by Craig Etheredge: Once your have chosen the persons God is leading you to disciple, approach them and ask if they would begin meeting with you and a few others for the purpose of spiritual growth. How does one have that conversation with a potential disciple? The best example is Jesus, so lets look at how he cast the vision of discipleship with his few men.

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water. They caught fisher for a living. Jesus called out to them, “‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).

Notice that Jesus took the initiative here. He approached them. In the beginning, Andrew and John took the initiative, seeking out Jesus with their spiritual questions. They were showing eagerness and teachability, but when it came down to inviting these men into a discipleship relationship, Jesus took the initiative. That means, you need to reach out first. When you see a person who is eager and ready, approach them first; don’t expect them to approach you.

Have the Conversation

When you approach them, pick the right place to talk. Meet with them in a setting that will be comfortable and natural for them. Jesus talked to these men at their workplace, which was on along the Sea of Galilee. This was a very comfortable place for them. Maybe you could invite your friend to lunch at a restaurant or coffee at a local shop. It needs to be neutral ground and a place where they will feel the most comfortable. The reason is because what you’re asking them can feel very intimidating. The more comfortable they feel on the front end, the easier it will be for them to process what you’re inviting them to do.

This is from Craig Ethredege’s eBook, Invest in a Few. Download the eBook here in your favorite format at no cost.

Also, try to pick the good time. Jesus didn’t try to force this type of conversation in the middle of the workday. These men were about to get off of work, mending their nets and making preparations for the next day. In the same way, choose a time when a potential disciple will be most responsive to you. If they are really busy during the day, then try to meet on the weekend. If they are exhausted at night, try to meet in the morning.

I try to make it a practice to say, “God has really put you on my heart and I would really like to get together with you. Is there are time that would work best for you?” Let them set the time and the place.

As you settle in for your meeting, begin by just getting to know what God is doing in that person’s life. Ask questions like, “So how are things going in your life right now? What stressors are you facing? How can I be praying for you?” Questions like this help you know them better and demonstrate your genuine concern for their well being. Then, you can pivot the conversation toward disciple making. You can say something like, “I wanted to meet with you today because God has been teaching me something lately that made me think of you.” Now you have their attention.

Make the Ask

I’m going to give you one method you can use to make “the ask”, but feel free to adapt it or use another method. There’s no silver bullet, but ways of moving the ball down the field. Get out a piece of paper and write to words “Explore, Connect, Grow, and Multiply” across the top of the page. Explain that these are the four major steps Jesus used to make disciples that changed the world. The “Explore” stage is when a person is exploring the claims of Christ and seeking answers to spiritual questions. The “Connect” stage is when a person comes to Christ, becomes a part of a church, and begins to serve in some way. The “Grow” stage is when a person meets with a smaller group of people so they can grow spiritually. Then, the “Multiply” stage is when a person begins to invest their life in others to help them grow.

Once you have established Jesus’ plan with them, share your own story. Tell them about the time you were exploring God and what life was like before you met Jesus. Then, briefly tell about how you came to Christ and connected with a local church. After that, share how someone approached you to join a discipleship group and tell them the difference Jesus made in your life as a result of their investment. Then, tell them that you desire to invest your life, just as others have invested in you. Once you’ve gone this far, you can simply ask them, “Has anyone ever invested in your life to help you grow like that?”

This is a great time to hear more about their spiritual growth progress. If they have never been discipled, then show them that their next step is to move to the “grow stage”. At this point you need to make the ask: “I would like for you to pray about joining me and a few other people in a discipleship group.”

It is important to clearly state what you are asking them to do. After asking them to join your group, tell them what is involved. Let him know how often and where you will meet. Ensure that the group will pick a time that works best for everyone. Assure him that the first goal is to impart practical help on how to walk with God in a deep and personal way.

Cast the Larger Vision

Once you have communicated some of the practical details, its time to cast the overall vision. This is what Jesus did so powerfully. When Jesus saw them fishing on the Sea of Galilee, he knew there was more for them. For their whole lives, these men had dreamed only of catching fish and making a living for their families—doing what their fathers had done before them. Jesus had a greater vision. No longer would they give their lives to just catching fish, from now on they would fish for men! Their lives could count for more. God could use them to ignite a movement that would change the world. This is the vision you need to cast.

