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 have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
These are the last two verses of the gospel according to Matthew. These are the final instructions that Jesus gave his disciples before ascending to heaven. It is better known as “The Great Commission.” Jesus has wrapped up His earthly teaching to His disciples with one last command. Go and make disciples. Take all your life experiences and everything I have taught you in the past three years. Please bring it to other people in your life. Follow my example and find those to follow Me through your example. And Jesus’ last statement is, “no matter what happens; I will be with you!”
Make
The creator of heaven and earth has given us the ability to be creative—to make something out of the resources given to us. As humans, we can take the things of this earth, twist them, contort them, and stretch them into amazing things. For example, musical instruments can play sweet lullabies to put our children to sleep and play orchestral masterpieces that can exhilarate some of us. Some can take oils and pigment and smear them on a stretched canvas; somehow, it becomes the most beautiful works of art you have ever seen. Others can take leather wrapped around a core, hit it with a wooden stick, and drive it out of a baseball field.
Then some believe they cannot create anything. They do not even try because they are convinced, they cannot be creative. I do not think that is true. If the creator of the universe created Adam in His image, then would not it make sense that as a human race, we too would have the markings of creativity given by a Father. I believe the enemy does not want you to be creative because it is an expression of God in us. We give God honor and glory through our creativity; Satan hates it.
And Make
If you begin to understand that you can be creative, then you may be creative enough to make something that resembles you. And if you resemble Jesus, then you make a disciple. Another human to follow Jesus. Now the counter to that is when we twist and contort creation to bend to our prideful ambitions. The problem is we are still making disciples, but disciples of what? We are charging and arming people to be anti-Christ. Anti-Bible. To be self-sufficient humanists working under our own power and trying to fill a God-sized hole within us that will never be satisfied. We may be unintentional about it, but how is an unintentional Christ-follower any different than an intention lost person?
I am struggling with this question. How many “Christ-followers” are in “The Church” and are completely ineffective? I was there not that long ago. I did my best. I lead groups. I strived to be significant in the kingdom of God, all the while spinning my wheels because I had secrets. I had areas of my life that others did not know about. And one person challenging me to share my story and expose my secrets caused me to evaluate my leadership as a father, stepfather, and disciple-maker. I had to speak and talk about something I was barely doing in my life. That catapulted me into digging into what it meant to lead others. From that moment on, I have been becoming a disciple-maker and will continue to become a disciple-maker until the day I stand before Jesus and long to hear “Well done!”
And Make More
What is getting in your way as an intentional disciple-maker in the Kingdom of God? Do you have secrets that are keeping you bound and ineffective? God has given us the ability and resources to be creative. Find ways to walk alongside other people and guide them into a relationship with Christ. And then for them to grow and flourish in their walk of faith. Finally, once we have walked together and a disciple launches, do it all over again. Find the next one, and then the next one. If we are to be conformed to the image of Christ and encourage the person next to us to conform as well, are we ever really done being a disciple or making disciples of Jesus?
Prayer
Father, help us be conformed to the image of Christ! Lead us to those who can disciple us and bring those who need discipling to us. Expose the things in our lives that stunt our creativity. Bring to light the secrets that separate us from Your presence. Give us the courage to walk away from those things and take up the banner of Hope. To be of the kingdom of God, not just in it! Amen
