Go and make what?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

(Matthew 28:19, 20- ESV)

Almost all fundamental or evangelical churches that consider themselves to be biblically based identify this passage of scripture as "The Great Commission." A majority of churches utilize this particular verse as their mission or vision statement. In other words this passage of scripture identifies and describes the purpose and reason that their church exists. I submit to you as familiar and as well-known as this scripture has become, I believe it is read incorrectly in the majority of cases.

Read this passage very carefully. What one thing does it say that we are to do? Now, what one thing does it not say that we are to do? When this passage is read, I believe the majority of churches read it this way: "Go therefore and make converts of all nations..." It does not say this. Christ gave the command to "go and make disciples." Granted, before you can make a disciple you must have a "convert." Why do we stop there? Why are we seemingly satisfied with converts? Why do we expend a great deal of energy, effort, and resources to make converts?

I think it is because of a number of reasons:

• The make-over of the gospel

• How we peddle this made-over gospel

• What we have let our services degenerate into

• The lack of commitment & involvement of the Elders of the church

The Great Gospel Make-Over

In our zeal to "win" as many converts as possible and to enlist as many people as possible for heaven, we have "dumbed-down" the gospel. The gospel has been reduced to simply believing minimal information through an intellectual acquiescence to certain facts. This zeal has caused good men to attempt to remove anything offensive from the gospel so that there would be more takers. Zealous and well meaning individuals have wanted to make "receiving Christ for salvation" as easy as possible.

The gospel is no longer agonized over. Men no longer take days to wrestle with the implications of sin, repentance, judgment, wrath, or an angry God with whom they are enmity with. The gospel is reduced to do you believe the death of Christ, the burial of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Don't forget what Pastor James of the Jerusalem Bible Church said, "the devils believe and tremble."

How We Peddle this Changed Gospel

The gospel has been reduced  to a simple prayer with no counsel to count the cost of becoming a believer. Prospective converts are told, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He gave his Son to die for you, don't you want to go to heaven and enjoy all the requisite perks? Sign here or pray this and you will receive one free, guaranteed, non-refundable ticket through those pearly gates. Oh by the way, we can throw in streets paved with gold and your very own mansion. 

Very rarely are people told to count the cost: that repentance is required, that self-denial is required, that death is required, and that one must pick up a cross (which is an instrument of death) and that one is signing up for a lifetime of servitude as a bond-slave to a new master. Repentance is glossed over lightly if mentioned at all. Mourning for sin has become a thing of the past.

What we have allowed the services to degenerate into

First, let me say that I think we miss the point when it comes to the Sunday morning service. The service has been come either a setting for a theological information transfer session or an entertainment venue. When the Greek influence of oration overtook the gathering, the main purpose of the service was supplanted. If you read Acts 20 very carefully you will note that the body gathered for the express purpose of observing the Lord's table. Yes, an exhortation from the Word was given along with a number of readings from both the Old and New Testament. The sermon was not the focal point, the Lord's Table was.

We preachers like to pontificate. We have learned to craft very complex sermons and sermon outlines. We work very hard on delivery and presentation. We prepare everything around the sermon. The trouble with this  procedure is that it is not conducive to discipleship. Yes, some information is transferred and some learning takes place. There is no longer any opportunity for dialogue. Questions cannot be asked.A model of what is being said cannot be seen. There is no opportunity for the dynamics that are necessary for effective discipleship to take place in the morning service.

Secondly, many services today are nothing more than "Tony Robbins" motivational meetings. We are apparently turning into 12 Step, hi may name is Christian and I need your 12 steps and a chorus or two to make it until next week.

The lack of commitment & involvement of the Elders of the church

The leadership of many churches seem almost oblivious if not opposed to discipleship. They are afraid to develop or allow a system to develop that will be conducive for the training and development of believers. The Elders need to be committed to the command, concept, and course of making disciples. 

The sad truth is that many people have been in the church for a long time and are still spiritual babes. Since the gospel has been so diluted and dumbed down many people are in the church and are not even believers. Add to that a good supply of spiritual babes present, no wonder the average pastor is either pulling his hair out or "being called to another field of service."

Discipleship is critical. Christ's last words to his apostles was to make disciples. We certainly need to be passionate about preaching the gospel to every creature. We can not stop there. We need to take these spiritual infants and invest our lives and the word in them until they can become spiritual parents and reproduce themselves in others.

