Friday, October 30, 2009

October 30, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
All this week I have been leading you in an examination of discipleship. What does it take to make a disciple? What are the marks of discipleship?
Here are some we have identitified:
Disciples have faith evidenced by faithfulness.
Disciples are followers of Jesus. They have fully devoted themselves to follow Him.
Disciples are fearless because they live in the power and presence of Jesus. It is not that they are never afraid but they don't let fear keep them from obeying God.
Disciples are focused on fulfilling the mandate of Jesus. It sets their purpose and their priorities.
Disciples are fruitful. They produce spiritual results for the Kingdom of God. They reproduce themselves in the lives of others.
Disciples have a familiar place. They have a place where they can go to meet with Jesus and they retreat there often.
Disciples have fellowship. They enjoy fellowship with other disciples, with those they are discipling and fellowship with Jesus.
Finally, we see that disciples have a future. Because Jesus has promised to be with them always even to the end of the age, they can look to the future with confidence. The same power and promises and presence and principles that changed them into full devoted followers of Christ, will continue to change them and mold them into the image of Christ. It will continue to empower them to convert and cultivate other disciples. Their future is bright!
Also, their future is bright beyond this life. Once they have finished their assignment in their generation and in their lifetime, they can be assured of an eternal glory with Jesus and millions of other disciples!
Disciples of Jesus win at every level, a past that is forgiven, a present that is fulfilling and a future that is assured!
While the future of a disciple is secured, the future of the faith is not necessarily secured. Christianity is always just one generation from extinction. Discipleship is the hope for the future of the faith. If we don't make disciples in our generation, the future of the faith is at risk.
Jesus has invested the future of His faith in us. Is your future invested in Him? Are you investing in the future of others?

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

October 29, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
This week we have been learning quite a bit about discipleship. What are the marks that identify a disciple of Jesus?
A disciple holds to faith that is evidenced by faithfulness. disciples are also followers of Jesus. They follow Him fully, above all else that is sacred and important to them. And fully devoted disciples of Jesus are fearless because they live in His power and His presence. It does not mean that they are never afraid it means that they don't let fear nullify their faith. A fully devoted disciple is also focused on fulfilling the mandate Jesus gave them. Fully devoted disciples are fruitful. That means they produce results and the results they produce are other disciples. A certain mark of discipleship is that disciples reproduce themselves in others. Another mark of a disciple is he has a familiar place.
There is yet another mark of a disciple that I notice in this portion of Scripture. A disciple has fellowship.
Disciples have fellowship with other Christ followers. Their common faith and common focus creates a bond that unites them. These eleven had shared life for three years as they followed Jesus together. They had become like brothers as they laughed together, cried together, worked together, and learned together at the feet of Jesus. Few things are sweeter in life than the fellowship shared by God's people. Disciples are blessed with fellowship.
Not only does a disciple have fellowship with other disciples, he gets to enjoy the fellowship with those he is discipling. When a follower of Jesus is used by God to win a convert to Christ, a special bond is forged. Leading someone to Christ is almost like having a child and in a sense, he is a spiritual child. Some of my best fellowship has been with men I have had the privilege of developing as disciples.
Fellowship with other disciples, fellowship with those being discipled, and the best fellowship is the fellowship we have with Jesus, Who promises "to be with you always, even to the end of the age". Enjoying fellowship with Jesus is a preview of eternity because Heaven will be highlighted by unending fellowship with Jesus in the presence of God!
Disciples are blessed by fellowship. They enjoy fellowship with one another, fellowship with new believers, and fellowship with Jesus. You cannot be a disciple without enjoying fellowship. There are no "lone ranger" Christians.
How is your fellowship? Who are you sharing life with as you follow Jesus?

October 28, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
What makes a one a disciple of Jesus Christ? What does one of those look like?
Over the past several days we have been sketching a picture of what that looks like. A disciple holds to faith that is evidenced by faithfulness. disciples are also followers of Jesus. They follow Him fully, above all else that is sacred and important to them. And fully devoted disciples of Jesus are fearless because they live in His power and His presence. It does not mean that they are never afraid it means that they don't let fear nullify their faith. A fully devoted disciple is also focused on fulfilling the mandate Jesus gave them. Fully devoted disciples are fruitful. That means they produce results and the results they produce are other disciples. A certain mark of discipleship is that disciples reproduce themselves in others.
One more mark of a disciple is they have a familiar place. The Scripture says that, "The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go." At this critical and strategic time in their lives the disciples retreated to a place where they had met Jesus before. It is important to have a place like that.
As a rule, there are not many comfort zones for a disciple. Most things that come naturally for us must be forsaken in order to walk in the Holy Spirit and in fellowship with Christ. Disciples are called to deny themselves and crucify their flesh. But one familiar thing we are allowed is a familiar place to meet with Christ.
Do you have a familiar place? Where do you go to meet with God? You don't have to go to a mountain, although you could! Choose a place that is comfortable and accessible and private. It could be a certain room. It could be a chair or a couch in that room. It could be a porch or a patio. Can you identify such a place?
When Jesus told the eleven to meet Him on the mountain they knew exactly where to go. Where does He tell you to go to meet with Him? Do you have such a place? If not, will you find one? Will you invite Him to meet you there? Will you retreat to that familiar place today?
Disciples have a familiar place to meet with Jesus.

