Category Archives: Discipleship

Throw A Matthew Party

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“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.”

Matthew 9:9-10

Most of us enjoy parties. We love the friends, food, and interaction between people who are gathered together at the invitation of their host. Parties are a great American tradition where the stressors of life are momentarily set aside and a healthy dose of laughter, conversation, and encouragement is bountifully supplied.

Did you know Jesus enjoyed parties too? Our focus passage highlights one such event held at Matthew’s house. Apparently after Matthew was called by Jesus to follow Him, the first thing he did as a new disciple of Christ was to throw a party. But this wasn’t just a party with no purpose. Matthew’s party had a clear intention.

Note the invitation list for Matthew’s party consisted entirely of Matthew’s former co-workers and peers who are described simply as “tax collectors and sinners,” as well as Jesus and the few disciples who were following Him at that time.

What we see in this narrative is a heart overflowing with love for Jesus. Matthew’s life had been fundamentally changed by Christ’s love for him and so one of Matthew’s first actions was to extend an invitation to his former colleagues and acquaintances to come and experience the same life change in Christ.

How do I know this was a purposeful strategy of Matthew? By the words Jesus spoke at the party to some who criticized His presence there with sinners. Here is what Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:12-13). Jesus understood clearly what Matthew wanted for his friends.

Friends, the next time you throw a party be sure to invite some of your unbelieving friends along with some friends who are able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a conversational fashion. Be intentional with your guest list. That is how you throw a “Matthew Party.”

Mike’s Mix For Your Weekend Reading

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Studying to grow in your knowledge of the Lord is important.  In the age we live in it is easy to find many more resources than you will have time to read. I want to encourage you to read intentionally in 2015 and to give time to meditate upon what you are reading so that Christ might be magnified in your life and in the lives of all those you have contact with.

This list is a small sampling of what I found interesting and/or thought-provoking this week.

Mike Leake is inviting folks to read through a book about John Newton written by John Piper throughout 2015. Sign up at Borrowed Light.

Steve Brown’s Key Life ministry blog features an article by Justin Holcomb entitled Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work.

Tim Burns continues to provide great biblical content on his blog Preach The Word.

Greg West manages one of the best apologetics blogs aptly called The Poached Egg, a play on CS Lewis’ famous quip concerning the moral character of Jesus Christ in light of His claims to be God. You will be hearing much more about The Poached Egg from me this year as we coordinate our efforts to reach more people and provide them with the tools to make Jesus known in every place God grants us favor.

I pray that your 2015 will be blessed of the Lord friends.  Let’s strive together for the King this year.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
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Pastor You Must Be A Theologian (Part 1)

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Of interest to many pastors, ministry leaders, and church support organizations is the rise in the number of people who consider themselves to be “nones” and/or “dones.”  The “nones” group is comprised of people who respond to questions related to religious affiliation with “none.”  The second group is comprised of people who are “done” with the Church as an institution.  It is not my intention here to detail and discuss the myriad reasons for these responses.  I mention them because I think they share a common root cause.

A large percentage of the nones have never darkened the door of a church.  Their knowledge of Christianity is based solely on what they happen to observe on television or hear their friends or family discuss.  The dones are on the other end of the spectrum.  They have for the most part been raised in the Church, have been active in various roles, and still profess faith in God even though they no longer attend any Church services.  Many opt instead for home fellowships or other gatherings of believers in an informal setting.

What do these groups have in common?  Simply they both want a message that matters and neither group is hearing one.  The nones among us are not necessarily anti-Christian.  Indeed spirituality is at an all-time high in America so there is a large percentage of seekers among the nones.  Unfortunately the modern Church is more concerned with feeding God’s people the latest self-help pop psychology wrapped in Christian garb than it is teaching God’s Word faithfully book by book and chapter by chapter in a systematic and comprehensive fashion.  The competition is fierce in the self-help category with the likes of Oprah, Chopra, and Osteen carrying the day. No wonder nones aren’t listening to the religious equivalent of this group of new age icons.

The dones likewise long for a clear declaration of God’s truth through a matter-of-fact exposition of the text.  A large number of pastors have rejected a deep dive into the Scriptures and an equally challenging presentation of the biblical texts.  Their weekly offering of the Word falls well short of being spiritual food and nourishment for God’s people. This is so because God must be the focus of our exposition and Christ the answer to the issues we face. When the focus becomes people, their problems, and the steps they must take to regain their happy life, a concoction of spiritual poison has been brewed and dispensing that week after week will guarantee a Laodicean church.

King David declared in Psalm 19:7 that “the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”  This entire chapter is devoted to general (v. 1-6) and special (v. 7-13) revelation.  The point in verse eight is that God’s Word is sure because it is trustworthy.  It is trustworthy because it corresponds to reality.  In other words, God’s Word speaks with razor sharpness concerning our common human condition and provides the same clarity when it comes to what remedy He has provided for us.

Pastors, it is time to scale again the mountaintop of biblical exposition and declaration.  God has called you to that task, He has supplied you with all you need to perform it, and the people He has entrusted to your care must have it. We are called to be theologians and shepherds not a self-esteem masseuse or motivational coaches.

This is the first installment in a five-part series entitled “Pastor You Must Be A Theologian.” Stay tuned for more.

Are You Making Disciples?

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“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

This well-know passage from the gospel of Matthew is often used to teach that churches should be involved in missionary work.  While that is certainly true, a larger truth is missed when Christians go no further than that. That larger truth is this: making disciples is an individual responsibility of every believer.

We know that the disciples took this charge seriously because history tells us that they did indeed go into many different countries, some traveling great distances.  Thomas for example, traveled to India to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does this admonition of Jesus mean for us today?  While you may never be called by God to travel to a foreign land, you are charged with making disciples wherever you are.  Are you doing that?  Do you know how to do that? Do you understand the dynamics of what happens when Christians take seriously the call to be disciple makers?

Let me give you four major reasons why disciple-making is both strategic and foundational for the individual Christian and the Church.  These principles apply across the board regardless of gender or age.

First, making disciples points people to God and makes their existing relationship with Him stronger.  Who doesn’t need all the help they can get in this fast-paced hurry-up world when it comes to taking time to know and love God more? This is the vertical dimension of discipleship.

Second, discipling people improves their relationships in marriage, in the home, in the school, and at work.  In short, relationships on the horizontal are improved through a commitment to be a disciple of Jesus.

Third, discipling people equips them to be a functioning part of the local church body.  The apostle Paul compared the local church to the human body and stated that it functions best when every individual person fulfills their complementary function.

Finally, making disciples helps people see the role they are meant to play in the communities in which they live. Being salt and light means being involved in communicating and displaying the love of Jesus to all people.

Friends, disciple making helps believers grow in their relationship with God, in their relationships with others in their home environments, with others in their church body, and then as a witness to Jesus Christ in the communities in which they live.

Begin today to find ways to disciple someone else and watch the transformation that takes place in their life and yours.

It’s Logical

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Logic

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Romans 12:1 NKJV

Have you considered the truth that Paul expresses here?  Many Christians readily admit that they understand the instructions to present their bodies a living sacrifice to God.  The question I’m asking is, have you considered why we are to do that?

There are two clear reasons stated in this verse for presenting ourselves to God.  First we are to live totally and completely for God because of His mercies toward us.  The verse starts out “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. . .”  What mercies?  Certainly Paul had in mind the greatest mercy of all, that God would send His Son Jesus to Calvary’s cross in our stead.  In this particular context I believe Paul is referring specifically to the complete scope of God’s working in creation that he has already expounded on in chapters 1-11 of this great letter.

A second reason we are instructed to give ourselves completely to God is that it is our “reasonable service.”  This is an enlightening statement to be sure.  Reasonable in this passage is from a Greek word from which we get the English word logical.  Thus what Paul is telling us here is that giving ourselves completely to God is logical!

Praise God for His great mercies.  Let us press on in our quest to live completely and totally for God knowing that it is the most reasonable, logical thing we can do.