God of the Journey

God of the Journey

The God of Abraham - Part 1

Sunday, September 3, 2023
Genesis 12:1-9

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you.                                                                                     

Genesis 12:1

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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5th grade was the worst year of my life. 

I started school almost a month late in the oppressive Florida humidity among swarms of love-bugs (if you know, you know). 

Apart from a few good years at the University of Florida and meeting McKenzie, Florida never really grew on me the way everyone said it would.  It may have been flowing with sweat and mosquitos, but it was a far cry from milk and honey.

As I said, one of the few blessings was my time in Gainesville as a Florida Gator.  I no sooner unloaded the car and said goodbye to my parents and I was off on my bike the rest of the week exploring a new campus, a new town, and the beginning of a new life.  That week before classes I met a group of campus ministry students who opened my heart to a depth of faith and a passion for following Jesus that I had never seen in all my years of going to church.   Little did I know then that this encounter would be just the beginning of my recognizing God’s call on my life.

So what does all this have to do with Abraham, let alone the God of Abraham? 

Like both of the seasons above, Abraham’s story is the story of a journey into a new place, a new season, and a new life.  I have had many such transitions and new seasons along my journey through life and ministry, probably more than most… from college to seminary to a doctoral program to training in Spiritual Direction… from Florida to Kentucky to North Carolina… from youth ministry to college ministry to pastoral ministry to retreat leadership…  and the journey continues.

Unlike that first transition from Baltimore to Orlando in 5th grade, every other move was prompted by something bigger than myself that compelled me to step into the unknown.  In 5th grade, I was told that my parents thought the neighborhood I had called home my entire life was no longer safe enough to raise my baby sister.  In my opinion, almost 1,000 miles seems a bit much to flee from a changing neighborhood. 

The God of Abraham is a God of the Journey, a God of transitions, a God who goes with us in every season of life.  I could not see God in my transition to Florida because I wasn’t looking.  I didn’t want to go.  Looking back, I can see how God used every step toward something greater, even if they were not steps I would have taken willingly.  I’m not saying God couldn’t have done great things had I stayed in Baltimore, or that somehow God made my parents move as some sort of grand plan for my life, but I can say that to my surprise, God showed up, even in Florida, in ways I could have never expected.

Just as my parents fled their neighborhood in Baltimore, I went to the University of Florida in large part to get away from home.  What I didn’t know was that God had already gone ahead of me.  God was already there.  And God has already been present in every place and season since. 

Sometimes we set our own path and we choose our own journey.  Other times life takes us where we do not want to go.  No matter how we got here or where we are going, the God of the journey has never left our side, and never will.

More With Less

More With Less

Now What? - Part 3

Sunday, August 27, 2023
Exodus 5:6-20, Luke 9:1-6, Philippians 4:19 

Pharaoh replied, “You are lazy bums, nothing but lazy bums. That’s why you say, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’  Go and get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you still need to make the same number of bricks.”                                                                         -                                                 

Exodus 5:17-18

Jesus called the Twelve together and he gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal sicknesses.  He sent them out to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick.  He told them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt.  Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.  Wherever they don’t welcome you, as you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them.”

Luke 9:1-5

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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Most of us have heard Pharaoh’s words echoing through various seasons of our lives and certainly in our culture.  Work harder!  Produce more with less!  And of course we know all that is produced goes back up to pad the pockets of those at the top.  Meanwhile, the laborers pay double and triple the rent on salaries that are lower than they were 20 years ago.  When they struggle to make ends meet, we all become Pharaoh’s declaring - “You are lazy… get back to work!”

Sadly this same mentality seeps into the church world.  When our churches struggle to pay the bills or attract new members, we feel like we are not “producing” what we should.  And there are countless “church growth gurus” selling overpriced quick fix programs that make us feel like we are lazy and good for nothing if we don’t have all the same programs as the mega church down the road.  Pharaoh’s voice is prolific and his words haunt us everywhere we turn.  We think of ourselves as hard workers, but in the end, we find ourselves like the slaves in Egypt, working ourselves into the grave in every area of life with very little to show for our efforts while Pharaoh continues to make us feel like we haven’t done enough.

