Lots of people go to church, but we’re not all motivated by the same things. Some want to go to hear God’s word preached and taught, others are motivated by a time of worship and fellowship, while others, still, feel an obligation or “Christian duty” to “do what they’re supposed to do.”
For some, the sad truth is that church is something to check off of the “to-do list.” They “consume” sermons like they are movies: they come in, sit for a while, talk about what they liked or didn’t like on the car ride home, and forget about it. This is not Jesus’s vision of the Christian life.
Jesus Envisioned a Church That Actually Makes a Difference in the World
Many think of “church” as a building with a cross on it, maybe some stained glass if the pastor is into that sort of thing, and people show up there on Sundays to sit and listen for a while. But when people have a passive faith and believe that church is a chore they do or building they go into instead of a community they are a part of and a lifestyle they live, they are not so different from the “lost sheep” Jesus saw in Matthew 9.
Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
In order to reach the “lost sheep of Israel,” Jesus sent out his apostles (Matthew 10:1-8) to go make disciples.
Matthew 10:5-8 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
Just like he sent out his apostles to make a difference, his commission to all of us still stands today (Matthew 28:18-20). That’s because church isn’t a building and Christianity isn’t just about listening to sermons every Sunday. It’s God’s people doing his will in the world.
Jesus Wants to Send Out Regular People to Make an Impact, Not Just Pastors
Everyone who follows Jesus has the privilege and responsibility of helping others pursue God. This is not something that is only for pastors and church leaders. While some of us may not be as gifted at evangelism or at teaching or at serving as others, we all have ways in which we can help the church community and the people we know who need to meet Jesus.
Ephesians 4:11-12 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
One of the responsibilities of pastors and church leaders is not just to run a tight ship on Sunday mornings, but to equip and send people – like Jesus in Matthew 10:1-8 – to do the work of ministry in more and more places.
You Don’t have to Feel Qualified to Be Obedient to Jesus
Jesus’s apostles – his twelve closest followers – were a mixed group of fishermen, a tax collector, a revolutionary, and others. None of them are said to have been rabbis or theologians. Their most important qualifications were that they heard Jesus speak, saw his miracles, and chose to follow and obey him.
Matthew 4:18-20 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
Faith and obedience are still the most important credentials for Jesus’s followers today! One of Jesus’s last commandments was that his disciples would make more disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).
It can be scary to start mentoring/discipling other people. We can feel like we are suddenly invested with “religious authority” that we don’t actually have. But the authority all of us have to make disciples is not based on our qualifications, our study, or our hours clocked-in at the church building. Our authority is derived from Jesus himself…and that means it’s not about us. We should all be encouraged to help others pursue God on this basis.
Jesus wants people to be connected to people in mentoring/discipling relationships. Obey Jesus by learning how to help someone else meet him and pursue God.
Article for this topic by Daniel Martin.
