Making Disciples - Part Two

By: Pastor Zane Sporleder

At this point we've discussed what a disciple is (a devoted follower) and who we and they should be devoted to following (Jesus), but the question remains: How do we make disciples? How do we get, encourage, or compel someone to follow Jesus? While there is much more to explore then we have time for here, I would like to draw our attention back to the great commission. Furthermore, this time let's look at the great commission as given to us by Mark. Here's how Mark records Jesus' final command to his disciples.

 “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation"

As much as we talk about "making disciples" being the Great Commission, Mark doesn't even use that term in his great commission account. And if Luke is the tie breaker, his doesn't either. Have you ever noticed this before? I haven't. What does this mean? Do we throw out "making disciples" as the church's grand mission? Is there inconsistency here? No and No. Rather than trying to choose who got it right, I think it best to let the parts of scriptures illuminate each other. We make disciples BY proclaiming the gospel. If someone is going to become a devoted follower of Jesus, they need to know who He is and why He is worthy of following. Paul in Romans says it like this.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! - Romans 10:14-25

We make followers, by telling people about Jesus. In Luke's account of the great commission, he highlights that Jesus told His disciples that they can proclaim because they are witnesses. In Acts chapter 1 we see also that Jesus calls his disciples to be His witness to the ends of the earth. To be a follower of Jesus is to witness about Jesus, in this we do not make people follow Jesus by our human cunning, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

At The Vine Church, we just had our annual Testimony Service in which we focused our entire service on testifying about God's goodness in our lives. This is a way in which we corporately practice and encourage the whole body to be a witness of God's grace. We each have a story and God is benevolently involved in each of our lives. Followers of Jesus can all testify/witness of God's saving work in our lives, part of making disciples is sharing about the gospel and God's saving work in our lives with those around us. We are recipients and witnesses of the saving effect of the gospel, through which God brought us from death to life and continues to work in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Being witnesses of God's goodness is how we make disciples, and we do that in a variety of ways as each person is uniquely gifted and led by The Spirit of God.

If we want to make disciples, and I hope we do, we will be people who speak of and show our devotion to Jesus because of who He is and what He's done.  While praying the Holy Spirit empowers our witness to those who have ears to hear the goodness of God. As those who are devoted to Jesus, we should seek to share the object of our devotion to those who God puts into our lives.

We make disciples of Jesus by being His witnesses. While we each have an individual call to witness, we are also individual members of the body of Christ, the church. And as you might recall from the first blog, I highlighted the fact that the earliest disciples fulfilled Jesus' command by starting churches and teaching the churches how to function well together. I'm convinced that it's hard to overstate the importance of the church working together, in the pursuit of making disciples of Jesus. Together with all of our different testimonies, gifts, talents, resources, backgrounds, etc. we can witness to God's goodness in a far more profound and compelling way than we can on our own. By participating in the life of the church and using the gifts and experiences that the Holy Spirit has given each of us, we build one another up and witness of a God who loves all people, works in all circumstances, and gifts each of us for the work of the ministry. We see in the earliest days of the church that the devotion of God's people was communal and God used their communal devotion in making new disciples.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.  And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:42-47

These that the Lord was adding to their number, were more disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was working through the community of disciples as they lived their lives together in devotion to Jesus. Devotion to Jesus as a community of His disciples is the greatest witness to his goodness, and doing it together keeps us from making too much of one person. God will use us together to do what we could not do on our own. Even the Apostle Paul highlighted the fact that he and Apollos had different roles in bringing people to Jesus, and that it was God's work using both of them.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. - 1 Corinthians 3:7-8

In Jesus' Great commission He told 11 of his closest disciples to "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". This is a task for the Church. The Vine Church and its individual members will have a role to play in fulfilling this task just as the early Apostles did, just as Paul and Apollos did, just as each Christian and congregation have from that time until now. Until Jesus comes back his followers will work together to tell of His goodness to the lost world, baptizing those who believe, and continuing to teach them all that Jesus has commanded.