Then we turn to the gospels and find Jesus, our kind our loving master.  Finally, we’ve gotten Pharaoh off our backs and we can live under the gift of mercy and grace.  But wait… Jesus tells us to go out with nothing as well.  Like Pharaoh, it appears at first glance that he expects the disciples to make bricks with no straw, to heal the sick and cast out demons without even so much as a guaranteed place to sleep at night.  Is Jesus just another hardened task master making impossible demands on our lives?

If we look a bit closer we find that Jesus does give them one thing Pharaoh did not, and it’s the thing that makes all the difference.  Luke 9:1 tells us that Jesus gave them all the power and authority needed to do the work he called them to do.  Matthew’s gospel ends with a reminder that Jesus will go with them, that he will be present with them even to the end of the age.  In Philippians 4:19, Paul tells us based on his own experience that God will provide for our every need. 

What if we took Jesus’ command to take nothing with us seriously? 

What would happen if we trusted in his power, his authority, and his presence more than we trusted in our own limited resources? 

What if the greatest power of all comes from the humility of dependence rather than independence? 

What if we stopped working for Jesus and started letting Jesus work through us?

Back to Church

Back to Church?

Now What? - Part 2

Sunday, August 20, 2023
Matthew 4:18-22, 10:1-8a

 As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons. You received without having to pay. Therefore, give without demanding payment.

Matthew 10:7-8

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

(note: My wife Rev. McKenzie Sefa & I are presently preaching the same series at our respective congregations. Due to some recording difficulty at my church, I have included her version of this week’s message below. Enjoy!)

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There is no question that the global pandemic of 2020 and 2021 had a significant impact on the way we do “church.”  In some ways, the ongoing move toward building online communities for worship, study and prayer has made church more accessible for many who were previously unable to participate due to health issues, job schedules, etc.  On the other hand, there is something about gathering together in person that can’t quite be replicated, no matter how good our online offerings may be.  I have heard from laity and clergy alike over these past few years that it’s time to stop making our services and bible studies available online because we need to “get people back in church.”

There are a few problems with this theory, well-intentioned as it may be.

1. Eliminating online offerings cuts off people including shut-ins who are not otherwise able to participate.

2. There will always be online opportunities for people to choose from.  People are less likely to return to “our church” than they are to simply find another one to watch online.

3. Though we may like to blame the pandemic for our lower attendance, the truth is that church attendance in the U.S. has been in rapid decline for over two decades.  The pandemic may have sped up the process a bit, but going back to the way things were before 2020 will not address the real problems.

As of 2019, Gallup polls report that only 46% of Americans belong to a house of worship (of any religion).  This is the first time since the 1930’s that the number has dropped under 50%.  What’s more, only 30 to 35% actually attend religious services at least once or twice per month, so “belonging” to a religious institution does not always translate to participation and attendance.  Furthermore, those who identify as “nones” or having no religious affiliation has risen to between 20% and 30% depending on the study. 

This may sound like bad news for the church, but I would argue that it may actually be good news in at least two ways.

1. It is a reality check that we can’t blame any one thing for our decline and it invites us to look at ourselves more closely to evaluate why so many have felt disconnected from our congregations for so long.

2. More importantly, it gives us an opportunity to rethink our metrics.  What if physical attendance in a religious service for one hour a week is not the marker of faith we thought it was?  What if God is at work in people’s lives outside our budlings the other 167 hours of the week as well, and dare we say, even among those who will never darken our doors.

What if getting people in church was never the point? 

Jesus doesn’t gather people to worship him and pray to him.  He gathers them to teach them, to equip them, and to send them out to heal the sick, to cast out demons and even to raise the dead. 

