Multiplying Disciple-Makers.

Steve Gentry

[0:09] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. [0:10] Welcome to Village Church. [0:11] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve, [0:13] one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:15] And as always, I am thankful and grateful to see each [0:18] and every one of you this morning.

[0:20] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to Matthew, [0:22] chapter 28, a text that I hope you are familiar with. [0:27] But this is the final week of our summer series on vision. [0:33] So we’ve basically throughout this series, [0:35] through these five sermons, have been seeking to answer [0:38] the question of what it is that we want to be known for

[0:42] as a church. [0:44] In 10 years, what do we want to look back and say we were about? [0:48] What do we want to look back and say this is what we were [0:51] accomplishing and have accomplished as a church? [0:55] So we’ve attempted to sum it up in five things that we strive [0:59] for, and this is the non-negotiable vision for our

[1:03] church. [1:04] Each of these things build on one another to lead us to what [1:08] really is the most consequential aspect of the [1:12] series, what I believe the total of your Christian life is [1:17] really going to be banked on. [1:20] I think that when we talk about the issue of multiplying

[1:23] disciples and disciple makers, the key is that how you view [1:27] this and how you strive after this will necessarily define [1:33] success and failure for the Christian life. [1:36] We receive so many different messages in our age, 24 hours [1:41] a day, it’s incessant, it’s annoying, from social media and [1:46] every other place in the world, this is what you need to focus

[1:49] on right now, this is what you need to be worried about right [1:52] now, this is where we’re going right now, this is what’s [1:55] happening right now, and here’s what you need to be all about. [1:57] And it will change week by week. [2:01] I pay attention probably more than most as to what the [2:06] Christian life should be about, and I think over the last year

[2:09] I’ve had 50 different things that I’ve been told is the most [2:12] important part of the Christian life.

[2:16] And pardon me if you think I’m naive or immature in this, but [2:20] I personally prefer to just go to what did Jesus say the [2:24] Christian life should really be all about? [2:28] And the fact is that when we talk about issues like [2:32] worshiping Jesus, like building faith, equipping families, and [2:37] defending the truth, I truly believe biblically speaking

[2:41] that those four things culminate in a vision for multiplying [2:44] disciple makers. [2:46] This is the mission that Jesus left his church to accomplish. [2:51] Therefore, there is no complete vision for a church without [2:56] discipleship. [2:57] Of course, I want to discuss it through the lens of multiplying

[3:01] disciple makers, as that is where I think the path must [3:05] reach. [3:05] I think one of the faults and flaws in the Christian life is [3:09] we don’t set forward the destination. [3:13] We don’t say what is it that we’re going towards? [3:15] What is it that I can actually measure in my life to say

[3:18] whether or not the discipleship process has been a success or [3:22] whether or not it’s been a failure? [3:23] If you don’t define failure, you’re always going to find it. [3:26] I believe that. [3:29] And I believe that the path of discipleship must necessarily [3:32] set a point in the future where you go from being a new believer

[3:38] to being that fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. [3:41] And I do not think you can define a fully devoted follower [3:45] of Jesus Christ until you get to the point where you go from a [3:48] disciple to a disciple maker. [3:51] Millions of words have been written and spoken about [3:55] discipleship throughout the history of the church.

[3:57] Yet we often fail to set that destination for our journey. [4:02] I believe spiritual growth in the life of a Christian must be [4:06] tracked or you’re never going to know if you’re getting anywhere. [4:10] That destination should be defined by the one who we are seeking [4:17] to emulate, and that is Jesus Christ. [4:21] Discipleship is necessarily a cyclical path.

[4:26] The work that God does in your life and is doing in your life must be [4:31] replicated in someone else’s life and so on and so on. [4:36] And so we must be willing to measure discipleship under the rubrics [4:41] that forward in Scripture. [4:43] Now, yes, I believe there are many measures for growth, but we must not [4:49] neglect to show the necessity of multiplying other disciples as a

[4:54] constant standard for God’s mission. [4:57] I think the Bible reveals what can be understood as God’s grand [5:02] narrative of mission that culminates, yes, in the person and work of [5:06] Jesus Christ. [5:07] And so for the church, the mission of God is experienced in the process [5:13] of discipleship as disciples are making disciples, as they’re building

[5:20] the church as the base for God’s work in the world. [5:26] So I want to start reading familiar words for you, I hope, if you’ve been [5:29] here for any length of time. [5:31] In Matthew chapter 28, what’s called the Great Commission. [5:36] And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has [5:41] been given to me.

