All
Christians are confronted with the command of Jesus found in the Great
Commission that says, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”, Have you
thought through this verse? There are three questions presented whose
answers provide the framework for the task to which Jesus has called us to. The
questions are:
1. What
is a disciple? Jesus calls us to “make” them. So, we
must first understand what their characteristics are. A simple definition is
found in Pastor Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” A life of
discipleship is understood in terms of living out the five purposes.
A
disciple is one who: (read each point then discuss)
• Is pleasing
God every day, this is true Worship. They realize that they are
planned for God’s pleasure.
• Is an active member of a local body of believers, which is Fellowship. They understand that they are formed for a family.
• Is learning to be more Christ-like in their behavior every day, which is Discipleship. They realize they are created to become like Christ.
• Is serving sacrificially within the local body of believers, which is Ministry. They know how they have been shaped for service and live it out continually.
• Is sharing God’s love, forgiveness and hope with people who do not know Christ, which is Mission. They declare openly and confidently, “I was made for a mission.”
2. How does one make disciples? If we use the purpose definition of a disciple, then it follows that we must be about inserting these purposes into our lives, and of the people whom God has entrusted us to us. This is the work of the church. We must set up an environment that leads people along a developmental path such that these purposes become fully integrated into their lives. We preach the purposes from the pulpit, teach them in small groups, we model them in our lives, we provide opportunities for our people to live them out individually and in fellowship with others, and we expect them to mature and envision and equip others to this same life of obedience. This is how we become a Purpose Driven people and church.
• Is an active member of a local body of believers, which is Fellowship. They understand that they are formed for a family.
• Is learning to be more Christ-like in their behavior every day, which is Discipleship. They realize they are created to become like Christ.
• Is serving sacrificially within the local body of believers, which is Ministry. They know how they have been shaped for service and live it out continually.
• Is sharing God’s love, forgiveness and hope with people who do not know Christ, which is Mission. They declare openly and confidently, “I was made for a mission.”
2. How does one make disciples? If we use the purpose definition of a disciple, then it follows that we must be about inserting these purposes into our lives, and of the people whom God has entrusted us to us. This is the work of the church. We must set up an environment that leads people along a developmental path such that these purposes become fully integrated into their lives. We preach the purposes from the pulpit, teach them in small groups, we model them in our lives, we provide opportunities for our people to live them out individually and in fellowship with others, and we expect them to mature and envision and equip others to this same life of obedience. This is how we become a Purpose Driven people and church.
How
does living like a Christ Follower look like? What steps do you need to take?
3. How
are disciples sent to all nations? The third
question infers that the “go” requires the church to “send.” It is our task to
be strategic and intentional about infusing the five purposes into the lives of
our people so they can truly be disciples. For the purpose of mission, and if
we are to be obedient to Jesus, we must strategically and intentionally send
people into the world, locally and globally, to carry the Good News to a
hurting world. The best way to do mission is to do church, and the best
way to do church is to do mission.
Insanity
has been defined as, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a
different result. I heard a different slant recently, Doing the same old things
and expecting a different outcome.
Is
the church guilty of insanity?- Doing
the same old things and expecting a different outcome. How can we change
that rut or routine and become a true Christ follower?
If you
always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got!
