By Allen White
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Could you imagine being one of the eleven disciples meeting Jesus after His resurrection? “ They worshipped him; but some doubted.” What a remarkable sentence. They all worship, but they didn’t all believe.
[Jesus and Disciples pic]
If you and I were in that group, you bet we would have believed. We would have written a bestselling book, worked the talk show circuit, and maybe even made a movie about it. There He was right in front of us, how could you doubt? And, how could you worship and doubt?
Maybe they didn’t trust themselves. Maybe their heads hadn’t caught up with their hearts. This event fell into a category completely of its own. There was no point of reference for something like this.
Jesus gave His disciples, including us, one of His last commands: the Great Commission. But, notice the Great Commission is bookended by two of Jesus’ divine attributes: “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is omnipotence. God is all powerful. Then, Jesus adds at the end, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is His omnipresence. God is present everywhere all of the time.
With God’s power and God’s presence with us, Jesus commissions us to “go and make disciples.” Not just pastors. Not just evangelists. But, all of His disciples.
Now, for some this evokes the terror of knocking on a stranger’s door and asking, “If you were to die tonight, do you know where you’d spend eternity?” Door to door evangelism is not my cup of tea. But, don’t get me wrong, there are folks with the gift of evangelism, who can witness starting with any conversation.
But, how are you making disciples? How are you investing in the lives of others? Who are you taking under your wing and showing them the way?
This doesn’t need to be forced. You have friends, right? Why not invite your friends to a Bible study with you? Use a DVD curriculum. You don’t have to be the expert. The Bible scholar is on the DVD. Think about the people in your life – who would enjoy or benefit from this study. Then, invite them.
Your children, your neighbors and co-workers, maybe even your acquaintances are your mission field. Reach out to them. Show them kindness. Invite them over. Love them. Serve them. Help them. This is the heart of making disciples.
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