Make Some Disciples

What can we do to make disciples today?

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Ephesians 1:21 Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses

---

Just a few days ago Jesus seemed to be totally powerless, he seemed to be unable to do anything for himself that day, but today we see that when we were looking at him on the cross we were so wrong about what was really going on and what he was capable of doing.

The man that took the role of the Passover lamb and humbled himself to die on the cross didn't do it because he didn't have the power to stop the events, oh no, he gave his life willingly. He could have easily taken the power of his captors away so that they could not finish their evil plans, he could have caused their bodies to become too weak to bring any harm to him but instead Jesus actually empowered them to accomplish HIS purpose. (John 10:15-18, Romans 13:1)

Jesus tells his disciples to go, go be the church, go tell others the good news, go and grow them into maturity in Christ. The question that we should never stop asking is this "What can we do to make disciples today?"

He didn't tell us to go and build programs and keep them forever because of tradition, he didn't tell us to go and make workers or tithers, he told us to go and have an affect on other people so that they will come to know him.

I have the power to be a witness for Christ, the power was given to me by Jesus I want to help create disciples in my church.

Help us Lord to remember the power that we have, you told us to go and make disciples and that is what we are to be doing. I pray that my church will become better equipped to make disciples.

I Didn't Feel Called

Are you supposed to be somewhere else?

Jungle Missionary, Joil Marbut

This video has some tough questions about our faith and our obedience. Are you called to do something? Are you supposed to be serving somewhere else? Are you waiting for a burning bush.

To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us, it is difficult to comprehend how extreme the word everything is, I don't think that any of us really go extreme in desiring God. We say we want to know him but we don't cultivate the relationship, he has called us to know him and live for him

Are you called?

1. God calls weak people and supplies for them (Exodus 3:1-8)
2. God calls all people to faithful obedience (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
3. God calls his people to speak truth in dark times (Isaiah 6:1-8)
4. God calls his enemies (Acts 9:1-6)

How often do we see needs and think that somebody should fill the gap in that situation? What if it was our opportunity and we missed it? We have all felt that internal nudge to do something, you see a need, you feel some tension inside, but just like the disciples you say "this is all I have."

What do you do when Jesus tells you to do something impossible? You tell God that there is no way that you have the resources or the skill set, you are not equipped, you are scared but God says "I don't care, bring what you have."

You may tell God, "I am not someone that meets that kind of need, I am somebody that prays for somebody to meet that need. I'm just a prayer warrior" But God says "I don't care, bring what you have."

My Amazon Mission Trip

Something so good should not be kept a secret.

Psalms 40:6-10  You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that You have made me listen, I finally understand. You don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.

7  Then I said, "Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures:  8  I take joy in doing Your will, my God, for Your instructions are written on my heart."   

9  I have told all Your people about Your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as You, O LORD, well know.  10  I have not kept the good news of Your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about Your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of Your unfailing love and faithfulness.

---

I just came back from a mission trip to the Amazon rain forest. We worked with Amazon Outreach for the transportation and logistics and with AmazonVida for continued mission work and long term discipleship after the mission team is gone.

One day during my morning devotions my Bible "accidentally" opened to this scripture in Psalm chapter forty. There are several truths about the work that we were doing in the jungle that I found in this scripture.

God wants obedience with the right attitude.

God wants me to keep my attitude in check when I am working for him. God wants me to make sacrifices with the way that I use my money, my time and my talents but if I have the wrong motives or do it with a bad attitude then my efforts for him are worthless.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were a requirement for God's people, they didn't always obey and when they did obey they didn't always have a heart of genuine repentance, they just went through the motions and made their sacrifices to him without changing their ways.

We should take joy in being obedient to God.

King David said that he was full of joy and he knew that he was being obedient because God's word was written on his heart. Too many people that attend church leave their Bibles at home in the dust where they have been sitting all week, how can we possibly know God's will if we do not spend time with him?

God wants us to tell others.

If we understand how good God has been to us then how can we keep the good news to ourselves? King David didn't keep God's goodness to himself, he said that he told everybody about the goodness of God, he told them all about the love and faithfulness that they will never find anywhere else.