Monday, October 26, 2009

October 27, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus' Great Commission is a mandate for discipleship. Over the past few posts we have been examining what it means to be a disciple.
So far we have postulated that disciples are fully devoted to Jesus and have faith in Him. That faith is evidenced by their faithfulness. fully devoted disciples are also followers of Jesus. They follow Him fully, above all else that is sacred and important to them. And fully devoted disciples of Jesus are fearless because they live in His power and His presence. It does not mean that they are never afraid it means that they don't let fear nullify their faith. A fully devoted disciple is also focused on fulfilling the mandate Jesus gave them.
This morning we will notice one more thing about disciples. Fully devoted disciples are fruitful. That means they produce results and the results they produce are other disciples. A certain mark of discipleship is that disciples reproduce themselves in others.
How do they do that?
Through knowing Jesus. Discipleship is first of all a relationship. If you do not know Jesus personally in a faith relationship, you cannot be a disciple. There is no point to discipleship if their is not intimate personal knowledge of the Risen Savior. Knowing about Jesus isn't enough. Knowing Jesus' teaching won't suffice. Disciples know Jesus and know Him better every day. That is the fruit of discipleship.
By obeying Jesus. A disciple must be one of one voice and one choice. That voice he hears is that of Jesus and the choice he makes is the will of God. Salvation is an act of obedience. Baptism is a second act of obedience. Hearing and doing the will of God is a fruit of discipleship.
Going in the power of God with purpose of winning converts and making disciples is the fruit of discipleship. It takes a disciple to make a disciple. The ultimate test of whether you are one is when you can reproduce one. That demonstrates God's power and grace at work through you.
The fruit of discipleship is knowing God, growing in God, going for God and showing a faith reproduced in others.
Your fruit is showing! What does it show?

October 26, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
If you have been following this blog you know that we have been doing an examination of discipeship based on these words of Jesus known as The Great Commission.
So far we have discovered that disciples are fully devoted to Jesus and have faith in Him. That faith is evidenced by their faithfulness. fully devoted disciples are also followers of Jesus. They follow Him fully, above all else that is sacred and important to them. And fully devoted disciples of Jesus are fearless because they live in His power and His presence. It does not mean that they are never afraid it means that they don't let fear nullify their faith.
What else do we need to learn about disciples of Jesus? Is there more that we can draw from these verses expressing the words of Jesus?
Yes, there is also clear evidence that fully devoted disciples not only are faithful and followers and fearless but they are focused. They know exactly what they have to do. They are crystal clear who they need to please. They have no doubt where they need to go. They understand why they live and what the purpose of their life is. They know what their destiny is and what their legacy needs to be.
We are having this conversation because these eleven guys became clear in their focus. While they had struggled a bit with their identity and their purpose before, you don't see that happening henceforth.
Focus is the difference between a flashlight and a laser. A flashlight will show you the way, a laser can start a fire.
Fully devoted followers, true disciples, are focused on accomplishing the Great Commission in their lifetime. That focus clarifies their purpose for living, their priorities, their principles, the partners they will choose, the pals they will hang out with, the path they need to follow and the productivity of their days and price they will need to pay.
Are those things clear to you? Is your life a spark, a candle, a flashlight or a laser?
What is the primary focus of your life? What are you living for? What are you willing to die for?
What will you be remembered for?
If you are not focused you are not fully devoted.

October 25, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
What does it mean to be a disciple? Jesus gives a clear call to His disciples to make disciples. So, it seems to me that this is a top priority of Jesus and we'd best consider it important as well.
For the past several days we have been examining the claims of discipleship. Fully devoted disciples put their faith in Jesus as evidenced by their faithful living. And, fully devoted disciples are those who fully follow Jesus above their families, their fortunes and their futures.
Ready for another criterion of a fully devoted disciple of Christ?
Disciples who are fully devoted are fearless. Well, not totally fearless. They fear God. They fear disobeying Him and disappointing Him. But beyond that, in fact, because of it they are fearless. Because they fear God they don't fear man.
How does that happen? If I have fear does that mean I am not a disciple? No, it just means you are not yet fully devoted.
Devoted to what?
Devoted to Christ's promises. His promise of power - "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me".... - and His promise of presence - "And surely I am with you always even to the end of the age."
Let me ask you something. If you have the power of Jesus and the presence of Jesus, what is there to be afraid of?
If you do a study of the disciples you can notice that the longer they followed Him, the more boldness and the less fear they displayed. In the events leading to the passion of Christ and during those fateful hours, we see fearful followers. In the hours following the crucifixion of Jesus we see fearful followers. Understandably.
But following the resurrection and following the ascencion of Jesus, we see an increasing boldness evidenced in their actions and attitudes.
Could it have to do with His promises of power and presence? I think so! It works for me! History records it worked for them.
Fully devoted disciples are convinced of His power and are committed to receiving it and living in it. Have you received His power? The power resides in His Spirit. Do you have His Spirit? It is not "a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind".
Fully devoted disciples are convinced of His presence. In His presence they "live and move and have their being". His presence is found in the Word, through obedience, through surrender to His Spirit, and in prayer.
Let me ask you again, if you have His power and His presence what is there to fear? The disciples became fully devoted to His power and His presence and became fearless. Their boldness transformed the world.
When Paul wrote to the Roman, "If God be for us, who can be against us" how do you think he knew that?
Hey, disciple of Jesus, how is your fear factor? Are you living in His power? Are you living in His presence?

