[Jesus] presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:3 (ESV)

 

Luke tells us that Jesus spent His last forty days before His ascension teaching His disciples to focus on the priority of the Kingdom. In other words, we cannot claim to be followers of Jesus if we are not passionate about His Kingdom.

For a long time, churches have been preoccupied with raising churchgoers rather than Kingdom citizens. As a result, the quality of discipleship is shallow. Church attendance, for example, has plummeted dramatically since the onset of the COVID pandemic, and many Christians are not returning to church life or Sunday gatherings. While we cannot say with certainty there is a clear correlation between church attendance and commitment to Christ, there is a cause for concern in how we have been making disciples.

Somehow, we prefer a discipleship that suits our schedule while not disrupting our life. We prefer a discipleship that makes us happy and self-satisfied rather than one that challenges our life's priorities. We prefer a discipleship in which we can keep everything but not completely give ourselves over to Jesus.

It is a spurious faith if following Jesus does not lead us to pursue Him and seek His Kingdom.

Discipleship is not for the church, but for the kingdom.

In the church, we make disciples, but not for the sake of the church. Instead, we raise up disciples to serve the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus has the power to transform us. If we are becoming more and more like Him, we experience an increasing awareness of God’s plan to save all people. And, because Jesus intends to create all things new, we become change agents who actively put our faith into action.

The call of Christ is to heed the cry of the world.

We are His people chosen to proclaim the good news to the poor and the weak and the hurt. The good news is not simply that God loves them. Instead, the good news is that God is the liberator and that we have been sent to heal the broken-hearted, set captives free, and shatter the chains of those in bondage.