During my time at Biola I have had the opportunity to listen to quite a few people share their stories. All life stories tend to include some of the same characteristics. One such characteristic, at least for Christians, is the significant role of those who walk with us as we follow Jesus. In fact, if you take a second to remember your decision to follow Jesus, you will probably think more about a friend or a family member than events or programs. Similarly, if you consider how you have matured in Christ, you probably cannot help but think of a few people who have taken a special interest in you and have shown you what it looks like to follow Jesus.
When you take a look at the New Testament, you will find that this is no coincidence. Jesus called his disciples saying, “I will make you fishers of men,” and left them with the words, “Go make disciples.” Jesus knew from the beginning that the best way to go about establishing his church would be to pour his life out for a few friends. Indeed, a couple years with Jesus turned common men into disciples who would spend the rest of their lives obeying his last words: “Make disciples.”
After Paul met Jesus he did the same. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul urges his readers to imitate him as he follows the example of Christ. He tells the Philippians the same thing: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.”
Imagine saying those words to a few people into whom you decide to invest your life. It sounds a little crazy doesn’t it? But it begins to make sense when Paul tells the Thessalonians that they were his hope, his joy, his glory and his crown. Paul’s zeal for his friends to know Jesus is especially evident when, in Galatians 4:19, he says that he is in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in them. Wrap your mind around that! Paul’s life mission, his fight and his reward was making disciples of Jesus.
Disciples of Jesus make disciples of Jesus. It is embedded in the very order of creation. Just as fruit trees were created to reproduce fruit trees, disciples were created to reproduce disciples. Now, many of us know the stories and have memorized the verses. My question is this: Do we actually obey the command?
In an article entitled “Obituary for the American Church,” Mike Breen estimates that “90% of the church’s time, energy and resources are linked to [feeding consumers]” and argues that the “consumer mentality is antithetical to the Gospel and to the call of discipleship.” Shouldn’t it concern us that we spend so much of ourselves on Christian activity which does not involve making disciples of Jesus?
The hardest part may be figuring out where to start. God may be simply calling you to become a friend who seeks for Christ to be formed in the friends you already have. Maybe he wants you to grab a meal with someone who you know looks up to you but who you have never gotten to know. It is also possible that he wants you to get off Biola’s campus and make friends with some people who don’t know Jesus. There is no cookie cutter formula, but one thing is certain: We are all called to a lifestyle of disciple-making.
Let’s become a church that is devoted to obeying the final words of our master.