October 24, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
I am examining what it means to be a disciple and what it takes to be one.
In my lost post I wrote that it takes faith to be a disciple - faith in Who Jesus is. The evidence of faith is faithfulness.
Today I want to touch on another aspect of discipleship. In addition to faith, discipleship requires following. These eleven men followed Jesus and they followed Him fully. What do I mean by that? Following Him fully means following Him only. It means throwing all the weight of your hopes for the future and all the weight of your trust in Him.
They stopped following their families and started following Him. Is it wrong to love your family? Of course not! God commands that! Is it wrong to be devoted to your family? No way! Your family is a sacred trust from God! But, disciples follow Christ and are more devoted to Him than to their marriage or to their family. That is following fully. When discipleship is done properly, you will become a spouse, parent, child, or grandparent because you are fully devoted to Christ. When you follow Christ you will lead your family.
They stopped pursuing their fortunes and started following Him. They left their boats on the shore and walked away from their nets, when they began following Christ. Everyone of the disciples left their jobs and cast their fortunes with Jesus. That is following fully.
Yes, but, Brad, they didn't have 401K's and profit-sharing and health insurance that they had to walk away from! No, and neither do you. You just need to trust Jesus more than you trust all those things. Fully devoted followers make Him their security and trust Him for their future.
They gave up their future dreams and personal agendas to follow Him. Everyone of these original disciples were busy carving out their futures when Jesus called them. These were not idle people. They were not deadbeats. They had things to do and schedules to keep and futures to build. But when Jesus called, they left it all. They followed fully.
I fear that today's version of discipleship has morphed into how we can shape Jesus around our future and our agenda rather than how we can fully follow Him. Fully following Him means that we shape our future and our fortunes around His agenda, His values, and His mandate.
A disciple is a fully devoted follower of Christ. Are you fully devoted to Him? Have you fully thrown all of your hopes and dreams and trust on Him?

Saturday, October 24, 2009

October 23, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Mattthew 28:16-20
During this month of October I have been examining this portion of Scripture called "The Great Commission". These famous last words of Jesus are significant for a number of reasons, primarily because of Whose words they are! They are the words of the Word!
For the last several posts this month I want to focus on discipleship since being a disciple and making disciples is the point of this mandate. These instructions were given TO disciples who are told to MAKE disciples. If it is that important, and it is, we'd best know as much about it as we can.
First of all, discipleship is about faith. You can't be a disciple if you don't believe that Jesus IS the Son of the Living God, the second Person of the Trinity. He was the "Word Who became flesh and dwelt among us".
He wasn't just a great rabbi, although He was a great teacher. He WAS the teaching. He WAS the truth. Do you believe that? If you don't believe that you cannot or will not be a disciple.
These eleven men believed that and staked their lives upon it. They believed it when they left their homes and their jobs to follow Him and they still believed it after three years of living with Him.
He wasn't just an effective communicator, He was the voice of God! When He spoke, God spoke. What he spoke and what He taught wasn't opinion it was the law. When Jesus said something it was to be debated it was to be done! Do you believe that? If you don't believe that you can't be a disciple.
These eleven men had been around. They had heard the other rabbi's and teachers who came through the area with their teachings but they had never heard One like Him. They invested their fortunes and their future in Him. They were disciples because they disciplined their lives around Him based on Who He was.
He was just a miracle-worker, He WAS the miracle! How can God become man? How can a vast and infinite Being put on flesh? How can He be limited in time and space? It was a miracle. How can a man be morally perfect and pure and then live for over thirty years in an evil world and remain morally pure, even though He was tempted by the devil himself! It was miraculous!
These eleven men believed that before they saw it and they saw it and believed it more! That's faith! Their faith made them faithful, so they showed up at the mountain in Galilee to see Jesus one more time.
Discipleship is putting faith in God. Discipleship is having so much faith in God that you live faithfully. That's what these guys did and they did it because they understood Who Jesus was.
He was more than a great teacher, more than a great preacher, and more than a powerful change agent. He was - and is God!
Disciples are first of all, people of faith and that faith is proved by faithfulness.
Do you consider yorself a disciple? How is your faith? How faithful are you?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