[5:42] Remember, that’s the basis. [5:46] It’s his authority.

[5:48] Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name [5:53] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to [5:59] observe all that I have commanded you. [6:02] And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. [6:08] And so this, according to the Gospel of Matthew, is Jesus’ farewell [6:12] address to his followers.

[6:15] He’s gathering them on this mountainside. [6:17] He’s telling them what the future holds for them. [6:21] And so, you know, for the purpose of our series, I think it can be very [6:24] easily understood that what Jesus is doing in this text is he’s casting [6:27] vision. [6:29] He’s saying this is what you should be known for.

[6:33] This is what you in ten years in your life, if you want to know whether or [6:37] not you live the life that I want to live, if you look back and say [6:41] disciples were made. [6:45] Success. [6:47] So Jesus has a standard of success that he sets forward for you to grade [6:52] whether you lived the life that he had for you to live or whether or not you

[6:57] ignored him and all of his authority and just made some other arbitrary [7:01] standard. [7:02] And the standard that Jesus Christ himself sets forward is the standard of [7:08] making disciples.

[7:12] Number one, this morning, I want you to understand that the mission of God, [7:16] then, is experienced in discipleship. [7:20] The mission of God is something that spans the entirety of scripture. [7:25] I think that we have too small of a vision where kind of gospel centeredness [7:30] has reduced the counsel of God to just some facts about Jesus. [7:36] And we’ve isolated the life, the mission, the work of Christ in what is good news

[7:43] that your sins can be forgiven, your life can be changed if you’ll put your [7:47] trust in Jesus Christ. [7:49] But when we reduce the entirety of God’s word to only being about that, we [7:54] miss the grand narrative of God’s mission from Genesis through Revelation. [7:59] And I think that hinders our discipleship. [8:02] So for our discipleship to be what God has designed for it to be, I think we

[8:07] need a vision for the mission of God that spans all the way from the [8:12] beginning towards the future and into eternity. [8:14] And that is what the mission of God is all about. [8:18] And if we do that, I think we will land on what Christopher J.H. Wright says. [8:23] And that is that God’s mission has always been centered on him spreading his [8:28] presence over the entire face of the earth.

[8:32] That great commission that we just read summarizes that mission. [8:38] And he says that the mission of God is accomplished by the disciple making [8:43] process. [8:44] Jesus is not giving us a new mission, rather, he is explaining how the [8:50] culmination of God’s mission is revealed through his life, death and resurrection. [8:57] His authority is one that he’s always possessed.

[9:02] I’ve talked about this before. [9:04] Jesus didn’t rise from the dead and say, you know, I just got a power up. [9:09] I now have a new authority that I didn’t have before. [9:12] But since I defeated Bowser’s castle, now I’ve got all of the authority.

[9:20] Now, Jesus’s authority predates Earth and predates creation. [9:24] He’s eternally authoritative. [9:26] Jesus has always been authoritative. [9:28] The resurrection was him flexing his authority. [9:31] The resurrection was him for our benefit, proving his authority. [9:37] And Jesus then uses his authority to say, go make disciples of all nations.

[9:43] It’s limitless where the earth is concerned. [9:47] So he summarizes the submission to his authority and lives that are passionate [9:55] about spreading his presence through making disciples who then live under his authority [10:00] as you are. [10:02] But as I said, this began in Genesis through the dominion mandate. [10:07] When he says be fruitful and multiply, steward the earth, keep it in dominion.

[10:14] That’s about spreading the presence of God as the image bearers of God spread [10:18] throughout the face of the earth. [10:20] But after sin entered the world, God didn’t stop this mission. [10:25] He chose Abraham to begin the march toward Jesus. [10:30] In Genesis 12, three, God states that the families of the earth will be blessed. [10:35] He doesn’t say Abraham is just about you and your family line.

[10:39] He says, no, Abraham, I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you. [10:44] I will curse. [10:45] And what did he say? [10:46] And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. [10:50] Then in Genesis 15, five through six, God told Abraham his offspring would be like [10:55] the number of the stars in the heavens.

[10:56] And he brought Abraham outside and said, dummy, you don’t understand what I’m doing. [11:01] Look toward heaven and number the stars if you are able to number them. [11:05] And I love the hyperbole that God uses Abraham because there’s no way he could do that.

