Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.   Matthew 28:19-20

This is what is known as the Great Commission. Tony Evans calls it our (the church’s) marching orders in his commentary. Once we are saved, we have a job to do. We are not to sit by idly and soak up our salvation, we are to share it with others.

Let’s look at this scripture passage. The first word is go. This means we have to go out from our comfort zone. This means that we have to get outside our church walls and our church friends to reach out to those who are lost.

Then we are told to make disciples. Discipleship is defined at one who studies and adheres to the doctrines of another or one who embraces and assists in the teaching of another. Christian discipleship involves becoming more like Christ in character, conduct, attitudes and actions. A church that is not making disciples is ineffective or impotent. To make disciples we must go into the world and share the gospel.

Jesus then commanded them to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is what we know as the Trinity, one Godhead in three persons. In order to do so, we must be under God’s authority. In other words, we must be His disciples.

We are then told to teach potential disciples to observe everything He has commanded. We must not only help them to know God’s commandments, but we must help them to understand the importance of obeying God’s commands.

Jesus closes with a powerful promise, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  God, the Son, promises to be present and engage with individual believers and churches that are making disciples. He doesn’t promise to stop by and visit, He promises to be with us always.

Our Christian life is like that of a small child. We are born again when we are saved and accept Christ as our Savior. Unfortunately, this is when the devil may come full force against us. We need a good support system to help us through this time. We need to be in a good Bible teaching church where we are fed God’s Word. We need to be surrounded by Christians who work at discipleship. Bible study and prayer are critical to guard against the devil and also to promote spiritual growth. Growth is just as critical for a Christian as it is for a newborn baby, a puppy, or even a plant. Without growth we suffer deterioration.

The growth process produces a desire to share God’s Word with others. As we grow into a deeper relationship with Christ, we realize what an awesome thing this is. We want to share it with others.

When we go to college, we usually go to study a subject to make us perform well in our chosen profession. We enter into careers where we can put that knowledge to good use. Our assignments may change as we grow and become more experienced and better at our profession. We may be asked to mentor others or teach.

Church is where we go to study God’s Word and discipleship. This is why it is so important to choose a church that stays within the confines of God’s Holy Word. We must be careful of false doctrine. As we study and grow in God’s Word, our prayer life and fellowship with other believers, we are called to go out and make disciples of others. Jesus doesn’t say pretty please, He commands us to do this.

If you are under the impression that you just need to dress pretty and adorn a church pew every now and then, you are sadly mistaken. Jesus calls us to get out there and share the gospel with others. Our pastor often says that we may be the only Bible that others ever read. This means that our speech and our behavior should reflect Christ. Others are watching. We can lead others to Christ simply through the way we conduct ourselves. But, once we experience the awesomeness of a life lived in Christ, we can’t help but want to tell others about it.

Just as a church without discipleship is impotent or ineffective, the Christian who does not practice discipleship is also. In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan wants to destroy our witness and make us ineffective. He wants to stunt our growth. But, Jesus goes on to tell us that He came so that we may not only have life, but have it more abundantly.   If you really want to experience all the goodness God has to offer, get out there and do the job He has called us to do. You will be so glad you did.

Have a great day!