The Church: Called to Make Disciples

The Church:
Called to Make Disciples
Our LORD Jesus Christ wants you to be His disciple. When He called His disciples, He told them to: "Follow Me!" (Luke 9:23, NKJV). But what then? What do we do as His disciple? Sometimes you wonder why are you still here on the Earth rather than up in Heaven with our beloved LORD? Our Scripture passage from the book of Matthew answers this question in a very simple and direct way.
When Jesus called a fisherman named Simon Peter, He told Him, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men" (Mark 1:17, NKJV). When Jesus calls you to follow Him as a disciple, He gives you a commission to make more disciples.
Here the Bible records some of the last words that Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples. Jesus has been resurrected from the dead proving that He is the LORD, proving that all He taught was true. So He sent the disciples to Galilee where many had first been called by Jesus. There He gave them their mission. Many have called this passage of Scripture "The Great Commission." For the Church of Jesus Christ this commission represents the purpose or the main focus of the Church in the world.
Scripture Passage: Matthew 28:16-20
Main Thought:
The Church of Jesus Christ exists for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ. Every Christian is called to participate in that grand process.
Outline:

Jesus commands His disciples to have a life-focus on making disciples.

Making disciples requires the Church to evangelize, baptize, and teach people the Bible.

As Christians, we make disciples with the authority and presence of the LORD Jesus Christ so there are no limits or constraints to achieving the goal.

[Jesus said]...Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations... (Matthew 28:19a, NKJV)

1. Jesus commands His disciples to have a life-focus on making disciples.
What exactly is a "disciple?"

A disciple is one seeks to know God and do what pleases Him.

A disciple is a Christian -- one who has realized he or she is a sinner, heard the good news of Jesus Christ, and turned to God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

A disciple, then, is a follower of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Jesus' command to ALL of His disciples is to make more disciples! This is like a tree which grows up to bears fruit with seeds in it; The seeds fall to the ground, and the tree multiplies into many more trees. In the same way, a disciple of Jesus Christ is called to multiply.
This command to make disciples creates a personal goal for your life. Your focus in life needs to be on making disciples. If every follower of Jesus Christ has disciple-making as a life-focus, what does that say about the focus of the Church of Jesus Christ? It demands the Church of Jesus Christ have this same focus.
Many churches set aside specific times and events for disciple-making. People gather together for a Bible study, or a time of prayer, or visitation in the community, or fellowship dinners. These are all wonderful events for God's people to use in making disciples as the Church.
But take a closer look at this verse. When Jesus gave this command, He gave it not as a one-time event but as a lifestyle. It can be read, "As you go through life, make disciples of all people" (Matthew 28:19a, paraphrased). The emphasis here is an ongoing lifestyle which has disciple-making as a goal. Jesus knew that there would be many people whose lives would be touched by you. So He has called you to make disciples of those people:

People in your family.

People who are your friends and neighbors.

People at your work place.

People you meet at the grocery store or gas station

All of these people are in a circle with you in the center -- you who are a disciple of Jesus Christ. So as you encounter people, make it your goal in life to lead these people to the LORD Jesus Christ. In this way, they can become His disciples and you can fulfill His goal for your life. Consider also that every person in your circle is in need of the LORD Jesus Christ. Every person needs the forgiveness of sins that can only be found through the death of Jesus Christ. Every person needs eternal life available only through the resurrected LORD Jesus Christ.
This is why Jesus emphasized that you are to make disciples "of all the nations" ( Matthew 28:19a, NKJV). All the nations means all people. There are no limits that exclude anyone from the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
So as you go through life in this world, make it your goal to be a disciple-maker. As the disciples in the Church of Jesus Christ pursue this goal, Jesus will be glorified and His Church will grow.

[Jesus said]...make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a, NKJV)

2. Making disciples requires the Church to evangelize, baptize, and teach people the whole Bible.

a. The Prerequisite of Evangelism
Since a disciple is a follower of the LORD Jesus Christ, it is obvious that the first step in making disciples is evangelism. People who are lost in their sins must be led to the One who can save them from their sins. A sinner is not a follower of Jesus Christ -- one who needs to follow Christ but will not do so. Since the sinner will not go to Christ, evangelism brings the good news of Jesus Christ to the sinner.
So the first step in disciple-making is to evangelize the people in your life.
Look at that circle of people in your life. Consider each person's need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ:

In your own family, you may need to share the good news of Jesus Christ with your wife or husband. Because of your special relationship, share it with tenderness and humility.

You may have children; they need to hear from a very early age that the God who created all things has a special love for them. And He demonstrated His love through giving us His Son, Jesus Christ.

You may have brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents, and other family members who need to hear about Jesus Christ. Again, share the good news with them tenderly and with humility.

In your neighborhood and work place you have friends who need Jesus Christ. If you really consider them to be your friend, you will want more than anything else to see them enter the kingdom of God.

