The Master's Plan, Part 4: Purposeful Relationships

Secret Mission, not Self-Help Session
Jesus chose His disciples, showed them servant leadership, invested in them, challenged them, gave them the perfect example, and introduced them to the Powerful Spirit. After doing all this He did not just allow them to go on with their lives as new and improved people. No, he sent them out to do His work. What was that work, you might ask?

First Scripture: Luke 9:1-2
And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.

1) Get the word out about God’s new world order (aka Kingdom)
2) Alleviate people’s suffering

And, not surprisingly, they met with fantastic success. (Find out next week why they were successful and why we sometimes are not…)

Then after His death and triumphant resurrection, He tacked on one more task: Make Disciples.

Second Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20
19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Discipleship Defined
“Disciple” is a thoroughly Christianized word – even my three-year-old knows what a disciple is. But do we actually understand what that means? More specifically, do we understand how to do it? How do we make that huge leap from Jesus-follower to Disciple-Maker? In our discussion last night we really got to the heart of it – you can go ‘make a disciple’ if you have a relationship with a purpose.

We talked about how it is almost like raising kids – my kids are totally dependent on me and I spend a lot of time and energy training them. Jesus gave us a good example of how He laid out His daily life to build relationships with a purpose.

Simple (not easy) Steps:
Live differently and walk the walk
Take time for people
Get to know them
Love and care for them just as dutifully as we love and care for ourselves

Call to Action
In keeping with Jesus’ example, the point of this blog is not to help us become better people. The point is to call us to action.

Where, or to whom, has God sent you? How will you reach them? What will you do today that will support this mission, or should I say, The Mission?

Discipleship: Purposeful Relationships Perfected
Jesus didn’t call us to stay. He called us to go! And when we go to make disciples, we go with his authority and power.


Extra Credit:
First Scripture:
Luke 9:1-6 and 10:17-20
1 And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.
3And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 4"Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. 5"And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." 6Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.… 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."

Second Scripture
Matthew 28:18-20
18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Bonus Scripture:
Acts 1:4-7
4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."