I came across this article which investigates what it means to make disciples of all nations as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28 verses 19-20 where He says:
"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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Editorial- Christian News- Christian Action |
| Make disciples of all nations |
| Who would ever think that you or I could fulfill the command of Jesus, make disciples of all nations. |
Let’s examine 5 keys to making disciples of all nations. Success is closer than we might think. Five simple steps put us on a path of fruitfulness, including being serious about what Jesus says, how we live our lives, putting His purposes first in our hearts, and not being satisfied until we see a harvest!!! |
| We all have the tendency to spiritualize things. When we do that, we assume that there is some type of essence to what is being said, but it really doesn’t have anything to do with our lives here and now where all of us live. The enemy doesn’t have a lot of power over us; one thing he can do is deceive us. If we don’t believe that Jesus was serious, we won’t even begin to make disciples – culminating in making disciples of all nations. |
| Is your or my life the type of life that SHOULD be reproduced? Jesus said to pass on to his followers all the things that are important to him. Is that how we live our lives – with Christ in the center and being careful to observe all the things that are important to him? Those we impact will share their faith as much as we do; they will pray like we do; their passion will mirror ours. Making disciples of all nations starts in our own hearts! |
| Jesus ministered with his face ‘set like a flint.’ He knew what his purpose was and he fulfilled that purpose. We have two great Mandates, To love God and to love our neighbor and to go into all the world and make disciples – culminating in the making of disciples of all nations. It will take a lifetime to fulfill this mandate, actually, many lifetimes. The Mandates are given as our mission, but until you and I make them our purpose, the will remain unfilled. Life pushes us off course; constantly re-evaluating our purpose helps keep us on track! |
| Somehow a teaching has crept into the church: God doesn’t call you to be fruitful, just faithful. Hmmm… That is not what I read in John 15. We are to go and bear fruit. Making disciples is the most precious of fruit that we can bear. If a farmer plants a field and the harvest is small, he considers what needs to improve the harvest: water, fertilizer, quality of seed, etc. It is a learning process. The farmer expects to see a harvest if conditions are right. The Kingdom harvest is no different! If conditions are right, if we do our part – the Holy Spirit always draws people and always makes God’s truths real in their lives. Our role is to be responsible and continue to learn the ways of fruitfulness. |
| It takes a lifetime to master a skill. The skill of making disciples is not new – there are those who have mastered the skill. Scripture says that some produce a little harvest while the harvest of others is multiplied! Are we deliberate in finding those who are fruitful? Are we deliberate in learning from them? |
Too many think that there are those special, ‘gifted’ people who are fruitful, and then there is the ‘rest of us.’ If we examine the approach of those who are fruitful, we always find these things: They take Jesus’ command seriously. They deliberately learn to be fruitful and spend time learning from others. They understand that making a skilled follower of Christ starts with me being a skilled follower. These are the things that, if we dedicate our live to them, will create a multiplied impact. Skilled Christ-followers making skilled Christ-followers will make disciples of NATIONS!
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