Just a Wall?
Mar 1, 2009
The story is told of a man walking by a construction site. He came upon a worker and asked him what he was building. The worker replied, “I’m building a wall.” Rounding the corner the man came upon another worker, and asked him what he was building. That worker replied, “I am building a cathedral.”
Here’s my question for you: what are you building? As we ponder our Time and Talents commitments for this year, what will you be doing and why are you serving? Oft times as we serve the Lord, we lose focus of the greater goal and focus on the immediate. Is it a wall or a cathedral you are building? If it is just a wall, then is doesn’t matter nearly as much than if you are building a cathedral.
As Christians serving Jesus through our church what is it we are building? What are we doing in the grand scheme of things? Are we just an offering counter or an usher? Just a Sanctuary Singer or praise team member? Are we just a Board member or SPR or Trustee member? Are we just changing diapers or chaperoning Rockwells? Are we just teaching a Sunday School class or leading a Bible study? Are we just doing whatever it is that you are doing?
Or are we doing something bigger, something more important, something that is grander than we often imagine? Are we building just a wall, or building a cathedral? Are we volunteering our time or building God’s Kingdom?
Our answer lies in these verses of Matthew’s gospel that we call the Great Commission. On this first Sunday of Lent we are starting not at the beginning but at the ending. We are beginning our march toward Easter and the resurrection of Jesus by looking first at the end, the goal, the culmination of where it is we want to be. If we don’t have a goal, we will never get there.
Jesus told his disciples, “All authority has been given to me.” That authority came from God the Father by way of the Resurrection and Jesus’ victory over Satan, sin and death. It is out of this authority that Jesus gives His disciples marching orders in verse 19, “Therefore go and make disciples.” What is it that we 21st century disciples of Jesus are to do? Make more disciples! Go and make are 2 action verbs. Go means going--to get out of our comfort zones, to move out beyond ourselves. Notice something very important here in the next action verb—make disciples of all nations—not just our own kind. Disciples for Jesus don’t just happen. People do not become disciples on their own. It takes other disciples to produce more disciples.
How do we make disciples? By baptizing and teaching them. It takes people to produce babies. We were born to reproduce and we are born again to reproduce spiritual babies. Once spiritual babies are born, it is up to us disciples to make these new Christians into disciples. Baptism is the sign of new life in Christ, and Jesus makes it plain that we don’t lead people to Jesus and then walk away.
We are also to teach them. Teach them what? “To obey everything that I have commanded you.” That means that we who are disciples of Jesus, all have a responsibility as Christians to help people become disciples whether that involves spiritual midwifery, or spiritual parenting and mentoring.
How do we make disciples? By using your God-given SHAPE to build some aspect of people’s walk with Jesus and their discipleship. Everything on our Time and Talents form and on our Financial Giving form you completed last November is for the direct purpose of making disciples for Jesus—to bring them to Jesus and then to teach them to worship, teach them to pray, teach them to read and study God’s Word so they will know God’s will for their lives, to teach them right from wrong, to teach them how to handle conflict and disagreements, to teach them God’s plan of salvation, to teach them to be wise and prudent with their finances, to teach them how to be have a godly marriage and home and how to be Christian parents and grandparents, to teach them to share their faith in Christ with others, to teach them so that they will not only become disciples themselves but in turn begin to make disciples as well.
That is where each of you comes in because each one of us has a role in making disciples for Jesus. As I look at my own life, there were a lot of Christian people who had a hand in making me into a disciple of Jesus Christ. And I am deeply grateful for the part each one played—some big and some small and many I don’t even realize until I get to heaven and find out!
If you are just doing a job in the church for Jesus, then you will get frustrated easily and burn out quickly. But if you understand and grab hold of the big picture that you are making disciples for Jesus, then that will go a long way in sustaining your faithfulness to using your spiritual gifts, your heart and passion, your abilities, your personality and your experiences for Christ.
Where does all this happen? It happens right here in the local church which is the primary vehicle that God uses to get this done through His people—you and me. This is where the rubber meets the road; where our active participation produces disciples, and that is why it is so important that each of you are a part of God’s great plan. Everything we do is one piece of the making of disciples.
All this fits into our purpose as a church: We are a Bible-believing body of Christ dedicated to worshiping God, introducing people to Jesus and the church, spiritually nurturing them and equipping them to serve God, each other and the world.
How did Jesus end this Great Commission? He promised His presence, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We don’t do this is our own power. We can’t do this in our own strength, but only by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Jesus Himself.
Is it just a wall you are building, or are you building the Kingdom of God by making disciples? Let me invite this morning to consider being a part of something far bigger than yourself and something far bigger than our church. Let me invite you to make disciples for Jesus.