Compound

Thoughts

compound interest vs living in a compound vs compounding problems

We were made to multiply, called to pass along

requires our investment

requires their commitment

what do I want them to know?

The kingdom advances when we do our part to multiply it.

What do I want them to do?

Follow Jesus and invite someone to join you.

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Intro - attention/problem -

I’m thinking a lot about Pastor Sam this week.

My friend Andy came back from a trip to Pakistan a few weeks ago. They went to check on one of the missionaries supported by the organization he serves.

During that trip they fell into opportunities to literally set people free from slavery, they assisted with needs all over the community, as Andy put it to me, “I’ve seen the church in more than 40 countries as a part of a Jesus Mission…I’ve never seen a church like the one in Pakistan.”

A group of friends was hanging out and listening to Andy’s stories. We thought it would be the stories of slaves freed, and schools supported that would captivate us…but Andy kept coming back to Pastor Sam.

Sam was born and has always lived in Pakistan. He doesn’t pastor a church body, instead he serves the broader church and goes about serving needs and making disciples.

He often will walk into the marketplace, begin a conversation with a Muslim, lead him to Christ, and then begin discipling him into the work of ministry.

So many stories…but there is one that matters for our conversation today.

One of the first days Andy was with Pastor Sam, Sam came to Andy and put his phone in his hands. “Today, you are Pastor Sam.”

Sam was present, asked questions, and gave gentle prodding. But Andy was Pastor Sam that day.

I interrupted Andy’s story at this point…this message already mostly formed at this point. Or it was… “So what your saying, is that Pastor Sam discipled you?”

If making disciples is the most important thing disciples do:

Then multiplication matters.

Ugh

So why do we struggle so much to make disciples in the US, while the church thrives in places like Pakistan?

We have communication tools galore.

We might be inclined to blame the culture…no one wants to hear about it...

But that isn’t stopping the church in Pakistan and Iran and other places where they really don’t want to hear about it.

One more bible study, one more sermon, one more book won’t make you a disciple maker.

Those can equip, refine, and develop a disciple-maker…but they can’t make one.

Pastor Sam said, “today, you are Sam”…Andy had a choice.

Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee and said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

Matthew 4:20-22 “Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

Aha

You tell me. When did Peter, Andrew, James and John become disciples?

When then followed Jesus.

John has a different version of the story. It includes John the Baptist.

John 1:29-34 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.””

John had disciples all around him. They were John’s disciples…not Jesus’.

Verse 35...

John 1:35-37 “The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus.”

John told them the day before. Do you think they believed what John had to say about Jesus? Of course they did! But were they on that day disciples of Jesus? NO. When did they become disciples of Jesus?

When they followed him.

Oh, haven’t gotten to the connection, skipping a few verses:

John 1:40 “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him.”

There’s Andrew. And pay attention to Andrew’s first move as a follower of Jesus.

John 1:41-42a “He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), and he brought Simon to Jesus.”

The kingdom of God is looking for people in Brush Prairie Washington who are willing to do more than believe.

Why is it working in Pakistan and not here?

Andy described church there.

Noisy, PA system way too loud, off-key singing like you wouldn’t believe, simple teaching…and hunger for the Kingdom.

The Muslims of Pakistan look at the church of Jesus and though everything wants to stop it, though they use violence and oppression, though they deny rights, and safety…In greater and greater numbers they are seeing the fruit of the kingdom and joining in.

Because they are watching a group of people for whom the kingdom of God is enough. People who should be protecting everything they have, yet practice radical hospitality. People who should be downtrodden, yet are filled with Joy! People who should hate their oppressors, yet speak life and love to them.

Whee

Sometimes you find words that can be used in almost opposite ways. The nudges of context that gives it different meanings.

As I thought about the kingdom of God…the word compound came to mind.

The word is defined: made up or consisting of two or more existing parts or elements.

Compound word, compound fracture, compound in chemistry.

I think the church struggles between two nuances of this word.

One is found in the idea of a community. If you were to tell me you live in a compound, you would be telling me that you live in a place where multiple families gather together to protect and keep. There might be kool-aide involved…but that’s not a requirement.