Have We Been Missing ‘The Main Thing’ All Along?

Many important issues are competing for our attention these days. There’s the never-ending battle against poverty. Many believe abortion is a crucial concern. We have the ongoing culture war that’s trying to turn morality on its head. Then we have the economy, politics, global health crises, debate over causes and effects of climate change, and many others.

Followers of Jesus Christ are often understandably torn over which matters should receive the bulk of our energy and resources. Some people seek to dispel this confusion by asking the famous question, “What would Jesus do?” WWJD bracelets are no longer the rage, but it remains a valid question.

 

For the answer, some seem inclined to turn to the books of 1 and 2 Opinions. These aren’t in the Bible, but people talk and act as if they are. It’s kind of like saying, “Well, if I were Jesus….” We’d be wise to stop right there because, well, we’re not Jesus. 

 

The best way to find out what Jesus Christ would do – and what He would want of us – is to consult the Scriptures, because that’s where the Lord is revealed most definitively. The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give us the clearest picture of Him. 

 

They reveal a lot about how Jesus lived and what He taught, but don’t give a complete, 24/7 accounting for everything Jesus did and said over His 33 years on earth. The gospel of John even acknowledges this by stating, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

 

Nevertheless, I believe the gospels and the remainder of the Bible give us everything we need to know about Jesus for seeking to live as He desires of us. We don’t need to know more than that – we have enough difficulty trying to understand and apply what has been recorded.

 

Jesus’ life and teachings were wide-ranging, but what He said moments before His ascension seems particularly significant. After declaring, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me,” Jesus gave His last instructions to His followers: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

Of all the last words He could have said, Jesus told His disciples to make other disciples. He could have addressed any of the issues listed above, or others, but making disciples was the final thought – the main thing Jesus wanted to leave with them. And us.

 

A disciple, by definition, is a learner, a follower, one who influences and teaches others so that they too become disciples. It’s noteworthy that the concept of making disciples isn’t mentioned at all in the Bible until…the first chapter of Genesis. After the declaration, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27), the very next verse says, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number [multiply]; fill the earth and subdue it….’”

 

Connecting this first of God’s many biblical commands with what we commonly regard as Jesus’ Great Commission, we discover discipling others – making more people in His image – is central to His will and purpose for humankind.

 

When we hear the oft-asked question, “What’s wrong with the Church today?”, I suspect a major factor is the failure to follow through on the last thing Jesus said before being taken up to Heaven. He commanded His followers to “make disciples,” not just converts but people who are growing, maturing and reproducing themselves spiritually.

 

We see a description of this in one of the apostle Paul’s writings to his protégé, Timothy. Paul directed the younger man, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

 

In this single verse we find four generations of believers – Paul, Timothy, “reliable men,” and “others” whom they would teach. Just as Paul had invested much of his life into Timothy, he wanted Timothy to do the same with reliable (faithful) men, who would in turn do the same with other people.

How many churches are doing this today? We hear moving sermons and uplifting music during times of worship; we have programs designed for nearly every target audience; we devise slick marketing campaigns to attract people. But how many of our churches are intentionally and aggressively striving to do the main thing Jesus said we’re to do – go and make disciples?