Posts Tagged ‘Disciples’

Can i be really honest with you today?  Maybe this is public confession time for those who read this blog.  I have been sucked in to things that don’t matter.  These things aren’t wrong per se, but they aren’t teh best things by any stretch of the imagination.  These things are not the things that I need to be setting my heart on, but rather, they are peripheral things that blur what is most important.  What are these things? Here goes the tough part:

• Church attendance
• Sermon appreciation
• Church growth
• Pastoral applause
• A desire for more PAID staff at RiverStone
• Vacation Time – sorry, but I’m tired and in need of a few days off

See, that was tough, but I made it through.  Easter seems to bring out the best and the worst in pastors.  The demand for people to come to your church, and to hear your message and to pack the house can become an idol and a useless god, instead of focusing on God and his great glory of His Son Jesus.  And I’ve been sucked in.  Big Time.

How am I coming out of being sucked in?  What are the most important things?  Glad you asked.

• Hearing and crying for a brokenness where 6.8 billion people are in the world and 4 billion plus people are without Christ heading to an eternal hell.
• Remembering that I’ve been called to be a fisher of men, for Jesus will make me this as I follow him.
• Remembering the call on my life to make disciples of all nations, and not live for myself.
• To hold a high view of God, not a high view of church attendance.

Let me ask us all some questions I’ve been asking myself, personally.  Have we thought today about the 4 billion plus people in the world without Christ?  Is it OK with us that they are headed to hell?  How many times this week have we thought about making disciples and making much of God?

Oh, Church and friends…can we forget the small things like Easter outfits and what’s for dinner tonight and when will the worship leader sing my favorite song, and let’s look at the larger purpose – to give our lives for the glory of God by spending our lives in such a way that the 4 billion plus people headed to hell are reducing in number.  That’s living!

Dig Deeper,

PC

Hey RiverStone and friends…

I had a blast yesterday in our worship time together at our campus.  I seem to never get tired of Matthew 28:16-20, at least teaching this truth from God’s Word. Although it’s a lot harder to live out than to teach, I must admit.  My prayer is that we all would see God as supremely better in order that we launch out in obedience to truly give ourselves to the mission to make disciples.  (If you were unable to attend services yesterday, check out iTunes for the latest podcast of the message, and the online version of the message should be up shortly at riverstonechurch.org.)

So let’s dig in a bit on a Monday Morning (a cold Monday!):

We saw yesterday that the local mission of any church is to obey Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.  What does making disciples mean? It means to live our lives in such a way that others will know Christ.  We saw that this mission is impossible without His intervention.  If he doesn’t draw people to himself, our mission is defunct!  Plain and Simple.  This frustrates me!  Why?  Because I like control, and God’s mission for God’s Church is that God would be in control and not man.  I confess my sin to all of you.

What I want to challenge all of us on today is 3 “C” questions to consider as we focus in on our mission from Christ in Matthew 28:16-20:

• Am I COMPELLING people to come to Christ?  Jesus says that we are to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”  Baptism is a symbol of a person coming to faith in Christ.  They are outwardly demonstrating an inward change – repentance and forgiveness of sins by trusting Christ alone.   Are we compelling them to trust in this Savior?  Not in self, works, networks, parents, etc?
• Are we COACHING people in the teachings of Christ?  Jesus says next, …”teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.”  Are we coaching our kids in the teachings of Scripture more than we’re coaching them in the other things in our world:  the way to catch a football, baseball, how to shoot a basketball, how to dance, ice skate, drive a car?  Are we taking the time to coach them to love Jesus and the Word of God?  This is disciple-making.
• Are we CONFIDENT in God’s Results as we compel and coach?  Here’s a sobering reminder to us all:  we can’t coerce anyone to come to faith in Christ.  That’s not our job.  We can’t force our co-workers, family members and friends into getting rescued from a Christ-less eternity.  We can compel them to believe and coach them in what to believe, but at the end of the day, we are not the power for their belief and life transformation.  What are we to do then?  Are we to get frustrated?  Nope.  We are to be confident!  How and Why?  Because Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…and Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Our confidence in making disciples is rooted in the fact that Jesus is all-powerful and all-present!  He is the one who Saves, as we move forth in obedience.

So, study again, Matthew 28:16-20, and ask these 3 “C” questions.  Let’s get on with the mission daily, weekly, monthly, as he is the one moving the hearts of people to respond to his love and grace!

Dig Deeper!

PC