Preach vs. Teach

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Make disciples of all men - not just converts who warm the pews, but actual disciples. Teach the gospel and see what it will accomplish - preaching it alone might win souls, but when it is taught, it is caught! Live the message - the gospel was always meant to be something that is backed with action, not just words spoken from a pulpit. If they are willing to follow, bring them along.

When we submit to the leadership of Jesus, we are acknowledging that we are willing to take up the mission he has given each of us. Yes, we are to tell others about Christ - but the billboard you hold on the side of the roadway won't cut it. Yes, we are to quote scripture - but we cannot beat people up with it. Yes, we are to pray constantly for our community, leaders, and even those we don't know and may never know, but prayer alone is still not enough.

We follow Christ through daily relationship with him. We learn to stand upon his Word and put it into practice on a daily basis. We commit to serve and then we do it. Too many 'serve' Jesus when and where it is 'convenient' for them, but too few really serve him as he asked us to serve. One thing I was always taught is that 'delayed obedience' is nothing more than disobedience in a 'pretty package'. Jesus wasn't asking the disciples to go and make disciples that would follow them. He asked them to go and make disciples of all men that would follow HIM. Our obedience to the calling on our lives may actually be the ONLY way someone comes to experience the reality of relationship with him. Perhaps we could preach a little less and teach a little more. Just sayin!

Don't ignore the need

 "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have."(Margaret Mead)

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matthew 16:24-25)

A few caring people was all Jesus needed to spread the good news about the grace he offered. A few caring people is all this world needs to see that message continue to bear the fruit of changed lives today. We have a commission, but are we fulfilling it to the best of our ability and to the best of his enabling? Our ability may be lacking at times, but his ability always exceeds our expectations!

All that we have - Jesus never asked for more than that we lay down our lives in service to him. What might that look like today? It could be that he asks us to reach out to the shut-in widow or even stop long enough to talk with the woman at the grocery store awaiting her rideshare pick-up, helping her to load that purchase into the ride when it arrives. We don't have to change the world from a pulpit - we need to change it from our own front door!

Give - not take. We live in a society bent on what is in it for them - it seems that if there is no immediate benefit to one's own self, there is little desire to do something. What can we 'give' of ourselves this week that will make someone's day brighter, a little less burdensome, or draw them closer to God in some way? It could be that one action you are being urged to do is the very thing another needs more than any wrapped gift under their tree this year.

Don't hang on - let go. The more we let go of our own agenda, the more we see the needs of those around us. Perhaps this is why Jesus told us to lay down our lives - to not hang onto it. He knew the more we focus on our own life, the less we see those around us. The less we see them, the easier it is to ignore the need we have been called to meet in that very moment. Disciples aren't afraid to both see and meet the need. Just sayin!

A fixed gaze

He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. (John 1:43, 46)

One of the most amazing things we see in the life of Philip is this immediate transition from being just one to 'follow' Jesus, to being one who went out and invited others to follow, as well. He immediately went to his friends and acquaintances - telling them about the one he had met, what he was teaching, and just how much they needed to come 'see for themselves'. In other words, he got excited about his purpose!

Too many times we see believers start the journey with such excitement and enthusiasm, but in short order it seems the very thing that 'excited' and 'energized' them so much isn't there any longer. How does that happen? I think it is likely a variety of reasons, but one thing is for sure - God's intent for us is to remain enthusiastic, spirited, and constantly willing to share Christ with others.

Are we all able to learn at the same pace? No, we all learn at our own pace. Christ had those among his followers who saw or heard something and immediately believed it as truth, something they could see done in and through them. He also had those who were a little more 'stand-offish', who needed more 'proof', or simply took a bit longer to 'saturate in the truth' before it really affected their lives. The same is true of all of us - some 'get it' quicker than others, while others 'saturate in it' a bit longer until it finally 'grabs them' and 'takes hold'.

All Jesus ever asked of his disciples is that they be in step with him. That may not seem like a big deal at first, but if you have ever tried to walk in 'lock step' with another for a very long time, you know you can get a bit distracted by what is around you, losing that 'lock step' quite easily. As we learned to march in the military, they told us 'eyes forward' - in other words, fix our gaze on the leader, don't lose sight of him and keep step with the cadence set. 

All Jesus asks is for us to keep step with the cadence he desires for us - the one he sets for us as we step out in faith 'with him'. It could be we don't feel as 'energized' and 'enthusiastic' about our walk with Jesus as we once did, but perhaps a fixing of our gaze on our 'leader' once again, while listening carefully to the cadence he sets, will bring us back to the place where we are brimming over with excitement to 'go and tell', 'making disciples of many', and 'bringing hope to the hopeless'. Just sayin!