[11:11] He’s saying, Abraham, I know you don’t understand full well everything that I’m going to do. [11:16] And what is he saying? [11:17] He’s saying, Abraham, trust me, I’m going to do a work that is not limited by your [11:22] capacity to understand what you are capable of accomplishing in your lifetime.

[11:28] Then he said to him, so shall your offspring be.

[11:33] And the question is, is he saying Sarah is going to be that much of a baby factory?

[11:40] Or is he saying something bigger is happening through this covenant? [11:44] And Abraham believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness. [11:47] See, faith can be counted to you as righteousness [11:50] because it’s not about what you’re going to accomplish. [11:53] It’s always about what God can accomplish and will accomplish. [11:56] Do you trust him to accomplish it?

[11:59] So to his descendants, then the Israelites in Exodus 40, 34, God placed his holy presence [12:08] in the tabernacle first, then the temple in the promised land. [12:13] And then throughout the Old Testament prophets, numerous times, [12:17] they spoke of God’s presence spreading beyond the walls of Israel.

[12:26] But then when we get to the gospel, we see that it was never about buildings. [12:31] It was never about just one people. [12:34] It was about our lives spreading the presence of God. [12:39] In John chapter one, verse 14, when it states the word became flesh and dwelt among us, [12:45] it’s the same term for tabernacle.

[12:49] So saying the presence of God, the Holy of Holies, [12:52] is the person and work of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. [12:59] And then after the resurrection in Luke 24, 45 through 47, [13:05] says that God, Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures. [13:09] And Jesus said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer. [13:14] And on the third day rise from the dead and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins

[13:18] should be proclaimed in his name to what all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

[13:27] Last week, we talked about Habakkuk 2 14, this great prophetic vision [13:32] of the knowledge of God being spread over the earth like the water covers the seas. [13:39] And Jesus is saying this is what the gospel is going to accomplish. [13:43] That Old Testament prophecy.

[13:46] And first Corinthians 3 16 through 17, Paul writes to a predominantly gentile congregation [13:54] to let them know that the presence of God is in the life of the church, the people. [14:00] He says, do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you? [14:06] If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him for God’s temple is holy and you are that [14:12] temple called out assembly, the people of God. [14:17] You know, you were going to get a whole biblical theology here.

[14:22] The mission of God is fulfilled through spreading his presence, which is now achieved [14:32] in the life of the church by what? Making disciples who know how to submit to God, [14:40] who know how to obey God and live out the mission of Jesus by making disciples. [14:49] See, it’s from the life of the church that the presence of God spreads to the world around you.

[14:56] Friends, this is not a new idea, but I want to be very clear. [15:01] God desires to save sinners and transform their lives into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. [15:14] Pay attention. He wants to accomplish that through you.

[15:22] That’s God’s vision for your life. [15:27] And so when you think about the whole of the Christian life, what I want you to understand [15:32] is that discipleship is the lens through which the whole of the Christian life [15:39] is to be viewed according to scripture. And our problem is that too many people [15:45] reduce the Christian life to a personal journey, [15:50] isolated, in which you grow internally. And as you grow, you just go deeper and

[15:57] deeper and deeper into the well of the depths of you.

[16:06] Friends, is that involved? Sure. But it’s not the total of what God’s vision for your life is. [16:13] God wants to change your life so that he can use you to change someone else’s life. [16:24] What he begins in you, he wants to then do through you for the benefit of another follower of Jesus [16:33] Christ. Discipleship is God’s practical way of gathering a people who showcase submission [16:42] to his authority so that others will know how they can submit to that authoritative Christ [16:49] in Matthew 28, 18. And so yes, very much I think God is worshiped through discipleship.

[16:57] And so if you want to experience the power of God in your life, I mean, I know you do.

[17:04] But the key isn’t answering the question, do I want to experience God’s power? If you don’t [17:10] experience God’s power, you aren’t a Christian. But if you want to experience God’s power, [17:17] then you must put into practice the work that God says his power is going to expended for.

[17:28] Are you as passionate about discipleship as God is? And I think the answer to that [17:35] determines how much power you’re going to experience in your life. [17:39] He sent, think about it this way, he sent his son to die and rise again [17:49] so that you can experience discipleship. That is the value that God has placed in the process [17:57] of being and making disciples. It’s number two, I am saved. Disciples make disciples. [18:04] That’s the standard. That’s how you can know, I’ve been discipled.

