May 29, 2020
By Rev. Nicholas J. Kersten
Director of Education and History
The mission that Jesus gave to his disciples after His resurrection was to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). The message of His saving death, miraculous bodily resurrection, and ascension to heaven are signs that the Kingdom of God has broken back into our world and that the program to reclaim the world from sin and death is underway. That was the “good news” which those disciples preached and has been preached by disciples since. But what does it mean to “make disciples?”
There are entire tomes about making disciples and I have limited space, but it seems to me that there are at least two tasks implicit in the command to make disciples. First, those who follow Jesus are to make new disciples—to aid those who have not responded to Jesus’ call to hear and follow Him. This, we usually call evangelism: aiding those who are not disciples to take the first step in following Jesus. The second part of making disciples, which we usually call discipleship, is to aid every disciple towards maturity. Both activities are the proper responses to Jesus’ command. Making disciples is to aid people in following Jesus, from the first step they take to follow Him in faith to the last one where their faith is made sight.
In this month’s Recorder, you have seen a focus on the preaching of the Gospel, especially as it relates to sharing it with those who have not heard it. I hope you have paid careful attention to that message: it is a critical part of our work as those who follow Jesus as His disciples to witness to a watching world in our actions and our words. But if we focus on the Gospel as a thing that is only needed by those who have never followed Jesus, we miss a significant part of what Jesus is teaching about “making disciples:” the role of the Gospel in making us mature.
Every person who follows Jesus needs to regularly bathe in the good news that God created us, loves us, justifies us, calls us, empowers us, and sanctifies us—and sent His son Jesus Christ to open the way for us to enter into the presence of God and into fellowship with Him as though we have never sinned, even though we all sin in many ways. Failure to engage the Gospel we would prescribe to “sinners” without soaking in it ourselves undermines our message that the news is good—real good news is news you never get tired of hearing! If you are no longer thrilled by the Gospel or by focusing on Jesus and keeping your eyes locked on Him, then you need to pray for God to spark new life in you and prune you so that you can be fruitful and grow in new love for the message of the Kingdom.
Our Kingdom advance as Seventh Day Baptists depends on our saturation—how soaked we are—in the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. So…how soaked are you? Are you taking the opportunities you have daily to preach this message of salvation and freedom and eternal life with God to yourself?
A few tips as you soak:
1. Take some time to gratefully remember what God has, and is, saving you from. You still need Him today!
2. Consider what God has saved you to in Christ: what Kingdom resources are available to you now because you are in Christ?
3. Ask yourself what God has saved you for today: how are you needing to engage our world? What responsibilities do you have? Who do you need to engage? Pray specifically for opportunities and that God will make you both sensitive and bold in taking the chances He provides.
4. Prayerfully consider how God is bringing the eternal into your everyday life. What good things in your life are foretastes of what is coming? Are you thanking God for those?
The Gospel isn’t “just” God’s one-time gift to the unsaved—it’s His continuing provision for the people who are called by His name. Soak yourself in the Gospel today and watch God bring you to maturity as you walk and lead others towards life in Christ!