*************************************

30 Days of Thanksgiving

I am thankful for the evangelists and those with the gift of evangelism who labor in the ripe feasts of the harvest leading people to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am thankful for those pastors and elders who labor hard in the word and teach the Scriptures expositionally. I am thankful for the balance that God intends the body to have by gifted individuals differently. 

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

Our Stories of the Hymns takes us this month to my personal favorite hymn. This hymn has been called the "finest song ever written on the theme of God's providence." What makes this statement even more amazing is that the author of this hymn actually lived a life of emotional distress.

The author of this hymn spent eighteen months in an asylum for the "insane." He, as ghastly and in congruent as it sounds, attempted suicide on a number of occasions. However, while in the asylum the author began reading the bible. At thirty-three years old he had a genuine conversion experience. Unfortunately, throughout his life he was plagued by deep depressions, voices, and the overwhelming thought that God had forsaken him and would dam him to hell.

Unbelievably, between the times of his mental distress, William Cowper (1731-1800) was an extremely gifted hymn writer. William Cowper wrote a number of "classic hymns" that we regularly sing in our evangelical churches. Cowper also spent some twenty years working with John Newton (1725-1807) in a small town called Olney, England. During this period of time Newton and Cowper wrote some three hundred and forty nine hymns and produced them in a hymnal called The Olney Hymns. Sixty seven of these hymns were written solely by William Cowper. Two of these, in addition to today's selection we sing regularly, O For A Closer Walk With God and another personal favorite of mine, There is A Fountain Filled With Blood
. 
This hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way was originally called Conflict: Light Shining Out of Darkness. This seems to have been William Cowper's last hymn. It is a reflection of God's leading him throughout his lifetime. There is some speculation that this hymn was written after a failed suicide attempt by drowning. For all of the troubles of William Cowper this hymn has comforted God's people for nearly two hundred years. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Thank God that William Cowper is now at rest in the presence of the Lord he so loved and feared.

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform

He plants His footsteps in the sea

and rides upon the storm

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take

the clouds ye so much dread

are big with mercy

and shall break in blessings on your head

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense

but trust Him for His grace

behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face

Blind unbelief is to sure to err

and scan His work in vain

God is His own interpreter

and He will make it plain

*****************************

30 Days of Thanksgiving

I am taking my cue today from Kim at The Upward Call. I am joining with her in thanksgiving for book stores and especially bookstores that are on line. I thank God for cheapest book price.com. I ordered today The Life and Epistles of Paul, by Coneybeare and Howson. Last month I ordered 1, 2, 3 John by Stephen S Smalley. I try to order something a couple times each month.

The Danger of Good Deeds

"Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"

Matthew 19:13, ESV

Jesus has been teaching and doing miracles in the region of Galilee. Now he has decided to leave this area and go to Judea. Jesus crosses over the Jordan River and makes his way to this section of the country. As he travels the bible tells us that great crowds followed him. We are also told that he has performed healing miracles upon these people.

While Jesus is there he encounters the Pharisees. Their desire is to find a way to trap Jesus into misinterpreting the law. At this time there was a great debate concerning divorce. You can read Jesus skillful handling of this attempt to trip up Jesus in Matthew 19:3-12.

A man came up to Jesus and asked a very important question. This question should have pleased Jesus, after all, those who are engaged in evangelism (Luke 19:10) are working to explain this very concept. I don't think this young man really is looking for an explanation as much as he has found an audience to justify his "ideas."

Jesus knew what was in this man's heart and to what he had pinned all his hopes of reward in the next life. Jesus, the master evangelist, knew where he had to start and take this man in order to show him his need. Look at the question, it seems quite harmless, "What shall I do?" After all I want eternal life, therefore what do I need to do in order to obtain it? It seems that human beings think they can do something to obtain eternal life and the favor of God. Human beings are always asking, "what can I do, what is my part, or what can I bring to the table?"

