Devo Post #16

9/8/17

1 Cor 4:16, 1 Cor 11:1, phil 3:17

I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Right now in Chicago, and probably all over the US and the world, there are many disciples who lack mentors or disciplers to look up to as examples of godliness. I think it was interesting I was talking about godliness with S the other day during lunch, and it was hard for both of us to pinpoint what godliness even means or looks like. For me at least, the 2 sections of the Bible that speak to godliness would be the book of James and Matthew 5-7, the sermon on the mount. But to get to godliness, which is somewhat a combination of holiness (what does holiness mean?) and knowing God, one must go through Christ and the Cross, the message of the Gospel.

I worry sometimes that COTB, as a church plant, doesn’t have elders who can disciple its members. I also worry that BCF also needs disciplers too, like how ACF in Pittsburgh, I can talk to D Song or P Chang and E Gan and how they were discipled by older ACFers or Pastor L or Elder G, or even how J Mao has a discipler in NYC. This is the church I’m used to, or got the privileged to see and experience. “Ah this is what true discipleship looks like,” I would say to myself. Now it feels like the blind leading the blind, instead of brothers and sisters like Paul who live out an example of godly living instead of a worldly kind.

Should I be worried? Or should I trust in God that He will raise up leaders like how I’ve been praying for the churches in the world? Or how God raised up so many leaders in Cornerstone, why can’t He do the same at COTB? Even COTB downtown is struggling, and Pastor L. Cruzat was pulled from STL to help with the Wicker Park church plant. God bless him and his family.

Better question: am I equipped to disciple people at COTB and BCF? Sure I have the scriptural and theological knowledge, but am I truly living a godly life? Am I representing Christ as an ambassador and foreigner in Chicago? Am I using work and health and sin (pride/envy/lust/lack of forgiveness) as excuses to not live a godly life and disciple others? Do I truly believe in the Gospel daily and rely on the Holy Spirit and message of the Cross to guide my daily footsteps?