After the Music Stops What Next?

As days tick off of my life I am more and more convinced and baffled by two major things. 1. The more I exist, the more I am convinced that God’s part of salvation is EVERYTHING and our part of salvation is simply bringing the sinner. 2. The more I exist in the waves of full time ministry the more I’m convinced that all we do is share the Word through the sharing of our lives (1 Thess 2:8). If you are a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ, my charge to you is to find somewhere to plug in and give away your life for His name’s sake. I hope the following displays the importance of what I mean.

I’m saying we can preach all day long, teach FCA’s at schools all over, run marriage seminars, do outreach events… we can create so many things that are fantastic! However, I believe that if it stops there we miss the most impactful part of ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. It’s much like this song written and performed by LeCrae called “After the Music Stops”. You can listen to it here: http://www.reachrecords.com/index.php

Here is a portion of the lyrics:
"I'm out to take the bible, create disciples, who make disciples, disciple-cycles, that's why I want the beats to knock so after the music stops you can meet the rock…

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

Discipleship is our call but we make disciples, this is not a suggestion, create disciples. The teachin' is a process, it's not over night and it’s not a stage and a mic nah, it's life on life Christ -
Walked with twelve, ate with twelve, talked with twelve, shaped the twelve, invested in 'em well you could say that he made the twelve. Who made many more, who made plenty more, now it's on you and me if there's anymore.
1 teach, 2 teach, 3 teach, 4 teach, 5 teach, 6 teach, 7 teach more, this is what we've been commissioned, it's the reason why I write, so that you could hear the truth, not so you can say I’m tight whoa...

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

I don’t do this for the money, I don’t do this for fame, I don’t do this so the industry can know my name, I do this and host to glorify Yeshua the King, if you’re feelin’ me you know you should be doin’ the same let’s go…

After the show, after the set, after the music stops what's next?
Will there be fellowship, prayer, disciples, will you open your bibles after the music stops.
After it’s over, after it ends, after the music stops, what then?
Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

Do you see the importance placed behind this song? Do you feel the cry for discipleship in our churches? In this case, the cry is that living for Christ goes beyond the listeners hearing this song, it goes to a depth that can only be explained by: “Discipleship is our call but we make disciples, this is not a suggestion, create disciples. The teachin' is a process, it's not over night and it’s not a stage and a mic nah, it's life on life Christ”- This is my plea to you today.

Paul said to those in Thessalonica that they were so affectionately desirous of them (the people) that they wanted to share the gospel and their lives because the people had become that precious to them. My plea is that we would do the same. We leave it up to our pastors to preach from the pulpit and that is a fantastic thing… however, is that as life changing as coffee with some peeps after the service? NO! I do not think it is. I DO acknowledge that the power of Scripture in and of itself is mighty to change hearts and lives. However, why does Paul seem to think it so important to share his life with them? Maybe it’s because that is the Gospel! Discipleship is a word we don’t always understand, but to boil it down discipleship is the sharing of the Word through the sharing of your life that His name might be magnified!
To the leaders that so graciously serve at my side: I plea for us to not forget this! We get immersed in a culture where the word “discipleship” is common tongue, but we make it so complex that we forget how to do it and we forget the power behind it! Please hear me saying now behind a limitless keyboard that a Wednesday night is not the goal, a Sunday morning is not the answer, a new or better curriculum is not the cause. The force behind the power is that of the Spirit of God at work in you. The force is you being faithful and rejoicing by watching God’s goodness. In this joy we have of loving (discipling) kids, do not forget the power displayed by your hand. Do not forget that being raised by Christ grants us the power to change the lives of these kids He entrusts to us by the work of His Spirit! Do not forget that we are to be faithful and let God be good. It’s not about Wednesday night schedules, Sunday morning topics, Powder Puff football, retreats… its about YOU sharing with THEM your very life. It’s about you taking them to the grocery store with you, having coffee with them, going to Panera for breakfast, watching Monday night football, showing up to their play- just like LeCrae said: It’ not a stage and a mic, it’s life on life!
Take every opportunity as a teachable moment for it may be the last the kid will allow you. Take every chance in challenging these students for we might end up being a challenge too late. Above all, never stop sharing your life, that they might know the Word. It’s not about a stage, it’s not about a program, it’s not about an event… it’s about life on life. View every stage, every program, every event as an opportunity for you and your students to do life together. Use EVERYTHING as a teachable moment for them. Because after the music stops, what’s next?