The question is not "what can you do," the question is what has God done for me to provide eternal life? In the case of this young man, Jesus needed to dislodge his idea that he can do anything or that he is even worthy of eternal life. Jesus tells him, "keep the commandments." The young man wants to make sure his bases are covered and so he asks Jesus, "which ones?" We see in verses 18-19 that Jesus delineates the commandments for this young man. Watch this young mans reply; "All of these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 

Jesus knows this young man has not kept these commandments, not perfectly, which is what the law requires. No one can keep the commandments of God perfectly. We all fail them at one point or another. Jesus knows this young man has failed them. Yet, this young man believes, much like most people, that he has kept them. He has kept them by his standards, or the Pharisees standards, or by some scale of what he thinks would be acceptable. Bottom line, he has not kept them perfectly. Jesus needs to point this out to this young man, and so Jesus addresses the fact that this man has claimed to "love his neighbor as himself." Jesus says to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me."

Now the master evangelist has struck the mark. This young man does not love his neighbor as much as he loves himself. You say, how do you know? He has never in the past and now when confronted in the present, has he ever given away all of his possessions for their benefit. What does this mean? It means he has broken the second great commandment of God. Therefore he has not kept the commandments and he is not perfect. He does not have eternal life. How do we know this? We read these words, "When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." He would not part with them. He loved them, therefore he loved himself more than he loved God or his neighbor. He could not keep the commandments perfectly.

First, it needs to be clearly said, that Jesus knew that giving away all of his possessions would not enable this young man to "earn" eternal life. Romans 3:23 makes it clear that eternal life is a gift to be received not a "wage" to be earned. This young man, like me, and like you cannot earn eternal life or do anything by way of effort or works to obtain it.

Second, Jesus had to break this young man's resolve that he was good, that he was worthy, and that he did enough to be given eternal life. Most human beings today, probably you who are reading this, either now or at one time thought you could do your very best and the "scales of justice" would come down on your side due to all of your good works. Read Isaiah 64:6 sometime; God's perfect, holy, and righteous evaluation of our "good works" equals that of a woman's menstrual cloth, a used one at that. Wow!  Jesus was not telling this young man nor you that you can do something such as give away all your possessions and you will earn eternal life. Thousands of people have been deceived into giving up everything they own, taking vows of poverty, have become hermits, have become minimalists and have led very stoic lives hoping to "earn" eternal life.

Third, do not, I beg you, think of yourself, your past efforts, or even your great possessions and then walk away from this great gift given by God. There will be no self-righteous people in heaven. No one will be in heaven by the efforts they have attempted to perform. There will be no one in heaven who has not humbled themselves and cried out to God for mercy and salvation. (Romans 10:13) Will you do so today? 

The rich young man did not. He kept his wonderful and great possessions but died and ended up in hell. He missed heaven and eternal life because he missed the point of the commandments.

*******************************
30 Days of Thanksgiving


I am thankful for grace. God has extended favor to me that I could never earn nor be worthy. Grace is greater than all my sin, grace is truly amazing, and grace is definitely  wonderful. Grace, not works, has secured my forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and the peace of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Are You Ready?

