Do you know what Jesus said RIGHT BEFORE He ascended from this earth?
“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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and surely I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19)
This is literally the final instruction that Jesus gave to his first disciples.
Do you notice what Jesus DOES NOT SAY?
He DOES NOT SAY, “Don’t worry, I will go and I make disciples for you.”
Jesus is talking to His disciples; His followers.
Jesus tells THEM TO GO and make disciples.
What is a disciple?
The Greek word for disciple means pupil or learner.
As a disciple of Jesus, we learn from Jesus.
Then, as we learn from Jesus, we DO what we have learned.
“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)
The original disciples made disciples; Then their disciples made disciples; Then their disciples made disciples…
And….
On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on it went until THIS VERY DAY!
So WHO are Jesus’s disciples today?
AND
Maybe you have heard the following statements or maybe you have said them yourself:
“Yes, I believe in Jesus, but I don’t believe that I should be preaching to anyone.”
Or
“I don’t think that anyone should preach the Bible to me.”
God’s Word tells us JUST THE OPPOSITE of these statements.
Here is what we read in Romans 10:13:
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
“God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter3:9)
Remember, followers of Jesus are the BODY of Christ.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Once we are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, WE are Jesus’s feet, hands and voice in this world.
We are to GO, DO and SPEAK for Jesus.
AND MAKE DISCIPLES!