The Great Commission! “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19. Recently, I have been pondering what Christian discipleship really means.
I think most believers have the Great Commission figured out; at least the first part of it. However, there is another verse that is part of the directive that often gets overlooked. As a result, people are left on their own to try and figure out what it means to be a Christian disciple.
Let’s look at the second part of the Great Commission; Matthew 28:20. “…and teaching them to ob
ey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” What about life on life? What about obedience? What about the daily, nitty gritty decisions we all make? This is where Christian discipleship comes into play. It’s people getting involved in other people’s lives, spending time together in community and family, being accountable to another person. Yes, it can get messy, but that’s where the growth takes place.
It’s not enough to lead someone to Christ. We are responsible to train them to reproduce. So, we hang out with them, encourage them, answer and ask questions, challenge them and point them to the Father. We don’t want to leave them as newborn babies who grow fat on milk. Just like we desire to see our own children grow up and become responsible adults, true Christian discipleship raises up new believers to seek the Lord, be fed by him and give to others.