You can say something like, “I have become convinced that God has a better plan for our lives than we have for ourselves. Many times we have a small vision for our life: being successful in business, having nice things, being happy, or attending church services. But these things are temporary and too small. God has a bigger vision for your life. God wants you to walk with him in a deep and person way, God wants you to reach your world and help people come to know Christ, and God wants to use you to invest in a few people who will be world changers.”

Put these things into your own words—that’s important—but the key is to cast a vision of something much greater than what they are currently experiencing. There is, wrapped up in every person, the potential for greatness. Often times, though, it is the person you least suspect whom God uses in incredible ways. So cast the vision and allow the Spirit of God to draw them to this next step.

After casting vision, give them a clear next step. You might say, “I want you to pray about this for the next few days and I will call you to see what you think.” There is no need for them to make a decision right away. In fact, Jesus said it is important to count the cost (Luke 14:28). Close in prayer and assure them that you will be following up. If they are ready to get started, set a place and time for your initial meeting.

This initial meeting, where you ask them to be discipled by you, is an exciting one, but it can also be intimidating. Let me encourage you: it is not your job to try to convince a person to be discipled—it is only your job to give them the opportunity to be discipled. The decision is up to them. You are not responsible for their response. You are just responsible for making yourself available. If God is at work to draw them to this next step, then they will be eager. If not, then you will know it isn’t the right time. Either way, God will use you in that person’s life to encourage them toward growth.

Written by Craig Etheredge

A gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher and the Lead Pastor at First Colleyville, a thriving church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Craig Etheredge is the host of Morning Thrive, a radio program that covers central Texas. He is Founder and President of discipleFIRST ministries and a regular speaker at the FlashPoint Conference across the United States. Craig is also Adjunct Professor of Discipleship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and is actively involved in his local community serving on various boards.

Source: How to Cast the Vision for Discipleship

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by Craig Etheredge: Making disciples begins with people, but the question is who? This is a crucial question, because you may never have invested your life into another person or you may not be sure how to get started. If either of those is you, don’t worry. God is preparing you right now to make a lasting investment in others’ lives, one that will result in their spiritual growth. You are about to have a front row seat to God working in a powerful way to build another person up!

So how does one choose a person to disciple? Selection is really important, because you don’t want to choose a person who will not be committed to the process. What’s the way to find the right person? As you move forward, let me encourage you not to just look for the most holy person you can find. Sometimes the greatest disciples are pretty rough at the beginning.

This is from Craig Ethredege’s eBook, Invest in a Few. Download the eBook here in your favorite format at no cost.

Think of how Jesus chose the twelve. They were not the brightest and best of their day—that’s for sure. Most likely these men had been overlooked or discarded by the religious leaders of their day. They were common men. So don’t let external signs deter you. Instead, we should look at Jesus’ example and what he did. Here are some things we learn from Jesus.

Pray for Disciples

First, pray. On the night before Jesus chose the twelve men he would invest his life into, he spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12-13). I’m sure Jesus prayed for the Father to make it clear to him who he should choose. At the very least, he was praying for specific people he had in mind. What else was he praying for that night with such a major decision? So should you start with prayer.

I remember one man telling me, “Craig, just ask God to give you one man. Then, when God gives you a man, pour your life into him.” That’s good advice for those just starting out. Don’t worry about the number of people you disciple; worry about your faithfulness with those God’s given you.

When I was a young pastor, I began to pray for God to give me a man to disciple. One Sunday afternoon a young man named Gibson, whom I had never seen before, walked into our church. He was a young new college graduate. We met in the hallway, and I felt a strong impression to spend more time with him. Before long, I asked him if he would like to get together to read the Bible, pray, and grow spiritually. He immediately said, “Yes!”

Over the following months I met with Gibson and a few other young men in our church for Bible study and prayer. I invested my life into them and each of them began to grow.

Years later, Gibson joined our staff, helped us launch a new church campus, and eventually planted a new church in Philadelphia. One day we were talking about that first meeting in the hallway, and I told him that I had been praying for a man to disciple. He said, “Well, I had been praying, too. I was just driving by the church and I felt the Spirit of God tell me to go inside. That’s when I met you.” As we recalled this encounter, we both sat there amazed. I prayed for a man to disciple, and God brought him to me. I’m convinced that if you, too, begin to pray for God to bring you a disciple, he will.