When I read these scriptures on the mission trip I was surprised to see such a "New Testament" concept in the Old Testament. I was reminded of my responsibility that Jesus gave me of telling everyone about the love of God. God's love and faithfulness are too good to keep to ourselves!

John 20:21 “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

It is too easy, in the middle of our everyday lives, to forget about our mission. A mission trip is a great way to regain your focus and determine to live with your focus on the great commission.

Help me Lord to keep my focus on you and your mission.

Come To Jesus

Jesus is God and he is able to satisfy your thirsty soul better than anything else.

John 7:30-32  Then the leaders tried to arrest Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.  31  Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in Him. "After all," they said, "would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?"  32  When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.

John 7:37-38  On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me!  38  Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"

---

Another visit to the temple has turned into chaos, every time Jesus goes there is a disturbance, this time it is the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles. There was a commotion before Jesus got there that only got worse, the crowds were trying to find Jesus and the were debating who he is.

The crowds are trying to decide who Jesus is but they are not looking at all of the evidence. Is this guy a good man or a deceiver? Are those really the only options for you to choose from?

John 7:12 There was a lot of grumbling about Him among the crowds. Some argued, "He's a good man," but others said, "He's nothing but a fraud who deceives the people."

We have been looking at some of the proof about Jesus in the study of the Book of John. John has given us a great deal of evidence about who Jesus is. John keeps coming back to this issue because he wants us to see that neither of those are viable options.

Jesus has been telling this crowd who he is but they didn't even list being God as one of the possibilities. Jesus teaching, his miracles and all of the prophecy that was fulfilled at his birth make a solid case to back up his claim to be God in a body.

The crowds got stuck on the fact that Jesus came in humility, he was selfless, he didn't attempt to gain money or political power, none of the things that a worldly leader should have, yet he had an incredible impact on our world. A false Messiah has never made this big of a difference in our world and he has never been humble and renounce money and power.

During the Feast of Tabernacles a priest went to the Pool of Siloam, drew water in a golden pitcher, and returned in procession to the temple, where he poured it out at the base of the altar. This part of the feast commemorated God’s provision of water from the rock that sustained Israel during their stay in the wilderness.

Knowing this helps me to see why the Jews were so upset, Jesus claim that he was what the symbolism of the ritual was about would be a very bold and shocking statement, one that would offend any of us if it happened today.

Jesus Makes Us An Offer
John 4:13-14  Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

Jesus doesn't get into the debate, he has done enough to prove who he is, instead he makes an offer to the crowd. If you are hung up on whether Jesus is a good man or a deceiver then this offer isn't going to mean anything to you. He makes an offer to this crowd of Jews in the temple that is the same as the offer he made to an adulterous Samaritan woman next to a well and it is the same offer that is being given to each of us.

Jesus invites us to come to him if you are thirsty for spiritual things, if you are thirsty for a full pardon for your sin and if you crave a relationship with your creator then come on down. Get yourself a taste of living water that can satisfy!

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

See how satisfying living water can be, get a taste of forgiveness, grow in your knowledge of who God is and what he desires for your life. Drink freely and experience his grace, salvation and pardon for sin that will last for eternity.

After you have had a taste of this water you will have to share it with others. Not only do you drink and have your own thirst quenched, but you also become the supplier for other people, you will have this satisfying water pouring out of you for the world to taste.

Thank you Lord for the drink of living water! Help me to be a river of water to the thirsty world around me.

Be Fruitful And Multiply

Do these words apply to the New Testament church? 

Genesis 22:17  I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

Genesis 35:9-11  Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him,  10  saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel." So God renamed him Israel.  11  Then God said, "I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!

---

Way back in the book of Genesis God made a promise to both Abraham and to his grandson Jacob. God told Abraham that his descendants would be huge, they would become a great nation of people that would be a blessing to the other nations.

Most of us have heard the story and probably understand only part of the meaning of the phrase "be fruitful and multiply." To the casual observer it may look like God is saying, "go have a lot of children" or you may think that it is a nice story for the Jews but none of this has a direct application to me.

At first it may seem like a stretch to apply this phrase to the New Testament church or to evangelism but check this out:

Similarities in the covenant with both men

Genesis 17:4-6  "This is My covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!  5  What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.  6  I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

Jacob's promise is a reaffirmation of the promise made to Abraham.

