Discipleship: A Lifelong Spiritual Pilgrimage

A Disciple's Reflection on Actively Living in God's Kingdom Today

Vernon T. Jones

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781620329443
• eBook ISBN: 9781621898375
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29: 11How do we know God's plans for us? How do we know God leads and talks to us daily? How do we become more disciplined in our spiritual walk in order to better hear God's voice and guidance in our lives? There are no easy answers to these questions. However, when we are intentional in our times of prayer, Bible study, and reflection, the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to God's love, allowing us to see opportunities for further direction and growth. Discipleship--A Lifelong Spiritual Pilgrimage offers guidance and gives support to those already involved in this pilgrimage plus encouragement to those wanting to do more in developing good discipleship practices.

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Striving for the Kingdom of God—Repenting/Turning Around/Conversion

Conversion, in other words, is a willingness to let go, to be led beyond where we are, to where we can be. . . . Conversion, then, demands self-discipline; it presumes struggle.1

—Joan Chittister

Turning Around

In Matthew 3:2 John the Baptist is telling those in the wilderness around Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” We have a similar message in Mark 1:14–15 where Jesus, after being baptized by John and then tempted in the wilderness, declares, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good news.” Both talk about repenting and the coming of the kingdom of God. Apparently, this was Jesus’ first public statement. Also, John kept repeating that same message over and over again. Thus, the concepts regarding repenting and the kingdom of God seem to have been of great importance to both of them.

However, this wasn’t the first time the need for repentance and facing toward God was mentioned in scripture. In Ezekiel 14:6–8 God wanted the house of Israel to turn their faces away from all their idols and turn toward God’s face, which was set in front of them. This was a constant theme in other Old Testament writings as well, a message delivered by many sources other than Ezekiel. Finally, John and Jesus came delivering the same message.

Jesus’ Message

During his three-year ministry Jesus taught by example, actions, and discourses how he wanted his closest followers to live after he returned to his Father. He taught them by how he prayed, how he treated the less fortunate of his time (like women and children), and how oftentimes God’s ways would be opposed by the established political and religious structures. But, he initiated his public ministry by proclaiming the need to repent, for the kingdom of God was at hand.

As followers of Jesus Christ who desire to become more faithful disciples by starting or continuing a spiritual pilgrimage, it is easy to miss this first message of Jesus. Repenting, turning around, having a conversion, no matter how we state it—this is the first step on our walk. Conversion involves letting go of the past and requires self discipline and struggle. What is being talked about here is not a once in a lifetime event but a daily one. Diana Butler Bass writes about being “continually converted,” recognizing that conversion is not a one-time event, but that “conversion is pilgrimage.”2 Thus, conversion is the first step of the spiritual pilgrimage to becoming a lifelong disciple.

To some this concept may be very familiar, but to others it may be an entirely new idea. This book’s purpose is to give people tools to help them begin or enhance their spiritual pilgrimage. Before we can talk about prayer, Bible study, reflection, or any of the other things that we will address later, the concept of turning around must be addressed. In order for these spiritual practices to be meaningful, anyone who is committed to taking part in this walk should have as their focus God’s will and God’s kingdom in their lives, rather than the allure of the world.

The Challenge of Change

Many people in Christian churches are perfectly happy where they are and don’t want to change or upset their comfortable world. However, Jesus was all about upsetting the status quo of his culture and the individual lives of the people he touched. He tells Nicodemus in John 3:1–8 about how one has to be born from above in order to see the kingdom of God. This of course caused a lot of confusion in Nicodemus’ mind. Jesus wanted people to change and leave behind their old habits and ways of living. Butler Bass addresses this very point when she writes: “In the New Testament, Jesus asks everyone to change. With the exception of children, Jesus insists that every person he meets do something and change. The whole message of the Christian scripture is based on the idea of metanoia, the change of heart that happens when we meet God face-to-face.3”

Prayer will be covered in a later chapter, and it will be noted that prayer will change a person. Thus, if you don’t want to change, leave prayer out of your life. In the same vein, if you don’t want your existing world changed for the sake of the gospel and God’s kingdom, then stay away from this aspect of the spiritual pilgrimage, because in the mind of scholars and in the Scriptures, conversion and repenting are a necessary part of the process. This means turning away from the old ways of living and turning toward God so that we return to the relationship that God wants for us. Some people are unwilling to do this because it will cause change in their lives, and they are afraid to let that happen. However, becoming a disciple, through repentance and conversion, causes change in our lives, and that is what this is all about.

Striving for God’s Kingdom Today

The second part of this short message from John and Jesus was about God’s kingdom. They both stated that the kingdom of God was near. If it is near, that must mean it is something people who want to follow their message should seek. Matthew 6:33 describes it as striving for the kingdom. The Apostle Paul takes a similar theme when he writes in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” How does striving or pressing for the kingdom relate to me in my Christian walk today? When we repent and strive first for the kingdom of God we are becoming the persons God wants us to be, in essence, more faithful disciples, for God wants to be in relationship with us.

Being Healed and Restored

We follow Jesus’ words and actions so that we can be renewed by his love, not just for ourselves, but also for the sake of the world. Jesus physically healed the sick; however, a kind of healing just as important was one of an emotional or spiritual nature, allowing people to be accepted in their communities once again. He was bringing the kingdom of God near to those he touched. In trying to heal and save people, he was often challenged by the religious leaders who were always questioning him about why or how he could heal. In Matthew 12:22–28 he was accused of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons. But the Lord responded that a kingdom divided against itself could not stand; therefore he couldn’t cast out demons in the name of the ruler of demons! He went on to state that if by the Spirit of God he could cast out demons, “then the kingdom of God has come to you.” He healed people physically, but he also restored many to emotional and spiritual health bringing the kingdom to all those he touched.

This connection about being healed, restored, and experiencing the kingdom was written about by Ladd and Hagner: “When a person has been restored to fellowship with God, that person becomes God’s child and the recipient of a new power, that of the Kingdom of God.”4 This concept of being restored could be a physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. It could also give us a peace of mind and spirit that we didn’t have before our encounter with God’s love through Jesus Christ. This new power/healing/peace/wholeness gives us the ability to continue on this walk, turning away from what we once knew, while always striving to face God’s kingdom.

The Process of the Pilgrimage

The remaining chapters will focus on offering you some tools, examples to follow, and, hopefully, encouragement to help you on this walk. This process is different for everyone, for one size does not fit all. This sacred walk may seem easy and quick for some and long and hard for others. The most important thing is to start or continue with enhancements depending on where you currently are in your spiritual pilgrimage. But remember it all starts with conversion and striving first for God’s kingdom.

Questions for Discussion

1. Do you have any baggage or distraction in your life that prevents you from becoming the person that God wants you to be? If so what is it, and how do you deal with it?
2. Does repenting seem to be an old-fashioned concept in today’s modern world? If so, why is that?
3. How hard is it for you to change certain aspects...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Striving for the Kingdom of God—Repenting/Turning Around/Conversion
• Chapter Two: Striving for the Kingdom of God—Where We are Today
• Chapter Three: Prayer—How, What, and Why
• Chapter Four: The Holy Spirit
• Chapter Five: Discernment
• Chapter Six: Hope
• Chapter Seven: Faith Equals Trust
• Chapter Eight: Discipleship
• Bibliography
• For Additional Reading