The Importance of Discipleship

This week I had the privilege of teaching at the Armada Commission, a school for ministry preparation where those called to ministry can train and prepare within driving distance of their homes and families. Our topic for this week was "Discipleship," and it was a joy to interact with these disciples who are fired up and ready to go forth and change the world.

Discipleship has become passe in the churches of today, but it is still the mandate given to us by God in the Great Commission. Discipleship is our only means of reproduction in the Kingdom of God. Churches who fail to make disciples are nothing more than social clubs soothing the religious conscience. This is not who we are supposed to be.

There are some key elements to discipleship that we should all be out to master.

• discipleship is all about relationship, make the most of the relationships God gives you
• discipleship is not cloning, and we should see the differences that keep us from being blindsided
• discipleship causes increase in both the student and the teacher
• discipleship allows us to fulfill the "Prime Directive" and reproduce the image and likeness of God in our disciples

As we go forward in this time of real "harvest," let's not forget that, as Pastor Wayne always said, "We are here to make disciples, not decisions."

Our Thoughts Turn to Gardening

With the onset of Spring the thoughts of many turn to gardening. Dirt to be tilled, seeds to be sown, and beds to be tended are all a part of our annual ritual. Each action with the anticipation of the end result.

A farmer friend and I were talking, discussing the vast amount of work that comes with the dawning of Spring. As our conversation progressed the many references to gardening in Scripture were brought up. I remember asking him about his take on the Parable of the Sower. His response took me a bit by surprise. "All ground can be good ground if you are willing to invest enough to prepare it."

Different plants require different care and feeding. One garden does not fit all, and thus we see different plants growing with different results. The acidic soil that gives peak potato performance will cause your spinach to under produce. What we do then is to adjust the pH to an average that will give the best overall results. We settle for less than the best in order to maximize the overall performance of the garden.

The Word shows that God views the Church much like a garden. Stones, weeds, fertilizer, and seeds all represent issues that we in the Church deal with on a daily basis. Unlike us, God seeks to move each of us into ideal conditions for growth. He wants us to be fed, watered and exposed to the light that will cause us to be the most fruitful we can be.

Unlike a backyard garden, we, the seeds of God's garden, get to have a say in which garden we will grow. Some of us just take which ever garden is most readily available no matter what it has to offer to support our growth. Others of us are part of a garden that is actually detrimental to our growth. A few of us are actually in the garden God wants us in and we can thrive in fruitful living.

If we can understand that the key to success in life and ministry is staying in proper perspective, keeping the end game in focus, we increase our chances of seeing destiny manifest. Just as seeds are planted and must be allowed to grow to the place of producing and ripening fruit, we need to stay connected to the life giving ministry of the Local Church until our mission has been fulfilled and our destiny reached. Like some plants, we may need to be repotted from time to time to allow us to continue to grow, but we should never fail to avail ourselves of the powerful, life-giving infusion of the Local Church.^

^24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ^25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Changing churches can be painful, but keep the end game in sight. It is all about being the most fruitful believer we can be.

No matter who you are, you need to be planted, rooted and grounded in a Local Church that gives you the best chance to reach your destiny.