what does it mean to make disciples of all nations

Brand disciples of all nations

Iain Hesketh

If I was to enquire you what is the mission of God's people, what would you say? The likelihood is that you would quote Matthew 28:18-twenty. These words are and so familiar to the states but have we paused long plenty to process what Jesus is saying? In this article I want to focus on the phrase 'make disciples of all nations' and dig in a piddling deeper into what Jesus was request.

The telephone call to 'make disciples' shouldn't accept too much explanation and yet information technology is the thing that many are confused by or neglectful of. Many call up that it will merely happen if only we can get people in the aforementioned room, at the same time each week and listen to the voice of a few trusted teachers.

Gatherings and the public reading of God's Word are crucial, and I like y'all no dubiousness, am then thankful for gifted bible teachers that help united states to sympathise and apply God'southward Word. Yet it seems that in the current crisis this just isn't going to exist possible in the same fashion. Could this present an opportunity for united states to recalibrate around sending and disciple-making?

Disciples are made. The apostle John makes it clear that children of God are born past a sovereign act of God as they responded to His invitation to believe in Him and they are made new (John 1:12; 2 Cor v:17). However, Jesus has tasked those who are part of His family, under the leadership of, and in partnership with the Holy Spirit, to make disciples - that are 'to become [and assist others to become] who Jesus would exist if He were you lot.' (Dallas Willard)

In many respects, everything has changed because of COVID-xix and nonetheless zilch has changed. Nosotros are still called to brand disciples of all nations merely possibly this crunch has served to show the ways that we have done this well and non so well! This is not a criticism but my reflection of what we may accept made discipleship out to be, whether that is by commission or omission.

At the beginning of lockdown I made a monumental decision; I decided to build a desk. The previous owners of our house had left behind some scaffolding boards that were of little use to us, as we neither had scaffolding nor did I have the desire to get any; I don't like heights! Some of you would lap this kind of project up and think nothing of it, simply for me, information technology was a meaning moment; but having made the determination to build it, I had come to terms with the fact that it wasn't going to build itself no thing how much I imagined making it in my mind!

Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking that but because we talk about discipleship and tell people what they should do; we think nosotros are making disciples. The problem is that merely similar no corporeality of inquiry or others telling me what to do was going to go the desk built. I had to go my easily muddy. Could I have bought a desk? Sure; just where would take been the fun in that?! I'yard far less likely to dispose of my handcrafted desk-bound than i bought from a shop, and now I have some albeit very express experience, I could build one for someone else and then eventually brainstorm to teach others how to practise it. My desk isn't fancy, it is actually simple in fact, yet information technology does exactly what it is supposed to do! You meet, a desk doesn't need to be complicated, it just needs to do what it is supposed to practice. Disciple-making means getting our hands dingy and practice what we've been designed to do!

To make disciples, the way Jesus made disciples, doesn't look like preaching to hundreds or even thousands of people, merely more like investing all you know into a modest grouping of people who are eager to larn what it looks like to follow Jesus. Yes, Jesus preached to thousands just information technology was to phone call out disciples non to make them!

Matthew records the calling of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John:

As he was walking forth the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a internet into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 "Follow me," he told them, "and I will make y'all fish for? people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on from in that location, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:xviii–22 (CSB)

What was it Jesus was making exactly? He was in fact preparation disciple-making missionaries first and foremost and in the process, He was educational activity them how to be leaders and church building planters; movement makers. Is our discipleship too safe, besides processed and take a chance-balky to develop movement makers? Is this kind of leadership and disciple-making too much of a challenge to our overly controlling leadership cultures?

The telephone call to follow Jesus was to pledge total allegiance to Jesus and His mission. This was demonstrated through obedience. They were to walk with Him, larn everything He taught and imitate His very way of life. Why did these men so chop-chop drop everything to follow Jesus? Well, in a world where beingness chosen to follow a Rabbi was similar today'south equivalent of every male child dreaming of being a professional footballer, boys would dream of being a Rabbi. The thing is, only the almost talented of boys would become to follow a Rabbi so really become Rabbis. Would be disciples would accept to ask to exist disciples of their called Rabbi, the Rabbi would then test them to see if they had what it took to be their disciple. Information technology is likely the men Jesus chosen had either failed the exam or hadn't even bothered to sit the test in the kickoff place because they knew they weren't good plenty.

So hither'due south the thing, Jesus didn't accept volunteers! He chose people! He chose them then and He chooses people now. He saw something in these young men so He chosen them. Their only choice was whether to follow or non. But why wouldn't they? A Rabbi had asked them to be His disciples! Jesus is still searching for people who will respond to His telephone call to follow Him and be fabricated into disciple-making missionaries. I utilise the term missionary in the broadest sense, of one being sent to proclaim the proficient news of Jesus (John 21:20). The just question we must ask is; to where are we being sent?

