Discipleship: God's Plan for Reaching the World預覽

Disciple-Making Churches Are the Hope of the World

It does not take much to make us feel anxious and hopeless—all we need to do is look up from our phones or switch to our news feed app, and instantly we encounter human tragedy, heartache, pain, and loss. The world God created as good has become a broken place crippled by sin.

Have you ever wondered where God is in all of this? Or wondered when or how he will bring about change and hope?

The disciples must have wondered something similar when they asked Jesus this question in Acts 1:6: ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’

His response was as surprising to them as it is for us today:

The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:7–8)

In a typical fashion, Jesus does not answer the question; he does not explain what he will do about the world—instead, he tells them what they will do.

Like the disciples in Acts 1, we live in the space between the promises of God and their ultimate fulfillment. In this space between these promises and their passing, Jesus invites us to join him on a mission—to usher in the kingdom of God through witnessing the gospel and the intentional work of disciple-making (Matt 28:18-20). Jesus tells his disciples that he will not restore the kingdom by snapping his fingers. Instead, his disciples would usher in his kingdom through discipleship.

CS Lewis writes,

The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.

The answer to the questions of ‘Where is God in all of this?’ or ‘How and when will God bring about change and hope?’ is disciple-making churches. Churches usher in the kingdom of God by fulfilling the Great Commission through making disciples who make disciples. Just as a tiny spark can cause an uncontrollable wildfire likewise, disciple-making churches can cause an uncontrollable movement of the kingdom of heaven on earth.

As Charles Spurgeon says,

‘The church is the world’s hope. As Christ is the hope of the church, so the church is the hope of the world. The saints become, under Christ, the world’s saviors.’

Disciple-making churches are the world’s hope. The question is, will you join Jesus in bringing hope and life to the world? Will you be willing to be a disciple who makes disciples? Will you engage Jesus in his dream to see disciple-making churches for every people and place?

Application

Disciple-making is an intentional journey of following Jesus and teaching others to do the same.

Before reading today’s scripture readings, spend 5-10 minutes looking again at the Lausanne Movement’s painting on the vision of ‘disciple-making churches for every people.’

Specifically, meditate on the imagery of the flame each believer carries. How might God call you to faithfully steward your flame within your context and church community?