spend just a whole chapter on how God told me to merge my first church plant and start over again. I so wish leadership books talked about failure more. Not because God makes us fail to hurt us, but how He allows failures to change us!

5. Remind that Success Isn't What it is Cracked Up to Be: I know we all want to reach a world for Jesus. However, the blogs do not remind us enough on how numbers, buildings, and ministry fame isn't really "all that." Success doesn't make your children more godly, help ease your temptations, remove your insecurities, or even satisfy. As a matter of fact, it is actually lonelier, harder, and more stressful to be more successful. Your friends judge you, your kids cry out for your time, people are more hurt and let down, more people leave you, and every decision effects tons of people for bad or good. Thus, greatness is not where you are, but who you are. Success is not "over there," but rather how your living "right here."

Passage to Meditate On:
1 Corinthians 2:3-5, ³ I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.


*Disclaimer: I still love leadership books and blogs- I just have to read other books to complete my "spiritual diet!" : )