October 22, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20
It doesn't take a lot of people to change a situation, but it does take committed people, and it takes united people, and it takes people with a plan.
You would have thought that after three years of powerful revolutionary ministry, Jesus would have had a large following. If everyone He preached to and touched and healed would have followed Him there would have been thousands. If just the people He miraculously fed would have followed Him that would have been 9,000 or 10,000!
But following His death and resurrection and at this moment prior to His ascencion, here He was with eleven guys! Now, we know there were more because on the Day of Pentecost there were 120 in the Upper Room. But these were His "go to guys". And history records that they got it done! Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
I think we get easily intimidated and feel that we are outnumbered. We look at large churches or other mass movements and feel inferior. Sometimes we wonder what is wrong with us? Why aren't we larger?
There was none of that on this occasion as they met Jesus at a familiar place on the mountain in Galilee. They were not focused on what they didn't have or what they needed or what was wrong with them. They focused on one thing - Jesus and His command.
As they worshiped and as they heard Jesus' words, they became aware of some powerful tools they possessed:
Commitment! They were fully committed and engaged in carrying out the Command that He had given them. They didn't vote on it. It wasn't a multiple choice. They didn't wait for a better offer. They didn't try to negotiate. No, they heard the mandate and went and began a movement.
It doesn't take a lot of committed people to start a movement. One thing I discovered being part of several large churches is that a large church is just a collection of smaller committed groups of people. If there are 1,ooo people in a church, maybe 500 of them will be committed - maybe less. At least half of them are along for the ride. And that number of committed people meet in small groups or ministry teams to carry out their commitment.
Unity! These eleven men were committed TOGETHER to carry out the mission that Jesus had given them. Now, understand that unity doesn't mean total agreement. It says in these verses that some doubted. We don't know if that means two or ten, but clearly there were within this group differing levels of confidence in the mission. But, those who were lacking in faith did not seek to hinder the mission. They drew strength from those who were more sure rather than tryng to spread their doubt.
It is not unusual to have varying levels of commitment, talent, faith, spiritual maturity, intelligence, and experience within a group of people. In fact, that is the norm and that is what makes a small group effective. When the variety of people come together and commit to a common mission or goal, they lift and strength each other. Obviously, on a football team of eleven players you have eleven different skill sets and assignments necessary to accomplish the mission. You certainly don't want eleven quarterbacks! Or any other position for that matter.
Plan. Jesus gave them a strategy. They were to begin in Jerusalem, then move out to Judea, and Samaria and on the the world. Eleven people can do that! They didn't just run off in every direction working in random places. They started in the place they knew with the people they knew and shared what they knew about Jesus. Soon, the eleven was twenty-two and the twenty-two became forty-four and forty-four became eighty-eight, etc.
This is why I am excited about FredWes. I know it doesn't take a lot of people to change a city. It does take committed people and united people and people with a plan. We can do that! We are dong that! We will do that!
And some day, those few of us who God used to begin the movement will look back and marvel at how so few did so much with so little to accomplish so much! It must have been God!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

October 21, 2009

"When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations......" Matthew 28:17-19
Have you ever thought about the relationship between worshiping and missions?
I can think of three prominent portions of Scripture that make a direct link between being in God's presence and being motivated by His purpose.
Here is this Scripture, the disciples worshiped and then as soon as they finished worship Jesus came to them and gave them the mandate for missions.
In Acts 1 and 2, we see the same dynamic. They had spent considerable concentrated time in worship and prayer when the Holy Spirit flooded their fellowship. When the presence and the power of God came upon on them they immediately went out and evangelized thousands.
The sixth chapter of Isaiah shows the Prophet catching a view of God high and exalted. When he sees that he falls down and worships. After he worships and cries out to God, the voice of God comes and calls him to go spread the news.
If you take a moment to think about it, when you enjoy worship you would want others to know the joy of worship, too. But those who do not know God cannot worship Him. A reading of the Psalms makes it clear that one of main motives of missions and making disciples is for the purpose of exapanding the worship base for God. He deserves to be worshiped by all of creation. Every nation, tribe and tongue was created with a need to worship. God hard-wired our hearts, minds, and souls to live in worship and fellowship with Him. It is our destiny and our fulfillment.
Therefore, if we have become heir of that joy, why would we not desire others to know they same joy?
What if we suddenly came to realize that the driving force of evangelism should be glory not guilt! If you enjoy worship, you of all people, should desire to see others know God so they can worship Him, too!
If that doesn't move you toward the Great Commission, I don't know what will. When Jesus commanded the disciples to "go into the world and and make disciples" He could have just as well commanded them to "go make worshipers"!
The next time you enjoy worship, think about the billions who can't.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

October 20, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go." Matthew 28:16

Some things are obvious by their absence. So are some people.

In this Scripture passage we see the eleven who came to the mountain to meet Jesus according to His request. Did you take notice who wasn’t included in that number? If not, take a quick mental roll call.

Yeah, you’re right, Judas!

Why?

He had hardened his heart. His heart had become so hardened that he became insensitive to Jesus’ voice and immune to His will.

How does that happen? How does someone who walked with Jesus daily for almost three years end up with a hard heart?

There is a one-word answer, disobedience.

If you don’t intend to obey Jesus or to heed God’s Word, the worst thing you can do is hang around God’s Word or His people. Does that sound funny coming from a preacher telling you to stay away from church?

Why would you say that, Brad?

It has everything to do with the power of His Word. The Bible tells us that His Word never returns void. That means every time the Word is spoken or taught, something happens as a result. When you hear the truth of God’s Word you are responsible to obey it. When you hear it and obey the truth it brings you closer to Jesus Who Is the Truth. When you draw closer to Jesus you become more like Him. But disobedience separates you from Jesus and desensitized you to the truth.

The eleven show the value of obeying Jesus, Judas shows us the perils of serial disobedience. Hear the Word, heed the Word, and become holy by the Word. Hear the Word, don’t heed the Word and become hardened.
What will you do with God's voice today? Will you hear it and heed it or will you hear it and be hardened? Judas didn't become a traitor in a day. It took a lot of hearing and a lot of hardening.

Obedience matters. It makes a difference - an eternal difference – the difference between Heaven and Hell.































Monday, October 19, 2009

October 19, 2009

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20




We know this portion of Scripture as the "Great Commission" - the famous last recorded words of Jesus on earth. It is His mandate for the Church then and today. Had not the church then headed that mandate there would not be a church of today. If we, the church of today fail to honor this mandate there will not be a church of tomorrow.




Jesus was resting a lot on our obedience. In fact, He bet everything on it. God had no plan "B". The "Great Commission" could have easily become the "Great Omission" had these eleven chosen not to obey.




