"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,”(Matthew 28:16-20 NIV).
Make Disciples
Before Jesus, ascended to Heaven, He gave His disciples the Great Commission, His command to make disciples, spreading the Kingdom of Christ to the ends of the earth.
When I read this section of Scripture, I thought that there were four different commands, but soon I realized that The Great Commission is just one command, to make disciples. The main clause in the Greek is "Make Disciples" while the other three phrases (Go, Baptize, Teaching them to obey everything) clarify the main point.
Go
The Greek word here means to travel, depart, take a journey or walk. To go implies aggressive motion, action. We don't sit still and wait for people to come to us. We believe Jesus when he said that the "fields are ready for harvest," so we get out into those fields. As we go, our goal is NOT to convince people we are right, to make converts, or to grow our own local church. Our goal IS: to see people come to Jesus and follow Him with all their hearts and lives forever. We don't try to sugarcoat the Gospel, but declare it boldly.
Jesus called His disciples by telling them to leave everything to follow Him. He called them to be "fishers of men," to live a life of purpose. I like to paint a picture for unbelievers of a new life they can live under the Lordship of Christ. I call non-Christians to radical commitment.
Baptize
Go
The Greek word here means to travel, depart, take a journey or walk. To go implies aggressive motion, action. We don't sit still and wait for people to come to us. We believe Jesus when he said that the "fields are ready for harvest," so we get out into those fields. As we go, our goal is NOT to convince people we are right, to make converts, or to grow our own local church. Our goal IS: to see people come to Jesus and follow Him with all their hearts and lives forever. We don't try to sugarcoat the Gospel, but declare it boldly.
Jesus called His disciples by telling them to leave everything to follow Him. He called them to be "fishers of men," to live a life of purpose. I like to paint a picture for unbelievers of a new life they can live under the Lordship of Christ. I call non-Christians to radical commitment.
Baptize
The Greek word used here means to immerse, plunge, or drench. To baptize implies a public declaration of faith as well as being added to the local church. There is a point of repentance and surrender, a place where unbelievers cross from death to life. Baptism is a public declaration that someone has had their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus, raised up to new life with Him. Their lives will never be the same. The old is gone, the new has come.
Baptism implies addition to a local church family. A brand new Christian doesn't join a club, but enters as a baby into a warm, loving family, eagerly welcomed by a household that will care, fee, and nurture him/her. Once someone comes to Christ, he, or she, should have a desire to learn, grow, and be accountable to other believers.
Teach
Baptism implies addition to a local church family. A brand new Christian doesn't join a club, but enters as a baby into a warm, loving family, eagerly welcomed by a household that will care, fee, and nurture him/her. Once someone comes to Christ, he, or she, should have a desire to learn, grow, and be accountable to other believers.
Teach
We teach everything Jesus has commanded us to new believers to fulfill this Great Commission. Beyond learning all there is to learn (a truckload!), there is a life of obedience as he/she builds her life upon the rock rather than the sand. A foundation of biblical truth is laid with application. Sins are turned from, strongholds are broken, bad habits are discarded. New disciplines are engrafted into the young believers' life of prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, tithing, and evangelism.
Jesus is God. His Word, the Bible is true. We do not have to soft-pedal the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is to be obeyed. Remember this teaching is not a classroom kind of information downloading. We teach the way Jesus taught: loving so much that we share not only God's truth, but our lives as well.
More is Caught than Taught
When teaching and making disciples, more is caught, than taught. We teach by example. We teach by using situations as they arise. We teach by digging into the Word of God, using the Bible, not our opinions, to impact people's lives.
Jesus is God. His Word, the Bible is true. We do not have to soft-pedal the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is to be obeyed. Remember this teaching is not a classroom kind of information downloading. We teach the way Jesus taught: loving so much that we share not only God's truth, but our lives as well.
More is Caught than Taught
When teaching and making disciples, more is caught, than taught. We teach by example. We teach by using situations as they arise. We teach by digging into the Word of God, using the Bible, not our opinions, to impact people's lives.
What an exciting privilege to make disciples! I love the church Jesus is building. She is beautiful. My life is dedicated to helping her grow into maturity in any way I can in my own life and in the lives of others. The first step for me is to constantly be walking with the Lord in purity and love. I am always growing as a disciple, growing up in my salvation. I have not arrived, but as I grow, I can help others grow too.
Will you join the grand adventure of making disciples?
For the Joy Set Before Us!
Merey
(Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
We have many resources for making disciples at Powerline Productions, including The Making of Real Men, a discipleship manual for fathers to use with their sons, available at Amazon. The E-book is available at PayHip. For other resources, visit our Bible Page at Powerline Productions.
Will you join the grand adventure of making disciples?
For the Joy Set Before Us!
Merey
(Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
We have many resources for making disciples at Powerline Productions, including The Making of Real Men, a discipleship manual for fathers to use with their sons, available at Amazon. The E-book is available at PayHip. For other resources, visit our Bible Page at Powerline Productions.
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