Make Disciples
Make Disciples
“18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20.
“Make Disciple” is a compound verb. It calls for action but it also calls for “being” more than “doing”. We are Disciples of Christ. We are followers and Christ-look-alikes. If we are to make disciples, we must be disciples. Being a disciple is an on-going relationship and fellowship with Christ.
We have seen that unbelief will stop anyone from being a disciple. If you do not believe in Christ, you are not a disciple. We have also seen that we must understand He who commands and His authority to send. When we recognize and understand that the one with “all authority” lives inside of us, then we can be and do anything and even much more than Jesus while on earth. Jesus is now resident in every believer and follower, so He can now reach the whole world through us His disciples.
But how? Glad you asked. It is by “being” and “going” and proclaiming Christ to all to hear.
When people hear who Christ is; He opens their understanding and their blinded eyes to see and believe and put their faith and trust in Christ as their Savior and Lord. All along the process, the “doing” is by Christ. The first “doing” and deed was on the cross where He died and paid for all sins present, past and future. The second doing is that He empowers and enables His disciples to go and preach. The third is that He opens unbelieving minds, grants them grace and faith to believe and trust in Him. We really don’t have too to contribute to any ones’ salvation, lest we should boast.
“12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [e]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12
It is all work of God as evidenced by the above Scripture – “He gave the right” and they are “born of God”. God apprehends and calls His disciples. We did not choose Him, He chose us.
We are called to be witnesses to Christ. We are to represent Christ to others. When anyone encounter us, they must encounter the Christ in us. When we speak, the Christ in us must speak and these are the ways of making disciples. We breathe it, we live it and we model Christ to all starting from home to the neighbors, to the community, state, country and to the world.
It does not matter where you are, we are to be making disciples because that is who we are. We are born to reproduce our kind. A fruit tree does not need to be at the beautiful national botanical garden where people visit in order to reproduce. Planted anywhere in the right soil and water, it will reproduce.
Where have you been planted? Stay there and reproduce and stop running to where you think the grass is greener. Be ready in season and out of season to be a witness. A witness is one whether in the lower court, the high court or the Supreme Court. The witness speaks what he knows and experienced (or witnessed). Know who Christ is, understand the plan of salvation and that your own sins are forgiven.
You must be intentional and be prepared. Keep some gospel tracts with you and be a friend to others. Speak when promoted by the Holy Spirit. Start conversations by complimenting people and find what you have in common or that is very unique to them. Go where you can meet people like the gym; join a neighborhood club and volunteer to serve at any capacity with the intention of making Christ known and making disciples.
Making disciples is also an apprenticeship. We need people to live close enough to observe our humanity and our frailty. All humans are the same and are very vulnerable. The only difference is the grace of God upon the disciple to overcome. People need to see us go through trials and tribulations so that they can see the Christ in us who has promised not to leave us nor forsake us. It is in the going and the making of disciples that we are most aware of this promise and its effectiveness.
Apprenticeship is the “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded”. You cannot observe in a vacuum. Yes, there are times for classroom teaching in Sundays and bible studies; but it sticks more when you see and do what you are thought. You get to ask real life questions and pray real time prayers.
One of the first things we do in making disciples is to baptize in water the person who now believes in Christ. Baptism says you are now buried and risen with Christ. Someday in the future you will truly and physically rise with Christ even after you die. There is an empowerment when a disciple is baptized just as when Jesus was baptized. We get “dunked” into the water just as Jesus was baptized, (see Matthew 3:13-17). A disciple does things just like the master did – love, suffer, die, rise and live forever.
So let’s go and make disciples and He will be with us as we go and be and do.
Again, who can you disciple, love, pray for and tell about the love of Jesus today, this week, this month and this year? We must be intentional, otherwise, nothing happens. Let’s go in the power and authority of Jesus. Amen.
The work is already done by Christ. We are only helping to call people to Christ whom He has already chosen. This is like an exam where we already have the answer sheet. Just fill in the blanks. Will you?
PS:
This mini series on the Great commission are some of my reflections in a book I have written that will be published very soon. The title of the book is : "From Incestuous Christianity to Making Disciples: At Least One Sunday a Month." We must move from self absorption and self-gratification to selflessness and see the heart of God for the lost who are heading to hell and do something. Please stay tuned and look for the book. Thank you!