There is an interesting statement that Jesus made about obedience - "teaching them to obey everything I commanded". That IS obedience, obeying "everything". You can't obey "some" and be obedient. You can't obey "most" and be obedient. Partial obedience is disobedience. Obedience is not a multiple choice test! There are no part-time disciples or sometime disciples or almost disciples.
Discipleship is a decision. A choice to obey God and act on His will. Once you know what God wants you are immediately responsible to act according to His desire. To do less is disobedience and disobedience is sin. Disciples don't live in sin.
This is radical stuff! Discipleship requires bold actions resulting from a transformational change that God has produced in your heart and mind. There is a line to be crossed. There is a death to die. There is a surrender to be made.
If you view obedience as an option, you are living under the delusion of discipleship. Jesus' command is to "obey everything I have commanded". Discipleship happens at the point of obedience. How is it happening for you?










Sunday, October 18, 2009

October 18, 2009

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
When I read these two verses I am struck by the "O" in disciple.
That's right, the "O" in disciple. No, I did not make a mistake. Yes, I can spell. And, yes, there IS a big "O" in disciple - "O" for obedience. You can't be a disciple without it. You can't make a disciple without it.
Jesus called the disciples to meet Him in a familiar place. They came in obedience. Because they did they got to worship Jesus and fellowship with Him one last time before He ascended to the Father. I'm guessing they were glad they obeyed! That's the "O" in disciple.
With His last words, Jesus told them that they were to leave this place, wait for His Holy Spirit to fall upon them, and then go win converts and make disciples. We know that as the Great Commission. It still drives the church today. But it never would have mattered if those eleven guys would not have obeyed we wouldn't be having this discussion. That's the "O" in disciple.
They were told that they were to make disciples by teaching converts to obey everything Jesus taught them. In otherwords, teach obedience by being obedient. That's the "O" in disciple.
Twenty-one centuries later, the "O" is still essential in disciple. If you don't obey you are not a disciple. If you aren't a disciple you can't make a disciple.
That's the "O" in disciple. Are you OK with that?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

October 17, 2009

"Therefore go................." Matthew 28:19


I confess to possessing a strange sense of humor. Some people don't appreciate British humor, but I do. I'm not sure why but I do.
Years ago there was a bizarre British Comedy Troupe called Monty Python's Flying Circus. They did some hilarious bits. One of them was the weird Olympics featuring all sorts of strange events. For example, they had the 100 yard dash for people with no sense of direction. The contestants came to the starting line, took their marks, got set in their starting blocks, and when the gun fired - they took off in every direction possible. You can't run a race like that!
I shared that because too often that illustrates how Christians live their lives. We go in every imaginable direction and get nowhere fast. Therefore, they live non-productive lives and populate ineffective churches.
When Jesus said, "Go! He had a specific purpose in mind." That purpose is to win converts and make disciples.
God intends His people to live on purpose. Are you? Do you face each day with a plan of how you will serve Him? Who will you touch today with His grace? How will you bless the people you work with today? Will His light shine through you today?
The call to make disciples begins with you. What will you do today to grow as a disciple of Jesus? Is there something you need to overcome? Is there something you need to surrender? Is there something you need to confess? What do you need to receive from God? You can make disciples if you aren't purposely being a disciple.
When an Olympic sprinter comes to the line in the 100 meters he has a purpose in mind. He is running for the gold! The only thing he purposes to do is to stay in his lane and run straight for the tape. Everything he does after the gun sounds is done on purpose. No wasted motion, no missteps.
That is what Jesus had in mind when He said, "Go!"
Go somewhere on purpose! Sprint to the finish! Make every step matter. Be a disciple so you can make disciples!

Friday, October 16, 2009

October 16, 2009

"When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." Matthew 28:17


Is seeing believing? Can you always believe your eyes? Have you ever believed something that you haven't seen?
Yesterday in the skies over Colorado, authorities were flooded with calls concerning a UFO. What first appeared to be a flying saucer turned out to be a silver mushroom shaped helium balloon. To me, it looked like a flying Jiffy Pop popper pan.
Seeing wasn't necessarily believing.
Currently, authorities are trying to figure out what happened with the saucer-shaped balloon and the 6 year-old boy. They look like a normal all-American family, but was this truly an accident, a boyish prank, or an elaborate hoax. Everyone is watching and analyzing, but seeing is not necessarily believing.
I am trying to get a weather forecast for this week-end. I have checked online each day this week and each time it has been a different forecast. Seeing is not necessarily believing.
Once I went to a sales training seminar and the first thing they taught me there was that a "good deal is a state of mind". In otherwords, people believe what they want to believe and a good salesperson should try to influence the customer to believe his offer is a good deal. A deal is struck when a customer believes what he sees, even though what he believes may not be true.
For over fifty years I have been a believer in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. I have never seen them. But having never seen them, they are as real to me as any person I have seen. I believe though I have never seen and there is no person that I can see who could convince me that the God I can't see doesn't exist.
So, I wonder how these eleven disciples who were beholding the Resurrected Jesus standing right before them could have doubts. Maybe seeing is not believing.
Maybe believing is believing. Maybe believing is seeing. That sort of sounds like what Hebrews 11 tells us - "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."
So, could the key word here be "hope"? Does what we hope for drive what we believe? Were these disciples who doubted afraid to hope? Remember what they had been through during the past few weeks. Their hopes had been crushed and their dreams had crashed through the events of the arrest and killing of Jesus. Ever had your hopes crushed?
Were their doubts driven by self-doubt? Had they lost hope in themselves and not in Jesus?
We will never know for sure. What we do know is that doubts or not, the disciples were there in obedience to Jesus. And we do know that they obeyed His command to go make disciples. So, they brought their doubts to the feet of Jesus. They hoped through their doubts and they obeyed through their fears and they changed the world!
Are you plagued with doubts? Are you paralyzed with fear? Is hope hard to come by?
Don't believe what you see, believe what He says! Hope through your doubts and obey through your fears!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

October 15, 2009

"All authority in heaven and on earth HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME" Matthew 28:18

Jesus certainly had authority. No one would argue that. It is not even debatable!

