What's Our Part?

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(to) 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 28:18-20
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve talked about the honor we have of being God’s people, the church. Everything we do is motivated and led by Christ, our Head. We discussed, therefore, that what Jesus said carries special weight.

Many people have died for causes they believed in, but Jesus did something utterly unique: not only did he die for a cause, but he also defied history by his resurrection. Is it any wonder that when his disciples came to him that some doubted?

After all, their worldview didn’t include someone physically rising from the dead, yet here was Jesus, who had done so. Now his words held even more sway than they had before. Before, the Bible tells of Jesus speaking as one who has authority – as contrasted with the religious leaders and teachers of his day – but now he has gained a new authority.

Have you ever wondered what gives someone authority – the right to be heard? Often it seems that if someone has been on TV, then their authority stock seems to skyrocket. Why should I trust an actor just because he’s shown himself able to act? (commercials come to mind here, as do Christian celebrities) If there was really truth in advertising, they might have a sign that says, "TV has given authority to me…"

Jesus made the statement that he had been given all authority, but he had something to back it up. Rising from the dead seems to give greater credibility than just claiming that you’ll do it!!
Because Jesus did just that, he has authority. And because he had authority, his words have weight.

Listen to what he 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."

Jesus told his followers to go and make disciples. Notice that he didn’t qualify this with "those of you with the gift of evangelism" or "those who are good public speakers" or "those who are extroverts" – but simply "go and make disciples."

This is the job of Christians. Friends, these aren’t my words; they’re Jesus’ words. If you want to offer an excuse why you don’t share Jesus Christ with others and help them to follow Him, don’t come to me with them. You can argue that with Jesus, because he’s the one who said it.

Our job is to be disciple-makers. This is officially the mission statement of the UMC – to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Every Christian is called to be a disciple-maker.

So, who are we supposed to make disciples of?

All nations. Everyone. Not just your friends or church members, but everyone. Last week, when I told you to love someone unlovely… they are included in those who Jesus’ followers were called to make disciples of. Of course, they’re not the only ones, but they are included in that number.

If we’re supposed to be about disciple making, what’s a disciple?

A disciple of Jesus is someone who is publicly identified with Jesus and is following him with the purpose of becoming like him.

To be identified with Jesus is to answer his call. In Matthew 11:28-30, He says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

We become his disciples by responding to that call, counting what it will cost. He doesn’t ask us to blindly become his disciples, but rather to count the cost. Is it worth it?

Are we willing to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow? Are we willing to give up our old lives and to take upon ourselves the identity that he has prepared for us? Are we willing to do so even when it means turning away from family and friends, when it means giving up a profession or our possessions?

This is not some sort of higher calling for some Christians to aspire to. This is the normal call for all Christians.

So, if we agree to be Jesus’ disciples, what’s our part? What are we supposed to do? Jesus commissioned his disciples to make disciples. That’s our part.

So, how do we make disciples?

Jesus listed the two components of making disciples:

First, it includes baptism into the name of Father, Son, and Spirit.
As we are baptized, we publicly identify with Jesus – baptism by immersion especially helps us to identify with his death, burial, and resurrection. This act, and the name we are baptized into, implies an allegiance with the Father, Son, and Spirit. Now we are on God’s team.

This is one reason that I take baptism very seriously; it’s not just a job for parents to "get their children done" (I’ve heard that phrase), but a very serious act to only be done by those who understand what they’re getting into. If you’re simply baptized because "that’s what people do" and you have no real plan to ally yourself with God, to be in God’s army, to be on His team, there’s a word for someone like that. It’s "traitor." In Dante’s Inferno, the lowest level of Hell was set aside for traitors.

Discipleship also includes teaching obedience to all of Jesus’ commands.

Jesus calls us to follow him by imitating him. In Jesus’ time, disciples were characterized by their literal imitation of their rabbi. They would follow their rabbi around, imitating him in hopes that someday they might become like him. Being a disciple is more than just intellectual assent. It is obedience.

How do we teach obedience to Jesus’ commands? By first knowing Jesus. When you know him, you’ll know his will. He doesn’t hide it – it’s not a secret that only certain people can get. But once you know his will, your job is to share it with others, teaching and encouraging them to follow as well.

This is done on several levels – from the first time someone is introduced to Jesus to their encouragement in their journey with him. We are committed to make this happen – and one of the main ways we will be doing this is through small groups. Small groups are designed to be places where we can study God’s word and encourage one another in following it. In fact, I believe in small groups enough to say that if you’re not willing to do life together in a small group, there’s something wrong. Some of you have already gotten a head start on this. You’ve been in touch with what God’s doing, you’ve taken The Process of Redemption and Hermeneutics classes – perhaps God’s calling you to lead or host a small group.

One thing’s for certain; we were never meant to be Christian alone. We were made for community, and the way the community grows is by discipleship.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas Eve: Jesus is Hope, Love, Joy, Peace

Life Together: Live in Harmony with One Another

The Lord's Signet Ring