Influencer or Disciple-Maker?

Influencer or Disciple-Maker?

We’re being influenced 24/7 whether it’s intentional or not! I have an Amazon packing showing up tomorrow with a new fall outfit to prove it. 

But. Discipleship is not going to happen on accident. No one is going to accidently pick up and bear their cross and follow Jesus. I don’t accidentally meet up with three of our students every Wednesday morning BEFORE school for coffee and prayer and to talk about spending time with God. These are intentional choices that we have made because we believe Jesus is the real deal and we want to learn and grow in him.  And if we’re disciples, then we’re also called to be disciple makers, not simply influencers for Jesus. 

By they way I told our youth this morning in Sunday School that they should go home and tell their parents they hate them because Jesus said so and it’s in the Bible so… really winning here! Juuuuust kiddddingggg I did not do that.

But cmon. What even Jesus? Your loving character is exactly the opposite so how are we to interpret this? 

Semitic laws revolved much more around honor and shame and around livelihood. Hate here is not akin to anger or loathing. Rather it’s about loyalty. If there is a conflict, are you going to choose your family, which equals stability and comfort and the known, or are you going to choose Jesus which may mean stepping out of the boat and walking into the unknown which can often feel scary? 

This is Jesus saying you’re going to have to trust me. You’re going to have to give up that safety net, give up the things that are protecting you, the things that will give you honor, or leave you destitute, you’re going to have to give up that tradition, give up that comfort, bear your cross, and follow me. 

Luke chooses bear your cross and follow me instead of take up your cross. Discipleship isn’t just about picking up your cross, it’s going to cost a little more than that and bearing it for however long Jesus calls you to do so. 

Let me make one caveat. Your cross to bear that has been handed to you is NOT a cancer diagnosis or an abusive spouse or a predatory boss. We will never say to you oh this must be your cross to bear because of this terrible medical condition or long suffering. No. These are very different things and remain outside the realm of discipleship even if you happen to learn something about the nature or character of God from said experience.  Bearing your cross might look like loving the people in your class who may make you lose the popularity title in school, or a financial gift that you feel the spirit leading you towards, or serving and giving of your time to a Sunday school class so that we have children who are familiar with our faith tradition, and scripture, and have a chance to have an encounter with the living God. 

Discipleship is going to require something of you and this is Jesus’ warning, as he’s headed to Jerusalem to face his actual cross to bear. It’s what we do voluntarily based on our commitment to Christ. You can’t be a luke-warm so so disciple and not be asked something of yourself. Can you remember a time recently where you were influenced to do something in particular or buy something because someone else suggested it?

 And now can you recall the last time you participated in discipleship.

Active study or following in the way of Jesus with someone else. Maybe you’re the disciple-er, or maybe you’re the one being discipled. Maybe they’re a close friend or maybe it’s a mentor type relationship.

Maybe it’s a lunch conversation after building at Lincoln Village. 

Maybe it’s inviting someone to pack fall break bags with you because kids in our vicinity will go hungry over the break. 

Maybe it’s calling someone and offering to pray with them, or calling someone and asking them to pray with you.

Discipleship is not happenstance. It happens when we’re intentional about how and who we spend our time with. We’re never done with discipleship.

In college I had a group of friends who I did everything with from Sunday mornings to youth trips to planning our own spring break trips and birthday dinners. And I also had a youth student who I met with weekly to talk about a book we were reading called the Good and Beautiful God. We talked about our questions and insights and God-sightings of the week. We took walks and got froyo. It was normal life, with an undercurrent of intentional people and goals. 

You still have time to be discipled and be the discipler no matter your age or season of life. There are plenty of people who grow up without grandparents close to them or likewise whose grandkids live far away and what a gift it is to be able to offer relationship to one another through our family of faith. Or kids who don’t have a older sibling to look up to. Just like discipleship doesn’t happen on accident, it only happens through relationship. We have to be intentional to connect with people. 

And we have to be intentional not lose our own saltiness for those of us who are already disciples of Christ. This metaphor breaks down a bit as we have wide access to true real salt. The compounds found around the Dead Sea weren’t always real salt and so they could lose their taste. And once that happens you can’t reinvigorate the saltiness back into it. Jesus says this is useless. Not even for small menial things. Tasteless salt is good for nothing. Likewise, if we deny the call to discipleship, what re we good for? 

Anyone who has ears to hear, listen. 

It’s a call to action. 

Don’t jump into this boat unless like the builder and the commander you can see it through. 

We can’t open our doors any wider without something being asked of each of us. 

Where’s your spot? 

Is it joining the choir? 

Is it starting a small group devotional time? 

Is it signing up to volunteer in the nursery for worship care? 

Is it committing to teaching youth students Sunday school? 

Is it showing up to every inter generational event we offer and sitting with someone new each time? 

Is it inviting your neighbor over for dinner? 

What aspect of discipleship is Jesus calling to you right now, this week, before the end of the year? Where’s your intentional place to put down new roots? 

We’re not going to be perfect at this. And Jesus wasn’t asking for a complete guarantee in advance, if he did none of us would have qualified to be a disciple. Human nature. However, he is asking us to examine our lives and consider in advance our commitment to discipleship. We have an opportunity to reflect this morning on our own commitment to be a disciple and a disciple maker. Our church is counting on it. To be a new creation in Christ requires a change of values, a change of priorities, a change of commitments. 

Jesus wants you to be all in. 

This church needs you to be all in. 

The Kindom of God needs you to be all in. 

Holy God,

You have called us to Weatherly Heights Baptist Church and we have found some of our people, our tribe here. But there’s more wondering about your all inclusive love. Help us be your disciples and help us be your disciple makers by committing to this fellowship anew. Help us be strong and courageous in the midst of change. Help us be more like Jesus, loving and humble, slow to anger and quick to welcome.  Help us find ways to speak truth to light and follow in your ways. 

Above all, may we be true to who you’ve called us to be in this world. 

Amen.