Not too long ago, I visited a favorite restaurant for lunch. The waitress brought our waters and asked, “would you like a straw, or would you like to skip the straw to save the sea turtles?”
You know, I have never thought about how my use of a straw in Ohio would affect a sea turtle, but my waitress cared enough about her cause to convince those she served to help protect the sea turtles. It’s not uncommon today, for someone to own a cause, a movement that is important to them that the share with others.
With continued growth of and immersion in social media, causes are becoming more and more prevalent. People are looking for movements or ideas that will give them meaning and value, something that gives a purpose for living. Every day, we see or hear causes being proclaimed about lifestyles, environment, politics and social justice.
Causes can be good and they can be bad. Sometimes, those who herald these causes sound good and entice involvement, but then lead to disappointment and let down. Other causes seem overwhelming because the scope is too large to feel like you can have any impact.
There are inherent dangers to some causes, where the cause is redefining reality and reforming worldviews. Causes can be peaceable and they can be violent. And causes can be distracting if we choose poorly.
As Christians, we don’t have to look for a cause to join. We are part of The Cause in Christ. Jesus did not want to save us and leave us without a mission in life. No, He had a plan and a purpose already in place before He chose us. You see, God is the author of THE CAUSE, the Gospel message – the Good News of God’s salvation for all people.
Listen to Jesus as He invites us to join His Cause:
Matthew 28:16–20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Just a few days before this, Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead! After the resurrection, he appeared to the disciples on several occasions. As He prepares to return to heaven, He unfolds The Cause for all believers.
In previous generations, this was coined The Great Commission, which, in today’s terminology would be The Great Cause or THE CAUSE. God is calling you to join His cause. He wants you to get on board, to be passionate about it and to advocate for it.
Let’s unpack The Cause a little and then consider what it means to be a part of this cause.
The Authority for the Cause
I am the youngest child in the family. I have an older brother, and two older sisters. Growing up as the “baby” of the family can be difficult. Persuading older siblings to do something was all but impossible. Yet there was a phrase I could use that would get my brother and two sisters to move, “dad said to…”
If I went and said, it’s time for dinner, they may not have budged. But if I said, “dad said to come to the dinner table,” they began to move quickly. Why? They responded to the first statement based on my position in the family. The second statement carried more weight because the message wasn’t from the messenger, it was from the person of authority.
Jesus has given us a cause and He tells us in this passage that we are to participate in this cause under His authority. When we go and share the Good News, we are acting and speaking under the authority of Jesus, the risen Lord!
The Scope of the Cause
The scope of Jesus’ Cause is “all nations.” Meaning, his cause is for all people all over the world of all times. His desire is that every tribe, nation and tongue hears His message and is invited in to His Church.
That means there is no place in this world you will find yourself where His Cause cannot go, or is not active. It means there is no group, ethnicity or social status that is excluded from this call. It means that, as Christ followers, we no longer look at people in earthly terms, but we see them as souls in need of a Savior. It doesn’t matter what the exterior looks like, it matters that they are an eternal soul that need to hear an eternal message.
The Strategy of the Cause
Joining the Cause of Jesus means that we want to reach the whole world with His message, and we speak and move under His authority. So the strategy must be miraculous, right?
Wrong. It is amazingly profound, but amazingly ordinary. The strategy is to “make disciples of all nations.” Literally, Jesus is saying “as you are going (wherever you are going) make disciples.”
The normative call on all believers is not to go somewhere exotic, but as you are moving about day to day, get involved in the cause. Wherever you find yourself to be, make disciples.
But what does it mean to “make disciples?” Certainly that is a grand idea and a complex strategy, right? No, actually it’s simple. We unfortunately have made it a great deal harder than it ought to be.
To make a disciple is to help someone become what you already are. God is not requiring you to do something you are unable to do. He has called you to share what you know and do already.
The trick to discipleship is being one step ahead of those you are leading and showing them how to take the steps you have already taken. It’s that simple.
Let’s break it down a little more. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, meaning you know the Gospel and believe the Gospel, you have knowledge that can be shared with someone who does not believe. Start where you are at and explain what you know to be true. This is the basic of reaching the nonbeliever.
Discipling the someone who choose to believe the Gospel and desires to follow Christ means to show them how you follow Christ. What is it like to pray? What do you do for a Quiet time? Why do you go to church? What is baptism? Why should I be baptized?
If you are a Christian, these are things you should already have done or are doing. Therefore, it should be easy to tell someone else what you are already doing. If you are not doing these things, or you haven’t started these practices, why not?
True statement here: you cannot be a Christ follower if you are not following Christ.
You’ve played follow the leader right? How absurd would it be for a person to watch the game from the sidelines and yet claim to be following the leader? They aren’t even in the game. Yet there are people who claim to be Christians, but they are not following Jesus. Don’t be that.
If you are following Jesus, you have what it takes to make a disciple by helping someone become what you already are.
This does not mean you stay where you are, but you should be growing and becoming more like Jesus. You become more like Jesus by following others who are good examples to you. Paul said it this way, “follow me as I follow Christ.”
You can see what I am doing, so do that too.
How Do I Begin This Cause?
It’s simple. Begin with Prayer, talk to God about your desire to join His Cause. Ask Him to lead you to the person or people who He is preparing for the cause. Or pray for specific people in your life who need to hear about Jesus.
Look for ways to care for those you are praying for. Care is a term that demonstrates love in physical, tangible ways. It means you don’t look at the people you are praying for as a spiritual project, but you see their needs and you develop a friendship with them.
Then you look for opportunities to share the good news with them. Don’t force a Bible sermon on them, but look for ways to bring God up in conversation, through questions or comments and see if they would like to know more. Share what God has done for you and why you believe. Don’t attack, but invite.
Just like the waitress at the restaurant asked me if I wanted to save the turtles or use a straw, you can invite others into a conversation that leads down the path of discipleship.
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