Jump Start # 624

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Evangelism is what we are looking at through this passage. Yesterday we looked at “Go.” Today, it is “make disciples.” Disciples is the most common word used for the followers of Jesus. It is used over 200 times. The basic definition of a disciple means to be a pupil or student. That can bring the wrong picture to our minds. We may think of a boring history class on a hot afternoon where we are falling asleep listening to a teacher talk about some Prussian war a long time ago. Who, what and why the Prussians  really didn’t mean much to us when we were in high school and little has changed our view since then. Discipleship is more than listening to a lecture. A better analogy is an apprenticeship. Years ago, a father would send his son to a skilled workman to learn a trade. The son would follow, watch and do what the skilled craftsman did. Often, a person could tell who mentored a person because of the similarities of work between the craftsman and the apprentice.

To be a disciple of Jesus is to become like Jesus. The apostles were told to GO and make DISCIPLES. Go and make people like Jesus. Now to do all this implies a few thoughts.

First, a person must be sold on Jesus. Why be like someone if I’m not sure about that person. Discipleship begins with the Master, Jesus Christ. It begins by understanding that He is Heaven sent. He is the fulfillment of all that God said. He is the chosen Messiah. He is the Redeemer and the Savior of the world. There is no better example than Jesus. There is no better sacrifice than Jesus. He is the first. He is the best. A person  can not find a better example than Jesus. There are no mistakes in Jesus. You never find Him not being what He was supposed to be. He is the perfect example of perfection. Why Jesus? No one is like Him. You may think that you had perfect parents, they did not exceed Jesus. You may believe you are married to the perfect mate—he or she is not better than Jesus. You may think that you are perfect. (I hope not—that attitude alone shows that you are not perfect). You are not better than Jesus. The best mentor is Jesus. The best example is Jesus. The best teacher is Jesus. Discipleship begins by finding the best—it is Jesus.

Second, a person must want to become like Jesus. This can never be. If it could, then Jesus wouldn’t be the best. He’d be one of many bests. Others would be like Him. In shoe making, carpentering, painting, it is possible for the student to excel the mentor. Here it is not. Yet the disciple wants to be like Jesus. In the ancient world it was not uncommon for the student to dress and even talk like his teacher. We become like Jesus on the insides. Our attitudes. Our motives. Our worship. Our heart. All these things take on a new form and new purpose with Jesus. We seek His will, not ours. We set our eyes upon Jesus, not the world. We desire Heaven, not earth.

Third, making disciples is accomplished by teaching the New Testament. It is through learning about the Christian system that a person becomes like Jesus. Go make disciples is saying go preach the gospel. Faith in Jesus begins with the gospel message about Jesus.

I wonder if we’ve gotten away from “disciple making.” Instead we’ve tried to “save” folks. We’ve added names to the church directory. We’ve baptized people.  Without making a disciple, a person may not stay at it. Without making a disciple a person may not change much. To be a disciple is to become like his teacher. Matthew says that as he quotes Jesus. There’d be a lot less fussing in churches if more acted like Jesus. Maybe they’re members, but not disciples. I tend to think there’d be fewer headaches, heartaches and turmoil if more had become like Jesus. We let things like stress, worry, fear and materialism crowd out the faith we have. There is a big difference between church members and disciples. Church members tend to leave their faith at the church building. In the dog eat dog world, they are one of the dogs. Disciples are disciples every where, any where and at all times. They are. They have become.

Discipleship is a learning process and it’s a long process. Most who are getting it realize that they have gotten it yet. The more they learn about Jesus the more they need to become. It’s a wonderful journey. It takes you to places like grace and forgiveness and serving and helping and compassion. There’s nothing like it.

Make disciples…have you become one yourself? It’s hard to get others to be that when we haven’t done it ourselves. Go make…go become.

Roger