A few weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting with Ron Myers in his workshop. Ron has great space for working on wood. In his shop he has all the tools he needs to make cool crafts like this ornament. I know this, because he made this ornament in his shop and gave it to me. I would consider Ron a master wood worker. And I said, he has all the tools he needs, maybe not all the tools he wants, but all the tools he needs to make this ornament.
He showed me the wood he cut it out of, and then he showed me the pattern he used in order know where to make the cuts. Now Ron is a great wood worker, but before he begins a project, he knows basically what he is going to do. He does not turn on his tools, take a plain piece of wood, start wacking away at it, and hope something nice will come out. It does not work that way. All us wood workers need an idea of what we are building, and a plan.
But wood workers are not the only ones who need a plan, if you are cooking, you need a plan, it is called a recipe. What is a recipe? Right. It tells you what ingredients to use, how to mix them, and how long to cook them.
This last week, Ginny and I were visiting with some good friends, they served a great sourdough bread. I committed I would like to have that bread a home. He gave me the sourdough starter, and the recipe. I have the recipe right here. It calls for 2 teaspoons of yeast, but I really like yeast so I think, it will put in ½ a cup of yeast. And it calls for 5 cups of bread flour, but I really don’t like flour, so I think I will cut that down to 1 cup. And it says to bake it at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, but I am in a hurry, so I think I will bake it at 550 for 15 minutes. Do you think my bread will turn out like my friends? No, why? I did not follow the recipe.
You are right of course, If I want good sourdough bread I need to follow the recipe, the plan, because the plan has been tested, tried, and found to work.
Did you know the Jesus gave us a plan for the life of the church? We have been referring to this plan every week, it is call the great commission.
It is found here in Matthew 28:16-20. This passage tell us there are four things we need to do. Well in fact, he tells us there is only one activity we need to do, but there are three steps for us to follow to do the one activity. Like making bread, or cutting out a wood pattern. There are steps you need to take, in a certain order to make them turn out right.
The one thing we are to do is Make Disciples. Look at Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus said, I want to deal with this authority issue up front. My authority comes from God the father. I have been given not just some authority, or a little authority, but all authority. Jesus he has authority. Not just in heaven but also over all the earth. So when we are living up to the command Jesus is about to give us, he said, I give you my authority. We as the church do not do what we want to do, or what we like to do, we do that Jesus commands us to do, and then we work in his authority.
So what is the command Jesus has given us, ready for it? Look at next verse, Matthew 28:19 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,
The command is for us to make disciples. But what is a disciple? The Greek word behind this word is disciple. What is disciple, well it is a learner, pupil. Another way to put it is to be the disciple is to follow Jesus’ precepts and instructions.
How do we as people learn best, by following an example, right? Just like the ducks, we learn by doing.
We are to make disciples. Why, because disciple makin’ set Satan to shaken. I know it is corny, but I like it.
If the command is to make disciples, what are the steps to making disciples? Jesus does not leave us in the dark here.
First he said, Go. Matthew 28:19 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,
The first thing he says for us to do is Go. Not stay.
Too many churches are little bo peep church. You know how it goes, “little bo peep has lost her sheep and she don’t know where to find them, leave them alone, and they will come home wagging their tails behind them.”
So every Sunday, they open their door and wait for the sheep to come in who have been lost their way. Then they are shocked that the lost sheep do not come flocking in.
The reason the sheep are lost is they have mad Baaaad decisions. They are not going to come to us, we have to go to them.
We need to be Good Shepherd churches that GO out to find the lost sheep. The Good Shepherd went out to find the sheep that was lost.
Jesus tells us to Go. As you go about your daily lives, make disciples, by showing them the example of a disciple.
We are to make disciples. Why, because disciple makin’ set Satan to shaken
But going to people is not enough. We also need to be ready to Baptize them. What is baptizing? It is more that getting wet with water. Some believe you need to go into water and go completely under. Others believe you can baptize with just a few drops of water. I am not going to get into the debate now. Weather you get just enough water on your head to mess up your hair, or you get soggy wet, if your heart and life has not changed your just all wet.
When you are baptized you witness to the world that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior. That your life is under new management.
But Going to people, and Baptizing them, is not enough. It is a good start; it is a great start, but it is only a start. Then Jesus said we need to teach them.
Look at Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The church is to teach them, to instruct them in the commands of Jesus. And, as we have already seen, we do this best by example. When some works beside us they learn to do what we do. They grow in their knowledge, in their experience, and in their faith.
We are to make disciples. Why, because disciple makin’ set Satan to shaken
The Command Jesus gave us was Make disciples, then he said, here is the pattern, the recipe. Go to them, baptize them, and teach me.
Then we send them back into the world to repeat the cycle.
Send, Go, baptize, teach…. Back to send.
Peter Drucker, a business guru said there are only two questions you need to ask any organization. What business are you in? And how is business?
Now let’s ask those questions of us, here at Grace UMC.
What business are we in? Disciple makin’
How is business? Well how is business? Are we going to people, are we baptizing new people, and we teaching new people to follow Jesus Christ? Are we being the hands and feet of Jesus in our world? How is business.
Remember Disciple makin’ set Satan to shakin’ and Jesus to Ravin’.
So the only question we need to ask, is, will it help us make disciples. Not do I like something, or even do you like something, it is all about making disciples. Will it help us make disciples for Jesus Christ? If the answer is no, we don’t do it. If the answer is yes, we do it. If we don’t know, but it has worked in other places, we give it a try. Why cause it is all about disciple makin’ This morning some you noticed a coffee pot in the welcome center, why, because it is a recipe that has worked for other church, will it work here, I don’t know, but let’s try it. Why, it is not about what I like, or you like, it is about what Jesus likes. And we know what Jesus likes.
Disciple makin’
Say it with me.
Disciple makin’ set Satan to shaken and Jesus to ravin’.