“18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20.
“Make Disciple” is a compound verb. It calls for action but it also calls for “being” more than “doing”. We are Disciples of Christ. We are followers and Christ-look-alikes. If we are to make disciples, we must be disciples. Being a disciple is an on-going relationship and fellowship with Christ.
We have seen that unbelief will stop anyone from being a disciple. If you do not believe in Christ, you are not a disciple. We have also seen that we must understand He who commands and His authority to send. When we recognize and understand that the one with “all authority” lives inside of us, then we can be and do anything and even much more than Jesus while on earth. Jesus is now resident in every believer and follower, so He can now reach the whole world through us His disciples.
But how? Glad you asked. It is by “being” and “going” and proclaiming Christ to all to hear.
When people hear who Christ is; He opens their understanding and their blinded eyes to see and believe and put their faith and trust in Christ as their Savior and Lord. All along the process, the “doing” is by Christ. The first “doing” and deed was on the cross where He died and paid for all sins present, past and future. The second doing is that He empowers and enables His disciples to go and preach. The third is that He opens unbelieving minds, grants them grace and faith to believe and trust in Him. We really don’t have too to contribute to any ones’ salvation, lest we should boast.
“12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [e]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12
It is all work of God as evidenced by the above Scripture – “He gave the right” and they are “born of God”. God apprehends and calls His disciples. We did not choose Him, He chose us.
We are called to be witnesses to Christ. We are to represent Christ to others. When anyone encounter us, they must encounter the Christ in us. When we speak, the Christ in us must speak and these are the ways of making disciples. We breathe it, we live it and we model Christ to all starting from home to the neighbors, to the community, state, country and to the world.
It does not matter where you are, we are to be making disciples because that is who we are. We are born to reproduce our kind. A fruit tree does not need to be at the beautiful national botanical garden where people visit in order to reproduce. Planted anywhere in the right soil and water, it will reproduce.
Where have you been planted? Stay there and reproduce and stop running to where you think the grass is greener. Be ready in season and out of season to be a witness. A witness is one whether in the lower court, the high court or the Supreme Court. The witness speaks what he knows and experienced (or witnessed). Know who Christ is, understand the plan of salvation and that your own sins are forgiven.
You must be intentional and be prepared. Keep some gospel tracts with you and be a friend to others. Speak when promoted by the Holy Spirit. Start conversations by complimenting people and find what you have in common or that is very unique to them. Go where you can meet people like the gym; join a neighborhood club and volunteer to serve at any capacity with the intention of making Christ known and making disciples.
Making disciples is also an apprenticeship. We need people to live close enough to observe our humanity and our frailty. All humans are the same and are very vulnerable. The only difference is the grace of God upon the disciple to overcome. People need to see us go through trials and tribulations so that they can see the Christ in us who has promised not to leave us nor forsake us. It is in the going and the making of disciples that we are most aware of this promise and its effectiveness.
Apprenticeship is the “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded”. You cannot observe in a vacuum. Yes, there are times for classroom teaching in Sundays and bible studies; but it sticks more when you see and do what you are thought. You get to ask real life questions and pray real time prayers.
One of the first things we do in making disciples is to baptize in water the person who now believes in Christ. Baptism says you are now buried and risen with Christ. Someday in the future you will truly and physically rise with Christ even after you die. There is an empowerment when a disciple is baptized just as when Jesus was baptized. We get “dunked” into the water just as Jesus was baptized, (see Matthew 3:13-17). A disciple does things just like the master did – love, suffer, die, rise and live forever.
So let’s go and make disciples and He will be with us as we go and be and do.
Again, who can you disciple, love, pray for and tell about the love of Jesus today, this week, this month and this year? We must be intentional, otherwise, nothing happens. Let’s go in the power and authority of Jesus. Amen.
The work is already done by Christ. We are only helping to call people to Christ whom He has already chosen. This is like an exam where we already have the answer sheet. Just fill in the blanks. Will you?
PS:
This mini series on the Great commission are some of my reflections in a book I have written that will be published very soon. The title of the book is : "From Incestuous Christianity to Making Disciples: At Least One Sunday a Month." We must move from self absorption and self-gratification to selflessness and see the heart of God for the lost who are heading to hell and do something. Please stay tuned and look for the book. Thank you!
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