Making Disciples

     Christians have become lazy in the area of discipleship, and have instead chosen to let the church handle this responsibility. Jesus commissioned every one of his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. Why do we feel that Jesus wasn't talking to us? When we read the great commission  why do we view it as a story and not a command of our Lord and King? Did Jesus ever say in the Bible that once you give your life to me you can sit back and concentrate on your own spiritual life? When did Jesus become our own personal secret? Instead, Jesus told us to go in to all the world with the good news about himself. It's GOOD NEWS. The gospel of Jesus is offensive yes, but it is a saving news. Telling people good news actually involves talking to them. I know it's scary. People are opinionated, obstinate, and easily offended, but guess what? Jesus knew all that when he told you to go and tell them. 

     Now once you tell them about Jesus you are not off the hook. Discipleship means you have to spend time with them. Jesus said to teach them to obey all I have commanded you. You can't teach people to obey God in one sit down. You have to walk with them in their daily life. This is something that everyone dreads because we are in our heart selfish. Anytime something disrupts us from our schedule or routine we get pissed. How dare I have to spend time with someone that the world considers ugly, stupid, or annoying when I am supposed to go hang out with my friends tonight. New Christians are so needy and they will probably be calling all the time asking endless questions. All I want to do is take a nap, or watch a movie with my friends, or read a book, or anything else besides talk with someone who needs Jesus. Jesus left heaven to come and teach us about God for 33 years, and we bicker about teaching new believers about God a couple times a week. Jesus humbled himself to be murdered by his own creation and we don't even want to give up some of our free time to help people. How selfish are we? The only answer to our attitude is daily repentance. We have to ask Jesus to change our heart and our perspective. When we realize that teaching people about Jesus is the only thing that matters in this world our view is drastically altered. You realize that the hated people in this world are the ones that need Jesus the most. Jesus said himself that the sick are the ones that need a doctor. Everyone hates thieves, gangsters, prostitutes, drug heads, and sex offenders, but those are the people that Jesus hung out with because they were spiritually sick and they new it. Would we dare to be seen with these people much less teaching them about Jesus and what it means to walk with him in a daily relationship? It's not just the people that the world hates either, but also the ones that they ignore. Everyone, Christians as well, ignore homeless people. When we pull up to the stoplight  and there is a man with a sign asking for money we try to pull up just past him or stop further in front of him so we don't have to look at him or read his sign. Jesus Christ our Lord was homeless. He was spurned by the religious community. He was seen with the worst of the worst but he didn't care because his Father in heaven had given him a command. It's high time we started to view Jesus' commands as commands and not suggestions. Jesus said if you want to be my follower you must pick up your cross DAILY and follow me. You don't get to put it down one day and pick it up the next, you don't get to pay someone to carry it for you, you don't get to have his cross shipped do you at the end of your life so you can wrap your arms around it in death. YOU HAVE TO CARRY THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST EVERYWHERE YOU GO EVERYDAY. How? You pick up the cross of Jesus by surrendering your will and your desires to his will and his desires. You submit yourself to your King and Master and ask the Holy Spirit to flow through you and produce the fruit of Jesus Christ in your life that day. Let the Holy Spirit love people through you, and disciple people through you. 

     One last thing to add before I close out this post. In the parable of the sower Jesus said the seed that fell among the good soil multiplied and produced itself 30, 60, and 100 times over. For the longest time Christians have worked with addition. We have an event and people get saved. Bring them to church and people get saved. Multiplication involves making disciples of Jesus Christ and instead of inviting them to church to become church drones  you teach them to go out and make disciples as well. Most all Christians today just come to church and believe in inviting people to church but they are not teaching anyone to go out and make disciples. We are focused on ourselves. Church is programmed for the individual and not around seeking and saving to lost. This is something that has to change. 

     God help us to repent of our selfishness and go out and make disciples of all nations. All we want is for your name to be glorified and I pray that we be intentional about the expansion of your Kingdom. I want as many people to fall in love with you as possible but how can that happen unless I go out and tell them.