So, if God has all authority and Jesus is God's Son, He certainly could have given Him authority. But was that authority actually given to Him - or did He, in fact have to earn it?

The answer is, "Yes - and - no....."

What sort of an answer is that?

All authority in Heaven was God's and He did give it to Jesus. But the authority on earth belonged to the evil one who had wrested it from Adam in the Garden.

So, Jesus had to earn back that authority.

How do I know that?

I know that because of the three temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness at the beginning of His ministry. Those temptations were about Satan trying to negotiate over the authority that he had stolen from the first Adam and was now trying to protect by deceiving the Second Adam.

Satan stole the authority he has and is not about to give it up. Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the debt for Adam's sin and had to rise from the dead to conquer death. That was how He got the authority back. It was given - it was won! And because Jesus won it back from the evil one He can now give it to us.

But to get that authority we have to get Jesus - by faith! And we have to surrender our authority, our will, our selfish nature to Him. We have to die like Jesus died in order to live in His full authority!

He wants to give His authority to us - all authority! We can receive it freely because He purchased it for us!

What do you need to surrender in order to receive His authority?

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

October 14, 2009

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me......And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18 & 20
The disciples had been with Jesus 24/7 for three years. They had seen His authority over evil, over disease, and recently, over sin and death.
Then, there was that time that Jesus sent them out two by two into the region to minister in His name and with His authority. They had experienced what it was like to take authority over evil, over disease and even over death. The Bible tells us that they came back rejoicing over the victories they had been able to win with His authority.
So, it makes sense that as Jesus was preparing to leave the planet and return to His Father that they might wonder what would happen to His authority. Would His authority depart with Him? This divine mandate He had just given them would take much more that what they possessed in the way of power and authority. It was a God-sized assignment and it would take God-sized help.
What would you be doing if you were them?
Well, now you are them! Their mandate is your mandate. It is still a God-sized job!
We need to hear what Jesus told them. "ALL authority in HEAVEN and on EARTH" is His. It resides in Him! He had the authority of Heaven and when He died and rose from the dead He regained all the authority on earth! It is the authority that Adam had forfeited by his sin. But Jesus, the Second Adam, took back what Adam had lost! So when Jesus said ALL authority that is exactly what He meant!
In short, what Jesus is saying is this, "I have all spiritual authority that exists in the universe and when you have Me you also have this authority"! Think about that!
Jesus was not just giving them a mandate, He was giving them the power to become a movement! And the history of the early Church indicates that when the believers clung to Jesus and received His authority - it was an unstoppable movement! When they worshiped and ministered in Jesus' Name they also operated in all of His authority.
Does Jesus still have that authority? Has he experienced a power shortage? Do we still get ALL authority when we get Jesus or did that change somewhere in the past 2,000 years?
If you are in Christ, why aren't you in His authority? Or are you?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

October 13, 2009

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
JESUS IS CALLING YOU OUT TO GO FOR HIM!


You can't go where you haven't been and you can't teach what you haven't learned.

Jesus called out the disciples to know Him and grow in Him so that they could go for Him. That is what I mean by growing from the inside out!

If you don't truly know Jesus, you won't grow in Him and you certainly won't go in His name.

Reach out to those closest to you in your areas of influence:


INTERCEED
Make a list of three to five lost people who you care about, who care about you, and whom you have influence over. Pray daily for those people. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin and to call them to salvation.

IDENTIFY
Identify which of those three to five people on your list is most receptive to a witness from you and most interested in spiritual things.
INVOLVE
Begin to involve yourself in getting closer to this person. Find what they are interested in an take an interest in it. Be interested in their kids or grandkids. Learn names and ages. Let them know they are important to you.
INVEST
While you involve yourself in their interests show an interest in them. Spend time with them. Be kind and helpful toward them. Make deposits in their emotional bank account knowing that you will one day need to make a withdrawal. Make sure you have a positive balance in their account.

INVITE
Once you have built the friendship and they have begun to be interested in your because of your interest in them, then invite that person to a church service or event. 80%-90% of people currently involved in church and serving the Lord, were first invited by a friend. Odds are that if you invite them they will come. And when they come they will hear the Gospel and the Holy Spirit can soften their heart.
INTRODUCE

After they have visited church service or LIFE Group or church social event, ask them what they thought and gauge their spiritual interest and try to involve them in a spiritual conversation. If the opportunity presents itself share your testimony and ask them if they are sure that they are going to Heaven. If they indicate a lack of assurance or admit they don't know, ask if you can show them how they can know for sure and share the way to salvation.
INCORPORATE
If they pray the prayer of salvation and receive Christ. Make sure they get connected with church and LIFE group and offer to study the Bible with them. Be sure they follow up their decision with growth-producing actions.

Aslo, participate in missions trips, missions giving, and church outreaches. That is what it means to GO FOR GOD. Sometimes it may be going across the room, or to the next office, or across the street. It doesn’t have to be far, but we must be willing to go to share the Gospel.

That is what makes a healthy church - disciples who know God, and are growing in God and therefore, are going for God into a lost world.