Look for Persons with Spiritual Interest

Second, look for those who have an interest in spiritual matters. As Jesus prayed about whom to select, he chose men that had already shown a high interest in spiritual things. Jesus didn’t have to twist their arms. After all, it was Andrew and John that pursued him in the very beginning (John 1:39). After this meeting he spent almost two years with them, watching their behavior and seeing their hearts. Out of his relationship with them, he was able to choose men who were eager to grow.[2] When the Apostle Paul chose Timothy, he noticed that Timothy had a good reputation and was eager to grow (Acts 16:1-3). The best disciples are those in whom the Spirit of God is already at work, which is often seen as a hunger for spiritual things.

We call those people “poppers” at our church. Just like popcorn, when the spiritual temperature turns up, they are the first to pop! Their spiritual light is on. They are showing up to church regularly, asking great questions, and applying what they learn. They are honest in their struggles, joyful in their life, and thankful for all that Jesus has done for them. They’re going for more of God’s truth in their life, responsive to instruction, and eager, ready, hungry, and quick to respond. Start looking around you. Ask God to show you the ones that are eager and ready to grow.

Find the Faithful, Available, and Teachable

Third, look for F.A.T. people. That’s right, F.A.T. people who are faithful, available, and teachable (the first letter of each word makes F.A.T.). Paul told Timothy to invest his time in “faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Choose people who are faithful to do what you are training them to do. You certainly don’t want to put time into a person who will not be faithful to do what call them to do. That’s why Paul told Timothy to look for faithful men. Jesus chose faithful men.

Also, choose people who are available, who will create time in their busy schedule to meet with you for training. I have been discipling men for many years and I will often see a man who is eager and faithful, but he is not available. He has too many demands and too many distractions in his life to grow. Jesus said that these people are like a seed sown among the weeds. They hear the Word and they begin to grow but the “care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things” strangle out the potential for growth that God is working in their life (Mark 4:19). Therefore, they don’t really bear lasting fruit in their lives. Choose people who are teachable, not those who argue every point or play the critic. Look for those who are teachable and eager to learn.

Over the years, I’ve found that people who fit this description are those that quickly take what I’m saying and put it to practice.

The last thing I’ll say about how to pick persons to disciple is this: don’t be afraid to disciple people older than you. I’ve noticed that many people are reluctant to disciple anyone older than them. They reason, What do I have to offer a person that should be teaching me? But remember that spiritual maturity and physical maturity are not the same. If God has brought people into your life to show you how to walk with God, then why would you keep that from others? Timothy was a young pastor, yet he was called to invest in faithful men. Don’t worry about the age of the person you are discipling—look for the heart of the person. If they are faithful, available, and teachable, then pour your life into them. There is no telling what God will do with a person like that!

Written by Craig Etheredge

[2] Dann Spader articulates this separation of approximately 18 months to two years between Jesus’ first meeting with John and Andrew in John 1:39 and when he recruited them for discipleship training in Matthew 4:18-19 in his book, Four Chair Discipling (Moody Publishers: Chicago, 2014) 48. See also Robert Thomas and Stanley Gundry’s A Harmony of the Gospel (Harper and Row Publishers, San Francisco, 1978) 348.

A gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher and the Lead Pastor at First Colleyville, a thriving church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Craig Etheredge is the host of Morning Thrive, a radio program that covers central Texas. He is Founder and President of discipleFIRST ministries and a regular speaker at the FlashPoint Conference across the United States. Craig is also Adjunct Professor of Discipleship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and is actively involved in his local community serving on various boards.

Source: How to Choose Disciples Wisely

The post How to Choose Disciples Wisely appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Craig Etheredge: A disciple of Jesus is like a 3-D image. When you think of something being three-dimensional, it’s fully orbed and lifelike. Three-D images often appear on a movie screen, where characters seem to jump of the screen at you. Think also of how 3-D printers produce fully dimensional products. In the same way, a true disciple of Jesus has three dimensions that make them fully mature, fully orbed, and Christ-like. The first dimension of a disciple is that he is devoted to Jesus. That is, this person has become convinced that Jesus is the Christ and that salvation is found in no one else but him. This is where disciple making begins. It begins when a person turns from their sin and turns to Jesus as the forgiver and the leader of their life. There is no disciple making apart from conversion. Jesus modeled this for us.

