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?