Discipleship
The Great Commission - Part Two
Making Converts vs. True Discipleship
True Discipleship takes more effort than just a surface knowledge of who Jesus is.
Converts are people who have just received or accepted the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior.
Disciples are those who not only believe it, but are pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus, seeking to follow in His footsteps and apply His teachings to their everyday lives.
One of the key ingredients to producing the intended result is time. You must invest time in those whom you lead to the Lord, in order to help them understand and apply the teachings of Jesus.
What Is My Role?
Let's take a more in depth look at what Jesus actually said to His followers in Matthew 28:18-20
"All power is given to me in heaven and in earth." verse 18
Jesus declares that He has the authority to give the command that is to follow.
"Go therefore, and teach all nations (make disciples of all nations), baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;" verse 19
Some translations use the phrase "teach all nations" others use "make disciples of all nations". Either way the idea is the same. Once someone comes to understand who Jesus is, it is necessary to teach them how to follow His teachings and obey His commands, for their own benefit.
"Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you," verse 20
Jesus gives a clear instruction on what to teach them. We are to teach the things that Jesus taught, about Himself, heaven, daily living, relationships, money, etc.
It is therefore vital for us to study Jesus' teachings in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in order to gain an understanding for our own lives and in order to effectively and correctly teach others to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Special Note - It is also worthy to note here that we are not trying to make members for "our church", but our focus is on helping people to follow Jesus. The result of that endeavor may be that more people attend church with us, but our primary goal needs to be leading them to Jesus and His teachings.
More Good News
In the final part of verse 20, Jesus declares,
"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus gives us The Great Commission and authority to carry it out, but gives us the assurance that we do not have to do it alone. He is with us!!
Pray about how God would use you to carry out The Great Commission. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to the people that need to hear the message from you. If God leads you to a task, He will also equip you to carry it out.
It is not an accident that you are reading this material on this website. God wants you to be equipped to reach others for Him. The fact that He led you here is a signal that He wants to use you in His service!
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2Timothy 2:15
Click Here For More Discipleship Resources
Go To Home Page