Tin I advise that for Jesus, discipleship wasn't so much about getting His apprentices to follow a moral lawmaking but more well-nigh them receiving the fullness of life? Having been led into life by Jesus (John 14:1-17) it would surely brainstorm to alter their internal moral code (John xv:i-11), which would be evidenced in the manner they behaved and spoke. Jesus took them on a journey of transformation that affected the whole of their lives. Following Jesus, they would acquire to be true worshippers (Matt 22:37), they would learn to obey Jesus and how to help others obey him also (John 15:nine-17), and finally He would equip them to be partners in the mission and to carry information technology on when He had gone (Matt 4:nineteen; 28:18-20). Oh, and there would never be a promotion to be a Rabbi, equally there was only ever going to be one master and His name is Jesus. The telephone call to follow was and however is, a life-long call of submission and allegiance to King Jesus.

The most natural thing for an amateur to do is to copy what they meet their trainer practise, so information technology is petty wonder that we see the pattern replicated by the apostles in the book of Acts. We see the fruit of this pattern none more so than through the apostle Paul's ministry. Paul writes in Romans fifteen:19b, 23 (CSB): As a upshot, I accept fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem? all the style around to Illyricum... But now I no longer have whatever work to exercise in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you.

How is it, that one human could reach so many in a xv yr flow covering 10,000 miles? It was because he was relentless in his pursuit to make Jesus known to the unreached just most importantly, he didn't do it solitary. He identified , trained and released other missionary disciple-makers and encouraged them to do the aforementioned (2 Tim 2:2).

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Then what about united states of america?

If the missionary task isn't yet complete, how then practice we railroad train more disciple-makers than always before? Might I suggest nosotros follow the model of Jesus and Paul, and all the movement starters that have gone before us? Y'all might say, but this doesn't fit with our civilisation, well that may be then merely could I humbly suggest it wasn't the civilisation that Jesus stepped into either. The principles that Jesus set for disciple-making are not bound by time and culture but are tools to shape culture according to the Kingdom.

Showtime small:

Jesus started small and continued working in the pocket-size and hidden, never getting distracted or dazzled past the crowds. He proclaimed the bulletin of the Kingdom to the masses and taught the way of the Kingdom to a few in order to truly equip them. Why? Considering He knew that if He could lead a few to really believe in Him and do what He did, then the Kingdom of God would accelerate in ways that would be unstoppable. Jesus showed them how to follow by inviting a few so close, they could come across and feel it for themselves. He also didn't look as well long to launch them into ministry building opportunities because He knew who He had called. Maybe we hesitate to release people because we don't know them? It seems to me that Jesus took some risks in discipling the twelve in order that they grew. Jesus' disciple making formula was about helping His disciples to step into all that God had purposed for them and glorifying the One who sent Him. Disciple-making is by nature a radically other focus activity.

Start where you are:

Disciple-making so is not almost an 'off-the-shelf' class, a quick fix from a visiting preacher or the next leadership expert flying in. It is about everyday men and women called by Jesus to follow Him, obey His teaching and equip others to exercise likewise. Our worker in Westward Africa and his church planters, disciple people who don't all the same know Jesus because they understand that the process of discipleship is helping people move from unbelief to belief and not simply passing on data near Jesus. Information that does non pb to awarding to one's life will never consequence in the transformation Jesus desires for those who telephone call themselves followers. A conventionalities that informs the fashion nosotros live in all of life is a truly powerful witness to the resurrected Christ.

Uncomplicated reproducible patterns:

Have we made our discipleship processes too complicated, so that information technology is merely those who are Bible college-trained tin disciple others? Disciple-making the style that Jesus modelled it is focused on the disciple-maker and young man pilgrims beingness committed to iii crucial relationships: 1) Love God ; passionate pursuit of God as a worshipper. We cannot be true worshippers and exist unchanged in our innermost parts. 2) Love one another ; connected in community to serve one another and provoke our brothers and sisters to be all that God has created them to be. 3) Love the last, lost and to the lowest degree ; committed to mission and in so doing, prove kindness and compassion, and the greatest kindness of all? Telling them that Jesus died for our sin and on the third twenty-four hour period rose again acquisition death (1 Cor 15:3, four).

Reproduce, Enhance, Release,

Oscar Muriu, Bishop of the Nairobi Chapel network of churches, who at the time was senior pastor and had seen hundreds of churches planted, was asked past Steve Addison (chat recounted in his book: 'Movements that Change the World') what his success could be attributed to? This was his response:

"All I do is copy. Y'all don't take to exist clever to re-create. I look at Scripture and ask, 'What did Jesus do?' They telephone call that obedience." [Steve recalls] One statement he made that I will never forget was, "Steve, I don't plant churches. I abound sons." And some of his best 'sons' are daughters.

It is obvious that no i individual will reach a village let alone a nation. No one network will reach a continent. Simply dare we believe that together, in partnership, as we raise and release reproducing disciple-making sons and daughters to go and do also, we will join with the Spirit in fulfilling the commission of Jesus to achieve unreached villages, towns, cities, and nations. Making disciples is about the 'whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world!' (Lausanne Movement)

Questions

1. From what you have read, what one thing provoked a response in you?
2. Today, what are you going to do with it?
3. From what you accept read, what needs to alter in your life?

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Source: https://www.elim.org.uk/Articles/581425/Make_disciples_of.aspx

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