The problem with being radical is that it’s become a by-word for fanatic, for terrorist for something quite frankly to which we should not aspire. But Jesus called the people who follow him to do so in radical change of lifestyle. Radical would have been the best way to describe the life of the followers of Jesus in the early church. It’s unconventional, maverick and counter-cultural.
Is that still true today? Does Jesus continue to call people to follow him in radical discipleship? And if so, what will it look like and how do we live it?
Keys to a radical lifestyle
You might think that when we talk about radical discipleship we’re going to talk about how to read you Bible more often, more fully and more deeply. You might think we’re going to talk about how to develop a more fulfilling prayer life or a more active evangelistic life.
But we’re not. Important as those things are, Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, mission, they are not what makes us radical. What makes us radical is the pattern we follow, the pattern of Jesus.
Key characteristics
#1 Christ-centred
A Christ-centred life is a connected life. Jesus said, "I am the vine you are the branches. Every branch that remains in me bears fruit..."
A Christ-centred life never asks God to bless its plan, rather it asks what are God’s plan and what part can I play in the fulfilment of his purposes? We ask a simple question: "Lord, what are you doing and how can help?"
#2 Whole-hearted
No other gods but me; Love the Lord your God with all your...
A whole-hearted, Christ-centred life is a surrendered life. Jesus spoke about carrying a cross and dying to self. The alternative to whole-hearted is the half-hearted, lukewarm Christianity against which Jesus speaks in Revelation
#3 It’s a faithful life
Radical discipleship means not giving up when things get tough. We do not stop worshipping God, we do not stop praying to God, we do not stop meeting with others, we do no stop seeking God just because problems come.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: How come Christ-followers are quick to give up on prayer when things are going badly and yet those who do not profess to follow Christ are among the first to start praying when things are going badly.
#4 Spirit inspired risk oriented
Only God’s agenda matters. The radical follower of Jesus Christ echoes the words of Isaiah the prophet by saying simply: Here am I, send me.
The big question of course is: How do you know it’s from God? I wish I had a simple answer.
In the end only time will tell. If it’s from God it will last, it will produce fruit, kingdom fruit. But the time frame might not match our expectations and the fruit might not be what we expect.
How is it expressed?
This is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list, but I believe that a radical life of discipleship will be expressed through:
Unconditional acceptance of the people Jesus misses most
Willingness to fail. The radical disciple gets out of the boat. He or she will have stories to tell their grandchildren about the amazing things that they have seen God do with the ounce of faith they offered him.
Generosity towards others
Grace-filled
Radical discipleship is not about our ability to tick the right boxes, it’s about our decision to abandon ourselves to the purposes of God. Radical discipleship settles for nothing less than 100% commitment. It is not satisfied with less and will do all it can to raise the standard and live the life. It is not into self-recriminations but accepts failure as part of the journey. Radical discipleship is relentless in its pursuit of God.
World-changers
I think we all know that it is through these kinds of disciples–Christ-centred, whole-hearted, faithful, Spirit inspired–that God will work his purposes in our world. If we want to be world changers, if we want to influence our communities for Christ, then this is the pattern of discipleship to which we need to aspire.
How do we respond?
Two ways:
First, with a sense of failure and defeat. We say yes to the idea of radical discipleship but we say we’re not up to the call. We realise we haven’t lived like that and every time we try we fail. So we give u and settle for mediocrity.
Second, with a sense of hope. We still acknowledge that we fall a long way short of the life of a fully devoted follower of Jesus, but we know that by the grace of God we can get up and get going once again.
I am what I am, but I am not all that I can be.
How do we get there?
So how do we become Christ-Centred disciples, radical disciples? It’s not easy! There are no instant fixes, quick solutions or fast track training programmes. It is a life-time’s work.
Some basic principles:
#1 Check your pulse. If you have a pulse, then you are still alive and therefore have the chance to start again!
#2 Check your position. I use four things normally when I go out for a walk. I use a map, a compass, my gps and my eyes. The map tells me where I should be and where I should be heading. The compass helps me orientate myself according to what I see on the map. The GPS helps me get an accurate fix on where I actually am. And I use my eyes to see the reality of my situation in the real world around me.
#3 Check your purpose. We said earlier that the radical disciple has no other agenda except the agenda of God. There are times when we kid ourselves into seeing our agenda as God’s agenda. But I believe that if we practice the principles of radical discipleship we will become more and more aligned with the purposes of God.
#4 Do it daily
Conclusion
If Paul is right when he declares that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do, then tell me why we should should ever settle for anything less?