[18:10] Are you making disciples? If not, can you say you’re a disciple? If that’s the measure. [18:17] God cares about multiplication. I think that the case for that is pretty set. [18:22] So then the mission of God carries explicit and implicit ideas about multiplication. [18:30] It’s a word that some don’t like, whatever. But without that understanding, I don’t think [18:38] you’re going to get what God wants to do. He wants more people to come to faith in Jesus. [18:46] And if you come to faith in Jesus, he wants you to learn how to observe everything that he has

[18:55] commanded. And the process for that to happen is what he means by make disciples. We are not [19:03] to reach the world with a good news that then leaves them on their own [19:10] to hopelessly figure out for themselves what it means to obey Jesus Christ. No, he gave the world [19:21] a church to show them, to teach them, to help them, to gather them, to learn to observe all [19:32] that he has commanded and then to send them to gather more followers of Jesus Christ. [19:40] See, the problem sometimes comes when we isolate certain texts of Scripture and take them out of

[19:46] context. When you isolate texts, it can be misunderstood that the path of discipleship [19:54] is solely about personal growth, about you becoming all the you that you can become. [20:01] And then Christianity is reduced to nothing more than a Tony Robbins seminar or a Jaco Willink [20:07] Jiu Jitsu session. Just about you getting tougher, growing better, getting some type of spiritual [20:14] plastic surgery so that you never age. But this is the problem that has arisen from the church [20:22] synergizing with an unbelieving culture. Unfortunately, maybe even some of you cannot

[20:29] imagine that there may be something more important to God than delving deeper and deeper into the well [20:37] of who you are. And so the way some people said about discipleship, you read endless books about [20:45] personal growth, have endless conversations about where you need to grow and what you need to become [20:53] and endless ideas about more and more barriers that you found that need to be knocked down in [21:00] your life because you are being held back from your personal growth.

[21:06] It’s exhausting. I wouldn’t get anywhere either if that was my idea of the Christian growth.

[21:14] For you then, discipleship is reserved for your own personal vision.

[21:22] Friends, I want to help you out this morning and it may be a little bit uncomfortable for you. [21:27] But what if I told you that isn’t discipleship at all? [21:31] Because it isn’t. You know what that is? That’s the idolatry of self.

[21:38] What you’ll find at the end of that path is not disciples made and lives changed. What you’ll [21:43] find at the path at the end of that path is an altar with your name on it because you’re [21:49] not worshiping Jesus at all. You’re worshiping yourself. You see, when Jesus stated in verse 19 [21:56] of Matthew 28 that his authority is lived out by making disciples of all nations, by the way, [22:04] it carries an idea that the potential for multiplying your faith into the lives of others [22:13] is unlimited. And so because of that, we understand that God’s design for the Christian life

[22:23] is that growth is actually limited until you get over yourself and make disciples of others. [22:34] Only then is it unlimited. In Matthew 419, Jesus used the metaphor of fishing [22:42] because these disciples were fishermen. What did he say to them? He said, [22:46] follow me. I’ll make you fishers of men. What do you think Jesus was saying there? [22:52] He’s saying, I’m going to teach you how to radically be used by God to change other [22:57] people’s lives. And so the Christian life is one that is focused on giving to others the salvation

[23:05] that God has so graciously given to you. God wants his presence [23:12] to go into your life so that it can then go out of your life and into the lives [23:19] of others. But friend, until you stop treating yourself like an endless well with no bottom, [23:28] you’re never going to get there. And here’s the really bad news. You’re never going to actually [23:36] grow because you’re just going to go deeper and deeper into selfishness, self-centeredness, [23:43] narcissism, and you’re never going to learn how great Jesus Christ is and all that he wants to

[23:48] do through you. In 1 John 2, 12 through 14, I believe this is a pathway for spiritual growth. [23:55] He even uses terminology that describes different ages. He says, I’m writing to you little [24:01] children because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I’m writing to you fathers [24:08] because you know him who’s from the beginning. I’m writing to you young men because you’ve [24:14] overcome the evil one. May he return. I’m writing to you children because you know the father. [24:20] I write to you fathers because you know him who’s from the beginning. I write to you young men

