Disciple Maker

We commonly call it "The Great Commission" it was Jesus last instructions to his disciples before he would ascend into heaven. Three of four gospel writers have left us pieces of what was said that when pulled together give us the mission statement of the church. Go Make Disciples. It is the mission statement of God as to what he expects of his people and what will be the guiding principle of his church. Finding the lost and bringing them into his glorious light. We are called to do more than simply make convert who will take on the name of Jesus in baptism but we are called to make disciples and there is a difference.

For to long to mode of operation in far to many churches has could be likened to a car salesman. They try to make the hard sale on someone to "come to the alter" or as every head is bowed and every eye is closed "lift their hands if they would like to be saved" (I see that hand sir, thank you.) But what about after the lights are off and the baptism towels are in the dryer? What's the plan for this new born babe in Christ after the social media post are out getting their likes?

The call is to teach all nations. A more literal reading would be as you go make disciples of all people. This was how Jesus built the 12 men who would be entrusted to take the gospel into the whole world. Jesus would teach the multitudes, he would feed the thousands but in the midst of that was the 12. These men would not only see the miracles happen but they would have the backstage pass. They were allowed to ask questions about what had just happened, they saw his life every day and received extra instruction from the master.

These 12 men were hand picked by Jesus to go further and come closer than his many other followers they were becoming disciples. The disciple were there at the sermon on the mount, they were there when Lazarus was raised and the fishes and loaves fed the 5000.

The model of Jesus should always be the model we use to do anything in life. It’s incredible what we can learn from the life of Jesus that will help us in our day to day.

One thing we can learn by looking at the life and the ministry of Jesus is that he was a people person. He took time to build relationships with people. He would touch the socially outcast leprous man, he would tell his disciples to let the little children come to him. Jesus would wait for a little short. Zacchaeus to climb down from his tree then he would go to his home. Jesus would stop the crowd around him to wait for the blind to stumble their way to him. He would run around in the midst of a great crowd pressing upon him to see who touched me. Jesus was all about people.

Before all of my fellow introverts tune me out remember outside of the thousands there was the 12 and even in the midst of those there was the 3. Peter James and John were invited to the mountain to see Jesus transfigured and also into the garden to see him suffer. The call to make disciples doesn't pass you by because of your personality type. Jesus told everyone there to make disciples. Peter and John standing side by side received the same call, Go make disciples.

What Jesus did with the three is something we all need to do with our own disciples. He let them see him glorified but he also let them see him suffer at Gethsemane. Too many times we are happy to share with those around us our triumphs but not our trials.

In order for the church to continue forward there must be a disciple maker attitude to get ahold of us. For far to long we have circled the same mountains because generation after generation we must learn the same lessons over. This is not the will of God. It is not Gods will for the knowledge and wisdom you have garnered throughout your life and ministry to share your grave some day. Because Solomon was the one called to build the temple didn’t cause David to stop dreaming of its grandeur. It caused him to begin to lay aside treasure and plans for its completion.

At the risk of being offensive to an elder I will move ahead carefully but in the vein of the Holy Ghost. Elders; We need your voices in our lives. We need you to speak up and show us the ways. We need you to impart your wisdom to us and not withhold the voice of correction when we make mistakes. What you cannot do is become intimidated by the rejection of the few.

Yes there are a carnal few who believe your ways are out dated and your words don’t carry weight in the 21st century. Don’t withhold to speak because of the rejection of a few who will give way to the cares of their carnal flesh. Go make disciple. for very Judas there are 11 others who wait with bated breath to hear you speak into their lives and put you hands on them.

Our problem isn't getting new people into the church our problem is retaining and discipling those new converts. I have learned that it is one thing getting someone to church but getting church into them is a whole new problem in itself. Putting it plainly creating a baby is one thing, being a parent is a commitment on a whole new level. No Godly parent births a baby then waves at it through the nursery window and wishes it the best of luck growing mature on its own.

Let us learn from parenting. Raising a child takes commitment through accidents, messes and mistakes. Being a parent means your there for the triumphs but also through the trials. The same can be said for disciple making. Its commitment and work. But the blessings of seeing a new life in Christ become rooted and grounded in doctrine and Godliness will make it worth it all.

Some wisdom my wife taught me early in my life was to never take for granted what someone else knew. This lesson came after I had made the comment from the pulpit "we all know the story of " what we take for granted to often is that they know. We expect our new borns in Christ just to know why. Why do I need the Holy Ghost, Why do we dress different from other people, why do we worship the way that we do far to often go left unsaid.

Its up to us to teach these things. Because of our ability to find information people are finding answers to these questions. Our silence is causing them to seek answers from google rather than a seasoned saint of God. Rather than allow them to risk finding the wrong information scouring the web wouldn't it make sense for someone to come alongside them and teach them?

In closing lets acknowledge that we are on the doorstep of the church being called away to our home in glory. I don't want to leave one soul behind without having heard first the gospel of Jesus Christ and I don't want to leave one soul behind that I could have walked alongside of searching for answers until then.