Eight members of our church just returned from our second trip to Haiti. In the coming weeks, we’ll post several entries on each person’s experience and how it affected them. One thing that we experienced over and over was the need from discipleship. A simple yet profound concept. The post below is from Noah Joyner @ HaitiLove and he explains the need for discipleship as the main missionary motivation:
A dear friend and fellow pastor at my church often says “Haiti is sexy”. Anyone who has been there knows that Haiti is anything but sexy. What my friend means is that Haiti is very attractive when it comes to short term mission work. It’s close, fairly cheap to travel to, and it’s poor. All of these elements make it very alluring to the mission minded Christian. It is especially sexy, if you will, to the emerging generation of justice and mercy minded believers. I have seen over and over again the instant willingness of young men and women to sacrifice time and resources to minister to the beautiful people of Haiti.
I believe this willingness is rooted in the growing understanding that we have a responsibility to serve and assist the poor and afflicted of our communities and the world. Gospel feet run to those in need.
Poverty and affliction are the bookends that hold up the volumes of Haiti’s tattered history. This being the case many people want to go and want to help. The question that we keep coming back to is, “What is help?”. Does is it help to bring clothing? Sometimes yes, sometimes, no. Does it help to provide food? Sometimes. The question we have to answer is, “What is the greatest need of the people of Haiti?” I have learned in the past 18 months, that what is needed most, is for Haitian men and women who call Jesus Lord, to begin leading their communities out of the pit of poverty, dependency, immaturity and fear. There is a lot of God talk in Haiti, but little genuine walking day to day as a follower of Christ. There are many churches, but little transformation of people and communities. There is a lot of “preaching” but little discipleship.
Discipleship is the greatest need that Haiti has, and the good news is that that is why Jesus died. He bled and suffered and died to make holy the unholy. To make people who would live like him. To make righteous the unrighteous. And when he left is own disciples he commanded them to make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey the Savior.
In recent years we have seen the rise of clothing and shoe manufactures who will shoe children when you buy a pair of there shoes. T-shirt companies who refuse to buy material from companies who use child labor. Or international organizations who will send goats and chickens to impoverished families for Christmas on your behalf. This has all become very trendy or sexy some might say. I think this trend points to a growing sense of responsibility and sensitivity on the part of the Christian consumer. And rightly so.
Our heart is to see disciple-making added to the list of trendy and sexy. Maybe an organization that will invest in disciple-making for every hat you buy. Or a Christmas catalog that helps you fund a men’s mentorship program. Or a college fund where half of the money goes to educate poor children in the gospel. Even as I write these ideas, they all seem very unsexy.
The truth is this, discipleship is not sexy. It’s hard to define. It is anything but instant. And it is hard to measure. It takes time, commitment, and perseverance.
With that being said, it is the task that Jesus promised to be present in every step of the way. Matthew says it like this,
“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 ESV
It is his command that motivates and his promise that sustains the work of disciple making at home and abroad.
We see that Jesus model of discipleship is one of multiplication, meaning that he is sending out a group of people that he discipled, that they might make disciples who will do all that he commanded, including the command to make disciples. Therefore Jesus is making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, and so on.
It must be pointed out then that though discipleship is not sexy, it is surly reproductive. Any discipleship initiative that does not reproduce itself into other believers, stops short of our Lord’s expectation, model and command.
In two cultures that have traded true intimacy for sexy, and hard work for instant gratification, it is no wonder that both American and Haitian churches find themselves filled with un-discipled Christians. No wonder our evangelistic methods produce illegitimate children un-fathered in the Gospel.
May we be those who fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply by making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all we have been commanded. And behold King Jesus is with us in every moment, until he and his kingdom fully come!