[24:26] because you’re strong and the word of God abides in you. And again, you’ve overcome the evil one [24:33] from children to young men to fathers. I don’t think it’s overreaching to say. I think this [24:41] describes measurements of spiritual growth. Each of these phases represents what I think could be [24:48] a level of growth and understanding of what God has done for you as you ascend to different levels [24:56] of maturity. The fathers are twice described as knowing him who is from the beginning. The younger [25:06] experience the work of God so that when they are older, they have the knowledge to offer

[25:14] younger Christians on their path to a fuller understanding of who God is. [25:20] I think that’s why he says that about the fathers is you have the knowledge. [25:24] I think this assumes multiplication. I think it’s implicit. In John 7 38, [25:31] it describes belief in Jesus cultivating a flowing river out of the heart of a Christian [25:37] who’s living. He says, whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will [25:44] rivers of living water. Note the water does not solely stay within the Christian.

[25:52] I mean, it’s a very important thing for you to understand in our age of addiction to therapy [25:58] is we treat the Christian life like a hot tub. [26:03] Lots of heat and bubbles, but you sure aren’t going to get anywhere. [26:07] You’re just going to sit there and get pruney.

[26:12] He’s talking about a flowing river that’s actually going somewhere. [26:17] It’s actually moving. It’s actually life giving.

[26:22] If I were to ever go outside, I might find that I could drink running water, but I’ll take the tap. [26:30] Actually, I got to have a filter.

[26:34] Bottles, please.

[26:37] But I don’t know if you’ve ever, unfortunately, had a drink of the hot tub.

[26:43] I wouldn’t do that very often. [26:46] See, Jesus offers a river of life that’s actually flowing out of you. [26:51] It’s actually going somewhere. And he’s saying, if you’ve got the life of God inside of you, [26:55] you can’t keep it to yourself. It’s got to flow out of you. It’s got to go somewhere. [27:01] It’s got to find more lives changed with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[27:09] Living water does not just recycle inside of you like a water feature in your backyard. [27:16] It’s meant to flow out of your heart. [27:19] Every time the Bible uses a description of something that flows out of a person, [27:26] it is to be a display to others as to who you actually are. [27:33] It shows them who God is for you. [27:37] Then in John 20, 21, Jesus tells his disciples that his God had sent him.

[27:44] He was sending them. [27:46] This is the mission of Jesus. [27:49] This is the Christian identity. [27:52] It’s one who is sent on a mission, and that mission is to make disciples as you are a disciple. [28:03] So I believe if you want to grow exponentially with the Christian life, [28:08] you will be about making more disciples.

[28:13] For some, your vision of multiplying disciples is overwhelmed [28:18] by the distractions of your own shortcomings. [28:23] Friends, what if I told you it is not a shock to God that you are imperfect?

[28:28] It is not news to him that you have flaws. [28:32] It’s not news to him that you sin. [28:35] It’s not news to him that’s, oh man, I missed a couple of days of quiet time. [28:40] He knows and he knew. [28:43] And he always will. [28:45] Yet he still chose you before the foundations of the earth.

[28:50] Yet he still gave you a great commission to accomplish. [28:56] The reality is that, yes, you are a sinner, and yes, you need to grow, [29:03] and yes, you need to repent of much. [29:07] The issue is that you will never grow and repent through self-absorption and preoccupation [29:20] with therapeutic practices with that never-ending look within. [29:26] God wants you to have a vision of loving him and others through the lens of his great gospel.

[29:35] And when you live God’s mission, I can tell you from experience,

[29:41] it cultivates repentance in your life. [29:45] Why? Because you don’t want anything slowing you down [29:50] from multiplying your faith in the lives of others, and nothing will slow you down quicker than sin.

[29:59] It’s pretty difficult to make disciples of Jesus as you are disobeying Jesus. [30:05] Because if you want to be a successful disciple maker, you’re going to identify sin and you’re [30:09] going to repent of sin, and you’re going to learn more of what you can give to Jesus in your life, [30:14] and you’re going to be giving it to him so that you can experience more power from him, [30:18] more filling from his spirit, so you can be more and more dependent on him working through you [30:23] so that you can cultivate lives in environments of disciple making.

[30:27] And number two, you have a vision in disciple making for being and becoming like Christ [30:38] so that others can see him through you. And you’re not going to find it anywhere else.

