From the Book, Rules For Life: According To Jesus
31. Make Disciples
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
I have to confess a certain bent in this matter. You see, His command is to “make disciples”; not “evangelize”. And yet, how many of us (who actually do anything at all), go out and evangelize, without making disciples? And what’s the difference anyway?
To evangelize is to share the Good News with others. It is done for one or many at the same time. Jesus did take part in evangelism when He spoke to the crowds. But then when He was alone with His disciples, He discipled them. To disciple (or make a disciple) is to go beyond the Good News and teach them everything about the kingdom (as much as possible).
My bent is toward discipleship; not evangelism—although I still do both. If we are discipling, we are also evangelizing; but the reverse is not true of evangelism.
We do not evangelize believers; we disciple them. But we can disciple those who are not yet believers.
Here’s how this works, practically: If you know someone whom you see on a regular basis, it would be better to disciple that person. If you only see someone once or twice in your lifetime, it might be appropriate to simply evangelize (although always discipling is always appropriate, in my view).
So, one way to disciple others is to give them reading material on the commands of Christ (like this one). How easy is that? But, you need to be familiar with the material in this book, so that you can disciple others when you don’t have it on you. And always follow up with those you can.
This very blog is an example of discipling. It can be read by believers and those who are not yet believers, alike. Jesus says to, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you”. And that’s exactly what this blog does.
However you do this, you must follow Peter’s lead:
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
1 Peter 3:13-17
Make disciples, it’s a command from Jesus.
Previous – Be Merciful | Next – Be Ready
Sections in this study:
Introduction
1: Repent
2: Be Born Again
3: Place God First
4: Love and Serve One Another
5: Live By Faith
6: Forgive Others
7: Remain in Jesus
8: Live Righteously Before Men
9: Avoid Bad Influences
10: Stay On The Narrow Path
11: Do Not Return Evil With Evil
12: Give More Than Is Demanded
13: Love Your Enemies
14: Check Your Motives
15: Pray Simply
16: Do Not Worry
17: Store Up Treasures In Heaven
18: Do Not Be Judgmental
19: Guard what is Sacred
20: Care For Those In Distress
21: Do Not Swear Oaths
22: Watch out for false prophets
23: Exercise Spiritual Power
24: Have Childlike Faith
25: Do Not Exalt Yourself
26: Settle Disputes Quickly
27: Settle Disputes Between Believers
28: Do not Oppose Brethren
29: Remember Me
30: Be Merciful
31: Make Disciples
32: Be Ready
33: Obey Jesus’ Commands
Closing Comments
