Melva's Corner

DESIGNERS GENES

June 12, 2006

(Isaiah 43:19 )

Central Truth: we need to think in terms of people being uniquely gifted, not merely objects to be used for our purposes.

[The LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says:] "For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!" (Isaiah 43:19 NLT)

The most radical words Jesus Christ ever spoke were, “Go make disciples...” (Matt. 28:19). They provided the seeds for exciting worldwide revolution. Through the ages, dreamers and visionaries have imagined a better world. Some were misguided, but many were good, godly and loving people. They saw a world where people could cooperate and not just compete. A place where folks give more strokes and less pokes. A place of peace. Of thoughtfulness. Of forgiveness. Of friendship. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I envision a world that finds eternal hope in Him.

No other generation has faced the challenges and complexities that the churches of today face. A population of over five billion, mass communications that bring the world into you living room, technological advances that stagger the mind, giant financial resources, and a host of other factors underline the challenging times in which we live.

In our gimmick-oriented society, civic groups, political organizations, even churches have been searching for the most effective way to get their message out. Countless billions are spent on TV and radio campaign ads. Churches hold countless meetings/crusades/campaigns. Politicians position their signs on every street corner. People dream up ways of reaching the world with their particular message. Yet as our world gets bigger and more diverse, people give up hope and give into despair. Many youth think, "How can I, one person, make a positive impact on my generation?" I have a few thoughts that are loaded with hope and optimism.

First, we must think in terms multiplication, not addition. Jesus knew He only had a very limited time on earth. When He began His ministry, the first thing He did was invite people to come follow Him. Many did. But He called twelve individuals to be “with Him,” (Mark 3:14). Those twelve spent the largest amount of time with Jesus. Instead of spending all His energy with the multitudes, He chose to pour His life into the twelve. That is the secret. He could have converted thousands everyday. But instead, He focused on a few. After three years, Jesus’ last words to His twelve disciples were “Go make disciples of all the nations...” Funny, unlike us, they did not scratch their heads and say, “What does that mean?” They knew because they had been discipled. They were to live like their Master Jesus. And they got the job done. They poured their lives into others and multiplied disciples. And they reached their known world (Col. 1:6, 23). Their impact was truly revolutionary.

Second, we need to think in terms of people being uniquely gifted, not merely objects to be used for our purposes. Each of Jesus’ disciples was truly different. And each us are our born with designers genes from our Creator. As Scripture says we are “wonderfully and fearfully made,” (Ps. 139:14). Each person is a 10, just in different ways. All discipling and mentoring must keep this in mind. The idea of multiplication is not to clone or rubber stamp people but to encourage and help them to use their special talents for the glory of God and the betterment of our world.

Finally, we must think in terms of the power of God, not the cleverness of man. When the movement of God through the disciples of Jesus was beginning to impact the world, there was much resistance. One wise man counseled the enemies of Jesus' disciples by saying, “If these people and their plans are of man, they will fail. If they are truly of God, you will not overthrow them and might find yourself fighting again God,” (Acts 5:37, 38). The strongest arsenal for any revolutionary is not skill or strategy, it is faith. It is knowing that God is making a difference in my life and can do it with others. Jesus had a vision for His disciples to become disciplemakers.

“One man awake, awakens another. The second awakens his next-door brother.

2 The three awake can rouse a town by turning the whole place upside down. The many awake can make such a fuss it finally awakens the rest of us. One man up with dawn in his eyes multiplies.”

Scriptural References:

" I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:14 (The New American Standard Bible)

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