Preaching is neither education nor entertainment. We’re called to fulfill the Great Commission, which mans making disciples. Here are three foundational passages for anyone who longs to preach about something more than a fire-insurance relationship with Jesus:
His Final Instructions: Making Disciples
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 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 28:16-20)
1. If heaven is the ultimate goal of the gospel, then discipleship is merely an option, like a choice in the cafeteria. But discipleship is not a choice; it’s the mission. There is something lacking in each one of us until we become disciples and until we make disciples of others.
2. Discipleship is open to anyone willing to worship Jesus. Intellectual curiosity is not the ticket in, nor are good works. And here is the really good news: Doubt does not disqualify you from worship.
3. At the place of worship, we discover that Jesus considers us partners in his mission. He never intended the original 12 disciples to be the only ones; he intended they would reproduce themselves. Amazingly, he intends the same for us as well.