May we go out from our church buildings and do the same.

Back to Normal?

Back to Normal?

Now What? - Part 1

Sunday, August 13, 2023
Numbers 13:25-14:10, John 17:11-19

The entire community raised their voice and the people wept that night.  All the Israelites criticized Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt or if only we had died in this desert!  Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken by force. Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”  So they said to each other, “Let’s pick a leader and let’s go back to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:1-4 

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

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Painting Pictures of Egypt

by Sara Groves

I don't want to leave here
I don't want to stay
It feels like pinching to me
Either way
And the places I long for the most
Are the places where I've been
They are calling out to me
Like a long lost friend

It's not about losing faith
It's not about trust
It's all about comfortable
When you move so much
And the place I was wasn't perfect
But I had found a way to live
And it wasn't milk or honey
But then neither is this

I've been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacks
The future feels so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
Those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned
The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy
To discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
I am caught between the Promise
And the things I know

If it comes to quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?
And if it comes to quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time in sand?

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How are you painting pictures of Egypt? 

What are some things that you cannot go back to?

Where does nostalgia for the past hold you back from living into the future?

What is God inviting you to leave behind in order to fully live into the next season of your life?

Miracles in Our Midst

Miracles in Our Midst

Back to School Sunday

Sunday, August 6, 2023
John 6:1-15

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said,  “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?”

John 6:8-9 

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

We often think of Jesus performing miracles and we often wonder why we don’t see miracles more often in our lives today.  Some claim that miracles ceased after the days of the apostles.  Others deny that miracles ever really happened at all and attempt to come up with other explanations for such supernatural stories.  Still others say that miracles happen all the time, if you only have enough faith.  This last thought has led to significant pain and spiritual harm to those who, like Job, appear to do everything right and still do not experience healing or wholeness in this life. 

There is one thing about Jesus’ miracles, however, that we tend to overlook.  Many of Jesus’ miracles depended on the involvement of others.  So many of the people Jesus healed were brought to Jesus by their friends, some with great difficulty and sacrifice like the paralytic lowered through the roof of a house.  Many were required to do something to complete the miracle, such as the lepers who were told to go and present themselves before the priests or the blind man who had to wash in the pool of Siloam.  Before Jesus turned the water into wine, Mary told those around him to do whatever he said.  Then he instructed them to fill six stone jars with water.  How many of these miracles, I wonder, would not have taken place without the cooperation of others?

That brings us to today’s miracle, the feeding of the 5,000.  When the disciples come to Jesus saying there is not enough food, they suggest sending everyone home.  Jesus likely knew that many of those gathered already suffered under poverty and may not have had a meal to go home to.  Even if they did, he was not about to send people away when they came to him hungry for something more.  So Jesus responds, “You give them something to eat.”

At this point the disciples begin to sound like a typical church council.  “We don’t have enough,” they say.  “It would be far too expensive.  It would take more than half a year’s salary to buy this much food and even if we had that kind of money, there is no place around here to buy it.  It’s impossible.”

Jesus simply tells them to give what little they have and see what happens.  And of course we know the rest of the story.  Their 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish turned into 12 full baskets of leftovers after everyone had their fill.  We focus so much on the miracle that we again miss that it required the disciples to give what they had and to step out in faith.

But John adds one beautiful little detail the other gospel writers appear to overlook.  In his telling, it was not the disciples who had the loaves and fish, it was a young boy, a child.  This boy is the one who is willing to give his measly little lunch if it can help someone else.  He doesn’t apologize for not having enough.  He doesn’t think his gift is too small.  He simply gives what he has with no clue what good, if any, it will accomplish.  Is this what Jesus means when he says we must have the faith of a child? 

Perhaps miracles are indeed still happening all around us, but if we want to see them, maybe we better stop worrying and complaining and simply start doing what Jesus says.

