7. Gospel Identity
We exist to make disciples.
Our lives exist to do as He has done to us and in us. We do with others as He has done with us.
Jesus sent us with marching orders: Go and make disciples. (Mt 28:19)
Discipleship is the only mission He gave us: walking in His ways and teaching others to do the same is what it means to be a disciple
Keep it in the right order: Jesus said if you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We typically think that if a person believes what we tell them about Jesus, then they will be set free and can start being “discipled.” But Jesus assumes that in all of life, we will lead people to walk in His ways, then over time, they will come to believe the truth and be set free.
We don’t go to church. We are church.
We are the church. If we are in Christ, we don’t need material possessions to be happy or purpose-filled. We find our identity and purpose in Jesus, as a family of servant missionaries.
When Jesus gave us our marching orders (Matthew 28:19), He gave us our identity:
Family: His Father is our Father! We are family, both eternally and right now.
Servants: His role is our role! We are servants, just as He served in all of life.
Missionaries: His sending is our sending! We are sent like missionaries in all contexts of life — and we go with the Spirit within us.
Our marching orders are an incredible opportunity to invite others to join that family and mission too! As we engage them with the Gospel, Jesus envisions that we “baptize them” in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is a whole new identity, being baptized into a whole new reality within a community called the church — God’s family on earth!
Scripture to discover
Look at the Scriptures below and identify the themes that repeat or recur:
2 Corinthians 6:18
Hebrews 2:11
Philippians 2:5-7
Matthew 20:27-28
Acts 1:8
John 20:21
Questions to discuss
Grab a blank sheet of paper and write a few thoughts in response to these questions. When you gather as a GC, you can draw on these responses in your discussion.
We cannot become mature disciples of Jesus apart from a Gospel-centered community that is living life on mission. How are we doing living out all 3 parts of our identity (family, servant, missionaries)?
What would change about our GC if we lived as a family? Why would this be a strong demonstration of the gospel to others in our lives?
What would change about our GC if we lived as servants like Jesus? Why would this be a strong demonstration of the gospel to others in our lives?
What would change about our GC if we lived as fully-time missionaries? Why would this be a strong demonstration of the gospel to others in our lives?
What can we start doing differently today?
Thoughts to engage
Grab a blank sheet of paper and write a few thoughts in response to these questions. These get more into your experience of the Gospel and may be something you can discuss with others in your GC.
Do ≠ Be. In most of life, what we do leads to who we are and how people relate to us. But our identity from God is a free gift. How does the gospel recalibrate your identity?
Before Christ, my identity and self-worth was most shaped by…
Now, because of the Gospel, I am…
As a Christian, I thought these things were important in order to please God…
Now I know Jesus did everything that was needed to pay for my sin and secure the Father’s acceptance on my behalf, so I can…
It’s remarkable to think we are now part of the family of the eternal and triune God! Reflect on the truths that come to mind because of your new gospel identity…
As a child of God, I get to…
As a child of God, I never have to…
As a child of God, I can always…