[30:46] Because number three, the church is the base for making disciples. Church is the base. [30:53] We build the church by making disciples. There are many ways you can build attendance. [31:01] There are many ways that you can gather crowds. But those realities must always be tempered by [31:08] the question of is this methodology going to culminate in making more disciples, [31:17] or is it just going to gather a crowd really excited about something? [31:20] There’s always that tension of gathering more people and ensuring the quality thereof.

[31:27] And it is the discipleship process that filters those visions of numerical growth [31:34] with are these people going to be given environments where their faith can grow [31:41] and where more faithful submitted disciples can be made. Now, Jesus in verse 19 and 20 [31:51] instructs his followers to make disciples of all nations. And he said, [31:57] baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. This is what happens as you [32:02] enter the life of the church, the body of Christ, and then you teach them to observe his commands.

[32:09] It’s a very simple pathway to understanding what discipleship is. This is the cycle for the [32:16] history of the church that reproduces every other Christian life that has ever been reproduced.

[32:26] But that necessitates you getting over, catering your understanding of following Jesus [32:36] to your own personality, to your own preferences, and then you must understand that submission to [32:44] Jesus is a surrendering of our desires to his will. Discipleship does not make you the best [32:54] you that you can be. Discipleship makes you like Jesus Christ. And so, man, I was trained in the [33:06] I’ve taken every spiritual gift inventory under the sun. I don’t think any exists that I didn’t take. [33:11] I’ve taken every personality profile. People ask me all the time, what’s your Enneagram?

[33:16] I say, I’m American.

[33:21] I’ve taken disc profiles. I’ve taken Myers-Briggs profiles. I think I took a Purdue chicken profile [33:27] one time. Figure out what grade of meat I am. A plus. Just ask my wife. But the key is

[33:38] many well-meaning tests that we’ve taken have not produced a greater understanding of making [33:46] disciples. What they have done is that they have kind of subconsciously trained us that the Christian [33:52] life is to be catered to our preferences, to our personalities, to our giftings. And so we view [33:58] the life of a Christian as one that is solely based on me. And if you don’t have a menu [34:06] that fits my standards, well, then I’m going to look elsewhere where somebody else is going [34:12] to cater it closer to a three with some four predispositions. If you’re an Enneagram person,

[34:19] that’s pagan, don’t do it. Sorry. Someone’s like, no, it’s not. You’re such a six. But

[34:30] I used to know what all those numbers meant. And so I just threw out a bunch of numbers and you’re [34:34] like, you don’t know what you’re talking about, right? I just made all that up because I’m a 32. [34:38] But the key are there that many? But the key is you have to understand that the Christian life [34:45] is not about catering to you. The Christian life is about submitting to Jesus. And so if you want a [34:55] Christianity where God is never going to call you to do something that seems uncomfortable, [35:03] or God is not going to call you to strive after something that seems impractical,

[35:08] or God is not going to require something of you that you say, I can’t do that in my own power. [35:16] You’re never going to grow to become more like Jesus Christ because here’s the key. I’ve been [35:21] following Jesus for since I was 12 years old. So when I was born again, and I can tell you every [35:28] step of the way I’ve had to do things that make me very uncomfortable. I’ve had to strive after [35:36] things that I was like, I’m not really gifted at that. I’ve had to be in situations that seemed [35:43] really impractical, according to what I thought I was capable of. And God has constantly called me

[35:48] to strive after things that I felt like were impossible for me to attain. And every moment [35:55] of it has served to make me get over myself and seek to become more like Him. [36:05] She left to my own preferences, left to my own personality, left to my own standards. [36:11] I’m not like Jesus at all. That’s the point.

[36:19] See friends, we must learn to surrender our desires to His desires, because He is Lord. [36:33] Now, this is not about achieving my goals or my designs. What is this about? Let’s go back. [36:40] Let’s go back to the beginning. This is about spreading the presence of God over the face of [36:44] the entire earth. To do that, we must multiply disciple makers. I mean, Jesus brings the gospel, [36:53] according to Matthew, to a close by promising, what does He say in verse 20? I am with you always. [37:05] He says, if you’re doing my will, if you’re accomplishing my mission, I’m going to be with you

[37:11] every step away. Why would He say that? Because remember, what are we accomplishing? That Old [37:16] Testament prophecy, we’re spreading the presence of the knowledge of God over the face of the [37:20] earth. Jesus is going that direction. And He says, if we’re doing it, we’re going to stay right by [37:27] His side. It’s a fitting conclusion, because it reiterates the mission of God from all of scripture [37:37] to a church that will triumph by proclaiming the gospel and teaching the Word of God. And so that [37:45] brings into view what Jesus meant in John 13, 34. He said, a new commandment I give you, that you

[37:53] love one another, just as I have loved you. You also are to love one another. Elsewhere, He says, [38:02] they will know our love for Christ through our love for one another. In a society that attempts [38:08] to redefine love to have no standard that isn’t made up in the human mind, love for others is [38:17] always found in the presence of God, which is spread through the process of making disciples.

