Throughout much of my young adult life, I wondered what God’s will for my life was. I was hoping that God would write it in the sky telling me exactly what to do for work, who to be friends with, where to serve in the church, who to marry, and so much more. But I quickly learned that’s not how God works.
God has told me what His will for my life is. It’s different from what I expected, but it’s so much better. He has asked me to be faithful and to trust Him with each step of my life. He’s asked me to make the gospel known and to make disciples in whatever context He places me.
At the end of the book of Matthew, we find one of the most important passages in Scripture. It is known as the Great Commission. These verses provide a framework for all believers of the purpose of our Christian lives.
The passage reads, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Embedded in these verses, we find three commands and a promise that can help us understand what God is calling us to.
Go
The first is to go. When Jesus gave this command, he was speaking to his disciples. He was about to ascend to heaven, and He was leaving the disciples with the mission to keep moving the gospel forward.
As we turn over to the book of Acts, we find that these men began to boldly proclaim the truth that Jesus is alive, and salvation is found in Him through faith. The Church began, and the message of the gospel started to spread.
Acts 1:8 tells us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”
This is what the disciples and the members of the early church did. They went. The truth of the gospel changed everything in their lives. They knew that nothing in this world was worth holding on to if it meant that people could hear the truth of the gospel.
The men and women of the early church moved and traveled and shared. They shared with someone who shared with someone who shared with someone and continued on until today. Their faithfulness and trust in Jesus led to our hearing the gospel today. Had they not listened and obeyed, the truth of the gospel would have died out quickly, but it didn’t. Nothing can stop the Lord’s plan. Now, we too are invited into this same mission.
Though Jesus physically spoke these words to the disciples, they are still true and applicable to us today. This command to go is for all believers.
For some of you, that may mean moving to the other side of the world to take the gospel into a country where it has never gone before. For others, it may mean going across the state to help start a church in an area where there aren’t many churches. It may mean going across the street to engage with your neighbor who has never heard the truth of Jesus before.
Whatever it may be, we were not called to sit in comfort and keep the truth of Jesus to ourselves. We live in a hurting world that desperately needs hope, and we have the message of hope. Who do you know that needs to hear it?
Make Disciples
The second part of the Great Commission is to make disciples. A disciple is someone who learns, follows, and replicates. As believers, we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We are to spend time with Jesus in His Word, learn from the way that He lived, surround ourselves with other believers, and ask for accountability in our walk with Christ.
Being a disciple is not something that should cause us to isolate. It should instead lead us to integrate our lives with other believers in the church. We are all on the same mission together. We are to dedicate our lives to being surrendered to Jesus. We allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and lives to make us more into the image of Christ. This is the process of sanctification.
From there, we are to make disciples. This can sound overwhelming and sometimes vague. If we want to know what it looks like to make disciples, we look to the ultimate disciple maker, