"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". - Matthew 28:19-20
The Great Commission. A final command. The seed from which the church has grown. The cornerstone of missionary endeavors , the inspirational life verse for so many saints and one of the most quoted passages in scripture.
There is, however, a core truth in this passage that evades most peoples understanding even though it stares us in the face. Most of us take this as an order to preach the gospel far and wide, and His Word through the pens of the apostles and prophets, indeed does exhort us to do just that ( How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim glad tidings! ) - but careful reading of the text yields the startling observation that what we are REALLY asked to do is make Disciples!
Preaching the Gospel is a laborious exercise, and the domain of those the Spirit gives the gift of evangelism. But that is only 20% of the focus! Listen to the apostle Paul ..." And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.." Eph 4:11-12
What do you think the focus is? Even the end goal of evangelism is related to training for ministry and body building!!!
Compared to the investment needed for discipleship, preaching is easy. Discipleship demands an active involvement in the life of others as opposed to funding a missionary, or handing out a tract and walking away ( Extreme examples used here to highlight the point) . Discipleship implies a continuous walking alongside. Encouragement and exhortation. Joy ( when we see growth ) and great sorrow when we see backsliding. Forgiveness of faults and wrongs. Patience in waiting for God to do His work in peoples lives. Diligence in rightly dividing the Word of truth. Feeding the sheep and lambs ( What Peter was commanded to do by our risen Lord ) with the Word of God. The agonies and the ecstasies of a pastor are expressed so beautifully in Pauls letters to his congregations....
The intimacy of Discipleship also leaves no room for either party ( teacher/student ) to hide each other's shortcomings. You can fake it for a while but if there is a difference between the words and actions of either party it becomes very evident. The walk has to match the talk! Our God is wise indeed!
You may say you don't have any of the gifts or callings above, but I am 100% positive that all the saints are called to be loving servants in the model of our Lord, who personally invested in the lives of His disciples,and that's what the Spiritual Gifts are all about!
So... if you are new to the faith, your responsibility is to be discipled - in the Word, in the Walk, in doctrine and deed. If you are a seasoned saint, you must discover and exercise your gifts in service to the body of Christ.
It's not a suggestion... it's a command from the lips of our Lord Himself! And the rewards are stupendous!
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods."
- Matthew 24:45-47