Get your head in the game

If someone were to tell you to 'roll up your sleeves', what would that indicate you were about to do? If they told you to 'get your head in the game' at about the same time, do you think that might just challenge you a bit to 'refocus' - pay attention, be alert, stop ignoring stuff around you? If those words came from God, would they carry any greater meaning than if I said them to you? They should! God isn't about to let us sit around being 'lazy Christians'. He wants us alert, active, and attentive to his direction.

So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (I Peter 1:13)

The alert is given - what we do with it is our choice. We can choose to ignore it, or half-heartedly respond in the affirmative. We can choose to put ourselves squarely in the middle of something we have been avoiding out of fear or distrust. We can and should choose to lay aside what we have been 'barely doing', taking up the actions Christ directs for us to take, and then trusting him with the next steps. Rolling up our sleeves means we are getting ready for hard work. This Christian walk isn't for the weak! It will require us to lay down our differences, putting others first, and working together in unity like never before. That is likely where the rub occurs - working in unity with each other. In this day and age, it is so easy to find a reason to 'not' do something. We disagree with political parties - so we resist what seems practical and reasonable. We find the beliefs of those we used to align with no longer 'fit' our beliefs, so we don't align with them any longer. We don't think the rules apply to us, so we deviate. Truth be told, Christ's rule in our lives doesn't operate at 'full capacity' when we are out of unity with each other. The Body of Christ is meant to be unified - not divided.

It is hard to be alert and attentive to the things our society might pander as 'good' or 'valuable', but is really lacking in true goodness or value in the end. Those 'old grooves of evil' have formed ruts throughout all of time and it is easy to get caught up in the ruts of evil. Perhaps that is why God tells us to get our head in the game - to really pay close attention to more than what is being said, but to also see the attitude and character behind the suggested actions or inaction. What do ruts in a road do? They pull us into paths we don't want to take. As I walk along the canal, there are ruts from work trucks that have been there. Those ruts fill with water as the rains come, making the path quite precarious. The ruts mean I take a different course - to avoid the mud, dirty water, and ankle-twisting journey! Avoid the ruts - get your head in the game. Roll up your sleeves - be ready to get to work, not alone, but in unity with those who are on this discipleship journey right beside you! Just sayin!

Learn to do good

Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

Yesterday we looked at the meaning of fairness and justice - the hallmarks of one who is developing a close, intimate relationship with Jesus. Today, let's look at some other things God defines as 'hallmarks' of a dedicated life. There is more than a desire to resist wrong in life - there is an 'active engagement' in resisting wrong. That which deviates from truth or fact is resisted - actively, intentionally, and with great effort at times. It is far from easy to 'say no to wrong' because wrong has such an appeal to our earthly nature. How is it we stay true and plumb in our walk? I think it comes by learning to do good - not just 'do' good, but embracing the goodness of God within us and then walking in that goodness. We allow our actions to align with that truth.

Work for justice - as indicated yesterday, we are to no longer put ourselves first, but consider the needs of others. That leads to us helping the down-and-out. They might be without a job, short on money to make the utility bill this month, or even without a place to live. As I was playing a casual game with some others online the other night, one of the gentlemen excused himself from the group for a period while he ran some boxes of blankets and coats to the local shelter. He had listened to the weather forecast and knew the temps were dipping way low that evening. He had a means to meet a very practical need and he acted upon that prompting to do what he could. It doesn't take big things - it takes listening, observing, and then acting upon what we know we can do with what we have received.

The defenseless are really any individuals who are 'vulnerable'. Vulnerability is measured in many ways. They might be without protection of some form - much like the men and women who would benefit from the blankets and coats. They could also be a little 'naked' emotionally, making them open to attack. How can we help those who are not able to build their defenses emotionally? We come alongside them - just be there for them. We don't have to have all the answers - we just need to let them know we care, aren't going to violate their trust, and not going to abandon them when they are at their weakest. We stand strong when they cannot - allowing them to draw from our strength until they can regain a little strength of their own.

It doesn't take a lot to be the kind of disciples Jesus will use, but it does require a willingness to be used. It may mean we show up when nobody else does. It could be we give from more than our 'reserve' - taking what we have and putting it to use for another. It definitely means we make ourselves available, pay attention to those around us, and listen intently to what God leads us to do. Just sayin!