#BeUMC - Experiencing God

Experiencing God

#BeUMC - Part 6

Sunday, July 30, 2023
John 9:1-41, Psalm 34:8

Therefore, they called a second time for the man who had been born blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know this man is a sinner.”

The man answered, “I don’t know whether he’s a sinner. Here’s what I do know: I was blind and now I see.”

John 9:24-25

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

God's command to “pray without ceasing” is founded on the necessity we have of his grace to preserve the life of God in the soul, which can no more subsist one moment without it, than the body can without air. Whether we think of; or speak to, God, whether we act or suffer for him, all is prayer, when we have no other object than his love, and the desire of pleasing him. All that a Christian does, even in eating and sleeping, is prayer, when it is done in simplicity, according to the order of God, without either adding to or diminishing from it by his own choice… In souls filled with love, the desire to please God is a con1nual prayer…

 - John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Q 38, ¶ 5)

We are a committed people. (Acts 2:42)

We live into our commitment to God by being committed to one another. The very first Christians, whose stories the book of Acts shares with us, serve as an example to us still today. In this handful of verses we read about their commitments to learning together, meeting together, eating together, and praying together. They took care of one another, opened their homes, and “demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone.”

We are a Jesus—Seeking people. (Matt 7:7-8)

Our seeking of Jesus does not end the first time we meet him. It is a life-long pursuit. Every day we seek to follow Jesus more closely than we did the day before. We do this through Times of worship and devotion, as well as acts of compassion and justice.

We are a Spirit—Filled people.  (Luke 4:16-19, John 20:21-23)

Some of us may have preconceptions of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It might be good to share them with your group, or write them down in a journal. The Bible, however, offers examples of a variety of ways God’s people can be filled with the Spirit.

We are a praying people. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-21)

Visitors to John Wesley’s home in London can enter a small room off of his bedroom where he spent an hour in prayer each morning. Wesley’s prayer practice strengthened him throughout his ministry. As those who seek God throughout each day, we are a praying people of God.

We are a grace—filled people. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Grace is an important concept for United Methodists. John Wesley emphasized our dependence on grace in all aspects of life—from before we are aware of God’s presence in our lives, through our initial decision to follow Jesus and to our moment of death and entrance into heaven. Every step of the way is by the grace of God.

- excerpts from #BeUMC Study Guide

#BeUMC - Grace Beyond Understanding

Grace Beyond Understanding

#BeUMC - Part 1

Sunday, June 25 , 2023
Luke 23:32-43

“One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’

Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, ‘Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.’

Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.’”

Luke 23:39-43 (CEB)

This week’s message and blog post comes from special guets preacher, Rev. Tangela Cameron.

Listen here:

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God’s love is the center of the gospel. It is the crux from which everything else radiates, because without God’s love for humanity, there would be no Jesus, no Bible, and no Christianity. It is the center. Yet, the depth of God’s love is deeply perplexing. Everything about it is counterculture to our world.

This scripture is one of my favorites, and I find myself turning to it often as I work with my hospice and palliative care patients. A lot of questions arise at the end of life. There are not as many “whys?” as one might expect, but there are often questions, concerns, and worries around forgiveness. Primarily forgiveness from God, but also from family, friends, and others. My family raised me in the Baptist tradition. My experience with Baptist theology was fear-based. I remember others in Youth discussing baptism and how important it was to ensure we “didn’t go to Hell”.

I am not convinced that fear endears one to God. In my personal experience, choosing the route of fear, “turn or burn” theology, has driven more away from God/the church than towards. I came to The United Methodist Church as a teenager and remained United Methodist, because in my opinion, the theology showed me God’s truth: grace born out of love. Recently, a patient told me he did not “deserve” forgiveness. I did not ask, nor did he disclose, the things he thought were so heinous they would prevent God from extending mercy.

Regardless, it really did not matter what he did or did not do, because God did not set parameters of deservedness on grace or love. Instead, Jesus looks into the face of this criminal (or rebel, in other translations) next to him, who one might say is the least likely to understand what is happening amongst them and pronounces eternal forgiveness and restoration.

