So why aren’t we more effective at making disciples? If we really believe that this is our purpose, why aren’t we better at it? I think one of the dangerous temptations that we face in the church is the myth that we can be “faithful” to Jesus without ever actually doing what He’s asked us to do. I can attend church faithfully, I can plug into a small group regularly, read the Bible daily and even give sacrificially without ever actually making disciples. There’s certainly nothing wrong with gathering in corporate worship, engaging in small groups, scripture reading or giving generously; but I can do all of those good and noble things without ever doing the one thing Jesus asks us to do: make disciples.
This past week I was struck by John 15:8; “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Jesus wants us to bear fruit. We typically focus on faithfulness: faithful attendance, faithful giving, etc. Faithfulness is certainly important, but Jesus wants us to bear fruit. We show that we’re His disciples by making other disciples!
Disciples of Jesus make other disciples of Jesus. I’m more and more convinced that two vital aspects of discipleship are simply hearing God speak and responding to Him in obedience. Hearing from God. Doing what He asks me to do. We, as His disciples, should be hearing from God and then acting on what we’ve heard. In making disciples, we should be helping others learn to hear the voice of God and then act in obedience to what they’ve heard.
When was the last time that you heard from the Lord? When was the last time you heard God speak? I’m not necessarily looking for a burning bush experience, but when was the last time that you heard from God? When was the last time that you had a clear sense that God was speaking to you? Could it be that we’re so caught up in the busyness of staying faithful that we actually miss the voice of God? More and more I’m asking God to let me hear Him clearly… which often requires slowing down on my part.
When you’ve heard from God, how did you respond? I grieve the times where I’ve had the clear sense that God was speaking and chose to ignore His voice or rationalize why I couldn’t possibly respond in obedience to Him. We need to respond to His voice by acting in obedience.
God has not stopped speaking to His people. Perhaps we need to become more accustomed to His voice so that we can better hear what our Father is saying to us. Perhaps our prayer today needs to echo Samuel’s words in 1 Samuel 3: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” I need to hear from the Lord. We need to hear from the Lord. We can’t do what He asks us to do if we don’t hear Him first.
I’m praying today that God would open our ears to hear Him clearly so that we might do what He’s asking us to do. I want to be faithful in hearing from the Lord and doing what He asks me to do. I want to bear fruit in my life. I want the CGGC to bear fruit to the Father’s glory!
Christ’s Peace,
Lance
Midwest Region Conference Seeks New Regional Director
The Midwest Region Conference has begun the search for their next Regional Director. Applications are due on or before December 31, 2016. Follow these links to find the Job Description and Application Form. Be prepared to include your current resume including your church membership, ministerial credentials, education, employment history and three references with contact information. All packets will be considered in full confidence.
All materials should be sent electronically to Pastor Scott Bons, MRC President and Search Committee Chairman at [email protected]. For questions or for more information you can also call Pastor Scott at (217) 820-3999.
CGGC eNews—Vol. 10, No. 47