Anticipating the Last Judgmentby C. H. Spurgeon From the January 1884 Sword and Trowel HERE is a story told of two soldiers who, being in the valley of Jehoshaphat, the one said to the other, "Here in this place shall be the general judgment, and therefore I will now take up my place where I will then sit;" and so, lifting up a stone, he sat down upon it, as taking his place beforehand; but, as he sat there, such a quaking and trembling fell upon him, that, falling to the earth, he remembered the day of judgment with horror and amazement for ever after. Might it not be of exceeding value to many of our friends if they would try and seat themselves in the place which they will occupy at the last great day? Let them think that it has come, and that they are present, for it will soon be so. Let them look up, and realize the scene. Behold, a great white cloud comes floating upward and forward, and on the cloud there is a great white throne, from which everything is reflected of the past and present of mortal men. Gazing around for a moment, the mighty multitude astounds and amazes the beholder. The dead are there, and all the millions of the living. The sea has yielded up every corpse, and every foot of earth teems with myriads upon myriads of long-buried men. All eyes are turned towards the cloud, and the throne, and the Son of God, who sits thereon, surrounded by an innumerable company of angels. Who can adequately conceive, "The pomp of that tremendous day, When Christ with clouds shall come?" See the books are opened, and the last assize begins, with sound of trumpet. It is even now at our doors, and the thought of it is enough to arouse the fears and startle the consciences of all but the most brutal and graceless of men. The putting off or forgetting of the Lord's coming and the judgment is the cause of much hardness of heart. The evil servant would not have behaved himself so ill if he had looked upon his master's return as near at hand. Men who have death at their elbow, and see judgment before their eyes, are likely to break off their sins by righteousness, and seek to be reconciled to God. I have heard of the women of a certain island, that the first sheet they wove was the winding-sheet, and this they kept by them: I am afraid that this fashion has long since died out, and that both men and women live as if there would be no hereafter. This is the root of much of the impiety of our age. Sit down, dear reader, if you are as yet unsaved, and take an hour for this solemn exercise: it may prove the turning-point of your history. In a few years you will be one of that vast assembly, and have to answer for every deed and word of your life. Think of it long; picture it vividly; let it work upon your mind. Though at the first it fill you with fear and trembling, it may conduct you to the Savior's feet, and then, looking up to him with penitential faith, you may hear how to "have boldness in the day of judgment." If you fly to Jesus as your Savior you will not fear to face him as your King. It has been well said, "Thou wilt meet the Great Day well if thou get the Great judge to judge thee every day." Suppose that this night you should start up, and find the day of grace over, and the day of judgment beginning! Suppose you should within an hour hear the Lord Jesus say to you, "Depart!" These are no vain imaginings. If you remain as you are they will be true ere long. Do but put them before your mind's eye a little before the time, that you may judge of the wisdom of running so grave a risk. Those who wish to act well on great public occasions rehearse their parts beforehand. Unconverted friend, rehearse your part, and prepare yourself to receive the dread sentence which awaits all who are out of Christ. Are you afraid to think of it? Be much more afraid of enduring it! If even to dream of the Last Day is a terrible event, what must it be then to be there in reality? The prisoner who will not even think of his trial is in his conscience assured of a verdict of condemnation. Would he not be far wiser to seek for a Counselor to plead his cause? Will you not seek One? Jesus, the faithful Counselor, asks no fee. Commit your cause into his hand, and you need not fear the Last Assize. ****************************** 30 Days of Thanksgiving The Peace of Christ! I am so thankful that God gives us peace with God and the peace of God. I do not have to fear nor be in torment of anything. I can go to my heavenly Father and take refuge under His wings, making my requests known to Him and asking Him to enable me to trust Him even in the darkest hour. "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."     Colossians 3:15

Reading Obadiah 10-14

As Christians we are very familiar with both the term and concept of "brothers in Christ." We have been taught that regardless of color, creed, race, tongue, or ethnicity those who have been born again by God's Spirit are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are  family as Sister Sledge sung. (I don't know if any of the four sisters comprising Sister Sledge were believers or not)

This concept of the brotherhood of believers is given to contrast the egregious sin committed by Edom. Edom was guilty of "an aggravated lack of brotherhood." This terrible sin developed from the immense pride of the Edomites. (verses 1-9)


Verses 10-14: Edom's Problem


"Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob..." (10)

The gravity of this sin is seen in the fact that it was committed against those who were related to them. The Edomites were descendants of Esau. He was one of the twin boys of Isaac. The Jewish nation had descended for Jacob and the Edomites descended from Esau. These two "nations" were brothers. Any ill treatment by either nation against the other was considered by God to be extremely sinful.

Deuteronomy 23:7 warned the Jewish people very sternly, "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother." Obadiah 11 describes the fact that the Edomites refused to help the Jews when they were being ransacked and carried away into Babylon. By their refusal to help it was as if they had sided with Babylon and participated in the horrible crimes committed against the Jews by the Babylonians.

Not only did they not help Israel, they began to "gloat" over them (12.) The Edomites derived and experienced pleasure in the horrible misfortunes of their brother nation. This joy over the downfall of the Jews led the Edomites to join the Babylonians as they walked through the gates of the city in order to join in the plundering of their defeated brother.

There is a very interesting word play in the Hebrew in verse 13. The Hebrew word translated disaster and calamity when used in the third-person plural masculine pronoun sounds very much like Edom. Through this seemingly similar sounding words, God hints that the active participation of Edom in the plunder of Israel was the same as if they were fully responsible for the disaster or calamity.

