Sunday, June 2, 2019

“Why Discipling (Disciple-making)?” (2 Timothy 2:1-7) - Back to Basics IV –



Follow Me!
I play a guitar. But I must admit I am still a beginner. Twenty-eight years ago, when I was in middle school, I saw some of the high schoolrers at my church play a guitar. It looked cool. So I said to myself, “I must learn to play a guitar too!” Thankfully, my grandfather bought me a guitar, and I found an instruction manual at the bookstore. I would say it was fairly easy to learn how to finger a chord and strum. But then, I realized if I was really going to advance, I would have to get a person, who would teach me, show me, correct me, guide me by the hand, more than just to read about them in the book. Since I haven’t got a teacher yet, my playing skills are about the same then and now.

When Jesus called his first disciples, he didn’t say, “Read the Scriptures.” Instead, he said, “Follow me! Come with me! Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn from me!” (cf. Matt 4:19; 11:29) Jesus called and chose twelve, and basically he lived a life together with them. He taught them how to live as God’s people – a life of love and forgiveness. But more importantly, Jesus also showed them why to live that life. In particular, through his life, Jesus taught his disciples the why’s – why he believed what he believed, and why he lived like he lived. That way the disciples could learn that the Way of Jesus (Christianity) is not about do’s and don’ts, but it’s about a lively relationship with Jesus that gives freedom, power, and joy. So they chose to follow Jesus and his way, not because they had to, but because they wanted to – have and live that life.

Showing Jesus
Paul said to Corinthian Christians, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Co 11:1 NKJV). Paul preached the good news of Christ to the Gentiles who had never met Jesus in person. Ultimately, what he did was to show Jesus through his life. When he was cursed, he blessed; when he was persecuted, he endured it; when he was slandered, he answered kindly (4:12-13). The people saw how Paul lived a life of love and forgiveness, and they were drawn to Jesus.

I still remember when I was spiritually wandering in my senior year in high school. I couldn’t read the Bible. I couldn’t pray because I felt like I talked to the wall. I felt like I was a hypocrite. So I shared my feelings with my mother. After hearing my story, she shared her story how she had a hard time to come to the faith although she had always grown up in the church as a pastor’s kid, how she met Jesus when she had forgiven the person who did harm to her family. We had an honest conversation about Jesus. My mother showed Jesus through her life. I also remember when my father as a pastor had to handle dissension in the church. At that time the church was at the crossroads. They were in the process of building a new church building. But a small group of the leaders were against the change and caused troubles. One day I said to my father, “Why don’t we just move on?” He said, “If we moved now, the sheep would be scattered. If we had to move, we would do when the church was strengthened and prosperous.” Since then, the church continued to be built up, grew in numbers, and he has been serving that church for 28 years. My father showed Jesus through his life.

Making Disciples
It is known that 2 Timothy is Paul’s last words to Timothy, his spiritual son. In today’s passage Paul says, “My son, what you have heard from me – now teach and pass on to other faithful people” (2:2). Then, he uses three metaphors to show what it means to live as Jesus’ disciple: soldiers, athletes, and farmers. These three have one thing in common in that they have one clear aim. For soldiers, their aim is to please their commanding officer. For athletes, their aim is to win the race. For farmers, their aim is to reap a rich harvest. In order to achieve their aims, they are willing to sacrifice and even suffer, because they know what they suffer now is nothing compared to the future glory and joy. For disciples of Jesus, our one and only aim is to please Jesus by making disciples (“Great Commission”). It is to know Jesus and make Him known.

John Wesley is a good example to follow in terms of making disciples. At that time God used two particular leaders to revive His people in England: one was John Wesley, and the other was George Whitefield. In fact, Whitefield was a more popular and effective preacher. But today, it is known as Wesleyan Revival rather than Whitefield Revival. Why? It is because the fruit of Whitefield’s labors died with himself; Wesley’s fruit remains, grows, increases, and multiplies exceedingly. Later in his life, Whitefield said to one of his colleagues, “My Brother Wesley acted wisely – the souls that were awakened under his ministry he joined in class, and thus preserved the fruits of his labor. This I neglected, and my people are a rope of sand.”[1]

Our Christian disciple-making can be formal like Wesley’s class meeting, or it can be informal like one on one coffee break conversations. But the point is that all of life is an opportunity for making disciples. So Paul says to Timothy, “Join me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Don’t get caught up with everyday affairs. Do not waste your life. Be focused and concentrate on your aim – pleasing Jesus, your Master, by making disciples.”

What Will We Leave Behind?
Mr. Holland’s Opus is a story of Glenn Holland, who is a talented, ambitious musician and composer. But in order to have more free time to write his own orchestral composition, he accepts a teaching position at high school. Against all expectations, Holland never has a private time for himself or his family. In addition, his son is found to be deaf. He needs to take care of his special needs family and teach and mentor his students, delaying his own composition work. Eventually, he reaches an age when it is too late to compose and have it performed. To make things worse, the new principal eliminates music from the school curriculum, and that leads to Holland’s early retirement. Holland realizes that his career in music is likely over, thinking that his former students have mostly forgotten him. He was disheartened by his failure over to have his composition. On his final day as a teacher, Holland enters the school auditorium, where hundreds of former students have secretly returned to the school to celebrate his life and perform a surprise concert. One of his most musically challenged students and now the Governor says, “Mr. Holland, there is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.”

One time Paul said to Thessalonian Christians, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” (1 Th 2:19-20, NIV) In the day of the Lord when we give an account, our crown is not our possessions, our successes, or our interests. Our crown is the people whom we led to the light of Christ. Tomorrow my parents are coming to visit. I love my father and my mother so much. But in the day of the Lord you are my crown and my joy. You are my father, my mother, my sister, my brother in the day of the Lord.

Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who lead many to the right path to life will shine like the stars forever.” My prayer is that in the day of the Lord all of us in this room may shine like the stars and hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master’s joy!” Amen.





[1] D. Michael Henderson, A Model for Making Disciples (Warner Press, 1997), 29-30.

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