Our God is Greater – Tomlin

This morning I had this thought, “If I were as consistent in nurturing my relationship with Christ as I am with getting my coffee fix each day my life would be so much more enjoyable and fruitful.”

It comes down to what I believe…

1. What I enjoy I am drawn to consume.
2. If I miss the experience my morning will be “off.”
3. Just the aroma brings me pleasure.
4. It bothers me when time keeps me from enjoying the effects of my comforter.
5. Many of my closest friendships are built around my enjoyment of this blessing.

Now… you tell me. Am I talking about my coffee or my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?

There are so many ideas about how and why we do what we do as the Church. I am so glad that Jesus set a clear example for us of abiding, serving and multiplying in Father, Holy Spirit and Himself so that we can bear much fruit for the Kingdom.

Here are some great points I ran across today and I wanted share them with you:

How did Jesus model ministry for us?

(REMEMBER HE DID ALL OF THIS WITH A FOUNDATION OF PRAYER AND IN UNITY WITH THE FATHER AND SPIRIT.)

1. He led them to salvation. Jesus prayed, “For you granted him authority over all men that he might give eternal life to all those you have given to him.” This should be obvious. Discipleship begins with evangelism. Of course, we want to disciple people who are already Christians. But remember, Jesus started with pagans. We’ve got to win people to Christ before we can train them. The spiritual birth always precedes spiritual growth.

2. He taught them the Word. Jesus taught his disciples the Word of God. There is no spiritual growth that’s not based on God’s Holy Scripture. In verse eight Jesus prays, “For I gave them the words that you gave me and they accepted them.” And in verse 14 he says, “I have given them your word.” The Word of God is the foundation for all discipleship. Want people to grow spiritually and be fruitful? Get them in the Word every day. Just listening to your sermons – no matter how good they are – won’t help your people be as fruitful as getting them into the Word for themselves.

3. He prayed for them. To see your people grow spiritually, you need to pray for them. That’s part of pastoring. You don’t just pray for your sermons or yourself; you pray for your people as well. Jesus said, “I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9). We need to pray with them and pray for them. Paul followed this example of Christ as well. In fact, he starts almost every letter in the New Testament he wrote with a prayer for the church.

4. He checked up on them. Jesus says, “While I was with them…” You can’t disciple somebody that you’re not with. Pastor, you’ve got to be with your people if you want them to grow spiritually. You’re not going to be able to personally check up and mentor everyone. But somehow your church needs a system for coaching in your church. You need small group leaders or others who will follow up on your people. Jesus protected his disciples from false teaching and kept them from backsliding. He guarded them. At the end of his ministry on earth, he says I haven’t lost a single one of them – except Judas to fulfill Scripture. If you want your people to grow, you need some sort of accountability in your ministry.

5. He sent them on mission. Then Jesus says, “As you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world.” Who do you think are the most mature people at our church? The thousands of people who’ve gone overseas on mission. It changes them. When they come back, they’re not thinking about diamond-crusted tennis bracelets anymore. Once you’ve served around the world, it changes your value system. You care more about people overseas, and you care about people in your own community, too. These short-term missionaries have come back and loved the poor, ministered to the addicts, and battled the sex trade right here in Orange County. That’s maturity.

The goal of discipleship in any church must be ministry and mission. Maturity is never an end in itself. In fact, you can’t be mature until you’re ministering and living on mission. Jesus said “I didn’t come to be served. I came to serve and to give my life as a ransom.” The words give and serve define the Christian life. You want your people to be like Christ? Teach them to give and serve.

6. He expected reproduction. We know he expected reproduction because in verse 20 of this priestly prayer he says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” He not only sent the disciples out into the world, but he implied that he’s expecting reproduction. Did it work? Obviously. There are nearly two billion people who claim the name of Christ around the world.

7. He focused on character. Jesus didn’t simply expand the knowledge, perspective, skills, or conviction of the disciples. He focused on their character. Spiritual maturity is about character and conduct – not just content. We don’t want to just fill up people’s minds with facts and figures. Paul says, “I want to present every man perfect in Christ.” If, in the final analysis, the people I’m training aren’t more like Jesus after we’ve worked together, I’ve missed the point.

8. He loved them. Jesus said, “You sent me and I have loved them as you have loved me.” This is so typical of Jesus. All that Jesus did for his disciples was in a spirit of love. You must love those you train. If you don’t love them, it doesn’t count. If you don’t have a sincere abiding love for the people in your church, then do you know what discipleship is? It’s manipulation. You’re just manipulating them toward a goal.

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Have we done it well?

Here is one pastor’s take on what he would do differently if given the chance.

1. I would spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I would follow the biblical pattern of the church leaders in Acts 6:4: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.”

2. I would give my family more time. No one remembers the church committee meetings I missed. My family still remembers those times I was too busy for them.

3. I would spend more time sharing my faith. Paul told the young pastor Timothy to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). Those words apply to all pastors today.

4. I would love the community where I lived more. I would try to live more incarnationally. I would prayerfully seek to see how I could serve the community rather than see it as a population pool of prospects for my church.

5. I would lead the church to focus more on the nations. I would lead in helping our church grasp that missions is more than just an annual offering.

6. I would focus on critics less. Most church members have no idea how many criticisms and “suggestions” a pastor gets each week. It can be overwhelming and distracting. Though I would be willing to listen, I would not obsess about every negative comment that was made about me.

7. I would accept the reality that I can’t be omnipresent. So many people and groups want the presence of the pastor. Saying “no” can be difficult, but it can free the pastor to focus on some of the priorities noted above.

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Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of Men.”