A RADICAL SHIFT IS COMING FROM CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY TO DISCIPLESHIP CHRISTIANITY
COME AND DIE - NOT COME AND SHOP
Individual transformation to become more like Christ primarily takes place through genuine biblical discipleship.
Our problem in much of the church in the West is, that we have produced primarily "consumers" through our attractional church growth methodologies as opposed to "disciples."
Jesus invites us to "come and die" - to pick up our "cross" and follow him. By removing that incredibly important theological element to the equation of discipleship, we invite people to Walmart/Shopping Mall Christianity to come and "shop."
We have produced in the West more consumers than genuine disciples.
But there is an apostolic reformation that is coming to deal with what has become "toxic" Christianity in many religious circles through the initiation of fresh Jesus Movements designed and empowered by the Spirit of God to get us back on track to biblical discipleship rooted into true Christology that can bring the radical transformation we see in the NT Scriptures.
The apostolic is all about "sentness."
It originates with God the Father who is the missionary God - the sending God who sends His Son into the earth to become like us - so we can ultimately become like Him.
Then when He completes His mission, He and the Father send the Spirit - the Missionary/Apostolic Spirit who empowers disciples to carry on the Kingdom mission of Jesus.
Jesus told His disciples that as the Father sent Him - in the same manner - He would send them. Being apostolic begins with the understanding that we are sent ones.
We must be incarnational - living epistles in culture - Jesus disciples in culture, and missional - sent ones - realizing we are ambassadors for Christ sent to represent Jesus and His Kingdom.
Consumer Christianity is growing many big mega churches in America, but definitely not changing and transforming culture or our nation.
A radical reformation through strategic Spirit empowered Jesus Movements is coming to shift things back toward biblical Christianity which is rooted in biblical discipleship - making disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make disciples......
Change is coming - many will embrace it, while many reject it. The church is entering a new apostolic era.
This is beyond a new season. It is a new apostolic era. The Spirit is raising up a "new breed" that will not initialy be popular, but will actually be persecuted, because they are willing to put "Protest" back into "Protestant."
A shift from Consumer Christianity to Discipleship Christianity is coming.
This is not saying there is not room for attractional evangelism. But it is saying there is a major shift coming to incarnational evangelism through true disciples of Jesus who will again change the world.
Axel Sippach
