Making Disciples, a Lost Art

 

The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. (Exodus 18:13-22 ESV).

 

Making disciples, in a Christian context, is about actively helping others grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. It involves more than just sharing the gospel; it's a process of teaching, modeling, and encouraging others to follow Jesus's teachings and live according to his example. For the next few weeks I want us to look at the examples in Scripture of how God has designed this wonderful ministry into His plan for the redemption of His children and their sanctification.

 

In our reading today we find the father-in-law of Moses, who cared about his daughter’s family. Moses had a big job but was exhausting. In compassion, Jethro offered Moses advice to help him work in a healthier way: “What you are doing is not good… the work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” (v. 18). Jethro offered his wisdom to Moses in love. He wanted to help Moses avoid the burnout of trying to do all the leadership himself. Moses, thankfully, had a teachable spirit. He could have ignored his father-in-law’s wisdom and continued down the path toward exhaustion, but Moses chose instead to follow Jethro’s advice. He could have received this as criticism of his work, but instead Moses heard it as a gift from a wise mentor.

 

God calls us to care about the people around us. Sometimes caring means sharing our wisdom, and other times it means being willing to be taught. The Spirit knits the church together for our benefit and for God’s glory. We can benefit from the godly wisdom of our brothers and sisters if we keep a teachable spirit. This is certainly at the heart of what we have called “The Great Commission.” Jesus told His disciples prior to ascending back to heaven:

 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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 observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-29 ESV).

 

While we all have various gifts and personalities, we all have this common calling to make disciples.