Make disciples. When I think of making disciples, I often wonder if it’s like making a sweater or making dinner. If I put together the right ingredients, out will pop a disciple. Right? Wrong!
When I have looked up that key phrase in Matthew 28:19 about making disciples, I didn’t learn anything about making anything. You see, Greek just puts the word “disciple” in the right case and then doesn’t need a word like “make.” However, many commentators point out that the word there is “student” as opposed to “teacher.”
Good students have a very simple mandate: listen, internalize, do. If I listen to Jesus (through prayer and Scripture), meditate on His words and make them into a part of myself, and then go and live the way He has shown me, then I’m a good disciple.
So, daily success means listen, believe, do. That’s hard! For example, He says I can do all things, but I might think, “I’m not so sure I can really learn this language.” Or, He says the harvest is plentiful, but I might think, “No one I’ve talked to so far seems very interested.”
The mission statement itself tells me what my ultimate measure of success is: when there is a church planting movement. But, that’s a multi-year project in which I have to learn language, acquire culture, etc.
So, how do I know TODAY if I am being successful at making disciples? The only way to know for sure is if I am being a faithful disciple myself. In other words, am I attempting to live in loving obedience to Jesus and his commands? If I daily listen, believe, and do, then I will make many disciples and a church planting movement will emerge.
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