Is your church trying to hide behind “kid theology”?

I’m glad “kid theology” doesn’t work, otherwise I think some of us would have gotten into more trouble than we did as youngsters.

You know how “kid theology” works, right?

That’s when you really, really want to do something, but you know that “something” is sinful. So you rationalize a theology from what you’ve been taught. You could indulge yourself (thus, sinning), and then ask for forgiveness afterward (force God to forgive you because you confessed like you were told you must). Of course this theology, weaved in the mind of a child, doesn’t factor in God seeing the motive and the heart.

The church has it’s own little version of “kid theology” when it comes to the issue of making disciples.

Notice, I clearly phrased the issue as “making disciples” instead of “discipleship” because it’s in the subtle distinction of the two that the church tries to hide its failure.

After such an extended period of undeniable decline, the church is having to admit its failure at discipling its members and is giving a level of renewed focus to that issue. Now, when the need for discipleship is again raised, many churches point to a class or small group used for this purpose (even though the same group may have been in existence for years or decades, at least it’s something real that can be pointed to). If a class or group doesn’t exist, someone is assigned to disciple new members … when there are new members that aren’t Christians transferring from another church.

That brings us to the kid theology moment in all this. By claiming, “Oh yes, we are actively involved in discipleship” through that class that never really discipled anyone, we avoid addressing the key aspect of discipleship — making disciples of unbelievers.

The church still gags when it hears the word “evangelism,” yet it is the first step in the process of making discples. To say anything other is kid theology, a rationalization for your own benefit.

Here is Jesus giving us the Great Commission in His own words:

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age,'” Matthew 28:18-20.

Notice the first part of the Commission: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations …”

Yes, the remainder of the Commission does instruct us to disciple new believers, but that step comes after the first — going into the world and making disciples of those who do not yet know Jesus Christ.

Do you know what that means? Yep, prepare yourself for a harsh gag reflex. Ready? IT MEANS EVANGELISM!

You can call it whatever you like, the truth is it’s evangelism.

Something we aren’t doing very much of at the local church level. In fact, if it wasn’t for some mission agencies with a genuine heart for making disciples of peoples around the world, the failure of the church to evangelize the lost would be almost overwhelming. Even much of our church planting efforts has become the reassembling of Christians into newly grouped bodies in different venues with trendy names.

The Great Commission was never to be about the church turning inward and focusing only on teaching its members. It was to go into the world and make disciples. Then teach those new disciples all that Jesus taught us (disciple them to maturity) so they become disciples who go and make disciples, discipling those new disciples to become disciples who go make disciples, and so goes the process.

The first step of the Great Commission is evangelism, and we hide the great failure of our lack of evangelizing by claiming we are discipling members.

Really?

In that case, your church should soon have many disciples who are about to go into the world and make new disciples, right? In that case, the church can expect a great deal of growth by adding vast numbers of unbelievers to membership rolls soon, right?

“Discipleship” is an ongoing process, we are students and learners of Jesus for life. We spend this life growing to be more and more like our Lord. Making disciples is an evangelistic effort, which is why we see so few new disciples from among non-believers.

Please don’t mistake an important point. I’m personally very excited about the growing interest among local churches to disciple their members. I’m encouraged that some great things will come from these new efforts. But until we take seriously the Commission Jesus gave us and recognize the first step of making disciples is to get into the world and preach the Gospel to the lost, we will never be honest about our motives.

We’ll just be practicing kid theology.

Are you making disciples who make disciples? Or are you reveling internally in “fellowship,” safe and secure from the lost world around you?

Scotty