By Chuck Wood
We think the bullseye for discipleship is when a disciple’s passion is to reach the world for Christ.
I was sitting across the table from a cadet in Grant Hall. The hall is a popular cafeteria/hangout at West Point, home of the United States Military Academy. The walls are decorated with portraits of great American leaders like Eisenhower and MacArthur. West Point is a hero factory. It cranks out a thousand highly motivated, supremely educated, and physically fit leaders each year. West Point also happens to be fertile soil for serious spiritual leaders. What was I doing there? Fishing for leaders! Fishing in a pond stocked with America’s finest. To catch these fish though, you need to use the same bait that Jesus used, a challenge to make a real difference in the world. I usually went right after the jugular; I presented the Great Commission
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
As I explained the challenge and the rewards to this young leader brimming with potential, his eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. I hit the crescendo and ended my vision casting the way I always did, “Does this grip your heart? Is this something you can give your life to?” More often than not, it was a resounding “YES.” But now as the disciple-maker, I needed to roll up my sleeves and turn this enthusiastic “wannabe” into a real spiritual warrior. That takes intentionality and time. People generally don’t catch vision because of one good sermon or because its posted in some conspicuous place. Vision is infused by the visionary through repetitive, inspiring, challenges that move a person from clueless to passion. I’ve recognized some very distinct stages over the years.
Stages for Vision Development (C-MVP)
Clueless – They wouldn’t know the Great Commission if it walked up and bit them.
Mission – They acknowledge as a task that should be completed by someone in the church
Vision – The blinders have come off and they are taking personal responsibility
Passion -They are all in. The GC is what they breath, eat, drink, sleep, and dream.
They may be diamonds in the rough but these are the kind of men and women you look for. You will need to do the hard work of inspiring them to the next stage. I believe these kinds of men and women exist all over the world and Jesus is calling them just like He did during His days in Judea.
I’d like to spend a few weeks talking about how I cast vision but first I need to finish the Bullseye Illustration with one last thought, which happens to be the most important.
Call to Action: Study the Great Commission with your Timothys and ask them these questions; Does this grip your heart? Is this something you can give your life to?
A Blast from the Past: BEING JESUS AS THE BODY
Comentarios