Non-Religious Disciples

I have an atheist in my youth group. We talk a lot about God, Jesus, religion and sin. He has provocative questions that spark my own brain, searching through the Word to help him see Jesus more clearly.

His biggest issue is this: "Religion has ruined the world". I would have to agree.

Don't burn me at the stake as a heretic, there is a point here. Just hear me out.

I would say however, it's less "Religion" and more "Religious People" that have harmed the world more so than not. Religious people are the fanatics that "do the right thing". They are the ones who in an effort to become more holy add to the Bible (or Quran, Book of Mormon etc.).

These Religious People are the groups that picket Homosexuals with signs that say: "God hates Fags".

The main issue with this type of fanatic is that they miss they're own junk. They are so busy pointing fingers that they NEVER repent. They don't see what they do to others as hate crimes, but the would say it is: "Bringing the truth in love".

A book which discusses this issue HEAVILY is The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. He calls this "Religious Person" the Elder Brother.

Keller rightly talks about how the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is about BOTH sons, not just the Lost and Returned son. Jesus was giving the story to both the RELIGIOUS (Pharisees) as well as the NON-RELIGIOUS. Both sons were sinners. Both sons needed the love of the Father to wash over them...only one son allowed that love to wash over him. It was the younger son or the "Prodigal". The elder son, self-righteously declined the Father's love because he "worked all his life" for the father.

Yet, Keller points out: the elder son worked not because he loved the father, but because he loved himself. He was working for "His Reward" rather than for His Father. The younger son did the same thing with his leaving. It was for himself. Yet...the younger realized his sin or "came to his senses" and returned to the father and repented.

The Elder son didn't even realize his folly! Jesus was in effect pleading with the Pharisees to see their sins and repent.

Because it's not how good "you follow the rules" it's how well you know Him!

This is why I say Religious People have caused more harm than good. Most lack the true intimate relationship with Jesus, all the while following the rules. This brings a Spiritual arrogance that most people (inside or outside of the church) find insufferable. It is also the main reason most teens hate church or are even afraid to go to church.

Gandhi said it well, when he said: "...I do not like your Christians..they are so unlike your Christ."

In essence, I believe he ran into way too many Religious People...who were NOT true Christ Followers.

This whole blog came about as I was thinking how I disciple the Youth that God has entrusted to me. I feel we should beat the Elder brother out of them (with Jesus and not fists of course). Generating Religious rather than Jesus Disciples is in effect worse than not doing anything. This is so, because teens are turned off to Jesus because of the way the Religious People have portrayed Christianity.

I was reading a book titled: The Big Idea in which the first chapter says: NO MORE CHRISTIANS. In which the author (Dave Ferguson) says how he is called to disciple Christ Followers, not Christians. This is because the title "Christian" has become derogatory and in effect not effective in bringing people to Jesus.

In Youth Ministry (or any ministry) Christ asks his people to make disciples...not converts...not Pharisees (or Elder Brothers or Religious People) but DISCIPLES. People who seek what Christ seeks. People who desire what Christ desires...not people who try to "do the right thing all the time".

Training people to hang with the people Christ hung with is hard within the Religious paradigm. This is because we're taught "Bad company corrupts good character". Many a religious person has said that this was God's Word telling us to stop hanging out with bad people, or sinners. YET, if we are to follow Jesus' example...we are to minister to the SICK (i.e. sinners).

I could go on and on about issues that are pervasive within the religious paradigm. However, in today's culture as Pastors, we need to get back to the Bible and reach out to the World, making disciples... not religious ones, but Jesus one's.