It is finally sinking in.
I was thinking the other day about how long it had been since I left for Baylor University to prepare for the pastoral ministry. This August will be 35 years. It was not long after I arrived that I became the Youth and Music Director for Downsville Baptist Church. Ever since then, I have been on the staff of a Baptist church, and for the first 6 years I was studying at Baylor and at Southwestern Seminary, while getting a bachelor's degree in Greek and Religion and a Master of Divinity degree. Really I have been studying the Bible and books to help me do God's will all of these 35 years. I have studied Bible, preaching, evangelism, discipleship, pastoral ministry, missions, ethics, etc. However, I have not come to the ultimate realization of what God wanted all of us to do until recently. It grieves me that it has taken so long to sink in.
Jesus commanded all of us to make disciples of all people groups, so that the disciples would observe to do all that He commanded. That is more than evangelism. It is more than teaching and preaching. It is much more than ministry. Making disciples takes forming personal relationships with Christians and non-Christians and then, leading them by word and deed to do all that Jesus commanded Christians to do. For 35 years I have failed to have those types of relationships to the extent necessary to make fully developed disciples. It has only been the last two years that I have set out on that course, and I still have a long way to go. For years I have said that Jesus would ask how many disciples we had made when we stand before Him, whether we are a preacher or not, but I have not taken the time and put forth the right type of effort to cause that to happen. I have asked Jesus to forgive me and to equip me to do just that for the rest of my life. I believe that my life will be much more pleasing to Him, if I will obey His commands. I believe it will enrich any believer's life, because they will be doing what Jesus did, and what He commanded all of us to do.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 9-10 and Luke 5:17-39.
Jesus commanded all of us to make disciples of all people groups, so that the disciples would observe to do all that He commanded. That is more than evangelism. It is more than teaching and preaching. It is much more than ministry. Making disciples takes forming personal relationships with Christians and non-Christians and then, leading them by word and deed to do all that Jesus commanded Christians to do. For 35 years I have failed to have those types of relationships to the extent necessary to make fully developed disciples. It has only been the last two years that I have set out on that course, and I still have a long way to go. For years I have said that Jesus would ask how many disciples we had made when we stand before Him, whether we are a preacher or not, but I have not taken the time and put forth the right type of effort to cause that to happen. I have asked Jesus to forgive me and to equip me to do just that for the rest of my life. I believe that my life will be much more pleasing to Him, if I will obey His commands. I believe it will enrich any believer's life, because they will be doing what Jesus did, and what He commanded all of us to do.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 9-10 and Luke 5:17-39.