6 Thoughts On Disciples

Several months ago, I posted “3 Thoughts On Disciples” and, after much thought and discussion, have added to my original list.  Here’s “6 Thoughts On Disciples.”  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

*****

1.  Disciples answer the call on Jesus’ terms, not their own.  Jesus has always offered the same simple call to His disciples… “Come, follow me.  Right now.  Leave your stuff.  Leave your comfort.  Leave your past.  And follow ME.”  You can’t offer Jesus a deal, Christianity is not – and never has been – a negotiation.  It’s Jesus’ terms, take it or leave it!

2.  It is impossible to be a disciple without being plugged into a church.  A loner can believe in Jesus, but a loner can’t be a disciple.  Jesus didn’t personalize discipleship training, He called 12 men to live together, learn together and work together.  Disciples go to church, they don’t watch it on tv!

3.  A disciple’s default setting is love, no matter what the situation.  When surrounded by jerks, disciples show love.  When surrounded by “sinners,” disciples show love.  When surrounded by uncomfortable situations, disciples show love.  And the world knows they’re following Jesus because of their love!

4.  Disciples make disciples.  It’s not an option.  Jesus never gathered His disciples together and said, “Now that you know all about me and have a good feel for what heaven is, go ahead and tell somebody else about it…you know, if you want to…if it fits your schedule.”  THAT NEVER HAPPENED!  Jesus said, “Go make disciples.”  It’s a core part of what a disciple does.  Calling yourself a disciple without making more disciples is like saying, “I’m on the basketball team…but I don’t really like making baskets.”

5.  People can’t imitate your intentions.  No matter what you say or how eloquently you say it, they won’t imitate what they can’t see.  That means…  If disciples love people, you have to be loving people!  If disciples are generous, you have to be intentionally blessing people!  People will not follow you if they don’t actually see you doing what you’re talking about doing.

6.  Disciple-making is messy.  If you’re serious about making disciples, you can’t do it from a distance.  Disciple-making is only done when you pull back the curtains on your life and let people peak inside who you really are.  It’s inconvenient, it’s messy and it’s going to cost you something.  You’ll invest time, money and energy without seeing obvious, immediate results.  It’ll wear you out and make you question your commitment…that’s the moment you need to step back and gain perspective – your momentary mess is just an investment in someone’s eternity.

Disciples Don’t Look Like Jonah (I Am Jonah #4)

 

Jonah struggled with his identity and his calling.  He fought against what God had called him to do and he tried to forget the commitments he’d made.

As I read through the book of Jonah, I can’t help but have three thoughts…

First, I AM JONAH.  I’ve shared his thoughts and I’ve made similar decisions.  I’ve run from God, I’ve gotten angry at Him and I’ve chosen my own way.  I’ve often found myself backed into a corner of my own making and have needed God to rescue me from my own mistakes.

Second, I WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE.  But I tend to forget what a disciple actually looks like.  I live in a culture that says, “Comfort is king,” and I’m surrounded by stories of people clawing their way to personal success.  The world I live in says, “If you don’t want to do it, then just don’t do it,” and I’m surrounded by examples of people who have found the easy way around hard things.

And my third thought is, DISCIPLES DON’T LOOK LIKE JONAH.  Disciples don’t take the easy way, they understand that anything really worth doing is going to be hard.  Disciples don’t live to satisfy their own comfort and desires, they learn to say, “Not my will, but Yours, God.”  Disciples don’t run from Nineveh, they don’t hide from God and they don’t pout in the wilderness.  Disciples square their shoulders and walk into their calling with their eyes wide open.

Which leaves me with the question, “What is a disciple?”

Here is the simplest definition I’ve been able to come up with:

A Disciple…

1. Loves God  // Matthew 22:37-38
2. Denies self // Luke 9:23
3. Surrenders desires // Luke 14:23-35
4. Loves others // John 13:34-35
5. Reproduces disciples // John 15:7-17; Matthew 28:18-20

I don’t want to look like Jonah anymore.

If you’re completely honest with yourself, are you a DISCIPLE?  Or are you still JONAH?

Why I Do Student Ministry…

I don’t do student ministry for the fun and games.  I don’t do it for all the late nights and teenage drama.  I don’t do it for all the trips and traveling.  I don’t even do it for the pizza.  🙂

I do student ministry because of the future.

Students are the church of today but they’re the leaders of tomorrow.  By doing student ministry, I get to shepherd hearts for today and mold leaders for tomorrow.  Reproduction is vision for the future and student ministry is daily reproducing myself in the leaders of tomorrow.

When Paul invited Timothy along with him, that’s exactly what he was doing.  While Paul was preaching sermons, planting churches and shepherding hearts around the world, he was molding Timothy to lead tomorrow.

The greatest joy of my student ministry life is watching students move from being “kids” to being “partners.”  Every Sunday morning at Soma, I get to be led in worship by former students and it’s one of the sweetest experiences of my life.  Every Sunday night at Youth Group, I get to serve alongside some former students who are now molding the next generation.  Occasionally, I get phone calls and messages from former students who have moved away and now they’re leading in worship, children and student ministry and hearing their stories swells my heart with pride.

I love students and I enjoy hanging out with them.  But that’s not why I do student ministry.

I do student ministry because I believe in the potential of their future and it’s the most worthwhile investment I can imagine making.

Who’s future are you investing in?

The Most Important Task Facing The Church…

What’s the first thing the Creator said to His creation?  Reproduce…  (Genesis 1:28)

What’s one of the last things Jesus said to His followers?  Reproduce…  (Matthew 28:19)

What does God’s Word say to His Church over and over again?  Reproduce!

1.  Growth is NOT the same as reproduction.  You can’t choose to grow…but you CAN choose to reproduce.

2.  Unhealthy things don’t reproduce well.  Unhealth always breeds unhealth.

3.  Reproduction is vision for the future.  It’s an opportunity to mold the future you’re passionate about seeing.

4.  Reproduction is critical to survival.  Judges 2:10-11

Reproducing disciples is THE most important task facing the Church…  More important than teaching Sunday School, planning retreats, running children’s activies, organizing programs and preaching sermons.  Combined.

The simple truth is this…  If the Church doesn’t reproduce itself, it doesn’t matter how great any of those things are.  When the current generation passes away, it’s game over.

Invest in the future.  Perpetuate the Church.  Reproduce disciples!