"Making disciples?

Making Disciples?

The purpose of these articles is self-examination. Self-examination is a painful process, but a necessary one. The Apostle Paul recommended self examination. Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV An important part of being in the faith is making disciples.

It seems to me when Jesus gave the command to go and make disciple, Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15,16 he meant that as a matter of first importance. First and foremost it was the job of the Apostles to make disciples. To seek out the lost and lead them to salvation in Jesus. That is job one for us today. But, sometimes our energies are focused so much on policing one another that we forget to go and make disciples. I think many of our young people wonder where things went wrong.

Church doctrine and discipline are acutely important and should never be ignored. But sometimes I wonder if we over step our bounds and make it our business to police the brotherhood. There are those in the church that appear to work full-time at this. Sometimes we get so inwardly focused we forget that there are still those that are lost out there in the world. I think many of our young people wonder, what happened to our call to make disciples for Christ?

Is it perhaps time we got busy on soul seeking missions, rather than fault finding missions? Congregations of the Lord's church have ceased to exist because of arguing and the lack of evangelism. When we think on such things it becomes obvious that something needs to change.

Imagine what its like to be new to the church or to grow up in the church and see constant criticism of members of the Lord's body. This one is wrong, or that one is wrong while teaching new converts and those that grow up in the church that they are experiencing the true church. What must they think?

Is it possible that we as older disciples are displaying “behaviors” that drive our young people away?

© 2014 Leo J. Woodman