Rick Warren on the Jesus Method: From 'Come and See' to 'Come and Die'

The Core Mission of Discipleship

• 🎯 The central mission of Christianity and church is to move people from a "come and see" mentality to a "come and die" commitment.
• 💡 99% of churches lack a plan for this deep discipleship process, failing to follow Jesus' incremental method.

The Global Landscape of Christianity

• 🌍 Christianity is the largest religion globally, with 2.3-2.5 billion followers, growing at 2% annually, twice the world's population growth rate.
• 📈 Pentecostal and evangelical denominations are growing at 4% annually, significantly outpacing global population growth.
• 🌏 The center of Christianity is shifting from the Northern Hemisphere to the Global South (Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia).

The Jesus Method of Discipleship

• 👣 Jesus' approach began with a low-commitment invitation: "Come and see," fostering curiosity.
• 📈 He progressively increased the commitment required, redefining discipleship multiple times, moving from "come and see" to deeper levels of trust and obedience.
• ✝️ The ultimate stage of discipleship, as exemplified by Jesus, is "come and die," involving taking up one's cross and self-denial.

Saddleback Church's Discipleship Model

• 🪜 Saddleback Church implemented a covenant-based process: Non-believer to Believer (baptism), Member (membership covenant), Maturity (daily time with God, tithing, small group), Ministry (serving based on spiritual gifts), and Mission (global outreach).
• 🌍 The church successfully sent members to all 197 nations, planting churches and fulfilling the Great Commission.

Finishing the Task and the Great Commission

• 🗓️ The year 2033 marks the 2,000th anniversary of Christ's resurrection and the Great Commission, creating urgency for global evangelism.
• 🎁 The greatest gift for Jesus' 2,000th "birthday" is finding lost people and fulfilling his final instructions.
• 🤝 The "Finishing the Task" movement and "Great Commission Allies" aim to unite denominations and organizations to complete the mission, emphasizing collaboration and shared identity.
• 🕊️ The PEACE plan (Preaching, Teaching, Healing, Prayer, Establishing Churches) outlines Jesus' ministry model for churches to follow.
• 📚 Free leadership resources and master courses are available, with the sole requirement being to teach the material to others, embodying the principle of generational transfer.