This is from Craig Ethredege’s eBook, Invest in a Few. Download the eBook here in your favorite format at no cost.

Born Again

As he picked up the preaching mantle and began to lead the movement of God that John the Baptist had begun, Jesus started preaching a simple message. It only had two major calls to action: Repent and believe (Mark 1:15). The reason? Because “the kingdom of God is near.” With these words Jesus was saying, “It’s not enough to be religious; you must make it personal with me.” A religious leader of his day named Nicodemus helps us understand what this means.

He came to Jesus one night, not wanting to be seen by his colleges (after all he had a reputation to protect). He had a burning desire to know God, so Jesus told him plainly, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). Just as you are born into your earthly family, in the same way you must be born into God’s family. Nicodemus was a religious man: he knew facts and he was devoted to ritual and tradition as a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, but Jesus told him, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This is where discipleship starts.

The Gospel at Starbucks

I remember having coffee with a young man at a crowded Starbucks. He had been attending church in his hometown for several years and was feeling an urge to go into vocational ministry, so he asked me to meet with him. As we settled into our seats, I asked about his spiritual journey and how God was moving in his life. He was a lean, sharp-looking young man in his early twenties. He spoke with excitement in his voice. For the first half hour he talked about how much he loved the people in his church and how he really enjoyed serving in his church’s youth group. I listened intently.

Then, I asked, “So, tell me—when you gave your life to Christ?”

He paused and looked at me as if he didn’t understand the question.

So I rephrased my question: “I mean, tell me when you became a Christian—how did that happen?” He mumbled something along the lines of “I’ve always believed in God” and “I was confirmed at the age of twelve.” It was obvious that he was grasping for words.

That night, I spent my time talking to him about Jesus, how much God loves him, and that God created him to know him in a deep and personal way. I explained that our problem is sin, which has separated us from God, and that we are all cut off from him.

What surprised me as I spoke with him was how this man, who wanted to go into ministry, seemed to be hearing some of the basics about full devotion to Jesus as if for the first time.

I remember saying, “Look around this crowded coffee shop.” His eyes scanned the room, briefly glancing at the faces of the people standing in line to order.

“Everyone in this room and everyone in our world has fallen short of God’s design for them. Everyone of us is separate from God and helplessly lost.” I could see his demeanor change as he absorbed the heaviness of those words.

I continued “But that is why Jesus came. God sent his only Son to die on a cross, where he absorbed the wrath of God and paid sin’s penalty on our behalf. He died, was buried, and three days later, he rose from the dead, conquering sin and death and the grave. If you will turn from your sin and turn to Jesus, he promises to forgive you and restore your broken relationship with God.”

I let the words hang in the air.

Blog Reader’s Discount on the 2017 National Disciple Making Forum

Then I asked, “Have you ever done that?” After a good while, he simply said, “No, I haven’t.” In fact, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment. Going to seminary was one thing to him, but actually following Jesus was altogether different.

As we left the coffee shop that day, I wondered how many other people are just like this young man: churched, involved, and sincere—but lost. The first step in becoming a disciple is coming to faith in Jesus. Paul put it simply, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God that raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NLT). A biblical conversion involves an acknowledgment of sin before God, a belief that Jesus is the Son of God, and a belief that only Jesus’ death and resurrection can pay for one’s sin. At that point, a turning from my sin and trusting Jesus in simple faith is required. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “You must be born again.” A true disciple is one who is devoted to Jesus by being born into God’s family through faith in Jesus.

Written by Craig Etheredge

A gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher and the Lead Pastor at First Colleyville, a thriving church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Craig Etheredge is the host of Morning Thrive, a radio program that covers central Texas. He is Founder and President of discipleFIRST ministries and a regular speaker at the FlashPoint Conference across the United States. Craig is also Adjunct Professor of Discipleship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and is actively involved in his local community serving on various boards.