As a result of their "direct" involvement in the fall of Jerusalem God will bring irreversible destruction upon the Edomites. In other words, God would treat Edom as Edom treated his brother Israel. Edom's pride led to Edom's problem. Being deceived in their hearts that they were superior and invincible led them to treat their brother as if they were an enemy instead of a beloved family member.

There doesn't seem to be a word for this sin. When I say word, we immediately know what is meant when we hear words like gluttony, adultery, slander, anger, selfishness, or theft. James Boice called this, for lack of a better word "unbrotherliness." This word seems to lack any kind of impact doesn't it?

What does it mean? It means that we treat our family, brothers or sisters in a sinful manner, in a manner opposite of how we should treat them. We are to love our brother. As a matter of fact, our love toward other believers, who are our brothers, is a test of whether we are truly born again or not. We should defend, encourage, serve, and protect our brother - not despise them, hate them, plunder them, and participate in their hurt.

How can we hate fellow believers in our local churches? How can we carry on long-lasting grudges? How can we speak ill of and mean towards those who are fellow believers? How can we refuse help or aid when we see fellow believers fall to sin or in the midst of a trial. Yet, we all know this takes place, don't we? Churches split because of such intense pride that leads to hurtful action against those who are our brothers and sisters that Christ gave His life for.

I was once in a church business meeting during a heated argument in which one member turned to another member - both supposedly related in Christ by His blood - and said, "Shut up and sit down, when you have been here as long as I have, then maybe you can say something." I have seen brothers gloat over the troubles of other brothers in the body. How can this be?

Edom's Problem according to verses 10-14 was their evil treatment against their own brothers. The refused to help defend them, they joined in the plunder, they took great joy in Israel's demise, and they even turned survivors to the enemy. God charged Israel with doing wrong by failing to do right. It was Edom's duty to come to the aid of their brother.

Our duty, beloved, is to come to the aid of our brothers in Christ. Never suffer for failing to do the right thing when it comes to the family of God. We can't over look sin or failure but we love and help all of our brothers when and where we can.

***************************************
30 Days of Thanksgiving


I am thankful for the brothers and sisters in the body of Christ who have been my help, strength, encouragement, and blessing through the years that I have been a believer! As Gaither wrote,"You will notice we say "brother and sister" 'round here, It's because we're a family and these are so near; When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, 

You and Me and Time

Thank God this is Free-For-All Friday! I know this doesn't have much to do with Gospel-driven Disciples, but I just had to share this. If you were to list all my faults, my greatest fault (I didn't say greatest sin-different story) is that I love George Jones. I even wrote a tribute song to him that was fine-tuned with a co-writer and recorded on UAR Records by Garry Johnson called Haggard and Jones. This is George Jones and his daughter by Tammy Wynette. She sounds very similar to her mother. Listen to the lyrics, what a beautiful song. Georgette wrote this song for her Dad. George still has it even at 80 years old.

Even though this is a country song it is never to late to establish or re-establish relationships with family members. George was led to Christ in his 70's by Vestal Goodman.





*****************************************
30 Days of Thanksgiving


I am thankful that we have access to the Father through the "veil" by the blood of His dear Son, Jesus Christ who opened a way by His Death. I now can come into the the very presence of God, into the holy of holies by His Sacrifice. (Hebrews 10)

Theological Definition: Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism: A term not found in the Bible - it is derived from the Greek words, anthropos (man) and morphe (form). 

This word represents a figure of speech that describes God as having human form (Exodus 15:3; Numbers 12:8; such as feet, (Genesis 3:8; Exodus 24:10) hands (Exodus 24:11; Joshua 4:24), mouth, (Isaiah 40:5) and heart (Hosea 11:8.) 

It can also refer to a wider sense which includes attributing human attributes and emotions to God (Genesis 2:2; 6:6; Exodus 20:5; Hosea 1:8.) 1. 

1.  Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company, 1884, 2001) p. 67

****************************************************

30 Days of Thanksgiving

As J. C. Ryle once admonished his "preacher boys," I am thankful for the time and place in which I was born. God sovereignly determined that I would be born in 1955 and in Salem, Ohio, USA. I could have been born during the time of the great plague (1665-1666) which killed 20% of London's population, 100,000. God sovereignly placed me where and when it pleased Him, and then with indescribable grace drew me to Himself granting me repentance and faith.