The Call to Make Disciples

 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16

I’ve often told folks that the two most humbling things in life are trying to build a God pleasing marriage and effectively parenting children. Perhaps the third is making disciples that overcome and help make other disciples of Jesus Christ. But a more positive way to look at these three things is nothing will bear more fruit that lasts or remains throughout eternity than investing in one’s marriage, one’s kids, and one’s disciples (that is people we are helping become Jesus's disciples).

I finished my daily readings in the book of Matthew about six days ago and when I got to what we call “the great commission passage” in Matthew 28:19,20, which I will refer to later, I knew it was time for me to revisit this most important subject. I knew the Lord was asking me to “strengthen the weak knees” (Hebrews 12:12) in this most crucial life work.

I’ve known since late high school years that Jesus calls us to be disciples and to make disciples. Few things in life are more important, and have proved to be more difficult and challenging.

One of the great snares in church life is being content to just have a “successful” and active, busy, seemingly happy church, and not being focused on making every man, woman, young person and child an ever more devoted disciple of Jesus.

Well let’s dive into this great calling and most urgent work by first refreshing ourselves on Jesus’s Call to Be Disciples. Jesus clearly in His short time on earth was after disciples or devoted followers, not just big crowds and occasional attenders. Here are a few examples of that in His daily dealings with men and women:

“And He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Matt. 4:19 Jesus said this to specific individuals that He wanted to invest His life in. Actually in one way or another He said it to everyone He ever encountered if there was time and opportunity for a conversation. And He wanted them to know that the expected result of following Him is that each of us would be people who reach and help disciple others.

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23  This is an appeal to the crowds, an appeal which always served to thin them. And it is an appeal to daily, heart felt, fleshed out devotion to Jesus.

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31,32  The word “truly” before “disciples” implies He is after followers who will follow Him to the end, enduring any and every difficulty and hardship along the way. Each of the four gospels give us numerous examples of Jesus commanding crowds and individuals to follow Him. Some did. Some did not. Some acted like they would but gave lame excuses that Jesus was quick to point out as lame excuses.

Perhaps it would be helpful if we look at Jesus’s Example of Making Disciples, specifically the twelve.

“And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.”  Mark 3:13-15  Please note that Jesus first wanted these men to be "with Him". Discipleship can never be relegated to a sermon in a pulpit, or a conference or seminar or a classroom or a program. It has to be relational. Thank God that Jesus doesn’t just want our service, but He wants us! Second, Jesus expected these men to be send-able to preach and proclaim the good news of the kingdom. And third He expected them to grow in authority to cast out demons just as He did.

One thing I find interesting and convicting about this passage is the context of Jesus getting away up on a mountain with these men is huge crowds were following Him right up to that point (see vs. 7-10). Jesus could have gloried in His popularity with the crowds, but He knew only true disciples could/would be able to finish the work He started after He departed.

Do you  know that Jesus actually at times tried to hide with His disciples? “From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; …”  Mark 9:30, 31  He wasn’t hiding as if checking out of the fight. He was hiding with His disciples so He could focus on His disciples. Now I realize that after Jesus rose from the dead and before His ascension He appeared to over 500 people. But even in those forty days His focus was the 11 disciples (see Acts 1:2,3).

I read this two days ago in my daily readings through the gospel of Mark, “With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to his own disciples.” Mark 4:33,34  The “them” of course refers to the crowds. But when His appointed time with the crowd was over, He again sought focused alone time with His chosen disciples.

Jesus continued to minister to the crowds, but at every opportunity He was training and discipling the twelve, with a more specialized focus on Peter, James and John. And beyond that we find Him giving focused attention to the blind man He healed in John 9, the Samaritan woman in John 4, and many others. Jesus never wasted a second with any person He encountered – making the most of every opportunity to help any and every person learn to know and follow Him.

Oh to be more like Him and to see every individual I encounter as He does and to not waste God given opportunities!! John the apostle eventually learned to do that and He reminds would be followers of Jesus that we must be ever more familiar with Jesus’s example so we can follow it, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” I John 2:6  Holy Spirit please help us study and discern Jesus’s manner with men (and women) and make it our own!

Well before we go any further let’s make sure we see what we need to see from Jesus’s clarion call to make disciples in Matthew 28:18-20

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the 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.” Please observe that in the Greek “Go” is not a command. In the Greek it is not in the imperative form. Rather it is a participle like baptizing and teaching are. The only imperative command in this passage is “make disciples” and we make disciples by going wherever He leads us – always looking for opportunities to help people come to know and begin to follow Jesus. Teaching can actually start before they are converted/born again. Baptizing obviously follows conversion, as it is a picture of one’s conversion. And what are we to teach would be/potential disciples? Everything that Jesus commanded us, which of course - the more familiar with and pursuing of these things we are, the more we can help others pursue and obey them.

I referred earlier to the challenge it has been in the busyness of life to stay focused on making disciples and to do it effectively. But two things that have helped me stay at it are first His assurance that He has authority over every person and every situation I will ever encounter in the process of trying to make disciples (vs. 18). And second this wonderful promise that He will be with me every step of the way (vs. 20).

Well I want to dive into this a little more, but my time is up for now. May the Holy Spirit re-ignite and re-focus all of us in this quest to help everyone we ever encounter and especially those He has called us to invest in and focus on to ever more be His faithful and fruitful disciples.