The Great Commission

Most Christians have memorized Matthew 28:18-20, which states that we need to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.  Many Christians believe that verse is a priority for Christians to live their lives; however, it’s one thing to believe and another thing to do.  James states that if we don’t have works with our faith, then our faith is dead.  As I look around at the state of affairs of our country, we need to question if our faith is dead or alive.

In a recent online conversation, someone chastised me that as Christians we need to stay away from evil people and just be safe in our Christian circles.  Then, we sit back and blast the evil people for being evil and doing evil acts.  It wasn’t the whole conversation, but it was the gist of it. If we want people to have Christian values, then as Christians, we have to go places where there are no Christians and represent Christ as He is and not who we make him out to be.  We have to be like Jesus who met with the woman at the well and who ate at Zacchaeus’s house before he changed. 

We cannot blast people for behaving like non-Christians when they are not Christians.  We cannot excuse Christians for behaving like non-Christians.  We must do better.  We must follow the Great commission.  We have to read it in its entirety.  The Great Commission says to make disciples.  We don’t do that.  We just bring people to Jesus and let them sink or swim on their own.  Very few Christian communities set up a discipleship ministry. 

Discipleship is not waving your finger at someone and telling them what they can and cannot do as a Christian.  Discipleship is going through scripture together, confessing sins to each other, and praying for each other.  Discipleship consists of community that is genuine, committed, and deep.  Discipleship means that we invest into the lives of someone else or to a group of people.  If we begin to invest in one another with community as Christians, then our society would begin to see a faith that is alive. 

Recently, I joined a group that is keeping one another accountable with our goals for the year of 2019.  All of us are Christians that instead of chastising, we give advice of how someone can begin to make positive changes to continue with her goals.  We all know our flaws and sins.  We really don’t need someone to point them out to us.  We could use some encouragement to continue to move forward. 

All of us need someone to guide us.  Jesus was the ultimate teacher for his disciples.  The church was created to make disciples.  That means as individuals we are all creating disciples.  We are not relying on the pastor or staff members only.  We are building others up.  Then, when those who are not Christians see how we are loving and lifting each other up, they will want what we have.  Then, Christians will no longer fear to go to all parts of the world, no matter how evil they think the parts may be.  It all starts with us obeying the command of Jesus.  Love God.  Love others.