IDMC 2024: Discipleship Under Attack

IDMC 2024: Discipleship Under Attack

Collin Leong. September 3, 2024

These are notes I took from the August 2024 IDMC Convention. Note that not all are from the speakers. I have mixed in with my own words and sentences too. 

Discipleship Under Attack (Rev Edmund Chan)

Women typically says to men, "whatever", "nothing", "go ahead", or "wow".  They don't mean what they say. 

“Whatever”: This is a woman’s way of saying, “I don’t want to argue anymore, but you’re definitely wrong.”

“Nothing”: This is not nothing, but means something, and it’s often something significant. The joke is that “nothing” is actually a loaded word that means, “You should be worried.”

“Go ahead”: This is often interpreted as a dare, not permission. The joke is that if you actually go ahead, you might face some consequences later.

“Wow”: This can be a sarcastic expression is not of admiration, but of disbelief or disappointment that the man still couldn't get it.  

The lesson is that many things are not what they seems

When is discipleship under attack? 

1. It happens in our life's wilderness and warfare. 

Isaiah 40:1-5 says "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord." (v3), and "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  (v5)

The wilderness is where God speaks. He speaks to us about His promise and His purpose. It's a place of transition and training. It is not a punishment. This was what the Israelites went through, Punishment is when God send them back to Egypt, but He didn't. 

2. Bad news in wilderness 

• We can lose our bearing (confused) in the wilderness or in darkness. When we are lost at night, we can look at the North Star (or Polaris). The Polaris is directly aligned with Earth's rotational North Pole, making it a reliable indicator of true north in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, navigators use the Southern Cross constellation to find south. The lesson here is that when we are lost, we look up .... to God and his Word. 
• We can lose our confidence. - we need to trust God's Word.
• We tend to wander in wilderness - we need discernment from God.
• Wilderness wandering wearies us.
• Wilderness is a battleground - the battleground that lies within. 

As result, we walk away from God. We give lip service but we act the other way. We compromise. It is a battle with our will vs. the will of God. And the battle with Satan and his deception. We need to come to a repentance. 

3. Good news in wilderness 

• We can experience God's presence 
• We can receive God's provisions 
• We can witness God's power
• We can witness God's purpose 

God puts us in wilderness, but God will take us through the wilderness.

4. The attack and lie of Satan 

• There is no way out of this wilderness. Jer 31:2 "Thus says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness - Israel, when I went to give him rest.”"

• God will never ask you to go somewhere where his grace cannot reach you. In the wilderness, return to God.

• Greatest snare in wilderness is murmuring and complaining. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt as they don't dare to go into the promised land 

• We have a choice in wilderness. To prepare the way of the lord. In wilderness we experience God on us. 

• Heed the prophetic voice in the scriptures. Isaiah 40 - why should I cry out? The word of the lord stands forever. (v8).  Behold YOUR God. (v9)

On the way to Emmaus, Jesus opens up the scriptures to the two disciples, instead of revealing himself. They were down-casted on their way to Emmaus, but went back to Jerusalem with joy.

The victory over discipleship attack is in the Word of God. Feelings are deceptive. Depend on the written word.