Yesterday I wrote an article/devotion about Nostra aetate and the notion that some hold that there are many paths to God, or that all religious paths lead to the same cross of Jesus. The impetus was the Pope's recent comments about his belief in what I believe is a heretical doctrine.
Today, I want to address what's really going on here for so many in the Catholic Church and in Christian universalism in general. It's really about evangelism, or the lack thereof. Maybe you could say, if you were Methodist, it's about prevenient grace. The desire is to open doors for evangelism. I get that. I also know it only ever really opens the window, but hardly ever the door.
Why?
Why doesn't it work to convert and disciple the worshippers of other "gods" to just meet in ecumenical mingled worship?
Simple answer:
They aren't making disciples, they're making excuses.
And unfortunately this Nostra aetate universalist notion has bled out into all the many Christian communities. And the result is, evangelism and disciple making has been nearly eliminated in most Christian communities. Too many people making too many excuses.
“It’s not my personality or passion.”
“I just don’t have time”
"preaching is enough to sustain the discipleship of my local church”
"That's the priesthood's job"
"It's scary"
Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching … be soberminded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2, 5).
Most pastors, and frankly most Christian's in general, read “preach the word” and stop right there. Invite someone to church so they can hear the pastor preach the gospel. That'll make them disciples.
Good to go.
If you can get them in the doors.
But Paul didn't stop there. He went on to say “reprove, rebuke, exhort” with all the patience the Spirit can give us. He is suggesting engaging the community. And the best place for reproving and rebuking is in the context of a disciple-making relationship when you have their heart and their trust. You have to get involved in evangelism if you're going to make disciples. And the whole church community is responsible for making that happen.
Paul closes with a charge to “fulfill your ministry.” And Jesus clearly told us our ministry objective in Matthew 28… to go (that means go outside the church) and make disciples of all nations. A failure to invest time in people and to train them to do that mission work would be a failure to fulfill the ministry given to us all by Christ. A failure to be the church.
We’re ALL called to make disciples, not simply converts, or make "friends" of a different father. Jesus did not say, “Go therefore and make converts of as many people as possible.” He did say, "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." (Matthew 28:18-20)
You're not making them disciples if you're not baptizing them and teaching them to observe Jesus' word.
Making disciples means changing the Christian community's focus from internal church activities to external engagement and the multiplication of faith through making more personal relationships and fewer excuses. It would challenge the notion that only 'professionals' can make disciples, emphasizing that every believer has a role in the Great Commission as priests in the priesthood of all believers.
Discipleship should be accessible, less daunting, and part of everyday life. Christians need to turn the act of making excuses into a catalyst for making disciples instead. The church that is tuned into the Holy Spirit will be equipped by that Spirit with creative people capable of producing a series of real-life scenarios played out showing how one might turn an everyday situation into a disciple-making opportunity, humorously debunking excuses.
Here's how a disciple making evangelical movement could look, inspired by Matthew 28:16-20
"Make Disciples, Not Excuses"
Start with The "No Excuses" Pledge:
A commitment card or online pledge where individuals promise to prioritize discipleship in their daily lives.
The "No Excuses" app:
Maybe there's an app developer in the church community that can design an app that provides daily prompts for disciple-making actions, tracks progress, and offers excuse rebuttals based on scripture.
"No More Excuses" Outreach:
Imagine if there was someone with great people skills who would like to work on the outreach side of things and make a monthly or quarterly challenge event where participants are encouraged to engage in specific disciple-making activities, with stories shared at the end for encouragement.
"No Time For Excuses" Missionaries:
Short-term mission trips where the focus isn't just on service but on training locals to become disciples who make disciples, emphasizing sustainability in faith
How about the "Annual Excuse-Busting Conference"
A gathering where keynote speakers, who've excelled in disciple-making despite challenges, share their stories, strategies, and how they overcame their excuses.
The Excuse Jar:
Maybe on a more personal level, similar to a swear jar, every time someone catches themselves or others making an excuse not to engage in discipleship, they put money in, which later goes to support mission work.
Get creative about not creating excuses:
Creating and sharing content (books, videos, podcasts) that focuses on the importance of discipleship over excuses, perhaps with a humorous twist on common excuses people make. And building small groups where members encourage each other to step out of their comfort zones, report back on their disciple-making efforts, and pray for one another. Also sharing via social media, share testimonies, tips for discipleship, and challenge excuses with scriptural truths, using hashtags like #MakeDisciplesNotExcuses
With the whole church actively participating in these outreach efforts designed not just for service but for interaction, teaching the priesthood of all believers to live out the Gospel in practical ways, thereby making disciples through the no more excuses action oriented community of believers. There needs to be "Disciple-Making Workshops". Training sessions on how to share one's faith effectively, how to mentor new believers, and how to overcome common objections or excuses.
Motto: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, not excuses."
Mission
To encourage Christians to actively engage in discipleship, spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ without succumbing to the common excuses of fear, lack of time, feeling unqualified, and challenging indifference.
People always want a plan.
Well...☝️?
What's your excuse?
Feel free to share your excuses and experiences in the comments below.
#makedisciplesnotexcuses