I'd encourage each of us to consider our testimony. Thinking through all the ways in which God has been and continues to be good to you. This will help in your worship and will also serve to make you more ready to tell of His goodness. I'd also encourage each of us to consider the number of ways in which the Holy Spirit has gifted you for the building up of the body. As we serve, give, build relationships, teach, encourage, etc we are building up the body of Christ and contributing to God's work in our midst. I hope we might see and consider how our service and witness can lead to people hearing about Jesus, in which some will follow and be baptized. We also together take up the task to study and share God's word so that we might all follow Jesus more faithfully.

As I asked before, what comes to your mind when you think about Jesus' command to make disciples? Is this something you think most Christians are doing? Are there people, groups or churches that you think do this well? Have you made a disciple? Are you a disciple? What even is a disciple anyways?

Did any of the thoughts around these questions change at all? What might it look like for each of us followers of Jesus to work together to make more followers of Jesus? I know that at The Vine, we want to make much of Jesus together and we all have something to contribute in our call to make disciples of all nations.  May we be utterly devoted to Him, seek to witness to the world around us of His goodness and may God add to our number those who are devoted to Him.

Making Disciples - Part One

By: Pastor Zane Sporleder

"Go therefore and make disciples"

We read this final directive from Jesus at the end of Matthew. This command was given to a group of his closest disciples and I believe extends to each disciple that has come since, making this the overarching goal and mission of the church until Jesus returns.

"Making disciples" unfortunately has at times, become more of a tag line or a phrase indicating a specific ministry model than a well understood directive for the church. A misunderstanding of what Jesus was calling them and us to, can cause some of us to shy away from the term or the command all together, while causing others of us end up championing a model of ministry that could be missing the true intention and goal that we are called to.

What comes to your mind when you think about Jesus' command to make disciples? Is this something you think most Christians are doing? Are there people, groups or churches that you think do this well? Have you made a disciple? Are you a disciple? What even is a disciple anyways? Think through these questions for a minute. My hope is to help us think through these things in a way that stops to ask what Jesus means for us in this, while attempting to hold off on jumping directly to our personal experiences of the use of this phrase.

To start, we need to think through what a disciple is. The word disciple means a learner, a student, or a follower. In Jesus' day there were Rabbi's (meaning teachers), but they were more than teachers, they were the ultimate religious gurus. They would have groups of students or "disciples" who would follow them, watch and learn from them. Jesus as God himself was and is the greatest teacher of all time. Though He was untrained in the ways of a traditional Rabbi, He took up the cultural practice and set himself up as a Rabbi much like the others in His day. As Jesus' public ministry began He gathered 12 disciples to himself who left behind their former lives to be utterly devoted to him and his teachings. To be Jesus' disciple meant forsaking all to follow Him.

So what does this mean for the imperative given, to "make disciples"? It means Jesus wants his devoted followers to go out and make more devoted followers...but of who? Often times we can mistakenly take this as a call to mirror his ministry model and gather a group of disciples to ourself. It's not uncommon for a Christian to say they are a disciple of this or that teacher, or to tell about how we are discipling some younger person in the faith. I've used this language, probably even recently, but I wonder if a misunderstanding of what specifically we're being called to in the Great Commission can have the unfortunate side effect of us seeking to make devoted followers.....of ourselves, and spending too much time looking for a spiritual guru to look up to rather than giving our whole selves to becoming devoted followers of Jesus. The apostle Paul had to correct the church in Corinth when they fell into this very problem, highlighting specific teachers in whom they follow.

It has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? - 1 Corinthians 1: 11-13

We see here that Paul is greatly concerned that the church does not continue the tradition of picking a rabbi to be devoted to. We will all have teachers in whom we trust and greatly help us grow in our faith, but there is only one in whom we are to be fully devoted. We are to be disciples of Jesus and to make disciples.....OF JESUS.