How well do you know Him?

What evidence is there that you know Him?

When was the last time you shared Him with someone else?

Monday, October 12, 2009

October 12, 2009

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18


Moving to health is essential if a church is to grow. Things that are healthy will grow! It is the law of nature. Often, churches commit to methods in order to grow and they see some immediate growth. But at some point the healthy new growth collides with the inheathy issues or structure in the church and conflict results.
It makes more sense to concentrate on getting healthy first and then letting growth arise out of the health of the body. The first step of that process is to commit to knowing God. Next, plan to grow in God.
GROW IN GOD


Jesus is calling you out to grow in Him. Growing in God is a result of what you do after you get to know Him.

Jesus called these 11 disciples to this meeting because they had grown in Him. There was one missing who didn’t grow in Him.

Jesus gave them authority to do what He was asking them to do – live out their faith!


Jesus is calling you out! He is calling to know Him and grow in Him.


HOW?

YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE UP
One thing required for spiritual growth is sacrifice. You need to be willing to give up anything that hinders your relationship with God. It might be a habit, it might be a relationship, it might be a secret sin, or it may be an emotional hurt that will require some therapy. But, whatever the issue, God calls His followers to "give up in order to go up".


YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE IN
Another thing necessary for spiritual growth is surrender and Jesus hits the nail on the head right here with the authority issue. One of the last areas we are willing to surrender is our authority - our will - our control issues. To be filled with His authority - His power and His holiness - you must surrender your authority to His. There is no way you can have healthy growth if you are relying on your power. If you have to control it you will kill it!


YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GET
Along with sacrifice and surrender, growth requires that you get spiritual supply from God. You are the one who is spiritually ill and He is the Great Physician. To get healthy, get Him! Whatever you need to grow He has!

How do I know when I am growing? You live and look more like Jesus than before. You see life-change happening in you and through you. You break habits. You live with less fear and more authority. Is there evidence of growth?
What do you need in order to grow?
What sacrifice?
What surrender?
What supply?

Sunday, October 11, 2009

October 11, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." Matthew 28:16-17


Things grow when they're healthy.


My responsibility in leading the church is to lead it into health so that God can cause it to grow.


One way that can happen is to be true to the vision had for His Church.


Know God

Healthy believers know God! How well do you know Him? What are you doing to get to know Him better?


Jesus called the remaining disciples, minus Judas, to meet Him at a familiar place. Do you have a familiar place where you meet Jesus? If not, do you really know Him? If church is the only place where you meet Jesus, do you really know Him.


How do we do that?

Pursue Him
Pursue Him in worship. That would be public worship with your church family as well as private worship times alone with God in your "familiar place".
Put Him First
Put Him first. If God isn't first in your life He isn't God and whatever IS first will be your God.
Pain And Suffering
There is a level of knowledge about God that you can only experience when you walk through the painful experiences of life. If you walk through the valley of the shadow of death and discover that He really IS with you - you come to know Him in a new way.

Spiritually, we will only be as healthy as our knowledge of God. And we won’t know God unless we spend time with Him. We spend time with Him through prayer and through the Word and through worship. We get to know Him by walking with Him in faith and obedience.

You never REALLY know someone until you live with them! I do premarital counseling with couples who have know each other for awhile and they assure me that they know one another well. But then they get married and live together and discover that first year is a struggle because - you never REALLY know someone until you live with them! That is true of God as well!
Healthy churches are made up of spiritually healthy people. And spiritually healthy people know God because they spend time with Him. The more people there are in a church who answer the call to know God, the healthier that church will be.

JESUS IS CALLING YOU OUT TODAY TO HELP BUILD A HEALTHY CHURCH BY GETTING TO KNOW HIM!

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

Saturday, October 10, 2009

October 10, 2009

"When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted." Matthew 28:17


Now, why did they put that last phrase in there? Isn't that curious? I understand that Matthew would want us to know that the eleven remaining disciples worshiped the Risen Jesus - but did we need to know about the doubters?
How could you doubt Jesus when He is right there; risen, alive, and triumphant?
This serves as one more proof of the authenticity of the Bible. Had it been written by men who were trying to deceive they would not have included those three words "but some doubted".
So, what should we make of that statement?
Personally, I take encouragement from it! Here's why:
First, it tells me that these "some who doubted" (and we don't know how many of them there were) worshiped through their doubts. Even though they were unresolved in their faith, they didn't let it keep them from falling at the feet of the Resurrected Jesus.
Haven't you come to church some time when you were struggling with a doubt? What better place to be when you are unresolved in your faith?
Second, it tells me that God can use spiritually unresolved people to change the world! This same group of eleven became the foundation for the Church of Jesus Christ. So, not only did they worship through their doubts but the served through their doubts.
How many times have you stepped out into some new endeavor for the Lord and you weren't sure what the result would be. It was scary and uncomfortable for you but you leaned on His strength and worked through your doubts! I'm sure you have done that. I know I have!
Third, it doesn't say whether the doubts they had were toward Jesus or about themselves. For every doubt I have had about Him, I have had a thousand toward myself. In fact, when God began to lay the calling for ministry upon my heart, I resisted for four years primarily because I had serious doubts about my ability to measure up to that calling. I believed God could do it I just didn't think I could. Fortunately, a good friend assured me that when He calls He enables.
Why are those three words included in this significant portion of Scripture? I think it is because God want us to know that it is okay to have doubts as long as we worship through them and work through them. God is greater than our doubts!
If you are struggling with some doubts today - bring them to the feet of Jesus!

