Resilient Disciples by Rick Hill

 

RESILIENT DISCIPLES

by Rick Hill

10 July 2025

I succumbed to the temptation and bought Rick Hill's book Resilient Disciples at @keswickportstewart this week. The introduction has already sucked me in and I am so looking forward to reading the book now.

In his Introduction to Resilient Disciples, Rick Hill describes a forest where the trees had been cut down purposely and those beside these same trees had fallen down of their own accord. Do these represent followers of Jesus whose faith once flourished but has now fallen? Or perhaps it represents those whose faith weakens in testing or trial.

Rick quotes some amazing statistics - two thirds of 18 to 29 years olds who grew up and were active in the church as a child or a teen have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult. These statistics apply to USA but they could easily be ours. There has been a shift in our culture and that has left some exposed, isolated and unable to stand strong. There are those who choose comfort and compromise as their response laying down their cross for an easier ride.

But how do we develop resilience amidst such a growing trend away from the Christian faith? We need to develop strong foundations in our discipleship and embrace the moments of difficulty and darkness as an opportunity for growth. This is the time to feed ourselves. We are not immune to suffering and discipleship involves a cost.

Barna's research that I mentioned earlier found certain types of Christians - Nomads (lapsed Christians), the Prodigals (ex-Christians), Habituals (cultural churchgoers) but there is another group - those Christians whose faith had not wilted under cultural pressure or been destroyed through testing or trial but had actually flourished. To this group - representing 10% of Christians (believers) they gave them the name resilient disciples. They attend church at least monthly and engage with their churches more than just attending worship services; trust firmly in the authority of the bible; are committed to Jesus and affirm he was crucified and raised from the dead to conquer sin and death; and express desire to transform the broader society as an outcome of their faith.

It is strange but this issue is something I was talking about with someone yesterday at Keswick:

"It bothers me that we focus more on the start of a faith journey than the next steps. It bothers me that we notice who comes in the front door of our churches but often miss those who slip out the back door. It bothers me that those who can flourish in their faith in one season can fizzle out in the next. It bothers me that even those who lead others aren't immune to falling and failing." (taken from the Introduction Setting the Scene)

CHAPTER 1 - RESPONDING TO THE CALL

It is strange how context is everything - when we tell a story we put it in context first so that people can understand where we are coming from or what we are trying to convey.

When you read the bible and see how crowds of people followed Jesus it makes you wonder - why did that happen? What was there about him that attracted people? His invitation was so simple but it was also immediate.

And the response was equally as quick. They didn't wait for a better offer. They immediately left everything and jumped to Jesus' attention. Why?

In Jewish culture all boys would have attended school until the age of 13. Their education focused on studying the scriptures with the aim of learning and memorising the first 5 book so the Old Testament. After finishing school they began learning a trade as an apprentice with many going to live with the tradesman's family for a time. They would earn their keep by doing basic tasks and menial labour as they learned from the Master crafstman.

At the age of 15 these young men who had shown most potential in their studies and had done well at memorising scripture were invited to attend Bet Midrash. This means "house of study" and basically was a rabbi's school or study group. Adults of all ages including women could come to listen in on some of the rabbi's teaching sessions. Some of those who studied never became teachers but were still called "disciples" even at advanced ages. There were only a few, however, who were dedicated enough to spend years training to become rabbinic teachers themselves. The rest, ended up back in their family home as apprentices, learning their Father's trade to one day take on the business for themselves.

So when Jesus called his first disciples from fishing they hadn't made the cut. They were not with another rabbi

Jesus found his first disciples when they were doing the menial task of mending nets at their father's business. He invited them to become his disciples and learn from him.

Jesus was inviting them to ...

An invitation to relationship - come

It was essentially an invitation to be with him, walk alongside him, watch his life closely, learn from him and develop close relationship with him. This invitation is the starting point for every disciple and should remain our consistent posture.

Do we become so consumed in Christian activity that we lose sight of the simple invitation to simply be with Jesus. Activity replaces awareness, serving can come before stillness, things that are good get in the way of that which is best.

The drop-everything response is to turn to him to enjoy his presence in our daily realities, to receive his grace when we have sinned, to prioritise his word over our wisdom and to embrace his purposes over our preferences.

An Involvement in an apprenticeship - follow me

The call included actively following him. Jesus allowed his disciples to see his life in practice. His style of teaching was more about context than classroom. His method of learning was more "see and do" rather than "listen and learn". Jesus trained disciples through life circumstances and every day opportunities. The disciples learning from Jesus was as much about their hearts and hands as it was about their heads.

The Greek word for disciple Mathetes literally means learner. A pupil. A student. An apprentice.

We should wear our "L" plates with pride as we follow in the dust of our Rabbi. Not as experts but learners. Not as masters but pupils. Not as finished articles but works in progress.

Just like we are moulded and shaped by the things we learn and the people we are with, as we study the life of Christ, we will discover how he prioritised spending time in prayer, stopped with the lowly and the lonely, forgave more than he condemned and constantly reached out to a hurting world in need.

The living example and present relationship should then cause our lives to look different, as can be seen in the next part of Jesus' invitation ...

A challenge to transformation - I will make

These disciples would be changed by Jesus. He was going to make them into something. He called them to follow him and he was going to change who they were.

To follow meant to change.

In ancient Jewish culture, the call to discipleship was usually initiated by the rabbi. He chose his disciples and invited them to become his students. Each rabbi had his own unique idiosyncrasies that he required his disciples to follow and young apprentices took on the yoke of their new master. When a disciple learned how to emulate his rabbi or "carry his yoke" then they could then become a rabbi themselves.

