One of my primary jobs as the pastor of SixEight Church is to equip you to live as a disciple. I have no desire to get you to be in the David fan club. In fact, that scares me. Why? Well, what if I don’t live up to your expectations? Then what happens? If all your hopes are in me, well, it’s just too much for me to be that person for you.
My desire is to equip you to be a disciple. That’s why we do church, daily videos and Tuesday Evening fellowship. Giving you a foundation, information and pushing you towards application is what’s behind all of that.
But, there is this one aspect of being a disciple that is a big challenge for most of us. Making new disciples.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus’ primary command was not to be a disciple, it was to make disciples. We have to understand this.
Of course, we must also understand that Jesus was speaking to disciples who had just spent three years with Jesus. They knew his teachings and how they were supposed to live because they had been with the master.
But, in the end, the command Jesus gave his disciples is to make more disciples. You may not realize it, but you have a gift. Many of you are surrounded by people who are far from Jesus. You have opportunities all around you to make disciples. You are a blessed person!
“Hey, David. You started this article with asking ‘will you help me help you?'” Can you get the point already?
That’s a good point, so let me get to it.
What keeps you from being able to invite someone to become a disciple? Notice I’m not talking only about inviting people to church. That’s a way to lead someone in the right direction. But, going to church doesn’t make you a disciple anymore than going to a bakery makes you a donut. Or a baker. It’s a good starting point. In the same way, it’s a good starting point for making disciples. But, it doesn’t end there.
Anyway, back to my question…
How can I equip you to invite someone to church? What tools or resources can I provide for you that will make it easier for you to be able to strike up a conversation with someone you work with about Jesus and how believing in Him has changed your life?
On a similar note, what are the obstacles you face? What are the things that make it really hard to talk to someone?
I ask because I want to see you thrive as a disciple of Jesus. I want to know what issues you deal with that are making it hard to make the invitation. What makes it hard to invite someone to the Tuesday Evening Fellowship?
What makes it hard to live out in your day to day life these things we talk about on Sunday? What makes it hard to apply the things we talk about in the coaching videos?
So, will you help me help you? Will you take some time to give me a response for some things I can be doing to equip you to put a voice and hands and feet on the message of Jesus in your life?
It won’t be easy. But, it’s not supposed to be. The things that are worth doing are never easy. There is a cost involved. But, if we count the cost and are willing to pay it, we will also see God do amazing things through us. I want that so bad for you. I don’t want you to just think that Christianity is about what God can get from you, or what the church can get from you or about what I can get from you. What I want FOR you is to see God do things through you that only He can take the credit for. He wants that for you to.
We are not pawns in the strategy of a commander, we are children at the table of our Heavenly Father. Fathers want things for their kids. God wants something for you that is bigger than what you want for yourself. He knows and sees the potential in you.
Will you trust Him enough to draw it out of you and use it to do great things for His Kingdom?