"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 we are 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
We can do this, ONLY in the Power of the Holy Spirit!
Its why the disciples were asked to WAIT, till they received the gifts that would enable them to disciple people, with wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, service, leadership and service, prophesying (preaching) , and teaching the Word, in different languages, and using their gifts of discernment to understand what exactly needed to be done for a person in any situation.
It is easy to preach and teach the commandments of the LORD, and baptize them, but WE HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO MAKE DISCIPLES! This work of Fishing for Men, is a work of the Spirit, NOT of Man.. It is HE that will draw His sheep to hear His Voice, it is HE, that will indwell and sanctify them, it is HE, that will regenerate them by transforming them and renewing their mind!
This commandment is not just for Preachers, Pastors, and MIssionaries. This Commandment is for every disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ, who has given US the SAME Power, Authority, and Mandate, to be SALT & LIGHT to the WORLD AROUND US, to be witnesses of His Love by our Love and Actions to those that we come in contact with daily!
It is OUR responsibility to grow in the WORD, to learn to discern the GOOD & PERFECT WILL of GOD, and do THAT, instead of busying ourselves with Works that are DEAD (pushing up church attendance, or offering worshippers an ecstatic "experience"). We are to be the keepers of sound doctrine, watching against every perversion that will come against the church (Read Jesus' critique of 7 types of c hurches in the book of Revelation to understand the pitfalls that may arise).
This is why HOME BASED Churches are the focus of this website, and its teaching - Discipleship is a PRACTICAL day to day walk, of loving our fallen brothers and sisters, and extending that love to those that have not yet come to a saving faith in Christ. It is not about large congregations, elaborate premises, flashy music and audio visuals, live streaming etc. All those are MEANS TO AN END...
If you/your Church does not have a SMALL Group ministry, that is walking diligently through the Word, and sharing in fellowship in their own homes, we fear that your congregation may be ill equipped to do the works that are expected of them in the world OUTSIDE the church, which is the mission field! If they cannot love their brother/sister they CAN SEE, or share their home / blessings with the church of God, how will they exhibhit those characteristics to the larger world?
God is not interested in numbers, He is interested in a FRUITFUL PEOPLE.... having a large congregation that does not bear fruit is a WASTE of the Pastors time & energy!
Pastors, here is a message for you. Building the church of God is NOT YOUR JOB... it is the work of the Spirit, with whom we are co-laborers. DO NOT burn out by trying to minister to a hungry maw that is never satisfied, or cast your pearls before swine. Focus, like Gideon, on the people that will HEAR & KEEP the Word, and invest your time & energy on feeding them... THEY, in turn, will be the engine that will create SIMILAR BELIEVERS that will make a difference in the area where you church is. Ministries will naturally flow as you encourage these believers to find and exercise their gifts under the leadership and guidance of the church.
The Acts church, the practice of Saul/Paul, as he built up elders in every church that he planted and trusted GOD, to take care of them -- should be the model. Don't be fooled by the cuurrent wisdom of "Church Growth" or "Follower counts " on Social Media. NONE OF THAT MATTERS ! We are given the example of yeast, "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump"... as THE biblical model for growing the Kingdom of God -- a small kernel of dedicated people are all you need, and you DON'T need to create large ministries or do great things... the fields around you are WHITE ALREADY!
We pray the LORD will mightily use those whose heart is right before HIm, for His Service!
Hallelujah!