Friday, October 9, 2009

October 9, 2009

".....teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you....." Matthew 28:20


Like many young boys, I once harbored a vision of becoming a major league baseball player. There was one problem with that vision, I wasn't talented enough to play at that level. I probably didn't have the physical talent to play college ball either - but I did - for four years. And I played a lot. So, I got closer to my dream than my physical ablilities warrented.
How was I able to reach a higher level of competition than I probably deserved? Why was I able to compete with more physically gifted athletes and hold my own? Was I lucky?
Not at all! I earned every inning that I got to play. I worked very hard, trained and practiced by the hours.
When I started playing baseball at the Little League level I was fortunate to have had a coach who was a major league scout and had played some minor league professional ball. Because he knew the game and had played it well, he was able to teach me the fundamentals of baseball. Because he had been what I was hoping to be, I trusted him and I did everything he taught me to do in the fundamentally correct way he showed me to do it.
I enjoyed a college baseball career for one reason - I played the game exactly the way Dean Ford taught me to play it. Everything that I did was fundamentally correct. And because of that, I performed at a college level with limited physical talent. My college success was fundamentally sound because I did everything exactly as he had told me to do it.
How do we teach someone to obey?
Jesus taught us to obey by being personally obedient to The Father. He modeled it. He demonstrated it to the very point of His death on a cross.
These disciples were very average men who became pivotal players in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ by being obedient to Jesus. They did "everything He commanded them". Therefore, they became much more effective than they should have been because they did life and ministry just like Jesus told them.
They learned obedience by obeying what God told them to do. And they achieved more with their lives than they would have without obeying Jesus. Living and serving as Jesus had showed them to do it allowed them to change the world.
It wasn't so much that they changed the world but it was the power of Jesus working through their obedience.
So, how do we get others to become obedient followers of Jesus? What do we have to "do" to teach them to obey? Simple! Obey!
God's vision for evangelizing the world included our obedience allowing His power and grace to flow through us!
Embrace the fundamentals of obedient service and play at a much higher level than you ever envisioned!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

October 8, 2009

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20


In yesterday's post I began laying out the vision for FredWes.



Today, I want to build on and show you where the vision originated.



My vision for FredWes is to become a healthy church by growing from the inside out.



How do you grow from the inside out? Isn't church growth about adding outsiders and making them into insiders?



Absolutely, but I am talking about the growth that needs to happen inside the hearts of the people in the church that will motivate them to reach outsiders. I am talking about making a spiritual commitment to live the Great Commission every day.



How does that happen?



First, Know God


"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted." Vv. 16-17



Jesus called the remaining disciples, minus Judas, to meet Him at a familiar place. Do you have a familiar place where you meet Jesus? If not, do you really know Him?



Jesus wanted to be with His beloved followers one more time before He ascended to the Father so He called them to be with Him.



The word "church" comes from the Greek word "ekklesia" meaning "called out ones". Jesus was calling out His disciples to be with Him so they could know Him better and understand His will for them.



Jesus' vision for the Church was that believers would be called out of the world to know Him so that through them the world could come to know Him.



I share that vision.

Second, Grow In God

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." V. 18

Growth is about what you do after you get to know Jesus. Just having knowledge and information and facts doesn't automatically translate into growth. It takes strength and power.

When Jesus called them out, and when they answered the call, He empowered them to grow. The power to obey what He calls them to do. The power to throw off bad attitudes and habits. The power to resist temptation and take authority over evil.

In the three years that these men had known Jesus they had grown inwardly, but now it was time to demonstrate that growth to the world.

We are called out to grow in God.

Third, Go In God

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Vv. 19-20

You can't go where you haven't been and you can't teach what you haven't learned.

Jesus called out the disciples to know Him and grow in Him so that they could go for Him. That is what I mean by growing from the inside out!

If you don't truly know Jesus, you won't grow in Him and you certainly won't go in His name.

That is what makes a healthy church - disciples who know God, and are growing in God and therefore, are going for God into a lost world.

How well do you know Him?

What evidence is there that you know Him?

When was the last time you shared Him with someone else?












Wednesday, October 7, 2009

October 7, 2009

"Where there is no vision the people perish......." Proverbs 29:18
Jesus had a vision for the Church that He loves so much. The Church is referred to as His Bride and Scripture tells us that Jesus gave His life for the Church.
So, those of us who are leaders in the church ought to pay close attention to His vision as we frame the vision for the church we lead.
Christ's vision for the Church is found in two familiar Scriptures, the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20 and; the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-40.
From those two truths we get our vision statement "Knowing God - Growing People".
That's how I break down those mandates from Jesus. We are to know the love of God, we are to grow in that love and we are to go take His love to the world.
Over the next few posts I will break down the vision for FredWes. But to summarize it, here is the outline:
VISION FOR FREDWES
“Knowing God – Growing People”

At Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church Our Vision Is To BECOME A HEALTHY CHURCH BY GROWING FROM THE INSIDE OUT!

INSIDE

3D VISION – Love In Three Dimensions

Based On The Great Commandment

LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
LOVE SELF

OUT

HD VISION – Life In One Direction

Based On The Great Commission

SEEKING LOST PEOPLE
SHAPING LIVES

It is no longer about what the church will do for you. It is about learning to love God together and living out His love in your world.

Do you know the love of God in a personal way? What are you doing to grow in that love? How are you sharing that love with others?