Skip to main content

Disciple Makers

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 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 NIV

I hope this is one of the most impactful selections of scripture for us as followers of Jesus. To set the scene, Jesus is on a mountain and with his closest followers. He's defeated death and left the empty tomb behind. I'm sure the apostles are starting to really understand all He shared with them. The pieces of a puzzle clearly fitting into place. I envision it being like a coach in a huddle just before a game. He shares his final instructions to his team before they go out and execute the plan.

If you've seen the movie Pulp Fiction, I think that what the apostles experienced would have been like the film. Pulp fiction is written and filmed in such a way that connects what seems like random disconnected stories. The end of the film brings it all together and it just makes sense. There is a bit of an "Ah Ha moment" and your brain puts it all together. I wonder if the eleven followers felt the same way. 

In His message, Jesus makes it clear that following Him means action. It is not something that happens passively. You don't get to sit back and watch. You have a responsibility. You have to get up and get busy.

When you choose to follow Jesus you become a disciple maker who does so because you love God. You choose to show love to your neighbors, just like Jesus did. After all He told us, "“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34 NIV)

Let's be honest, at times it's hard to love some people. They can be mean and rude. People can say things that hurt each other. If we are really going to be honest, we have to admit that sometimes that person who is hard to love is staring at us in the mirror. Whether we feel like a person deserves for us to love them, God reminds us that He feels they are worthy of love. 

As you reflect on Matthew 28:18-20 consider the following: 
  How's your love of God's people going?
  How's your disciple making going? 

Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions.  It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them.  The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold.  He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold.  When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do the Work

Sometimes I sit down to write and it just seems like I am trying to write with a pen without ink. There is simply nothing productive coming from the activity. Other times, God just pours it out on me. The ideas flow and the message comes together with ease. More often than not it's the former rather than the latter. It seems God likes to make us work for it. The ones I have to work a bit harder on become the ones I like the most. I think we appreciate the things we have to work for more than the things that come easy. Our LifeGroup recently read about the Miraculous Catch of Fish. You know the story where Peter and his buddies have been out fishing all night and came back to shore completely empty handed. That next morning, Jesus asks them to take him out in the boat. Once out on the water, He has them put the nets back down and they bring in loads and loads of fish. So many fish that two boats almost sank.  I guess Jesus could have just made the fish jump into th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Anchor House Week 4: Strawberries

This week I had the chance to come through on a promise I made to one of our regular ships. When they were in port last we were hanging out in the break room with the crew. Somehow we got on the subject of strawberries, Florida strawberries of course. I made the bold statement that Florida strawberries were the best. Trish followed up by clarifying that Plant City’s are the best. She had a point that is hard to argue with. In the discussion, I told the seafarer that I would bring them some strawberries next time they were at Port Manatee. Sure enough the next time they were in port I ran to Detweillers, first thing in the morning, and picked up a half of a flat of some of the most beautiful strawberries you've ever seen. They were big, red, perfectly placed in the container in a neat and orderly fashion. They looked magnificent. As we approached the ship, the seafarer whom I had made the promise to waved and said, “You remembered!” After we boarded the ship, we t...
Post a Comment
Read more