“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’” John 4:29 ESV
The more I interact with people, specifically Christ-followers, the more I realize how many of them believe 1 of 2 lies:
I am not called to make disciples or
I am not equipped to make disciples.
A few months ago I touched on the latter, that of not feeling equipped, so this month I want to discuss the former.
There are many reasons someone may believe they are not called to make disciples, one being they have yet to witness how amazing it is to watch God come alive in someone else’s life.
Yes, joining God in making disciples can be challenging and messy, but that’s because people are challenging and messy. Disciple-making is also often uncomfortable due to the way it forces us to depend on the Holy Spirit. Yet, in all this frustrating, messy discomfort, there is great joy!
As the saying goes, anything worthwhile comes at a cost. Jesus saw us as worth a cost far higher than any we will pay, so what is a moment of discomfort on our part for the sake of glorifying Him and fulfilling the mission He commanded to all people?
For those of us who have not only witnessed but have been used by God in someone’s spiritual rebirth, let us encourage our brothers and sisters to offer themselves as His willing vessels. Of
course we can (and should) cite various Scriptures that point to their calling to make disciples, but let us also spur them on with personal stories of how much it has blessed us to be used by
God in such a way.
Our stories are a powerful tool in God’s hands to draw people to Himself, why would they not be just as powerful in awakening fellow Christians to their God-given purpose to make disciples? It can be hard to understand the value of something until you have personally experienced it. Maybe your story of being used by God is what a sibling in Christ needs to make them realize the
significance—the privilege—they have thus far bypassed.
Our pews are filled with people who have yet to realize their God-given purpose. With whom will you start today?
After all, is this not also disciple-making? Though your “work” with them did not begin before or with their conversion, God has used you to move them forward in becoming a disciple who makes disciples.
A common misconception in the Church is that all church-goers are multiplying disciples. As we have come to see (and Jesus repeatedly proved), this is unfortunately not always the case. We
have an enemy who seeks to lull Christians into inefficacy, and one of his weapons is to try to convince us the Great Commission only applies to some, not all. Let us dismantle his lies and help
our brothers and sisters in Christ see their blessed calling to make disciples where they live, work and play.
To whom is God calling you to encourage today? To challenge? Sometimes we need not look outside the church, but within to find our answer. Our pews are filled with people who have yet to realize their God-given purpose. With whom will you start today?
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.
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