2010 – Disciples who make Disciples – Part 3

Concept #4 – Discipling on Mission – Is there another way?

When I first got in ministry as a discipleship director of a mainline church, I was suspicious of overseas mission trips. I thought they were play toys for folks who wanted to “say” that they had worked with the “least of these,” but really did not have the inner fortitude (guts) to be a real missionary for the cause of Christ (the people who have been the real heroes of the Christian faith since the Apostle Paul). But, for some reason before I ever went on one, I put in a membership requirement at The Bridge that each member would would agree to go on a trip that he/she can afford and physically be able to perform. After having seen teams of Christ-followers GO TOGETHER on the junkets. I understand why God wanted this requirement in the package. I don't want to discount the work that teams do to help on projects around the world, but what we have seen is evidence as to what the Bible tries to teach. WHEN WE GO ON MISSION TOGETHER – DISCIPLESHIP SKYROCKETS. If our command from God is to make disciples who make disciples, we must go on mission together. Through the power of Holy Spirit, our Christlikeness, that develops by loving each well and eagerly studying and applying the Scriptures, explodes when that loving community goes on mission together. That mission field can be a neighborhood that a host home resides in, or an elementary school where a bunch of their kids go, or a day care center, or a drug treatment center with GAP, or world poverty awareness, or a local para-church organization like the Parkland Pregnancy Resource Center, or the homeless or women's shelters in Bonne Terre or many other options. We will start simple and slow, but anyone who thinks he/she is interested in discipleship, but not interested in mission, is fooling themselves. There is only so close that a person can get to Christ and become more like Him (fruit, gifts, power) without accepting His missional command. He said, “GO! And He said, “GO TOGETHER!” He said go and I will give you power. The general teaching is, “if you will make My mission your mission, I will make you like Me.” We are going to challenge every cell family to form around mission, and let's just see what God does with our discipleship.

This will not be easy! We must leave our comfort for the sake of the mission!