Those that sit at Jesus feet listening but never get involved are a waste of life they need to be involved in a "peripatetic" or-"walking school" where the Lord exposes us to all of life.
Jesus is the Son of God confirmed by the fact is that He was dead three days and nights, came out of the tomb, tall, handsome and vigorous, never to die again. Jesus Christ our Lord was declared (to be) the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of Holiness. Romans (1:4-5) Jesus ranks higher than anyone else in heaven or on earth!!! He claims "All AUTHORITY has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Therefore Go. Matthew 28:18If this Man claims total authority, it must be important. Yet we see His command as just a commission. This is an Order from the Highest Authority in the universe.
It begins with "GO" make disciples. Don't get airline tickets to Timbuktu. It's more like "move it!" "Don't just sit there." Start close to home as (s)he matures moving in ever widening circles. You shall be My witnesses in 1. Jerusalem, 2. Judea 3. Samaria, even to the 4. remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8
Start small, don't stop there - grow. "Walk in the light" don't jump, run or sprint. Keep moving as God's light moves. Don't jump ahead or dawdle behind. Jesus' command seems too terrifying to even start. One step at a time is not too hard. Make disciples of all the nations or Ethnic groups Matt. 28:19) God is not partial He does not play favorites.
Jesus came to make disciples and poured his Life into twelve men. His last command is to make disciples, go to all the world to every ethnic group and make disciples by immersing into (Gr. "onoma" or name) which means character and authority; of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to be absolutely obedient to everything I've taught you. (Mat.28:18) When people Pray "in Jesus Name" outside of his character their prayer is without His authority.
Disciples are immersed in His Word, "If you continue to (abide) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
A mega church takes in a thousand new members each week, teaches the Word accurately without making disciples it is lifeless. Only disciples can replicate new disciples, books alone can't.
Disciples recruit disciples by having them participate in the supernatural life of Christ.
"Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. (Matt 10:1)
"Behold My mother and My brothers! whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother and sister and mother." (Matt 12:48-50) Disciples are Christ's intimate family
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:24-25) Free grace isn't cheap.
When Jesus fed five thousand they became instant converts yet Jesus turned them off and turned to His twelve. Being a disciple is more than learning doctrine or Biblical knowledge. It is a consuming hunger to know and follow Jesus .
Learning to walk in "The Way" gives purpose to life. God's Word is the source of wisdom and objective truth. It gives perspective of the past, purpose for today and hope for the future. We know where we came from, why we are here, and where we're going. His Word gives meaning and direction to our existence. Christ's community is unique, more concerned about persons than programs, cares more for individual needs than externals of culture, language or clothes. We are not social animals or machines; we are the Bride of Christ, loving and compassionate. We are the Body of Christ with spiritual gifts to help, heal, build up, strengthen and encourage.
Isaiah defined a listening disciple "The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. (Isa 50:4-5) One truth is "Jesus is God" and those that experience His love spend a life time growing as His disciple. A disciple or student learns by the example. What we focus on is what we become. If we focus on God's will, joy is ours but if our time is spent on guilt, anger, and remorse, we wallow in misery. If Jesus is our Savior just happens to be lord; our focus will be on salvation from sin and missing hell. If our focus is Jesus as Lord and King then our concern will be being his disciple with the joy of bearing Kingdom fruit, being focused on our Fathers will and how to serve Him? Sin hinders us and the "unintended consequence" of sin is we focus on our failures rather than Jesus. Sin is less of a dilemma if Christ's grace is our focus.
Perusing Acts and the Great Commission something seems wrong. Disciples reproduce converts are usually sterile God is not in a box; He revealed His will to Moses in stone (the law) God is revealed through Christ His graceful grace on the fleshly tablets of our hearts. If it wasn't for Jesus showing us the Father's Nature and Character it would be pure speculation. Conversion takes place in a moment being a disciple takes a life time. Disciples are made, not born "You did not LEARN Christ in this way" (Eph. 4:20) We are to LEARN "Christ"; not learn ABOUT Christ. Academic knowledge is not our quest but a constant desire to be conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29). Learning to walk "His Way" gives purpose to life.
"Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and Let Us Consider How To Stimulate One Another To Love And Good Deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another;" (Heb 10:23-25)
If we stop growing spiritually our ability to disciple stops. A disciple hungers and thirsts after righteousness; his first priority is seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness; in our self we have nothing to offer. The Body of Christ consists of disciples who are unique individuals continually growing in Christ and each other with special gifts that reveal God.
Jesus answered "I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:36-38) truth trumps all else Jesus told parables of farmers, housewives, Kings and rulers all reveal Kingdom truth.
A disciple's job is to sift through tradition and find God's truth. When Jesus is Lord ("Kurios" Gr.
or - absolute authority) the Holy Spirit supernaturally opens doors of service that honor our Father.
"To the Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-33)
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. "By this is My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and prove to be My disciples. "As the Father has loved Me, I have loved you; abide in My love. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. "I told you these so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be made full." (John 15:7-17)
People find it difficult to enter God's kingdom. You can't serve two masters: either you love one and hate the other. We sing and dance and beat our drums, rejoicing in our freedom not realizing that a Kingdom disciple is total commitment. We accept all the goodies He offers; is it possible that we don't appreciate the gift of freedom we've been given. Some claim that if we put forth any effort it would belittle the King. How wrong can they be? Work done in humility honors the One who freed us? We are not saved by works because we are saved for works.
"Some as apostles, prophets, some as evangelists, and others as pastor teachers, to Equip the Saints (disciples) for The Work Of Service, to build up of the body of Christ;" (Eph 4:11-13)
"Jesus summoned His twelve DISCIPLES and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. (Matt 10:1-2)
Two men, the founder of "the way" and Saul the missionary who opened the good news to the Gentiles. They both had very different backgrounds yet their ministries are nearly identical.
Jesus came from heaven's highest to Nazareth lowest a small mongrel semi gentile town.
Saul a Hellenistic Jew who's native tongue was Greek, was well read in both Greek and Hebrew. He was raised in Tarsus a sophisticated port city the capital of Cilicia in part of the Roman Empire..
Jesus had a successful three year ministry in Galilee and Judea. Paul had a successful three year ministry at Ephesus in Tyrannus Hall. Paul learned from his failed time in Asia. "You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me," (2 Tim 1:15)
Paul accomplished his hope of building strong disciples in Ephesus where he followed Jesus pattern. On the other hand the Corinthian Church was a painful disappointment to Paul and Apollos.
Jesus and Paul - totally immersed themselves in and with their disciples I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews." (Acts 20:18-19) Both faced the plots from the Jews.
Paul exposed his disciples to teaching both privately and publicly. "I did not shrink from declaring anything profitable teaching you publicly from house to house, I testified… of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21-22)
Jesus brought the Good News of Grace of God which Paul proclaimed. "The ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the Gospel Of The Grace Of God." (Acts 20:24)
Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven; a present reality and a future hope "All of you, whom I went preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face." (Acts 20:25)
To "make disciples" Jesus set a pattern and commands us to follow. It is not happening to day as we simply sit and listen for a couple of hours, read our Bible and pray; oh except tithe?
It seems strange that we spend our time trying to build the church when Jesus said "I say to you that you are Peter, (Petros- masculine) and upon this rock (Petras- feminine) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matt 16:18-19) With very little instructions about the ecclesia or assembly where as we have lots of definitions of a disciple. Making disciples is very time intensive and without a lot of glory where as Pastors are put on a pedestal.
Paul and Apollos spent three years trying to build the Corinthian Church, yet it was a disaster.
"there are quarrels among you. " (1 Cor 1:11-12) "The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Cor 2:14)
"I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, " (1 Cor3:1-4) Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. (1 Cor 3:18)
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: (1 Cor 5:1) "Do not be ignorant; our forefathers were baptized into Moses in the cloud and sea. all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; Nevertheless, God was not pleased with them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. (1 Cor 10:1-7)
Your meetings do more harm than good., I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. (1 Cor 11:17-21)
For he eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. (1 Cor 11:29)
Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. (1 Cor 12:27)
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." (1 Cor 13:1-4) the Corinthians were a profitless mess on and on it goes.
Paul's three years at Ephesus concentrated on making successful disciples that went forth.
Jesus meant for His church to be a participating Body not sit and listen pew warmer.