Grace does not make sense, because it is not about deserving anything. Grace is an outpouring of God’s love. Why? Because, God chose to. That is the one and only answer. Thanks be to God that God pours forth that which none of us deserves by any human measure. May we go forth and share likewise with the world.

Consider this: How does this passage stretch you? Are the merits by which we disperse grace and mercy to others of humanity’s scale of worthiness or are they of God?

#BeUMC - I Belong, You Belong, We Belong

I Belong, You Belong, We Belong

#BeUMC - Part 4

Sunday, July 16 , 2023
1 Corinthians 12:12-20

John replied, “Master, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he isn’t in our group of followers.” But Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him, because whoever isn’t against you is for you.”

Luke 9:49-50

This week’s sermon, “I Belong, You Belong, We Belong” comes to us from special guest Rev. Katie Lineberger. Listen here…

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From “Catholic Spirit: Sermon 39” - John Wesley

Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences. (¶4)

Hold you fast that which you believe is most acceptable to God, and I will do the same. I believe the Episcopal form of church government to be scriptural and apostolical. If you think the Presbyterian or Independent is better, think so still, and act accordingly. I believe infants ought to be baptized; and that this may be done either by dipping or sprinkling. If you are otherwise persuaded, be so still, and follow your own persuasion. … I have no desire to dispute with you one moment upon any of the preceding heads. Let all these smaller points stand aside. Let them never come into sight. “If thine heart is as my heart,” if thou lovest God and all [hu}mankind, I ask no more: “give me thine hand.” (§II, ¶2)

We are social creatures, designed to live in community. We celebrate family bonds, community Oes, and even feel a kinship with fellow fans of our favorite football team. Sometimes, however, our ideas about belonging are corrupted and we begin to draw defined circles too closely. When we view the “other” as one of “them,” we have entered into dangerous territory. Jesus is quick to correct his disciples when they begin to talk about “us.” Jesus modeled the ways we should be more accepting of the beautiful diversity intrinsic in the people of God.

As United Methodists, our inclusiveness requires more than simply welcoming people in worship on Sundays.

We are a people who seek justice.

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream

Amos 5:24

Scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety;   love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world.  (Book of Discipline, ¶102.1—Our Doctrinal Heritage)

We are a resilient people.

We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

It is easy to feel disheartened in our world. A global pandemic, racial injustice, climate change, economic worries, political divisiveness, family issues, and so much more threaten to steal our joy every day. Yet as people of God, we are people of hope, a hope that gives us strength to rebound even from the most difficult of circumstances. Our faith makes us resilient.

We are a welcoming people.

Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Being a welcoming person of God entails more than inviting people into spaces where we feel most comfortable. Christ also compels us out into the world, to meet people wherever they are, and to serve as a welcoming presence to others.

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- excerpts from #BeUMC Study Guide

You can download the complete discussion guide at https://www.umc.org/en/who-we-are/our-people/beumc

#BeUMC - Bigger than Us

Bigger Than Us

#BeUMC - Part 5

Sunday, July 23, 2023
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, Romans 12:3-8

We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith.

Romans 12:4-6

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

“I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it. Great encouragement have I, therefore, to be faithful in fulfilling the work He hath given me to do… ‘As I have opportunity, doing good unto all men’; and His providence clearly concurs with his Word; which has disengaged me from all things else, that I might singly attend on this very thing, ‘and go about doing good.’” 

~ From the Journal of John Wesley:

We are a missional people. (James 2:18, Acts 1:7)

Since the early days of the Oxford “Holy Club,” Methodists have found missions as an expression of our faith. We reach out to neighbors near and far, offering the love of Jesus in word and deed. We do this in many ways. As a denomination, we support missionaries and dynamic, community-centric
initiatives all over the world. Local churches operate food banks, clothing and shelter ministries, childcare services, support groups and countless other caring ministries that introduce all people to the love of Jesus. We don’t do this to win God’s favor, but because we are recipients of God’s love and grace. In other words, we show our love for God by loving whom God loves… everyone!