Photo by Lloyd Dirks on Unsplash

Source: How to Identify People to Disciple (1 of 3)

The post How to Identify People to Disciple (1 of 3) appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Craig Etheredge: Jesus’ commission was clear, “Go make disciples of all nations.” The key command—the divine imperative—is to make disciples. But what exactly is a disciple?

The life of Vince Lombardi, who was arguably one of the greatest football coaches of all time, provides a great analogy for the importance of answering this question about the nature of a disciple. He was such a great coach that the Super Bowl championship Trophy was named after him as the “Lombardi Trophy”.

Part of what made him so great was that he was a stickler for the fundamentals. Legend has it that one practice he stood in front of his team in stone cold silence, football in hand, surveying the men in the room. No one dared speak. Finally he broke the quiet with the now famous words, “Men, this is a football.” He was simply bringing them back to the basics. That’s what we need to do in making disciples sometimes: we have to go back to the basics.

What is a Disciple?

If Jesus told us to make disciples, then we need to clearly know what a disciples is. After all, we will be answering to Jesus the substance of our work in disciple making one day (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). The term “disciple” that Jesus used in Matthew 28:19 is the word mathetes, which essentially means “to learn” in Greek. The Hebrew term for a disciple is talmidim, which is also derives from the word for “to learn” (in Hebrew) and was used for a young man who left his home to study under a Rabbi.[1]

This is from Craig Ethredege’s eBook, Invest in a Few. Download the eBook here in your favorite format at no cost.

Therefore, a disciple is, at the core, a learner. However, a disciple is more than just one who learns religious information and more than just a student who merely acquires biblical facts. To find out more, you have to dig deeply into the culture of the Old Testament because disciple making didn’t start with Jesus—it pre-dates him.

The idea of disciple making is rooted in the Old Testament. The ancient prophets often pulled around them young men to train on how to serve God (Isaiah 8:16). Master teachers regularly trained temple musicians in special schools for the purpose of serving in temple worship (1 Chronicles 25:8). Later, Rabbinic schools were established for the purpose of raising up teachers and leaders. In the days of Jesus, there were many different kinds of disciples: “disciples of Moses” (John 9:28), “disciples of the Pharisees” (Matthew 22:16), “disciples of John the Baptist” (Matthew 9:14), and “disciples of Jesus” (Mt 28:18-20)—and that’s just well-known Jewish disciples (in addition to non-religious disciples like those in philosophical schools and other contexts). Therefore, in its most basic definition, a disciple was a person who follows a master teacher to become like him and to carry on his work.

Now underline that last statement and think about it. A disciple followed a master to eventually become like that master and carry on the master’s work.

The Blog Reader’s Discount on the 2017 National Disciple Making Forum

In the New Testament, the term “disciple” is primarily used to describe a follower of Jesus. The term is used 261 times in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. It’s clear that a “disciple” of Jesus is used synonymously with a “believer” in Jesus. For example, in Acts 4:32, “those who believe” are later referred to as “disciples” in Acts 6:2. As we move past the Book of Acts into the Epistles, the term “disciple” begins to fade away and it is replaced with terms like “brother” and “sister”, “saint”, “believer”, and “Christian”. That “disciple” is used so many times in the early days of the church reveals how important it was to the earliest Christians. Therefore, it should be important to us, too.

Fuzzy Vision

Clarifying the definition of a disciple is critical if you are going to be committed to making disciples. You can’t have a fuzzy vision of your “end product” (to use industrial language, if I may). Just as a tire factory knows what a finished tire looks like and a computer manufacturer knows that computers are their final project, healthy disciples of Jesus know what disciples are and how to make them.

The Apostle Paul was very clear on what he was producing in the lives of every person he met and every church he planted. He wanted mature disciples, people who had learned how to obey God by following Jesus. He said this in various ways, not always using the word “disciple”, but always referring to the characteristics of a disciple, one who is mature in Christ.

Read what he wrote to believers in Rome to see if you can pick up on Paul’s “end product”: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first born among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). And to the churches in Galatia he wrote, “I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” (Galatians 4:19). Then, to the church at Corinth he wrote, “But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18, TLB). Then, to the church at Colossae he wrote, “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29, NIV). From these verses, it’s clear that Paul’s goal was to see people become more and more like Jesus. He wanted people to be conformed to the image of Jesus, to be mirrors that reflect Jesus, to be matured into the likeness of Jesus.

