The mission of United Methodist Church “is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.” (The Book of Discipline, 2004 ¶120) We believe that we can best make disciples of Jesus Christ as we “connect people to God, our community and the world.” Sometimes we say or hear words so often that we forget about the meaning behind those words. I believe in Matthew 4:19-20 we catch a glimpse of the meaning Jesus intended to be behind the words of His great commission found in Matthew 28:19 when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

For Jesus, disciple making began with the invitation to “follow me.” At the heart of Christianity is the understanding that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. Jesus Christ did not come to start another world religion. Jesus prays for His disciples in John 17:20-21, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Jesus prayed that those who would follow Him would have the same relationship with God that Jesus had with God. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with the God who has been revealed to us by Jesus Christ as loving Father (Matthew 6:9.) Therefore, one is not a Christian because of membership in the Church, as if Christianity were an organization you joined that all that was required of you was to pay your dues, attend the meetings and participate in various good works throughout the community. One is not a Christian because of moral behavior, as if Christianity had a checklist of rules that, if met, one could be counted as Christian. No, at the heart, Christianity is a relationship with a loving God. Are you as close to this loving God as Jesus prayed you would be?

But Jesus does not stop with His invitation to “follow me.” He quickly adds the words, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Disciples of Jesus Christ are to be “fishers of” others. This means that one does not become a disciple of Jesus Christ just so one can be in relationship with this loving God. Followers of Jesus Christ are given the privilege to find and invite others to follow as well. The fishing metaphor Jesus uses refers to net fishing. In net fishing, you will never catch any fish in your net unless you throw your net into the water where the fish are. In net fishing, you gather up whatever is caught in the net and take it to the shore before any sorting is started. The evangelistic task calls Christians to go to people. For this reason, we are always being called to go out into the world. We are not called to wait in the church for the world to come to us. Secondly, as we go out into the world, we give the invitation and bring whoever is “netted” back to the church. At the church, we let God do the sorting. Sorting is not our task. Our task is to invite, welcome and nurture. We cannot see the hearts of people, nor can we see the potential that a relationship with God might bring. Are you willing to invite all to our church and trust God to do the sorting?
Robert Rose