“As you go into the world, make disciples!”
Regardless of language, culture or background, most Christians recognize this phrase as the “Great Commission.” Leaders throughout history have grappled with the call given by King Jesus to his church. Throughout church history, the pendulum sways to varying degrees when it comes to fulfilling the call. Of all the commentary, analysis, books and research done on the life of Jesus Christ over the centuries, one thing often stands overlooked—the culture he created with The Twelve. Jesus created the most loving, educational and intentional culture that has ever existed. Yes, he is God and certainly has advantages that you or I do not have. Yet, Jesus calls us to go into the world and make disciples—make disciples the way he made disciples.
For too long, the church has made a fatal assumption. We assume that if we preach the Gospel message, yet use our choice of methods when discipling someone, the outcome will be a healthy follower of Jesus Christ. Varying cultures of disciple making are created and we expect that we will get the same results Jesus got. Some create a highly educational culture that lacks transparency, authenticity or sometimes, even love. Others create a passive culture with little to no intentionality and often lacking solid biblical truth or application. Jesus was the greatest disciple maker ever to walk the earth. He is God, the authority on all aspects of life. The culture he created often looks nothing like the culture in today’s church when it comes to disciple making.
Over the last two years in our church plant I have focused diligently on culture, living out and modeling a disciple making culture the best I know how. I do this not because it’s my bright idea, but only because when I look in the scriptures and spend time in prayer, I have a deep conviction that we must live out the culture that Jesus modeled and created.
What kind of culture do you have when it comes to disciple making?
Does the culture in your home, church or small group look like what Jesus modeled or a foreign version? As I am challenged, I challenge you to pursue and discover what it means to cultivate a disciple making culture in your life. Over the coming weeks I will be blogging on this topic, “Cultivating a Disciple Making Culture.”
(You can read more from Brandon’s blog at www.punchandpress.com. Used with permission.)
