Growing disciples

 “…, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT). “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 (HCSB). Without Susie we would have fewer plants around our place. She brings home trees and shrubs, her friends give her trees and shrubs, and even our kids think giving Mom plants is a great thing to do. Once a new plant or tree arrives it becomes my job to find a place for it, and since I have been trying for years to get off the hose-dragging system and to a buried pipe (my dogs would shred things above ground) automatic watering system you can imagine that makes putting in a new tree much, much more work, especially in the hard and rocky soil of Don Pedro.A few minutes ago I ate a delicious homegrown orange, harvested off a tree I actually bought myself a few years ago. In fact we have eight citrus trees and four of them are mature enough to bear (much to our delight) a significant amount of outstanding fruit. It really doesn’t matter who got the tree, who planted it, who watches over it because the joy is in seeing the tree grow and harvesting its fruit.When it comes to the vegetable garden all I do is prepare the boxes. I add the manure, the compost, whatever else to improve the soil and then rotortill and level it all. That’s when Susie takes over, she’ll plant it and water it. But just as with the trees the joy is in seeing that little garden thrive. Is there anything like a fresh homegrown tomato right off the vine with a little salt on it?As a church our calling is to make disciples, it doesn’t matter who does what. One invites, the other welcomes, someone makes the coffee and cookies, another teaches, some preach, others pray, and … What counts is that unsaved people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, believe, and follow him. The joy is seeing people grow in Christ and bear fruit to the delight and glory of God. It doesn’t matter who plants, or who waters, the important thing is that disciples are made.It is my hope and prayer that we as church, every group, every ministry, and each one of us personally participates in and commits to making disciples. That the making of disciples is our core passion, what we get excited about, what we delight in, and what dominates our conversations, our dreams, and our service. So bring in some new plants, let’s make the waterers sweat, and watch God grow people.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans