Have You Grown Up?

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

You have to grow old; you don't have to grow up!  That is optional.

In the New Testament, followers of Christ are called Christian only 3 times, while the word disciple is used 291 times.  Where do you think the priority lies?

Yet somehow many Christians have come to believe that a person can be a "Christian" without being like Christ.  A "follower" who doesn't follow.  This would be like Jesus walking up to those first disciples and saying, "Hey, would you guys mind identifying yourselves with me in some way?  Don't worry, I don't actually care if you do anything I do or change your lifestyle at all.  I'm just looking for people who are willing to call themselves Christians."  It appears that we've lost sight of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and a passion to make disciples.

Making disciples of the nations is the primary reason PCC exists.  If our primary reason to exist were fellowship, God would take us home, where fellowship is perfect, unhindered by sin.  If our primary reason to exist were to learn God's word, God would take us home to heaven where we can learn from the Word Incarnate.  (Can you imagine?)  If our primary reason to exist was worship, God would take us home to heaven where worship would be perfect and unending!  There is only one reason God allows His church to remain on earth: To make disciples of the nations.

Fellowship, word, and worship are not the mission of the church, but God's means for the church to grow up and fulfill its mission: Fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples of the nations.

Want some great tools to grow up?

• Start with this video on our homepage.  (left-hand side, midway down)
• Dig deep from the six studies on this website.  (an excellent resource for us all both personally and for us to take others through)

This weekend we continue in our series on The Way looking at How Much is Enough?  It is going to be a great Sunday together and I will personally convey what came in from our God's Heart for the World offering.  We were asking for $75,000 to be deployed locally and globally to the poor.  Wait till you hear what God did!

Turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday night and come with a servant's heart!
I love being your pastor!