We are a connected people. (Rom.12:5, Eccl. 4:12)

 Being part of a church—a community of faith—is important for our spiritual journeys. Today, we can attend classes online, buy a car from our couch, and worship via YouTube. That may lead us to believe we can do anything alone. Our faith journeys, however, are best nurtured when we are connected to a community of faith—which may include digital relationships and online worship!

We are a world-changing people. (Luke 13:20-21)

One of the markers of the early Methodist societies was their outreach to their communities and to the world. The first Methodist society meetinghouse in Bristol, England—known as the New Room— did not have pews fixed to the floor. Instead, the seats were removable, so that the room could be used for educating children or offering food and home remedies to the community.

We are a generous people. (2 Corinthians 9:7-9)

We give to minister in Jesus’ name. Together, United Methodists do remarkable ministry around the world. We care for survivors recovering from earthquakes and storms; we invest, long term, in vulnerable communities; we implement the most effective solutions to diseases like malaria; we equip the next generation to lead the Church and society. In all of this, we share the good news of Jesus Christ. We give because God first gave to us.

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- excerpts from #BeUMC Study Guide

You can download the complete discussion guide at https://www.umc.org/en/who-we-are/our-people/beumc

#BeUMC - Following Christ

Following Christ

#BeUMC - Part 3

Sunday, July 9, 2023
Matthew 28:16-20, Philippians 4:8-9, Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.

Matthew 28:19-20

And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people.  The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:14-17

Listen to this Week’s Sermon here:

Most of us are familiar with the Great Commission - “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a).  It’s easy to think of “making disciples” in terms of teaching, peaching, baptizing, etc.  In other words, this is the role of pastors, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, Christian Educators and others in some form of vocational ministry who are trained to preach and teach and baptize. 

When we turn to the rest of the New Testament, however, we clearly see that the role of making disciples is not actually limited to the apostles.  Rather, it is the work of the apostles to continually equip others to do the work of making disciples.  If we want to know whose job it is to make disciples, the answer is simple… other disciples.  Part of discipleship is multiplication.  Disciples naturally make other disciples because that’s how Jesus and his followers taught us as we have been discipled.

“But,” you might say, “I can’t teach or baptize.  I don’t know enough.  What if I don’t have the right answers? 

Let me encourage you now, you don’t know enough and you don’t have all the right answers.  Neither do I.  Neither did Billy Graham or Mother Theresa or Peter or Paul.  And neither has any disciple or disciple-maker throughout history.  Our task is simply to pass on what Jesus has taught us.  The best way to do this is not by passing on our knowledge of Jesus to others, but by  modeling by example the way of life Jesus taught us to live. 

Paul writes that as Christians, as followers of Christ, as disciples, we must “put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”  We must be tolerant with each other and forgive each other as Christ forgave us.  We must live in the unity of love, encouraging and building one another up in the name of Christ with a spirit of gratitude and praise. 

In other words, making disciples is less about what  we do, or what we say, and more about who we are and our way of being in the world.  When we “put on Christ,” or to put it another way, when we allow the Spirit to remake us in Christ’s likeness, our natural way of life will be so beautiful and compelling to others that they will want more of these Christlike attributes in their own life as well.  As we grow together in developing Christlike character and love, our fruit continues to multiply and bear more fruit.  We don’t make disciples by trying to convince people that they need to think or believe everything exactly like us.  We make disciples by living out Jesus’ example of love so that others will want to follow, just as we have chosen to follow Christ. 

So here’s the big question: Do we hang our Christian discipleship more on the fact that we “believe” in Jesus, or on the fact that we are actually following his teaching?  And which one do others most see in us?