Paul’s end product was Christ-like followers and this should be the end product of every church and disciple maker. As you pour your life into another person, you are not just trying to convey biblical knowledge; you are not simply trying to form a learner; instead, you are investing your life into men and women who will follow Jesus, grow to be like him, and carry on his work.

Written by Craig Etheredge

[1] Anne Spangler and Louis Tverberg, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2009) 54.

The Blog Reader’s Discount on the 2017 National Disciple Making Forum

A gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher and the Lead Pastor at First Colleyville, a thriving church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Craig Etheredge is the host of Morning Thrive, a radio program that covers central Texas. He is Founder and President of discipleFIRST ministries and a regular speaker at the FlashPoint Conference across the United States. Craig is also Adjunct Professor of Discipleship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and is actively involved in his local community serving on various boards.
Image © Vernon J. Biever Photo

Source: The End Product of Discipleship

The post The End Product of Discipleship appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Craig Etheredge: Before I went to Israel, I had no idea what it would look like. I went with a group of people from our church studying the life of Christ. Our hope was that by walking in the footsteps of Jesus—literally—we would better understand being a disciple of Jesus.

To this day, one site in particular remains clear in my mind as both stunning and significant for disciples of Jesus: Mount Arbel. The sun was bright and the sky clear from the top of this mountain. This was a special mountain to Jesus and to those who followed him. It stands today (like it did over two thousands years ago) as one of the tallest peaks around the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.

As we stood at the top of Arbel, we could see for miles. To the north was the peak of Mount Herman, the largest mountain in Israel, to the east were the Golan Heights, separating Israel from Jordan, to the south were the fertile farmlands of the Jezreel valley, and to the east were two tall towers of a major electrical plant next to the ancient city of Caesarea Maritima, where the Apostle Paul set sail for Rome as he carried the gospel to the West. From one panoramic view you can literally see the nations. This was precisely why Jesus chose this place to give his followers what we call today, “The Great Commission”.

This is from Craig Ethredege’s eBook, Invest in a Few. Download the eBook here in your favorite format at no cost.

Jesus’ Mountain

How can we be sure, though, that Jesus stood on Mount Arbel and not another mountain around Galilee? Various clues point to this conclusion: the mountain stands along the well-traveled route called “The Valley of Doves” connecting the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth. Since Jesus lived in Nazareth most of his growing up years, he must of traveled this way many times. Another piece of evidence is that Arbel is the tallest mountain in Galilee. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that after Jesus’ resurrection, he gave instructions for his disciples to go “to the mountain” in Galilee (Matthew 28:16). While he didn’t specify which one, the disciples certainly knew the place. It was, in a sense, their mountain because they had been there many times before. While we have no archeological evidence that Jesus delivered the Great Commission on this mountain, it makes the most sense if Jesus was making an important point about evangelism. If Arbel isn’t the mountain, then I’m not sure which one it would be.

So go there with me: imagine that the wind is blowing in your face as you look down the mountain to the land below. Your feet are standing at the exact place where the disciples stood. Jesus’ words cut through the air:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Big Vision

What was Jesus’ goal by doing this? He was casting the vision of a global movement of multiplication. Just days before, they had seen him crucified at the hands of the brutal Romans, hung on a rugged cross, and despised by the religious leaders. They saw his body taken down and placed in a tomb. Three days later they saw Jesus rise from the dead, his body now transfigured yet still bearing scares from the cross.

All of this was in preparation for their new mission in life. Now he was challenging them and commissioning them to invest their lives in a movement that would change the course of human history and alter the eternal trajectory of millions.

It was a big vision then. It is still a big vision today.

Written by Craig Etheredge

A gifted communicator, author, and Bible teacher and the Lead Pastor at First Colleyville, a thriving church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Craig Etheredge is the host of Morning Thrive, a radio program that covers central Texas. He is Founder and President of discipleFIRST ministries and a regular speaker at the FlashPoint Conference across the United States. Craig is also Adjunct Professor of Discipleship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and is actively involved in his local community serving on various boards.

Photo by Chris Gallimore on Unsplash

Source: The Goal of Discipleship

The post The Goal of Discipleship appeared first on Passion for Planting.