I must have had about 4 dreams tonight! I however cannot remember any of them! I can remember one thing though… each time I woke up the word that rang in my head was Disciple! This to me means, there is a lot of emphasis on this, that I am not aware of. I’m tempted to think I understand and value discipleship, but this consistent call means I need to search deeper into this.
If a tree is for real, the fruit will show. By their fruits you shall know them.
In analyzing fruit, I’m amazed at how we always seem to make fruit about everything else outside of discipleship. We talk about the fruit of the lips, talk about the fruit of the spirit, talk about the fruit of character, but seem to play low the fruit that has the seed for the creation of other fruit – the Disciple.
Let’s keep this simple, by answering a question that God dropped in my spirit. “What was the fruit of Jesus Christ?” What fruit did he bear? The seed for the sustenance of any plant is it’s seed, hidden in it’s fruit. What is the fruit of Jesus Christ? I think the answer is simple – disciples.
The legacy he left are those who came after him, whom the world noticed had been with Jesus! This movement of fruit bearing disciples was not meant to stop. Fruit bearing is not the game of infants, no animal or tree bears it’s fruits in it’s youth. Fruit bearing is a sign of maturity, and the quest of every true tree.
We have replaced the masters command to disciple nations, with a subtle variant of evangelizing nations. Rather than follow the pattern of our master and disciple a few who will disciple a few, we have attracted the crowds who are unable to reproduce their crowds. Rather than a few men with total commitment and willingness to die for their faith, we have attracted a mass of partially committed people who are willing to live a better life due to their faith.
Let’s quickly analyze the numbers. In the last 2,015 years we have preached mass messages and gathered mass crowds. What has been the result? We have over 1 billion people who practice the Christian religion and less than 0.1% of that who are truly disciples, if the Bible is true! What did Jesus recommend? Discipleship! If we follow His model, if there was only one disciple in the earth, and each person disciples 1 person in 6 months, the world population would be finished in 17yrs. If it takes 3.5yrs (like Jesus) to disciple just one person (not 12 like Jesus), the world population of 8 Billion would be disciple in 60yrs. It’s not rocket science to see that what we have done in 2,015 years is wrong!
It’s not only mildly wrong! It’s criminally wrong. The parable of talents which uses a financial model to explain heaven’s economic model based on souls of men, shows the end of those who do not bear fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut off and only useful for the fire (John 15:6 msg). The eternity of all non fruit bearing disciples is fire! This, I know makes you want to do a lot more, but no – without Jesus, you can do nothing! We need him Big time! We need to abide in him, and he in us. Our relation with him must be intimate and organic, this is when the harvest will be abundant.
Ask yourself sincere questions – Who is discipling you? Who have are you discipling? Who have you discipled? Jesus got to John 17 and said he had finished the work! It means the work can be finished! You can know when you have done sufficient to please God! He’s not looking for infinity from you, there is a measurable measure – Jesus reached it, Paul confessed he had run it and finished it. Are you aware of what you are trying to finish? There are answers, are you making yourself available to knowing the answers.
I know who I am discipling, and they know too. I know when my work will finish, and I’m working at it! I am burdened about the world, but not more than my master Jesus Christ. That burden is making me do the work he expects from disciples. Do you know it? Are you doing it?
I have done the work He asked me to do this morning. God bless you!
