Make Disciples for Jesus

Matthew 28:18-20 Two weeks ago I wrote the article titled “Christians, Yes, Jesus, No.” The main idea of this article is that the world accepts Christians, but it does not accept Jesus. In this article I want to emphasize that the primary task of the church is to make Jesus known in the world. I will use the words of Jesus that is known as the “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:18-20. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (NASB). Everything that a Christian does is to be for the purpose of making disciples for Jesus Christ. The many and various ministries of any church are of no redeeming value if it is not for the purpose of making disciples for Jesus Christ. There are three ideas that I want to point out that is found in this passage of scripture. First, the church receives its authority from Jesus. It is unfortunate but too often it seems as if the church acts as if she receives her authority from the world. When a church wants to be accepted and approved by the world it gets in danger of receiving and transmitting the message of the world. For example, in the last two weeks I have been noticing on the television news that there have been many marches and protests about various issues in this country; most recently the executive orders by President Trump on vetting of persons coming from some countries and the building of a wall on the border that separates our country from Mexico. I have noticed that people are carrying signs that make statements about what Christians do or do not do. Do you know what I have not seen? I have not seen any signs that mention the authority of Jesus. The authority that is mentioned most often is the authority that comes from American values. So, again I say, people accept Christians as long as Christians comply with their demands. At the same time Christians are not to let the name Jesus come between their lips and especially to tell what Jesus says about the issue. In this text Jesus gives His disciples and assignment. They are to make disciples of people of all nations. The Jews in Jesus’ day thought that the Messiah would come for Jews only. However, consistent with the promise God makes to Abram (Abraham), the seed of Abraham comes to bless all people (Gen. 12:3). God says, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (NASB). Paul the apostle writes, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, ‘All nations will be blessed in you’” (Gal. 3:8, NASB). Further, Paul writes, “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ” (Gal. 3:16, NASB). Does the church seek to make disciples for Jesus, or is the church more concerned about its own standards of righteousness gained by works? Does the church have its own political, social, and economic agenda that caters to only a select group of people? Has the church become a tool that the world uses when the world sees a need for it? What does Jesus tell His disciples to do to make disciples of all people? Jesus gives the disciples three things to do. The Greek word in verse nineteen matheteuo is translated as “teach” in the King James Version and “make disciples” in the NASB. The word means to preach or declare. In particular they are to declare that Jesus is the Son of God who has come to take away the sins of the world. In so doing, Jesus gives us access to the Father (John 14:6) and the opportunity to have eternal life (John 11:23-27). The disciples are to baptize those who believe the gospel in the “name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The believer makes a public declaration that she or he is purified from their sins and are taking on the righteousness of God. Matthew uses this formula because the Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit is not just some divine attribute of God. Rather, the formula asserts that God is three persons united together into one. For the Jews, this statement answers the question: How can God be three when the “Shema” says that God is one? ‘“Hear O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut. 6:4, NASB). The disciples are to make disciples by teaching believers “to observe all that I command you” (v. 20). Jesus says this because His teachings do not agree with the teaching of the Pharisees. The Pharisees and Sadducees are the keepers of the Law of Moses. However, their teachings do not convey God’s intentions for what is said in the Law. Jesus’ apostles are to teach the people the difference between what the Pharisees say and what Jesus says. Jesus is not out to eliminate the office of the Pharisees, but His disciples must give priority to what Jesus teach as opposed to what the Pharisees and Sadducees teach. “And Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’” (Matt. 16:16, NASB). When I listen to the messages of many churches I hear them say that they are doing what Christ commands them to do. This is the problem that I have observed. Churches want their members to be more concerned about meeting the material needs of the community than the people developing their relationship to Jesus. The churches are teaching their members to do good works, but it is often slack in teaching its members the moral, ethical, and especially the spiritual qualities that unite us with Christ. We fail to realize that that the more people live according to the commands of Jesus the fewer problems and situations that society will have that require church ministries. For example: If husbands will love their wives as Christ loves the church there will be less domestic violence which often leads to physical abuse of children and many problems that accompany abuse and neglect. In order to be a disciple of Jesus it is necessary for us to know His words; His mind; and his heart. A disciple must stay connected to his/her master. Thus, a disciple of Christ must commune with Him by learning His teachings, communicating with Him in prayer, and by having fellowship with other believers. Jesus gives His disciples assurance that He will be with them always. “And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (v. 20). This statement can be applied in two ways. First, He will be with them as they go about the task of making disciples. This implies that if ministry is carried out for reasons other than making disciples there is no assurance that Jesus will be present with the disciples. I believe that this is what Jesus is saying primarily. In addition, Jesus assures all of His disciples throughout the ages that Jesus is present with them.