In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." This is not a suggestion for those who feel called to ministry. It is a command given to every believer who bears the name of Christ.
There is a critical distinction in the language that is often missed. Jesus said make disciples, not make converts. A convert is someone who has made a decision. A disciple is someone whose life is being shaped by the teachings and character of Jesus Christ. The church has been far more successful at producing converts than at producing disciples, and this gap is the source of much of the shallowness we see in modern Christianity.
Discipleship Is Personal
Discipleship is intentional, personal, and costly. It requires relationship. You cannot disciple someone from a distance or from a platform alone. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that he had been willing to share not only the gospel but his very soul with them, because they had become dear to him. That is the posture of a disciplemaker.
The command to go is not limited to those with a missionary calling. It begins with the person next to you. Your colleague, your neighbour, your family member who does not yet know Christ. The field is wherever you are planted. The commission begins the moment you walk out of any church gathering.
You Do Not Go Alone
Jesus also promised His presence in the midst of this commission. "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." The same authority and presence that raised Christ from the dead is available to every believer who obeys this command. You do not go alone.
Ask yourself today: is there someone in your life you are intentionally discipling? If the answer is no, that is where obedience to the Great Commission begins.
Share this article