Introduction
You need to see the truth for yourself
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The Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16–20) introduces the key elements of kingdom discipleship. Kingdom spirituality is mission and goal-oriented, to bring God’s salvation to earth. Matthew makes these the last words Jesus spoke to his apprentices before ascending into the heavens – arguably his most important words. It’s a vision of co-mission with Jesus to go to the ends of the earth, making disciples in order to usher in the new age (24:14)...The Risen Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples, not of themselves, but of Him. How? By a) initiating all kinds of people into the Trinitarian God through faith in Jesus, immersing them into the reality of the Father, Son and Spirit. And b) forming them into the kind of people who routinely and naturally do all Jesus did and taught.
Alexander F Venter
Doing Spirituality: The Journey of Character Formation toward Christlikeness
In the summer of 1999, I flew with one of my sons to New Zealand, where I had been invited to speak to a group of Christian leaders. While there, we went to a local theater to see the recently released blockbuster movie, The Matrix.
We were all stunned by the breakthrough cinematography and special effects. But what impacted me most was the film’s underlying premise: for all those people living in the Matrix, despite how busy, satisfying, or normal life seemed, it was all a lie. They had been deceived. None of it was real.
The main character, Neo, is a young man with a mundane office job and a persistent feeling that something is wrong. He lives a double life as an internet hacker searching for the elusive truth of what is happening. In his search He becomes aware of two names: Morpheus and the Matrix.
One day, Neo finds Himself face to face with the mysterious Morpheus. The following dialog is the moment when Neo’s world turns inside out.
MORPHEUS
The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window or on your television. You feel it when you go to work or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
NEO
What truth?
MORPHEUS
That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.
MORPHEUS
Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.
[Morpheus opens his hands. In the right is a red pill. In the left, a blue pill.]
MORPHEUS
This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake up in your bed, and you believe whatever you want to believe.
[The pills in his open hands are reflected in the glasses.]
MORPHEUS
You take the red pill, and you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
[Neo feels the smooth skin of the capsules, the moisture growing in his palms.]
MORPHEUS
Remember that all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more.
This dialog echoes many things I already knew as fundamental truths about the human experience, at least truths from the Bible's perspective. When Morpheus says the lie of the Matrix has “been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth,” his words sound like they come straight from the pages of the New Testament.
You need to see the truth for yourself
The Bible agrees with Morpheus that many people in our world live in a mental prison of lies and deception that blinds them from the truth, the truth about who God is, who they are, what is essential, and what their purpose is on this planet. Morpheus could have been alluding to what Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus:
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Ephesians 4:17–19)
The tragedy of this blindness is not just that people have hard hearts and are insensitive to the truth as they energetically give themselves over to bad behavior. The situation is even more sinister than that. The Bible suggests that malevolent forces are directly involved in this deception. Again, Paul wrote,
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
You may be thinking, “All this talk about the Matrix movie is interesting, but I’m trying to figure out why I should read this book?” You should read this book for the same reasons Morpheus offered Neo the red pill: “You have to see it for yourself.”
Reading Intentional Disciples of Jesus will help you see the wonderful, glorious, and surprising truth hidden from you by our culture's false narratives and inaccurate beliefs. As Jesus said,
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31–32)
Seeing the truth and experiencing the freedom Jesus promises can radically transform your life, relationships, and ability to change the world for the better.
Why we need to become intentional disciples of Jesus
The following chapters are written to help ordinary people step out from under the false world we once believed was real. Like Neo, we suspect something is wrong but can’t see what it is until we meet Jesus.
Jesus is like the blue pill Morpheus offered Neo. Opening your heart to Jesus’ love and lordship is like welcoming a tornado into the house. He soon turns your world upside down to put you right side up with God.
But the layers of lies and distortions that close your eyes to the truth of God’s love and purposes don’t just evaporate the moment you meet Jesus. Believers in every generation must follow Jesus on a journey of transformation and growth as they learn to see and live in the real world, the one created by God for us to share with Him.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
Intentional discipleship to Jesus is a transformational journey involving your conscious participation. Your responsibility is to embrace the truth we see in Jesus and consciously turn away from the false and worthless as you become aware and of it. Over time, you will discover how much you have been lied to and deceived, as well as rediscover the profound nature of the truth that you have been blinded to.
Furthermore, my conviction is that every generation of Jesus’ disciples should expect to have the same relationship with Jesus that the first disciples experienced. The only difference between us and them is that He was with them in His physical body, whereas we have His indwelling spirit. Therefore, the relationship the very first disciples had with the Lord is the same relationship that we can have with Him; there is no difference between us and them. This truth is a profound and life-changing realization once you see it; it is the truth you need to see.
When we examine the relationship that the first disciples had with Jesus, we see four points of interaction with Him that can, and should, characterize our own day-to-day relationship with Him. They worshiped Him, they heard His voice speaking to them, they learned from Him as He taught them about the kingdom of God, and finally, they ministered with Him to the people they met.
This understanding of who Jesus is to you today is the revolution that changes your life just like it changed those who first followed Jesus. Your discipleship with Jesus is not a matter of mere head knowledge or warm, comforting feelings in your soul. Following Jesus is a daily interaction with His living presence as He guides, transforms, and empowers you to fulfill the purpose for which you were created. This is a journey out of the lies that have blinded you with a false worldview and into the truth as defined by the true God who created the visible and invisible cosmos.
There are two ways you can go deeper with this material, if you are finding this helpful.
First, read How to get the most from this book. I offer some suggestions about how to do more than skim the pages and move on with minimal impact.
Second, read How to use this book with a small group. This material was formed and proven in a small group setting that seems to be very effective at helping participants engage with Jesus at a much deeper and transformative level than is typical in our churches today.