'Do you know what the secret to life is?' asked Jack Palance in the 1991 movie City Slickers.Suffice it to say that I think not everyone is called to be a marketplace minister all the time. Perhaps we have been too enthusiastic about it, and for a good reason - we want our members to know that they can serve God not only in church, but also in the ordinary things. However, it would be good to keep a balanced view of things, and remember the one thing that we shouldn't forget, even as we aim to raise up more leaders, or succeed in our careers, or do greater things for God:
'No, what?' says Billy Crystal.
'One thing, just one thing. You stick to that and everything else dont mean spit.'
'That's great, but whats that one thing?'
'That's what you've got to figure out.'
"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, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age."I was very encouraged by Robert sharing about his care leader, Yufen, who has done something very well, even though she's very young as a CL in the Adults ministry: She's very solid about getting the caregroup to get the basic foundations right - prayer and the Word of God. And God has blessed their caregroup a lot.
The Lord called us to go and make disciples of all nations. Not just converts, but disciples. Otherwise you may end up with nominal Christians... like, for example, in Kenya, where some pastors incited their flocks to take part in the ethnic riots. Or, in the Bible Belt of the USA, where divorce rates tend to be higher than the non-Christian areas. Or, in Nazi Germany, where the majority of the churches actually supported Hitler and his policies.
The one thing we should never forget is to follow Christ wholly. Love God, love people. Everything else hangs on these two.
We don't make disciples in order to make leaders.
We make leaders in order to make disciples.
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