However compared to the rabbis of the day with their endless lists of rules, regulations and restrictions, Jesus' yoke was neither cumbersome or restrictive, it was freeing. He came to lighten people's loads not add to their burdens. Jesus invited those who had been overlooked by other rabbis or those who felt weary and burdened from the yokes of other rabbis, to lay them down and follow him instead. He called these first disciples to follow him and his way of life and this would have been exactly what they aimed to do. 

God's will for your life is not restricted to a certain place or job, because your direction is much more important than your destination.

A call to mission - fish for people

There was to be an outward dimension to their apprenticeship.

Following him wasn't primarily about receiving the benefits but being mobilised in mission.

Encounter should lead to evangelism. Following should lead to fishing. Worship should lead to mission.

We have to go to where people are and if we are not going then we are not being obedient. It is important to grasp that following Jesus in all it's fulness is not primarily about becoming nicer, getting smarter or improving our morals. Rather to grasp the fullness of Jesus' call in our lives is actually to join him in his mission."

Discipleship and mission are not separate callings but are intricately linked. Discipleship fuels mission and mission provokes discipleship.

CHAPTER 2 - EMBRACING THE COST

Is comfort one of the biggest obstacles to faith? Resilient discipleship will confront consumerism, challenge, comfort and embrace cost. 

"The gospel always brings life to the receiver and death to the giver; if the gospel brought death to Jesus Christ why would we think that in preaching the gospel it would be any less for us?"

Jackie Pullinger

We are the generation with more choices than ever before. Choice can damage our commitment and tempt us to view Jesus as just one extra choice in a world full of options.

Following Jesus isn't just something to pick off the shelf to add to the fully stocked trolley of our lives. Instead, it demands a full response in all of our lives where we are prepared to give up our desires in exchange for his.

There is a high reward in following Jesus, both eternally and now in the present. However, alongside that also comes a huge cost.

We can know his presence, his purpose, his light, his love and his peace.

The goal of discipleship isn't extravagant gestures but laying down one's life. Discipleship is essentially costly, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote this:

It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. it is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

When we believe that Jesus is our greatest pleasure, then following him will become our greatest priority.

"Our common way of avoiding radical discipleship is to be selective; choosing those areas in which commitment suits us and staying away from those areas in which it will be costly. But because Jesus is Lord, we have no right to pick and choose the areas in which we will submit to his authority." John Stott

Christianity is not just a door to be entered but a life to be followed.

3 ways in which we might know this cost in our lives - time, talents and treasure.

Time - we should want to sacrifice some of our free time to talk with him as we pray or hear him speak as we read the bible. We should prioritise some of our time to take our place within the community of the church as well as give up some of our spare time to serve others. We need to realise that every breath comes from a generous Creator. Our time is not something to hold on to ourselves but to steward in service of the Master. Our time has been gifted to us and should be given back as an offering.

Talents - natural abilities. It is about wisely using everything that has been entrusted to us as servants.

"God has uniquely gifted us ... Among us all are incredible business people, artists, athletes, scientists, mums, dads, chefs, accountants - the list is endless! There is something specific in each of us that makes us come alive ... So whatever we do or wherever we go, we find that God is inviting us to leverage our passions for one greater purpose." Louie Giglio

We personally know the most creative designer, who designed stars, painted skies, and sings songs of love over his people. This designer God lives and dwells inside us. There is brilliance on the inside of each of us. Our lives are bursting with potential.

"What you do in the present - by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbour as yourself ... are part of what we may call building for God's kingdom." N T Wright

"The reward for work well done in this age isn't a mansion and a Maserati in heaven. It's more work and more responsibility in God's new world."

John Mark Comer

Treasure - it costs nothing to know Jesus but as we align our hearts with his, this should impact how we manage our finances.

Knowing that the resources we have been given are his, we should want to steward our resources well.

Knowing that our money should be used for kingdom impact should loosen our grip on our wallets.

Knowing that an attribute of a follower of Jesus is generosity should lead us to give to our local churches.

Knowing that we should love our neighbours as ourselves should cause us to give to those who are in need.

However, as Jesus demonstrated with the widow in the temple, he is not so interested in the amount we give but in the heart we give with.

Resilient disciples will come to understand that following Jesus means more than enjoying mountaintop moments, but also learning to walk through the valley. Let's accept the cost and choose to follow Jesus even in the hard choices and through the difficult days.

It takes 6 hours for a mushroom to grow. It takes 60 years for an oak tree to grow. Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree?

CHAPTER 3 - COMMITTING TO COMMUNITY

Rick Hill paints a very honest picture of commitment to the church. He contrasts those whose countless lives have been rescued, redeemed and restored. But this has not been everyone's experience of the church. Some have seen more warts than wonders in the church and it has produced resentment or indifference. Others remain at a distance, cynical about the church's claims while many assume it's irrelevance by believing comic caricatures. God's community isn't always embraced because at times we have disappointed people. Too often we have fallen out over minor issues, been overly judgemental, ignored the marginalised and championed the wrong things. We have remained at a distance when people required support. We have stayed shallow when people needed depth. We have chosen to write off and cast adrift when restoration was possible and connection was craved.

We need the community of God's people to become a resilient disciple ourselves. Why? Because we don't have all the answers when it comes to following Jesus. We need the encouragement of others, the challenge of bible teaching and the example of what that practically looks like. God has designed the church for that very purpose.

The Son of God didn't try to live his life apart from others but he called people close. This of course flows out of the community known as the Trinity that Jesus was a part of already. Together in perfect unity and yet with distinct roles, Father, Son and Spirit have dwelt in complete harmony since before the beginning of time itself.