"Make Disciples". A series of posts on Life Shapes.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... Matt 28:19

For over 40 years I have grappled with the call to discipleship and mission and in that time I have learned, forgotten, and had to relearn certain core truths. To have possession of a map of discipleship in its simplest forms is a treasure. What I find is that the principles carried in these few geometric shapes carry all of the main themes of discipleship. My years of experience have underlined the value of having a few simple tools, proverbs and principles by which to travel and to hang ones experiences upon.

Life-shapes are just such a set of tools. They serve to introduce us to the core themes of the discipleship journey. These shapes serve as 'icons' or windows into key themes of scripture, providing a simple language of discipleship that is easily retained and easy to teach others.

An icon on a phone or computer opens up an application that serves to make some everyday task of life a bit simpler. Life shapes function in much the same way, helping us to engage with the imperatives of mission and our calling to be fruitful disciples. It's all too easy for the experiences and lessons of your day, your week, or even your year (cue for a song?) to be lost rather than integrated into your storehouse of wisdom that leads to growth. Life shapes strengthen the process of remembering and learning from our experiences, making us more mature and productive as we follow Christ.

We use these tools to strengthen a culture of discipleship and mission in our community. You won't hear a Sunday sermon preached on a specific shape but you will experience a growing culture of invitation and challenge; an invitation to a deeper walk with God and with others and a consistent challenge to reproduce yourself as a disciple. 

We are given the task of making disciples of all people and nations - this command is not just for 'believers' or those who currently own the name of Christ. If any discipleship tool is fit for purpose it should help us in this task. I have found these tools to serve well in conversations with non believers and believers alike.

My aim in writing this series of blogs is to unpack each of these icons to you and to share something of how these tools can enhanced your walk as a disciple and better equip you to make disciples.

Shape #1 

Covenant and Kingdom theology

Our first shape is the Kingdom and Covenant triangle which all about our Identity as children of God and the legitimate Authority that flows from this reality.

There are two themes that play out through all of scripture, a sort of double helix of DNA in the bible: Covenant and Kingdom. 

Covenant is about two becoming one - it's all about RELATIONSHIP. 

Kingdom is about representing the One who gives us authority and power as we represent Him. It is all about RESPONSIBILITY. 

In Covenant we have a Father who who gives us identity. Not because we've earned it but because he loves us and calls us his kids. Having received this covenant Identity we can confidently walk in Obedience, not having to earn the love of our Father through good behaviour. This is a truly revolutionary message of love. 

In Kingdom, our Father has a big job. He's the King of the universe. But since the creation of the world he's been looking for a covenant people to represent him. Once we are in covenant with him, he gives us his Authority (a badge) and his Power (a gun) to act on his behalf in this world he so loves. We can confidently exercise heavens Power because we possess our Fathers legitimate Authority. This is a revolutionary message of hope.

It is my observation that churches in the West often find it difficult to keep these two strands of our DNA overlaid and that they too easily end up choosing either COVENANT or KINGDOM. Some communities and individuals emphasise Relationship, stressing the unconditional love of God and His sovereignty and grace over and above our responsibility. Others focus on Responsibility and the need for us to represent God in the world, emphasising that the initiative is ours. Of course both are true, but the DNA of Covenant and Kingdom can be torn and a church or individual may become dysfunctional as a result.

When I have shared this teaching, especially with people who have been around churches for awhile, I often see a light go on. They recognise a tendency in the group(s) they have been a part of to polarise and to lose functionality through a failure to nurture a Covenant and Kingdom Theology.

Covenant and Kingdom is theology 1O1.  It is a starting point for a healthy discipleship journey that grounds us in an understand both of our identity as children of the King and our responsibility to represent him in the world. It is scripture that defines reality and what we believe about our identity in the world, not what the world tells us or what our feelings may tell us. Feelings change by the moment and dominant philosophies come and go but the word of the Lord remains. 

When we affirm our identity as children of a Father who loves us unconditionally we have started a path to fruitful discipleship. We may arrive at this point through many routes but this truth is the unchangeable foundation of our faith. We are unconditionally loved and we have been given a job to do! We are given both value and purpose in one encounter:  COVENANT and KINGDOM!

In the next blog in this series I will will explore the business of hearing God speak and how to develop a practice of reflective learning; daily building on breakthrough to see more of heaven in our lives.

To learn about life shapes from their creator see:  'Building A Discipling Community' from Mike Breen.