March 26th, 2025
by Jacob Hess
by Jacob Hess
The Message is the Method
In today’s world, someone is always trying to sell you something. Maybe it’s the new miracle exercise routine that will shave off those stubborn pounds. Or a shiny car that promises freedom and relaxation. A credit card that will help you see the world! And on and on and on… Data collected from clinical tests shows that the average person sees between 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day! You might not be surprised to hear that even in the world of ministry, people are always trying to sell you something. This new program will increase your church size by 20%. These resources will make your people better disciples. This consulting firm will turn everything around! As someone who cares deeply about the church, it can be easy to get discouraged and wonder that if I could just find the right ministry-mix, all the woes of church life would be transformed! What I find interesting is that the method of discipleship Jesus models for us in the Gospels is so very different. He doesn’t offer five steps to church growth or a secret program that is essential for all time and in every place. In short, Jesus isn’t trying to sell us something. His message is His method.
We all know Jesus’ message, right? He states it succinctly in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The gospel means good news, and the good news is that God’s kingdom has broken into the world through Jesus, the King of the kingdom! But this powerful King comes for a specific purpose: to die on a cross. It’s through the humiliation of the cross that Jesus the King wins victory over all the forces of evil.
Now, how does this message influence the method of ministry that Jesus invites us into? Again, He states it succinctly in Mark 8:34, “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Notice the similarities here between the message and the method. Our message is about a crucified Savior. Our method to share this message is the cross-shaped life. When disciples live like disciples, God makes more disciples. It’s as simple as that!
Ordinary Disciples
How this applies to your everyday life can actually look fairly mundane. The Gospel of John illustrates this for us. In John chapter 2, Jesus calls Philip to be His disciple. Philip gets so excited about this that he goes to his friend Nathanael to tell him about Jesus, but Nathanael is not so convinced. So what does Philip do? He tells Nathanael to “Come and see,” (2:46). Recently we’ve been encouraging you to make room at the table so that our neighbors and coworkers can encounter Jesus. This is exactly what Philip does, but notice how simple it is! Philip didn’t read off of a gospel track or ask Nathanael to come to a six week course. He simply invited Nathanael to join him in the natural rhythms of his life with Jesus. Nathanael did come and see and his life was changed!
I think I have a tendency to make discipleship too complicated, because what Philip did we all can do. It doesn’t require seminary training, a business degree, or a consulting firm. All it requires is putting Jesus and His cross-shaped message at the center of our lives, which should lead to a change in perspective that turns everything we say and do into a missional moment. Do you go grocery shopping? Maybe you have a lonely neighbor who would be greatly encouraged if you invited him or her to come shopping with you. Do you play board games with friends from church? Maybe you could leave a seat open for a coworker or unbelieving friend to join you. Do you plan playdates for your kids? Maybe you could intentionally develop a friendship with an unbelieving family on your block who has kids of a similar age as yours.
Making room at the table doesn’t always have to be something big like the Big Serve Day. In fact, the method of ministry Jesus gives us often looks far more humble and mundane. It can be as simple as inviting others into the natural rhythms of our lives. But this takes sacrifice and intentionality. It will take seeing your family and home as resources for the work God is doing in the world rather than as places for your comfort or control. In the end, it pulls us back to remember the message that should always be shaping our lives. If Jesus gave all away to save us, then we can give our lives away in service to others.
In today’s world, someone is always trying to sell you something. Maybe it’s the new miracle exercise routine that will shave off those stubborn pounds. Or a shiny car that promises freedom and relaxation. A credit card that will help you see the world! And on and on and on… Data collected from clinical tests shows that the average person sees between 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day! You might not be surprised to hear that even in the world of ministry, people are always trying to sell you something. This new program will increase your church size by 20%. These resources will make your people better disciples. This consulting firm will turn everything around! As someone who cares deeply about the church, it can be easy to get discouraged and wonder that if I could just find the right ministry-mix, all the woes of church life would be transformed! What I find interesting is that the method of discipleship Jesus models for us in the Gospels is so very different. He doesn’t offer five steps to church growth or a secret program that is essential for all time and in every place. In short, Jesus isn’t trying to sell us something. His message is His method.
We all know Jesus’ message, right? He states it succinctly in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The gospel means good news, and the good news is that God’s kingdom has broken into the world through Jesus, the King of the kingdom! But this powerful King comes for a specific purpose: to die on a cross. It’s through the humiliation of the cross that Jesus the King wins victory over all the forces of evil.
Now, how does this message influence the method of ministry that Jesus invites us into? Again, He states it succinctly in Mark 8:34, “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Notice the similarities here between the message and the method. Our message is about a crucified Savior. Our method to share this message is the cross-shaped life. When disciples live like disciples, God makes more disciples. It’s as simple as that!
Ordinary Disciples
How this applies to your everyday life can actually look fairly mundane. The Gospel of John illustrates this for us. In John chapter 2, Jesus calls Philip to be His disciple. Philip gets so excited about this that he goes to his friend Nathanael to tell him about Jesus, but Nathanael is not so convinced. So what does Philip do? He tells Nathanael to “Come and see,” (2:46). Recently we’ve been encouraging you to make room at the table so that our neighbors and coworkers can encounter Jesus. This is exactly what Philip does, but notice how simple it is! Philip didn’t read off of a gospel track or ask Nathanael to come to a six week course. He simply invited Nathanael to join him in the natural rhythms of his life with Jesus. Nathanael did come and see and his life was changed!
I think I have a tendency to make discipleship too complicated, because what Philip did we all can do. It doesn’t require seminary training, a business degree, or a consulting firm. All it requires is putting Jesus and His cross-shaped message at the center of our lives, which should lead to a change in perspective that turns everything we say and do into a missional moment. Do you go grocery shopping? Maybe you have a lonely neighbor who would be greatly encouraged if you invited him or her to come shopping with you. Do you play board games with friends from church? Maybe you could leave a seat open for a coworker or unbelieving friend to join you. Do you plan playdates for your kids? Maybe you could intentionally develop a friendship with an unbelieving family on your block who has kids of a similar age as yours.
Making room at the table doesn’t always have to be something big like the Big Serve Day. In fact, the method of ministry Jesus gives us often looks far more humble and mundane. It can be as simple as inviting others into the natural rhythms of our lives. But this takes sacrifice and intentionality. It will take seeing your family and home as resources for the work God is doing in the world rather than as places for your comfort or control. In the end, it pulls us back to remember the message that should always be shaping our lives. If Jesus gave all away to save us, then we can give our lives away in service to others.
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