It is a necessary first step in making disciples to share with them the good news of Jesus Christ in order to lead them to salvation. For those who trust in Him, Jesus also commanded us to baptize them "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19b, NKJV).

b. The Importance of Baptism
Baptism is an outward response to the salvation that you have already received by faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Now baptism does not save you -- Jesus Christ saves you! Baptism is a way of identifying a new disciple of Jesus Christ with His church. You may see people in stores wearing a nametag to identify them as an employee of the store. Baptism is a way of identifying you as a new disciple of the the LORD Jesus Christ. It is a testimony to the whole world that you have died to sin and been raised to a new life with Jesus Christ.
The Church takes responsibility for new disciples by baptizing them into a community of other disciples. In the community of the Church, the new disciple can be nurtured in the faith, protected from the world, and grow to maturity.

c. The Challenge of Teaching
The final task of disciple-making involves a teaching ministry. As a disciple-maker, you will teach others to obey Jesus Christ.
This means two things for you as a disciple yourself:

You must know the word of God

You must obey the word of God.

You cannot teach others to obey what you do not even know yourself. And it would be even harder for you to teach others to obey when you do not obey. People do not like a hypocrite. "Do what I say but not what I do" will not convince anyone to obey our LORD.
As an individual, establish a practice of studying the Bible. This is essential for you to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. God will speak to you through His word if you will listen and put it into practice. Be sure that you study God's word in order to know Him better. Study also that you might obey Him more closely. To be an effective disciple-maker, you must demonstrate to others that you are indeed following Jesus Christ.
The Church also performs a vital task in making disciples by teaching the word of God accurately, clearly, and faithfully.

The Pastor preaches and teaches the word of God from the pulpit (2 Timothy 4:2).

God gifts every congregation with people who can teach God's word to smaller groups in the church (1 Corinthians 12:28).

The Church then can provide a variety of small study groups -- for young children, for students, for working adults, for married adults -- to help people apply God's word (Romans 12:6-7).

Both individuals and families in the Church will grow strong in love and faithfulness by studying God's word on a regular basis.

Making disciples is a goal with the specific steps outlined by our LORD Jesus Christ. As individuals and as the Church collectively, we engage in this task of:

evangelism to make a new disciples.

baptism to identify these disciples.

teaching to make them growing disciples.

Every disciple has a part to play in this exciting process. This process multiplies the disciples of Jesus Christ and, as a result, grows the Church of Jesus Christ.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on Earth...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:16-18,20b, NKJV).

3. As Christians, we make disciples with the authority and presence of the LORD Jesus Christ so there are no limits or constraints to achieving the goal.
Making disciples of "all the nations" (Matthew 28:19, NKJV) is a huge task. It is so much bigger than any one person or any one church that it seems impossible. Who could ever hope to achieve such a goal? Who could hope to have the ability to accomplish such a task?
In verse 18, Jesus affirms that He has ALL authority in Heaven and on Earth. There is no other place over which one can exercise authority. Jesus has it all. In fact, it was Jesus' resurrection from the dead that confirmed His authority over all things. Earlier in Jesus' ministry, the religious leaders demanded to know what authority He possessed:

Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:18-19, NIV).

Jesus declared that His resurrection from the dead would be the sign of His authority. Only the LORD could predict His death and resurrection and actually carry it out. Many religions of the world have great leaders who made many great claims for truth and authority. But only one of those leaders ever rose from the dead -- Jesus Christ our LORD!
So Jesus has all the authority of Heaven and Earth and sends out His disciples with that authority. He sends us with full authority to make disciples of all the people in the world. As you share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, remember you have authority to do so. You also have His command to do so. Many people will respond to the good news you share if you accept His authority and carry out His command.
Some will be skeptical. Some will not believe in God because they do not see Him. A frequent response to the truth claims of Jesus Christ is, "I have to see God before I will believe!" Look at verse 17 -- some people saw the resurrected Christ standing right in front of them yet they doubted. Why? The issue is not can you obey God's truth but will you obey. Some people simply do not want to be under the authority of God. As you go forth into the world to make disciples, do not be discouraged by those who resist His will. Go in the authority of Jesus Christ our LORD and you be faithful to His command.
Making disciples is an awesome task. But never be discouraged. Jesus knew that there would be times you would be fearful and discouraged. He knew people might make fun of you, or even become angry at the good news you share. This is why Jesus said, "and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b, NKJV). He gave us His presence to guide us through this task. He gave us His presence to comfort us when we become fearful. He gave us His presence to empower us to finish the job.

Reflect on YOUR Life:
With Jesus, there are no limits, no constraints, and no excuses. He has all the authority and has promised to be with you throughout your life.
So is disciple-making, is it a priority in your life? What about for your church? The command is clear. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we are to make disciples, knowing we have the authority of our LORD in this world to do it and the presence of our LORD to empower us. Let us be about the LORD's business, starting right now.

Our Creator God loves you and wants you to know Him! If you would like to contact this ministry for further information or questions, please send your e-mail to:
Email: ministryrequest1@WordTruth.Com
Web Site: WordTruth.Com
Copyright 2/14/2000, Randy Lariscy.