“Jesus came and told His disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this. I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)
What is the Church? The Church is the sum total of every born-again believer who has ever lived – from Peter, James and John to you and me if we’re saved by grace and filled with God’s Spirit. Our goal is not simply to go to heaven, it’s to take as many lost people as possible with us on our way.
Church attenders attend church; disciples make disciples who make disciples who not only attend church, but they also take “church” with them wherever they go – to school, work, play, social gatherings, vacations, as well as sports and training events and other activities that put us in touch with others who may not know Jesus.
Jesus’ heart wasn’t to gather people to hear great messages, sing emotionally stirring songs, pray thunderous prayers and leave feeling they’d been “fed”! His heart was and is to compel His followers to allow His Spirit to fill them so full of Himself it will be difficult to differentiate between Him and them. He wants us to follow Him so closely we can’t discern if it’s our breath or His, our heartbeat or His.
Disciples aren’t simply religious followers, they’re spiritual planters and harvesters, born to plant, water, and reap a harvest of those whose hearts and minds have been prepared by God’s Spirit to receive the Good News of the Gospel. As born-again believers in the Only Son of God, we’re not simply consumers, we’re filled with God’s Spirit to share His life and love with everyone with whom we have contact.
We’re Ambassadors of the living Christ created to spread His love and life wherever He leads us and with whomever He puts us in contact. To believe we can yield our life and allegiance to Jesus and remain the same is to misunderstand the clear instruction of Scripture. Mike Breen had it right when he wrote: “If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”
If our focus is church, our energy will be poured into the church, but if we’re committed to the Church’s Mission of reaching lost people and training them to obey the clear commands of the Savior, then reproduce themselves in others, then we’re showing evidence of truly understanding the Lord’s great Commandment in Matthew 28, but it must begin with us. Discipleship isn’t only Pastors’ responsibility; it’s each Jesus follower’s commission.
So, may I ask you: how many people, young and old, are you pouring your faith in Jesus into? Who are you training to become like you as you follow Jesus. Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Obviously, we’re going to make the kind of disciple we are; so, the question then becomes: “Who am I following?” Am I following the Jesus of the Bible or a counterfeit? Am I seeking with all that is within me to emulate the character of the Jesus of the Bible or some semblance based on my denominational preferences.
Regardless of our educational or even theological training, our focus must be on Jesus and what He accomplished on the Cross. To stray from the clear teaching of the Gospel message is to leave people ill equipped to face eternity.
Please, for the sake of those you’re influencing, keep the main thing the main thing! Teach them how to love Jesus, live faithfully for Him and to teach others to do the same.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 