Why Make Disciples: Part 2

Last week I concluded that we make disciples for one key reason: “because the one who sits on the throne commands it. He commands it so that through us others might dip their robes in the blood of the Lamb, enjoy serving their King, experience the shelter of the Lamb, be lead to living water by the one true Shepherd, and have God himself dab their tear filled eyes. We make disciples because God is redeeming a people for His son the Lamb!”

This week we look at the risen crucified Lord Jesus’ command to make disciples of “all nations,” in Matthew 28:18-20:

“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.”

Given the history of God’s people, the Israelites, “all nations” would be understood as evil nations. The nations were pagan. The nations were those who worshipped false gods and did not have a covenant with Yahweh.

What does this mean?

It means that when Jesus rises from the dead and gives his final instruction to his disciples he tells them to go and “make disciples” not just from within the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, but outside of God’s chosen people to the idol worshippers. No longer is God operating under his former covenant with Israel where he promised to protect his people from the nations, or discipline his people through the nations.

Now, because God has fulfilled his former covenant with Israel through his promised Son Jesus Christ, God commands his people (those who trust in Christ) through Christ to reach the nations with the good news of his Son.

How does this get us back to our question “Why make disciples?”

If I am scared of the nations, or fearful of people who do not know Jesus, how can I ever reach them? Or, what if I don’t care about the people living in darkness around me at all? Am I really convinced that God is calling me to make disciples of the people around me who do not know him? Well, as we mentioned last week, my words might answer this last question with a “yes,” but what do my prayers and actions reflect?

We make disciples because God is aimed at making disciples of all nations. He is focused on making life-long followers of Jesus out of people who have never submitted to God at all. In fact, a sign of growth and maturity for any Christ follower is that they are seriously attempting to make disciples of those living in darkness around them, and around the world.

We are saved by what Christ has done, and the Holy Spirit then indwells us and forms us more into the image and likeness of Christ. What is Christ like? He desires to do the will of his Father. He trusts in the power of the Holy Spirit. He leaves his place with his Father to reach those living in darkness with the light of the good news. He makes disciples. He feeds on the Word. He seeks to reconcile people to His Father.

We make disciples because God has commanded us to, because God is redeeming a people for himself to worship His Son eternally, and because God desires to reach those living in darkness through us.

As I said last week, this is really hard to remember when my kid wakes up in the middle of the night. It’s difficult to remember when we are constantly going to the next thing. But I need God to change my heart to believe that this, making disciples, is my main thing, it is our main thing as a congregation. Everything else we do in life is just the tools we use to accomplish our main purpose of growing people toward Jesus, and growing people in Jesus.

Let’s pray that we would be united in “why” we make disciples and that God would change us into people who believe “making disciples” is their main thing.

Persevere,
Joey Turner

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