C2C Discipleship Challenge

1 life...

2 questions...

2 different responses.

It might all boil down to this:

Question 1: If someone offered to sponsor you (and whoever else you like) a 3 week 'around the world' boat cruise, if you committed to doing the following over a 3 month period, would you do it?

Wake up early a minimum of 3 of the 7 days in your week, to spend 1 hour with the Lord in scripture, reading, meditation & prayer
Train / exercise your body twice a week, in bringing it into alignment with God's design and purpose for your body
Reject all and any habits that dishonor or grieve the Holy Spirit whom takes up residence in your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit
Pray and fast all food and social media for a total of 6 days (independently, in combination or in succession) over the 3 month period
Take a Sabbath day's rest for 1 full work day each of the 3 months
Confess all sin (no matter how big or small) to a fellow brother, each month, over the 3 month period
Open up and account for your finances (all of it) to another brother, at some stage during the 3 month period
Actively seek out one avenue of service (excluding Sunday church) in which God can repeatedly and reliably use you to be Jesus hands and feet in the service of someone in need

Answer 1: What do think? Worth it? Possible? For a 3 week fully sponsored boat cruise, with anyone else you like? Hold you answer.

Question 2: If your answer to the above is a flat no, or even maybe, stay with me... because I'm not done. What happens if that person who offered you the boat cruise, now offers you something else... Something better?

To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God - Rev 2:7
The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death - Rev 2:11
To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. - Rev 2:17
The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. - Rev 2:26,28
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. - Rev 3:5,6
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. - Rev 3:12
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Rev 3:21

Answer 2: What do you think now? If the 3 week boat cruise didn't cut it, hopefully this does?

This is Jesus, making some of the most outrageous promises in the entire bible... You shall eat from the tree of life, receive a new name, rule the nation's, sit upon the very throne of God... For all eternity!! How do we put a price (or a cost) on this?! Or perhaps you're wondering... What exactly has this challenge and conquering for Christ got to do with each other? Well, Peter the Apostle would be glad you asked, because in the last letter he wrote to the saints before being martyred, he wanted to ensure that no one had any doubts, or were in any way deceived, about what their calling and election as disciples of Christ should look like. Here's what he wrote in 2 Peter 1:

'His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your...

faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.'

- 2 Peter 1:3-10

This challenge then, has been formulated for all Jesus' disciples, who seek to conquer for Christ and receive his promises, by practically applying and growing in the key virtues listed by the great Apostle Peter, in his final stand for the faith. The challenge therefore incorporates 8 tried and tested best discipleship practices, with the purpose of you engaging and hopefully adopting some / all of them, in your discipleship journey.

In conclusion, all things worthy of attainment must ask something of us. In this instance, the very source and origin of all that is worthy (High King Jesus), calls on us as his sons to conquer, by disciplining and training ourselves in our precious faith, that in the words of Peter, we might be fruitful in our knowledge of our Lord, and thus never fall!

This then is the Called 2 Conquer Challenge. I pray that the Lord leads and inspires you in your response. You never know, it might all boil down to this...

Wake up early a minimum of 3 of the 7 days in your week, to spend 1 hour with the Lord in scripture, reading, meditation & prayer (for the renewing of your mind and feeding of your spirit)
Train / exercise your body twice a week, in bringing it into alignment with God's design and purpose for your body (to serve and glorify him in our bodies)
Reject all and any habits that dishonor or grieve the Holy Spirit whom takes up residence in your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (to be holy as the Lord is holy)
Pray and fast all food and social media for a total of 6 days (independently, in combination or in succession) over the 3 month period (thus starving the flesh and feeding your spirit)
Take a Sabbath day's rest for 1 full work day each of the 3 months (thus entering into God's rest by faith for his plans and purposes)
Confess all sin (no matter how big or small) to a fellow brother, each month, over the 3 month period (for righteousness sake)
Open up and account for your finances (all of it) to another brother, at some stage during the 3 month period (for stewardship and idolatry sake)
Actively seek out one avenue of service (excluding Sunday church) in which God can repeatedly and reliably use you to be Jesus hands and feet in the service of someone in need (in becoming like Christ)

A parting thought - Discipleship is a team sport... but this team, is more like a band of brothers, and this game... is more like war. Because nothing less than eternal life or death hangs in the balance... Accordingly, don't take the challenge alone... Find another brother, make the commitment together, and discover some of the incredible blessings and benefits of brotherly affection and unity! Finally, if you would like an introduction / explanation for some of the challenges above, you can read more about them in the C2C Spiritual Disciplines Summary attached here >>>

Onward and upward brothers!

The Spiritual Disciplines - A summary with practice notes.pdf

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