Master the Bible: How to Get and Keep the Big Picture of the Bible's Story

Chapter 6: Growi ng to Matur i t y , Ser i es 4

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the same as to Christ. We are called to make disciples, not of ourselves but of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul, one who multiplied his ministry many times over in the early church, affirmed to the Corinthians, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (cf. 2 Cor. 4.5-6). What would you consider to be the “danger signs” of a discipler who has shifted from helping a person grow to maturity as Christ’s disciple to making a disciple of themselves? What is the remedy for a discipling relationship which has become abusive, co-dependent, or overly attached, in a wrong or unbiblical way? In a discipleship small group, one of the members appeared upset about the third week into their covenant group. In looking over the list of things they had committed to holding one another accountable for, he felt that he had been the only one to share openly about one of the areas they had committed to “come clean” over each week: sexual purity. Frustrated with what he felt was a kind of uneven response from the other guys, he said in frustration, “I don’t know about all of this ‘holding-one-another-accountable’ stuff. Since we started our growth group here, I have been as honest as I could with y’all about my feelings and struggles in this area. But honestly, I don’t feel you guys are sharing with me with the same degree of honesty I’ve been giving you. When we started, I expressed my doubt about ‘holding one another accountable.’ I am beginning to think that if I am not honest with myself, I’ll never be honest with you guys, and so you can’t help me if I refuse to share. ” “The truth is, you guys can’t hold me accountable for anything unless I cooperate and come clean on my own. ‘Accountability?’ I can’t even hold my three-year old daughter ‘accountable’ if she is isn’t real with me, and doesn’t tell me the truth. In all things that matter, I determine what I say and what you guys know. Is it not also true for you all, too?” Discuss the group member’s ideas about accountability and honesty. Is it true that you cannot help another person if they refuse to be honest with you and receive your help? How does that apply to you? “Accountability? I can’t even hold my three-year-old daughter ‘accountable’!”