Chan begins by referencing the death and resurrection of Jesus and the impact on the disciples, and then continues....
- "But once again, Jesus surprised everyone. Instead of telling them that He would immediately transform the Earth, Jesus gave His disciples one final command and then ascended into heaven.
- Essentially, He told them it was their job to finish what he started. 'Go and make disciples....'
- Many read these words as if they were meant to inspire pastors or missionaries on their way out to the mission field. Have you ever considered that maybe Jesus' command is meant for you?
- Somehow we have created a church culture where the paid ministers do the 'ministry' and the rest of us show up, put some money in the plate and leave feeling inspired or 'fed'.
- We have moved so far away from Jesus' command that many Christians don't have a frame of reference for what disciple-making looks like."
- "For some of us, our church experiences have been so focused on programs that we immediately think about Jesus' command to make disciples in programmatic terms. We expect our church leaders to create some sort of disciple-maker campaign where we sign up, commit to participating for a few months and then get to cross the Great Commission off our list.
- But making disciples is far more than a program. It is the mission of our lives. It defines us. A disciple is a disciple-maker.
- So what does the Great Commission look like?
- It's incredibly simple in the sense that it doesn't require a degree, an ordination process or some sort of hierarchical status. The concept is not difficult. But the simplest things to understand are often the most difficult to put into practice.
- Realistically, the task requires a lifetime of devotion to studying the Scriptures and then investing in the people around us.
- We are never really 'done'."
Relevant Magazine. Francis Chan. "A Time to Make Disciples". Jan/Feb 2013
I want to share a prayer from the martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, the Most Reverend, Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez.
ReplyDelete"This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own."
The understanding that Francis Chan is expressing in Relevant magazine, is not complete without the attitude expressed in Oscar Romero's prayer.
Jim