I'm coming to believe that Jesus starting his public ministry as a Rabbi was more about stepping into a cultural norm and fulfilling it as the one true Rabbi who is worthy of that kind of devotion, and not setting up a specific model for us to imitate. In Matthew 23 He even went as far as specifically telling his disciples to not be called Rabbi, Father, and Instructor, because we have but one Teacher, Father, and Instructor. That being the Christ.

When the early disciples were sent out, they did not copy Jesus' model of ministry by becoming Rabbis. It's also worth noting that Jesus' call to make disciples was given to 11 of them together, it was not a solo task. Jesus sent out his followers to make more devoted followers, by starting churches. The command was given to a community of Jesus followers and was obeyed by building communities devoted to Jesus and not the leaders of that community. This is the goal of discipleship.

This might be a good time to say that this does not excuse each disciple of Jesus from cultivating relationships and opening their heart and lives to those whom would benefit from imitating them as they imitate Christ. On the contrary, I believe we are obligated to do so. I'm simply trying to point out that trying to model Jesus' ministry by looking for another person to be your Rabbi and trying to be a Rabbi type figure to someone else, is misunderstanding Jesus' command and might even be idolatry. Jesus is our only Rabbi and the one to whom we point all people. The Church will always have leaders, teachers, mentors, and spiritual parents in the faith, in which we are to learn from and thank God for.  However, when Jesus' disciples went out to make disciples they were careful to not set themselves up as The Teacher to be devoted to. It's interesting to note that the word "disciple" was not carried over in the Scriptures beyond the book of Acts. The Apostles were disciples given the charge to make disciples, and yet they seemingly dropped the term. I can only speculate as to why that might be, but I think we would do well to pay attention to the focus of the Apostles' ministry and teachings as we seek to carry on the mantle first given to them, to make disciples of Jesus.

Finally, when examining the call to make disciples and what is meant by Jesus' command. It's important to look at the term in context of the whole Great Commission as given by Jesus. In which we will see clearly what Jesus intended for us in walking out this task.

 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 28:18-20

As you can see, making disciples is all about Jesus. His disciples are called to make other followers of Jesus, baptizing and teaching those followers in the authority, name, and ways of Jesus. A disciple that is truly making disciples is one who is spending their lives pointing others to Jesus, our great Rabbi. 

Transitions : The Consistency of God in a World of Change

By: Pastor Brandon Hudson

If you live long enough you’ll face the reality that life is constantly changing. Even when things seem constant and stable, there's likely a new season on the horizon. My natural disposition pushes against this — I love routine and structure. I think I’ve grown to love routine even more over the years; however, change keeps coming.

I’m currently in the midst of some major life transitions: my mother’s recent death and my oldest child starting college. I’m often, and at the most random times, reminded of my mother's absence. I long to see her again, to hug her, to share with her what's happening in my life. At the same time, I’m missing my child. While she is only thirty minutes away, our day-to-day routine revolves around four instead of five. These transitions are difficult.

While these changes are new to me, change itself is not. I’m sure we can all relate. Change comes in many forms — relational (death, relocation, fading friendships, new friendships), location (moving to a new neighborhood, city, state, or even country), employment, and hobbies.

A change in my location at 19 resulted in significant changes in relationships and my future employment. I expected my move from Seattle to the Midwest to be a short season for college where I studied to be a high school History teacher. To my surprise I met my amazing wife and stayed in the Midwest for another ten years. We bought our first and second home there and had all three of our children. Our first child’s birth marked an extension of change when God led me to pursue a career in Ministry instead of education. So much change and transition from a change in location!

I almost can’t believe it has been 18 years of full-time Ministry. They have been anything but routine. After ten years in the Midwest, we moved to the Seattle area and I took on a lead pastor role where I have walked through seasons of heavy growth, decline, a merger, leadership and staff changes. I’ve seen people come and go; and even come back again.

While my story might be unique, change is something we all experience. Scripture is full of people who experienced seasons of great transition. I'm reminded of Abram in Genesis 12.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;” - Ge 12:1, NASB.

Talk about a massive transition. Asked to leave your country, your land, your place in this world — your home. Leave your father, mother, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, your clan — your people. No idea where your final destination will be. The only thing Abram knew for sure was that God would be with him and bless him; and that he in return would be a blessing to all the nations of the world.

Can we ask for more than that? Do we need more than that? Is there anything better? To know God is with you, present, involved. To know God is blessing you, seeking your best interest. To know God will use you to be a blessing. No matter the place, the work, the activities, no matter the current group of people around.

Jesus's disciples felt the same sting of transition when the man they left everything to follow told them he would be leaving.

“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” - Jn 16:5–7.

Imagine leaving everything to follow Jesus only to be told he will be leaving. It makes sense their hearts would be grieved. While this transition would be difficult for them, Jesus said it would be to their advantage. The Holy Spirit, the personal presence of God, would be with them instead. Similar to the promise to Abram, no matter what changes, God promises to always be there, to be present, to walk with us, the one constant in a sea of change. As the author of Hebrews states,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” - Heb 13:8.

I can’t say I've gotten to the point where I enjoy or look forward to change. I still and probably always will push against it. But I also expected it to come and wonder how God might use it. I’m reminded that in every past transition and change, God was there, present and faithful. Similar to Abram and the disciples, God has been the constant — the very presence of God is always with me. He has blessed me in each and every situation and given me opportunities to be a blessing to others. I need this reminder as I walk through the current season of transition. You?

Retreating in Trust: The Vine Youth Retreat

By Addie Gerlach

Retreat:

1: an act of changing one's decisions, plans, or attitude, especially as a result of criticism from others
2: a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax.

Even the best and strongest military troops need to retreat, sometimes to admit defeat or just rest. Constant battle isn’t sustainable for anyone. One must turn, regroup, learn, and hope that the next step after a retreat is made with a clear mind. One must trust. 

The recent Vine Youth retreat was one of much prayer, dedication, and hope. After two years of youth group on zoom, outside, and with masks, the thought of a long weekend in a house together seemed unattainable. But in August 2021, God put in Jake Sandusky’s heart the desire to hold The Vine’s first retreat for youth, and God said, “yes.” Through prayerfully-planned messages, activities, meals, and guidelines for a fun and safe weekend for everyone, the hope was that students would experience what it means to trust God. He is trustworthy despite our circumstances, and the ways in which He has provided in the past inform trusting Him in the future.

The youth are a tricky group in our congregation. No longer “kiddos” and not quite adults, they often fall in the “I’m here because my parents made me” category. The retreat was a chance to grab their hearts for God, setting aside battles present in their day-to-day lives. Youth retreat is a yearly opportunity to show teens that following God is a worthwhile aspiration for their lives. For these students, before a new year of school and all that comes with it, this was a chance to retreat, regroup, and gather hope for the year ahead.

“The fact that we were all together to make this happen was a blessing,” reflects Jake. Indeed it was incredible that the details came together. A free lodging space in Entiat courtesy of Don and Laurie, willing and able volunteers amid a busy summer schedule, and enough teens interested made it worth all the work that went into planning. Not to mention no covid concerns after attendees were asked to test upon arrival—there is a way to make “normal” return even post-pandemic. And the weather was pushing 100 degrees but the space provided relief with air conditioning and Lake Entiat right outside the door. Jake included a lot of structured unstructured time in which students chose from many activities—yard games like Kuub and badminton, a community swimming pool, kayaking in the lake, inflatables to lounge in, or just hanging out around the house together.  Students got to try everything at least once. Laurie, our host, even generously allowed students to inner tube behind a speedboat on the lake! A highlight for many!

Many youth groups suffer from cliques and concerns about boys and girls spending time together, but this weekend seemed to take those issues in stride. Keeping the circle open, inviting others, and working together allows everyone to experience the freedom we have in Christ. “The inclusivity of the students—younger and older—was really special.” Additionally Jake reflects, “The momentum from the youth retreat sets us up to do some awesome things for these students in the coming school year.” Soon the youth group will hold their fall kickoff—welcoming new 6th graders into the fold, and this event helped cement relationships between students and trusted adult leaders. It certainly is a different experience than a few hours on Wednesday night—sharing a space and all meals with adults that aren’t one’s parents gives a level of humanity students may not realize is part of everyone’s lives. Learning how to love someone when you get to see all sides of them—even the challenging sides—that’s a lesson students will rely upon again and again in adulthood.

The military troops don’t stay in retreat. Advancing again with fresh eyes, they move forward into the unknown, trusting their leader.

May students and the rest of us do the same.

Missions Month 2022

by Addie Gerlach

“Loving Jesus and Those He Created” is the phrase around which our church operates. A summary of the Ten Commandments, this phrase influences and guides what we teach, what we learn, and how we serve each other and those around us. Over in Kids Worship we are guided by the same phrase. Usually children hear from the Jesus Storybook Bible, an amazing children’s Bible which narrowly focuses on God’s rescue plan and Jesus the Rescuer. Hearing stories about Jesus helps us learn to love Him, but it’s only half of our church’s mission.

July is Missions Month in Kids Worship, a time to focus on the different people God has created and how we can love them. We are all missionaries whether we stay local or move and adapt into a different culture. This year the children got to hear about four unique mission fields from individuals in our church with a passion for the lost and hurting.

First, Merry Davey. Merry has been a missionary for over 40 years and has served in Chile, Mexico, and Spain. Merry grew up in Bethany Baptist Church, one of The Vine Church’s parents. The Vine currently supports part of Merry’s ministry. Merry shared a bit about Spain’s culture and the children were enthralled with the props and snacks she shared. She shared some simple Spanish phrases, a slideshow of life in Spain, and a bookmark activity. You can read more about Merry here: https://www.abwe.org/work/missionaries/merry-davey

Caleb and Tavia White shared about the work of Compassion International, started in 1952 to care for Korean War orphans. Compassion serves 27 countries around the world. Most known for child sponsorship, there are many additional ways to support the work. The children in Kids Worship raised money toward the “chicken fund” which gifts chickens as a source of protein and income for families in need. Over two weeks, the children and others in our church were able to raise $173: the equivalent of 4.5 chickens for Compassion International. To learn more about Compassion, visit https://www.compassion.com

Thang Pham and his family shared about their work with CRU, whose mission is to spread God’s truth, partner with local churches, and develop leaders who can reach the city for God. Thang and Jen primarily serve at the University of Washington campus so the children were greeted with lots of purple and gold. Go Dawgs! Thang is a regular teacher over in Kids Min, and it’s a beautiful thing to have a current elder serve in this role. Thang led the children through making bookmarks that listed someone they can pray for. The Pham family are supported partly by The Vine Church and more information about CRU can be found here: https://www.cru.org

Our last week of Missions Month highlighted Pam Hamilton’s recent trip to Kazakhstan through the local organization Kazakhstan Bound. The children heard a little about Pam’s life and career: how God called her to short term missions during retirement from her teaching and school psychology career. Part of Pam’s trip involved gifting coal to those Kazakhstani in need due to poverty, to prepare for bitterly cold winter upcoming. She shared many pictures of the different people she met and places she visited. The children learned how to say “My name is” in Russian, the dominant language in Kazakhstan, and wrote their names in Cyrillic script.

Now that Missions Month has come to a close, Kids Worship has stepped back into teaching God’s rescue plan thru the stories of the Jesus Storybook Bible. For the second year in a row, Missions Month gave a breath of inspiration to children that the world is bigger and grander than they may realize, that they too can “Love Jesus and those He created.”