Matthew 28:16-20
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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.”
May I begin by saying that there are wonderful exceptions to this but for many in the evangelical community, perceived success in fulfilling this command is realized when red hot zealots arise from the lukewarm pack and head the call to ministry. They make preparation and ultimately find their way into professional ministry as missionaries or pastors. The Body of Christ then looks to these called ones as their leaders. They in turn, spend their lives preaching the gospel in order to save souls from hell and preserve them, through church involvement, for heaven. But, with this paradigm, how are we doing in the making disciples department?
As hard as professional clergy may try, it is nearly impossible for them to to prevent an us versus them culture within the groups they oversee with us being, the called professionals and them being the less-called unprofessionals. This mindset promotes a crippling idea; that one can be a disciple who is actively engaged in ministerial activity or that one can be a mere believer who attends church. If the adage is true that 20% of the people do 80% of the work, then the effect of this error is that 80% of the army has not been commissioned. Infecting the Body of Christ with the notion that one can believe without being a disciple has been one the enemy’s most effective fiery missiles. (If I am missing something in the scriptures on this, I pray someone will enlighten me.)
The original mandate to make disciples has effectively been derailed by an idea that has gone largely unchallenged within institutional Christianity. Consequently, many bible believing followers have been breaking away from traditional churches to engage in missional communities where the assumption is that all are called and that the primary mission of leaders is to recognize this and equip them as disciples through their teaching and the example of their own lives. Does seminary or bible college equip people to lead in this way?
Jesus said, “As I am so are you in this world.”
While Pastor and the gospel have had their place, I can see a day when the disciple and the Kingdom will have theirs. A disciple is nothing more than a person in whose heart Christ’s kingdom is operative and expanding. The Kingdom of God is simply that domain of activity where Christ’s government is prevailing. This is why Jesus said, in Him the kingdom of God had come. This is why He said the kingdom of God is within us.
The leader who is deconstructing the us vs them and the disciple vs attender–wineskin myth is partnering with the kingdom of God. The leader who is helping believers discover their identities in Christ and laying hold of their kingdom destinies are partnering with God in His grand kingdom objectives. The leader who is intentionally helping believers discover their individual giftings and helping them to see how relevant and essential they are to their imediate network of souls is making disciples and fulfilling the Great Commission mandate. When believers become disciples who recognize they are here only temporarily and that now is their opportunity as both sons and soldiers, the rulership of this planet will shift from the Prince of this world to Lord of Life and King forevermore.
Father, we acknowledge that you have commissioned us as ambassadors to make disciples in all nations. Help us to prepare by living out Your life in our neighborhoods and our networks. Help us to see our wineskins from Your perspective. May Your Kingdom inform our reality. Help us to embrace the Kingdom of God and may that eternal paradigm govern our lives individually and corporately that the world may see that special and long-awaited glory upon us and credit You for the miracle. In Jesus name. Amen.