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THE UNITED STATES -- A DISCIPLED NATION

“A disciple is an obedient follower of Jesus Christ who is actively engaged in making disciples by teaching obedience to everything Jesus commanded in self, family, congregation, and neighborhood.”

EIGHT BIBLICAL TOOLS FOR MAKING DISCIPLES

There is no higher priority than our accountability to the one who created us. The one who called us to the work of a specific purpose, and will hold us individually accountable for our performance in this work. Our calling is to bring glory and honor to our heavenly Father by doing the work of building His Kingdom here on earth. His Kingdom is that realm in which his will is done. The work of Kingdom building is that of making disciples by teaching obedience of everything Jesus commanded us to do. This work is to be done in self, family, congregation and neighborhood.

Here are eight biblical tools we are to work with in making disciples.

1. Love. It should be clear to every believer that love reigns supreme as a disciple-making tool. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

2. Prayer. We faithfully pray for the work of teaching obedience-to ourselves, our family, our congregation, and our neighbor. "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray."

3. Truth. We share biblical truth with ourself, our family, our congregation, and our neighbor. Jesus explained, "If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

4.Righteousness. We identify the blatant and subtle sins in our lives and know that, while God loves us, He hates the sin barrier that blocks a bonding of righteousness between us. However, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Righteousness increases our discipling effectiveness.

5. Faith. "According to your faith it will be done," Jesus promised. Faith in the truth always calls for the work of putting its principles into practice.

6. Obedience. "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.'" To disciple our nation, we begin with teaching obedience in myself, my family, my congregation, and my neighborhood.

7. Wisdom. The biblical definition of wisdom is knowing and doing what is right. Knowledge by itself is a dusty, lifeless book on a mindless shelf. Doing by itself is loose cannon energy expended with little effect. The active expression of wisdom is knowing and doing what is right.

8. Work. In prayer Jesus said to his heavenly Father, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do"(John 17:4). The work Jesus had just completed was that of making 12 disciples. Lovingly and patiently He had invested three years in the task of teaching His disciples to obey all His commandments.

Our heavenly Father is holding Believers accountable for discipling this nation. Faced with our incredible failure, revealed in the shame of our spiritual impotence, cultural and moral degeneracy, we simply cannot afford to misunderstand any part of our assignment.