The promises to both men contain:

1. a name change (Abram to Abraham, and Jacob to Israel),
2. a promise that kings will come from them,
3. a reference to being fruitful, and
4. a promise that a "multitude of nations" will come from Abram and Jacob.

God made a promise to Abraham which he reaffirmed several times to him and he also affirmed it to Jacob with a lot of similarities in the two events.

Gentile believers are a part of the promise

John 8:39-41  "Our father is Abraham!" they declared. "No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.  40  Instead, you are trying to kill Me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.  41  No, you are imitating your real father." They replied, "We aren't illegitimate children! God Himself is our true Father."

Romans 4:16-17  So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.  17  That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Jesus told the Jews that they were not a part of the promise that was made to Abraham just because of their genealogy. Jesus made it clear that some of the Jews had a different father and they were living to please him instead of God. (John 8:44)

Jesus opened the door to the idea that the spiritual family rather than the physical family is what really matters. The promise that Abraham would be fruitful and be the father of many nations is fulfilled with the inclusion of the Gentiles. You don't have to be a Jew to become a part of God's chosen people. (Ephesians 2:19, 1 Peter 2:9)

I am a part of the blessing 

Galatians 3:6-8  In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."  7  The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.  8  What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when He said, "All nations will be blessed through you."

Abraham was made righteous because of his faith in God's promise and my faith does the same for me. Jesus said that the Jews had no advantage when it comes to having a relationship with him. (Matthew 3:9) Since Christ is from the seed of Abraham then everyone that is born again into the family of God is a true offspring of Abraham and they are heirs of the promises

The key is belonging to Christ, who is the offspring of Abraham, as Paul said, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:16, 29)

I need to obey the command

John 15:8,16  When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father. 16 You didn't choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.

If I am a part of the family of God's blessed people then I must also be a part of the command to be fruitful and multiply. This command belongs to every Christian and every time that we participate in leading someone to Jesus we are fulfilling that command.

We can't bring anybody to Jesus in our own power but when God gave the command to Abraham and Jacob he also told them about the source of strength to do what he told them to do. God said, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply." Jesus said something very similar just before he left earth when he told the disciples:

Matthew 28:18-19 he told his disciples: "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."

I need to realize the power that is found in Jesus that enables me to tell the world about the gospel. If I remain quiet then I am not obeying the command to be fruitful and multiply. I need to participate in missions and be willing to Go, Pray and Give.

Extreme Missions

How extreme is your commitment to the great commission? 

Acts 20:18-27  When they arrived he declared, "You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now  19  I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.  20  I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.  21  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike--the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus."

22  "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me,  23  except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.  24  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."   

25  "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.  26  I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault,  27  for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know."

---

Many times I wonder about the life that we live and wonder if we are supposed to be doing so much more for God. I go to work, I casually mention the fact that I go to church, I go on about my day. This is so different from the extreme approach to missions that we see in the Bible and it is so different from the lifestyle of many missionaries around the world that are living out God's mission in extreme ways while most of us do so little.

One man whose obedience to mission work was extreme was Paul. In the book of Acts and in Paul's letters you see how dangerous his work was. Many times he was chased out of town or beat up. We can also see how very consuming Paul's mission work was as he spent almost all of his time and energy doing it.

Paul said that he did the Lord's work with humility, tears, perseverance and he never avoided saying what needed to be said even when it put him in danger. There are not many missionaries that can say that much less the average Christ follower. How many of us approach our missions work with such zeal?

I have to admit that I have never cried over the people that I was going out to work with on a mission trip. Most of the trips are only a week and don't take up much of my time and energy. I have never spoke up for Jesus in the face of danger, often times I don't speak up when the only reaction that I will probably get may be so very minor. I have to wonder how pleased God is with my weak effort.

Sound the warning!
Ezekiel 33:3-5  When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.  4  Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die.  5  They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.

My mission is similar to the job of the watchman up on the city wall back in ancient times, he was responsible for warning the people when danger was coming, this was a very important job that needed to be taken seriously. It is the job of every follower of Jesus!

The danger that is on the way should motivate us to tell everyone. I need to sound the warning. I need to make the message clear so that I will not be to blame if they ignore the warning.