[38:26] And so, if you want to love each other, make some disciples. That’s how you grow. [38:36] Then in Ephesians 2, 19 through 22, it forms a vision for your growth within the church, [38:41] while realizing the construction process is ongoing because others are being added. [38:45] He says, for through Jesus, we have, excuse me, we both have access in one spirit to the Father. [38:52] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens. You’re not on your own personal journey. [38:58] You are fellow citizens with the saints and the members of the household of God,

[39:03] built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [39:08] stone in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [39:15] In Jesus, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. [39:23] It’s always about where the Spirit of God is. The forgiveness available in Jesus [39:31] reconciles us to God, and it reconciles us to each other in the church, stripping away our sin [39:39] so that we can be a part of building the body of Christ into a whole structure and a holy

[39:47] temple that keeps growing into God’s dwelling place. Friends, you got to understand the presence [39:54] of God moves as you grow through the life of the church, and the life of the church serves [40:02] as a constant reminder that you are not the center of the universe. [40:11] God is the center of all things, and He is using His eternal authority to build His church [40:24] through His people to spread the good news further and further, [40:31] multiplying into more and more lives changed by God’s grace.

[40:38] Simply put, there is no bigger vision than making disciples. It’s the biggest. It’s the greatest. [40:48] Friends, the Christian life is challenging. Jesus warned us about that. [40:54] He says, wide and easy is the path that leads to destruction, and narrow and difficult is the [41:00] way that leads to life. Too many people respond to setbacks and the tedious process of real growth [41:09] by looking for something more exciting than making disciples. You think the process is [41:17] you need something more exciting, something that can make more of you.

[41:27] Friends, this is about submitting to God. This is God’s plan, and there isn’t another one. [41:35] He is not changing His plan because you want Him to. Just imagine for a moment a church [41:44] where every believer is a disciple maker.

[41:49] Spiritually dead people come alive. Infants in faith mature. Mature Christians lead, [41:57] and leaders equip Christians even more. If we all could catch a vision for that, [42:08] then I can tell you God will grow His church in ways none of us could even imagine. [42:15] And you would become more obedient. You would become more focused. You would worship Jesus [42:23] with more than you currently do. And God’s presence will expand in us and through us [42:34] exponentially. What I mean to say is I don’t believe that there’s anything more exciting,

[42:41] nor do I believe there is anything more rewarding than seeing people grow in their faith and make [42:47] more disciples. Seeing people saved and lives changed by the gospel requires time, requires [42:57] effort, and it requires trust in God’s plan. Yes, you are incapable, but if you submit to a capable [43:09] God who works through imperfect people to accomplish His mission, you would be amazed [43:14] at the new capabilities that you would discover. This is how you build a biblical church. It takes [43:23] all that you’ve got because Jesus has given all that He has to His people, the church.

[43:31] So if you want to build a legacy that lasts into eternity, get growing, get building, [43:41] and multiply some disciples. The church is God’s plan, and you are His church. Make some disciples. [43:53] A few application points this morning. Seek to experience God’s presence. [44:00] I’m always amazed that I find God’s presence in my obedience to Him.

[44:07] Secondly, understand the Christian life through discipleship. [44:12] Some of you are trying to find it in isolation. Some of you are trying to find it inside of [44:18] yourself. Friends, it’s only going to happen through the process of discipleship, and that’s [44:24] a team sport, by the way. You and a podcast do not discipleship make.

[44:32] Third, pursue real spiritual growth through multiplying. I’ll tell you, emptying yourself [44:41] of self-absorption, self-centeredness, self-seeking. It’s the hardest thing you’re ever going to do, [44:48] and the only way to do it is by caring about other people. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what [44:54] we must do. And then finally, build the church by making disciples. You are more ready than you [45:02] realize. So let’s do it.