Four cultural values entice us toward an Americanized messiah instead of the crucified Christ. Image: Illustration by Rick Szuecs / Source images: Wikimedia Commons / Envato
As pastors immersed in Western culture, it’s difficult to disentangle our view of Jesus from the Americanized identity we value an identity measured mostly in terms of what looks good, feels good, and does good. The question arises: What does it mean for us to be cross-centered and follow the crucified Jesus in our context? What are the distinctions between the world’s discipleship and Jesus’ discipleship?
Four vices of worldly discipleship are deeply ingrained in the church. Just as Jesus taught the Twelve, we too must reject these four things categorically, not only because they are illusory and temporary, but because they damage us and the people we lead.