{"id":352,"date":"2015-01-04T19:53:08","date_gmt":"2015-01-04T19:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/?p=352"},"modified":"2015-01-04T19:53:08","modified_gmt":"2015-01-04T19:53:08","slug":"he-came-to-make-disciples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/?p=352","title":{"rendered":"He Came to Make Disciples"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us do not know the name \u201cBenjamin Graham.\u201d He was born in England, came to the United States of America, went into business, and ultimately wrote a book with the scintillating title, Security Analysis<\/span>. [1]<\/a> Graham, along with his co-author, David Dodd, whom even fewer people know, was the father of what we call, \u201cValue Investing.\u201d One of his disciples has name we all know\u2014Warren Buffett.\"imgres\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, most people have forgotten the name Chuck Noll. Football people call him \u201cthe forgotten coach.\u201d He coached only one team, the Pittsburg Steelers. Nevertheless, Chuck Noll coached some of the most famous players in NFL history. He coached Jack Lambert, \u201cMean Joe Green,\u201d Jack Hamm, Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swan, John Stallworth and many players who made NFL history. He developed the famous \u201cSteel Curtain\u201d defense. When he became head coach the Steelers had only played in one post-season game in 36 years. He took them to four Superbowls.\"imgres-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Most of us do not know the name Mary Mahoney, but she was a famous nurse. Mahoney worked at the New England Hospital for Women and Children before she was accepted to the hospital’s nursing school at the age of thirty-three. Mary Mahoney was black when black nurses were unheard of. She was a source of inspiration and opened doors for generations of nurses. [2]<\/a>\"Mary_Eliza_Mahoney\"<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone is a disciple of someone. All of us owe our attainments to someone who cared enough to help us accomplish what we have accomplished in life. This morning, we are visiting about the most important discipleship opportunity any of us will ever have, the opportunity to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

The Wisdom of Following Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Epiphany Sunday, Christians remember the coming of the wise men (or Magi) to see the Baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). As you might expect from someone who wrote a book on wisdom literature, the story of the wise men is one of my favorites. Sometime before or just after Jesus was born, a group of wise men far to the east of Israel looked into the sky and saw a star. After consulting astrological charts, they determined that the star was a sign that a new king had been born, a king of the Jews who lived in Palestine to the West. They set out to confirm their theory. First, they went to Jerusalem where they saw King Herod. Herod, however, had no new child. After consulting experts on the Old Testament, they learned that the child was probably born in Bethlehem in Judea. The wise men set off and continued following the star to where the baby was. They worshiped the child. They were the first Gentiles, non-Jews, to worship Jesus.<\/p>\n

\"imgres-2\"<\/a>The story was placed in our Bible partially as a testimony to the accuracy of the prophesies of the Messiah and prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Partially they are included in Scripture to reflect the understanding of the early Christians that, while Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, he is also the savior of Jews and Gentiles alike.<\/p>\n

The image of the star is an image of the light of God coming into our dark world with all the wisdom and love God can give us. The earliest name for Christians was \u201cPeople of the Way.\u201d Jesus came to show us a Way of Life, what wisdom writers called \u201cThe Path of Life\u201d\u2014a path leading to health and wholeness, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To be a disciple of Jesus is to follow the path of Wisdom and Love he lived out among us. It is to become the people God intended us to be.<\/p>\n

In his letter to the Philippians<\/span>, Paul tells the new Christians to \u201cshine like stars\u201d in a dark world (Philippians 2:14). Earlier in Daniel<\/span>, the prophet is told by God that those who serve the Messiah will shine like stars with these words: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3) we were meant to shine with the light of the Gospel in our own day and time, just as those in the New Testament were asked to shine with God\u2019s truth in their own time.<\/p>\n

