Neah Bay, WA
Be Making Disciples
by David Sternbeck, Ministry Staff
“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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
I have one year left of seminary. It’s been a lot of work, good work — thought provoking, soul-searching, prayerful work. Rev. Bill Norton, my mentor, supervises my studies. I am extremely thankful for this God-given relationship.
My course work for the next ten weeks is the mission of the church. I like that. I think that the Lord may have given me the gift of evangelism. I was talking with my mentor the other day; he was telling me about an article that he had been reading. The article went on to say that in the great commission the word “go” in the “therefore go” is not a verb but a participle. The writer said that a better interpretation would be, “while you are going, be making disciples of all nations.” Have you ever had one of those, “ah, ha!” moments? This was one of those moments for me. As you’re walking through life, be making disciples. That’s what it’s all about for me. In every area of my life I’m excited about what the Lord is doing. In every area of the lives of the people we come into contact with I’m looking for what the Lord might be doing. In our church, in our vocation, in our families, as we walk through life, when Jesus is the central passion of your life, you get opportunities to see the Lord at work. Doors open and bridges form to share our lives and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Let me share the story of one man I have been mentoring. His name is John.
One day he came to me and began to tell me his story. He said, “About seven years ago my wife divorced me. I agreed to give her the house, as long as she would never sell it and it remained in the family for the kids and their children. But she has now decided to sell this house.” At first John was very troubled by all of this. John had built this home, a log home, using logs from their property. He built every square foot with love and devotion for his wife and children. It was property that had been in his family for many years. After much prayer he said to me, “There is nothing I can do except let it go, it’s in God’s hands now. Maybe the Lord will let me have another house someday. I know that the Lord has led me here to this community and he must have something else in store for me here.” John has felt called to serve the Lord in this community. Since he arrived he has remarried and has a few more children. More importantly, he is a man who loves the Lord with all of his heart, mind and soul.
Recently I received a phone call from John. He sounded very excited. He said, “David, do you remember when I told you that I thought the Lord might someday give me another house?” He went on to say, “I think that the Lord has given me another house — His house, the church. I can care for His house, I can work on His house, and I can minister in His house and to the people of this community. My children can dwell in this house, an eternal house.” As I listened to what my friend and brother was telling me my heart began to leap for joy. My heart is to minister to others. But often I end up being the one who is ministered to by the lives of His disciples. It is exciting to see how God is at work in His people’s lives.