For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Romans 8:14 NLT
There are over 100 million people in the United States that do not confess Jesus Christ is Lord. What’s it going to take to reach them?
There are over 200 million people in the United States that self-identify as Christian. Yet, very few of them are making disciples that make disciples to the 4th generation. What’s it going to take to teach them?
The percentage of Christians in the population has dropped 20 percentage points in the last 30 years. Whatever we’re doing now doesn’t seem to be working. What’s it going to take to turn things around?
We need a new model for how to live the Christian life. We need to return to doing things the way Jesus taught His disciples to. Radical obedience to God’s will. What do you think would happen?
How can we obey God’s will? We have to know God. The Bible says that if we don’t have the Spirit of Christ in us, we don’t belong to Him. The first step in discipleship training after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord should be the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in my opinion. Trying to teach someone to obey God without the Spirit of God in them is setting them up for failure and you for disappointment.
For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature.
You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
Romans 8:7-9 NLT
Once someone has God living inside of them, He begins to transform them. A good disciplemaker teaches people to hear God’s voice and encourages them to always obey Him. God has a plan and a purpose. Our job is to submit to it.
Making disciples was always God’s plan to reach the nations. Making disciples to the fourth generation has always been the pattern for faithful leadership. Abraham begat Isaac. Isaac begat Jacob. Jacob begat the sons of Israel. Israel became a nation chosen by God.
With a vision for making reproducing disciples to guide us, how long would it take to reach 100 million souls with the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, if I disciple 10 people and teach them to do everything that I can do, and they each disciple 10 people, it would only take 8 cycles to make 100,000,000 disciples.
If someone is willing to follow Jesus, it only takes about 4 months to teach them the basics that they can pass on to others. We will continue to grow and mature in Christ throughout our mortal existence, but you don’t need to wait until you’re completely mature to start making disciples.
Eight generations of disciplemakers birthed 4 months apart would yield 100 million disciples in less than 3 years. Will that happen? Of course not. People will fall away. People are rebellious. But that’s no reason not to try. God commands us to make disciples. We have the tools. We have the training. It’s all free. What’s stopping you from doing your part to change the world?
As for me and my house, we’ll do whatever it takes. May the Lord bless your journey in Him. Amen.
You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
2 Timothy 2:2 NLT