He Came to Call Disciples.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As might be expected of wisdom in human form, when Jesus came, he invested himself in people, and especially in those around him who were his closest disciples. Jesus, when he came, formed a community of people who lived and worked together to learn, live, and share the Good News of God\u2019s love for all people. It appears that first Jesus called his inner circle: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. In chapter 2 of Mark<\/span>, we learn that Jesus called others, even hated tax collectors, to be disciples. When Jesus called Levi (or Matthew) to follow him, we are told that he also immediately got up and followed Jesus. The call of Jesus is to all kinds of people, and that includes us. He called us that we might call others, that the world might finally come to live in the light of God\u2019s love, reflecting that light in the life of every human being.\"imgres-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Later in Mark<\/span> 3, we learn that there were twelve disciples who were at the very center of Jesus\u2019 ministry. Mark<\/span> lists the names:<\/p>\n

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach\u00a0and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means \u201csons of thunder\u201d), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19\u00a0and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him <\/strong>(Mark 3:13-19).<\/p>\n

The twelve were important because they symbolized the Twelve Tribes of Israel and God\u2019s continuing ministry to his Old Testament people. However, we know that the Twelve were not the only disciples. We know that there were also seventy people who followed Jesus and who provided important help for his ministry (Luke 10:1-24). We also know that there were at least 500 people who were disciples and to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). We know that there were men and women called to be his disciples. Some of the women had important rolls in supporting his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). Paul, when he writes his letters almost always ends with notes to specific people (See for example, Romans 16). Paul, you see, like Jesus was interested in specific people\u2014and making of them disciples who would share the gospel.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but I find lists of names of people I don\u2019t know, like the genealogies of the Old Testament, pretty boring. There is, however, an important lesson embedded in the listing of the names and numbers: God calls real people. Jesus called real, specific people to follow him<\/span>. This is important for us for a very simple reason: God has also called us<\/span> to follow him. Jesus came to call people to follow him\u2014and we are among the people so called.<\/p>\n

Jesus Calls Us for a Purpose.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only does Jesus call Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow him, but he also tells them just exactly why he called them. He called them to be \u201cfishers of men\u201d (Mark 1:17). We always think of evangelism as being Fishers of Men. This lets those of us who are not fishermen off the hook. This is unfortunate. I think if Jesus had called teachers, he would have said, \u201cI will make you teachers of human beings.\u201d If he had called nurses, he would have said, \u201cI will make you healers of human beings.\u201d If he had called musicians, he would have said, \u201cI will make you minstrels of the good news of God.\u201d God told fishermen to be fishers of men. He wanted them so share the wisdom and love of god that he embodied just as they were with the skills and abilities they had! The same is true of us.<\/p>\n

\"imgres-4\"<\/a>Right here we come to a problem with our understanding of what it means to be a disciple. When you ask Americans if they believe in God, a substantial majority of them will say, \u201cYes.\u201d When you ask them what religion they profess, most will say, \u201cChristianity.\u201d If you ask them if they are followers of Jesus, most of those will say, \u201cYes.\u201d If you ask them how often have you shared your faith, invited another person to church, or made another person a disciple of Jesus, only a very small percentage will answer, \u201cI have.\u201d Most Christians in America have never invited another person to church much less shared their faith or been instrumental in another conversion. If you ask American Christians to describe their life-style, the life-style they describe is most likely exactly like the lifestyle of their non-Christian friends and neighbors. Most Christians in America live pretty much like everyone else around them.<\/p>\n

This might have been O.K. in our parent\u2019s generation. It might have been O.K. when most people believed in God, went to Christian churches, and at least thought they were trying to follow Christ. In our culture, it is not O.K. We live in what is a \u201cpost-Christian culture\u201d\u2014that is a culture in which the cultural leaders, the intelligentsia, the artists and writers are not generally Christians. Not long ago, I was watching a television show and decided to learn about the star. He or she listed her religious preference as \u201cPagan.\u201d All I can tell you is that, in 1955 or so when I first noticed what was going on around me, no one told anyone that his or her religious preference was pagan. They might act like pagans, but they would not proclaim themselves to be pagans.<\/p>\n

