BRMC.URS Sunday Sermon Reflection

Transcription

1 21 May 2017 Title of Sermon: Disciples Making Disciples - God s Way Of Changing The World Sermon Text: Matthew 28:18-20 Speaker: Pastor David Ho Reflection by Mr Stephen Chew INTRODUCTION Pastor shared that as he was reflecting over BRMC s 61 st anniversary, he was reminded of the people God had used to impact individuals such as himself in ACS(P). As he responded to the message of salvation, there were church members who had followed up on his decision. God had used these members to be disciple-makers and a blessing. It was not just the messages preached that had hugely impacted the lives of the school boys, but the messengers God brought forth. Likewise, God wants us to be His ambassadors. He has commissioned us for this.

2 It is important to remember the Great Commission to which we have been called. There are worrying trends in mainline Christianity. The Methodist Church in USA has lost members every year since The median age of membership there is 57. The United Methodist member, on average, invites only 1 person to church in every 38 years. Rev Edmund Chan of Covenant EFC attributed this decline largely to: Too many programmes Too few volunteers Unclear leadership direction Leadership is not united Members are not discipled Accompanying symptoms of the above are: 1. Tired workers 2. Lack of leaders 3. Lack of growth by conversion 4. Struggling Small Groups 5. Marriages in distress 6. Broken relationships 7. Church members living in sin These issues result from the lack of discipleship in the church.

3 THE GREAT COMMISSION: MATTHEW 28: DIVINE AGENDA Be Part of God s Redemptive Plan! The passage on the Great Commission represents Jesus final words. Scholars have identified these words concerning the Great Commission as capturing the essence of the key themes in the Gospel of Matthew, one of which is discipleship. In verse 18, Jesus has been given all authority and power in heaven and earth so that by the vested authority given, he can work in his mysterious ways to bring about God s redemptive work to change the world. He does not change the world by Himself but through followers of Christ. Over 3 years, Jesus modelled to his disciples what this meant, as he taught and journeyed with them. Jesus final words to his disciples represented a command to go and make disciples who will obey what he had taught. God is calling us to be His agents to make a difference in the world. There is no substitute for investing into and pouring our lives into people, who may then see and experience what it means to be a disciple of Christ. This is God s way to change the world. As we make disciples for Christ to go forth into the world, there is multiplication. The multiplication factor in disciple-making is staggering. If just one person disciples one person a year and that new disciple goes forth in the subsequent years to also disciple one person a year, in 10 years, 1000 people will be discipled. This intentional disciple-making will impact 1 million persons after 20 years and 1 billion persons after 30 years. If we had to choose something to live for, then consider living for the sake of making disciples.

4 2. DAILY APPLICATION Live It Out Wherever You Are! The main imperative of the Great Commission is to make disciples wherever we are, as applied to our families, market-places or schools. Overseas missions comprises only part of the equation. Let us ask, as we serve in the church, if we are truly growing as disciples in the Lord, learning to love God and one another, together making disciples for Christ. Making disciples for Christ goes beyond charting people a set of Do s and Don ts. We teach a person to obey the commandments of Christ not by compulsion, nagging or force. We do so, Jesus way - inspiring people, sharing a compelling vision and showing them that the Jesus way is the best way to live. Discipleship and disciple-making should permeate all areas of our lives beginning in our homes. The Christian marriage should also reflect the discipleship process, between husband and wife as well as parents and children. Jesus is more interested in us discipling our children to obey what he has taught rather than focus on the world s marks of success. Our responses must flow from our identity as disciples of Christ and God s unconditional love, as seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Christians are encouraged to rise up to lead, teach and guide the younger generation in the workplace to live as disciples of Christ.

5 3. DISCIPLESHIP ADVENTURE Experience The Powerful Reality of God! As we embark upon the Great Commission, we should turn to God for strength in the powerful reality of who He is. We need to turn away from relying on our own strength to make the difference in wherever He sends us, be it in our homes, market-places or churches. CONCLUSION Let us consider taking on the challenge of disciple-making seriously, starting with ourselves, and the people God connects us with. This will have a tremendous impact on the future of our church, as we each choose to leave an enduring generational Kingdom legacy that glorifies the King of kings and Lord of lords into eternity.