Make the Great Commission Visible

By Mike Henry Sr.

Jesus last command was that we make disciples. It is from a passage in Matthew called the Great Commission.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NASB

Make the Great Commission Visible | Follower of OneThe Barna Group recently published an article stating 51% of people who claim to be Christians don’t recognize the Great Commission. But an even better question might be, “How many of us think about the Great Commission more than once a week?”

Actions Expose Beliefs

As a follower of Jesus, my life exposes my own interpretation of this command. The way I spend my money and time prove my beliefs. Like any other interpretation, a variety of options exist.

First, I can interpret Jesus’ instruction to make disciples as meaningless or not applicable to my own life. But, when I do nothing to make disciples, I expose the gap in my own reality. I would be like those who claim membership in a political party but never vote.

Or, shouldn’t someone else make disciples? I wonder how many interpret this as a command to pastors and local church staff members or people with the “gift” of evangelism. We often believe “someone” or “they” should do something about a particular issue. Maybe we believe “the church” should do something to “make disciples,” too.

Maybe we believe this command has expired. We can’t “force” our religion on anyone else or threaten them with eternal damnation. So, maybe the practice of making disciples, like the practice of winding a watch, is simply no longer applicable. Some people may do it out of nostalgia, but anyone who wants to become a disciple can get up and go to church on Sunday, right?

Make the Great Commission Visible | Follower of OneI believe the most rewarding life and work is to make disciples. But I fall short, too. In fact, we all do (Romans 3:23). I want to help believers take part in the Great Commission. My goal in every interaction with people is to help them move one notch closer to Jesus. But traditional methods, like inviting people to some event, or trying to insert Jesus into every conversation, simply don’t work any more. If we truly want to make disciples, we must find other ways.

Give Your Life Away

What if we gave our lives away? A church I attended years ago had this as part of their mission, equipping believers to give their lives away. Serve others without a word. Do modern-day versions of the bible’s commands to love others without expecting anything in return. Ask God to show you how to look out for others. Be willing to act, to do something extra. Get your job done ahead of time so you’re free to help your coworkers.

Let’s simply live like we trust Jesus to represent himself through our actions. Tweet This

People watch Jesus’ followers. Every person I’ve asked, who doesn’t follow Jesus, told me they choose not to follow Him because of His followers. I’m sure I’ve done things that obscure Jesus, too.

My first step in making disciples is to make myself one. I’ll talk more in future posts about my idea of what it means to be a disciple. Feel free to share your thoughts below also. Thanks!

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

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