If we are going to be disciples of Jesus, we have to think about what that means in our culture, in our time, and in our age and be willing to be different. In other words, we cannot just talk about Christian faith and Christian morals, and debate who is right. We have to live out the life of a disciple just as close as we can to the lives of the best disciples of the past. To do this we all need to be in close relationships of love and nurture with other Christians as we are discipled and as we disciple others.<\/p>\n

New Year\u2019s Resolution<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am not a big fan of New Year\u2019s resolutions. I have found that they either reflect things I intend to do anyway or things I won\u2019t do anyway. Nevertheless, each year I do think about a few resolutions. As I look back on resolutions of the past, I can see that the few of them I kept have made a difference in my life. If you have not made any New Year\u2019s Resolutions, here are a few suggestions of some resolutions to become a better and more impactful disciple of Jesus:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be Regular in Worship<\/span>. Christians always worshiped on Sundays. Make worship a priority. The fact is that almost no one who abandons worship continues to embody the wisdom and love of God for very long.<\/li>\n
  2. Share your Faith with Friends<\/span>. The Great Commission was to \u201cGo make disciples.\u201d The Church does not exist for itself, but for the world that needs to find the Path of Life.<\/li>\n
  3. Live a Life of Love<\/span>. The Great Commandment was to share God\u2019s self-giving, agape love with the world. Resolve this year to share the Deep, Deep Love of Christ with others.<\/li>\n
  4. Read the Bible Daily<\/span>. We will only be wise and live wisely in the Way of Christ if we know what that way entails. The habit of daily Bible reading and devotional study is central to successful Christian living.<\/li>\n
  5. Devote Yourself to Your Family<\/span>. This fall in our Path of Life<\/span> Study, we saw how weak the American family is. This year resolve to find one significant way to strengthen your family. [3]<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Take a Day of Rest<\/span>. All of the Ten Commandments are important. However, in our society remembering to make time for Sunday to be a day of rest is more important than ever.<\/li>\n
  7. Have a Close Personal Friend who is also trying to live out the gospel<\/span>. This past week, I was with an old friend for a short period of time. We are both in late middle age. Our children are either grown or almost grown. We have the same struggles and uncertainties concerning our future. There have been times when he came to me for advice. There have been times when I came to him for advice. There are times when I have suggested a Christian response to a problem to him, and there are times when he has suggested a Christian response to a problem to me. We write each other an email about once a week or so. We all need a Spiritual Friend, a mentor, and a person who is on the journey of walking with Jesus and with whom we can share our journey.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"imgres-5\"<\/a>Each person has to determine their own New Year\u2019s Resolutions. However, I think if we all made a list something like the list above, we would find that next New Year\u2019s day would find us happier, healthier, and more filled with the wisdom and love of God as well as the joy of his Presence than ever before.<\/p>\n

    Copyright 2015, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> Benjamin Graham & Dared Dodd, Security Analysis<\/em> (New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1934).<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> Maria Timarchi, “10 Most Famous Nurses in History\u201d http:\/\/health.howstuffworks.com\/medicine\/ healthcare\/ 10-most-famous-nurses-in-history.htm#page=2<\/a> (Downloaded December 14, 2014).<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> The sermon on which this blog is based was also the final sermon related to the Path of Life study of our congregation. G. Christopher Scruggs, Path of Life: The Way of Wisdom for Christ Followers<\/em> (Wipf & Stock, 2014) and Path of Life: An Eight Week Devotional Study<\/em> (Shiloh Publishing, 2014). A bit of the sermon makes the point made in the final chapter of Path of Life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Most of us do not know the name \u201cBenjamin Graham.\u201d He was born in England, came to the United States of America, went into business, and ultimately wrote a book with the scintillating title, Security Analysis. [1] Graham, along with his co-author, David Dodd, whom even fewer people know, was the father of what we … Continue reading He Came to Make Disciples<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4CzBH-5G","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":360,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gchristopherscruggs.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}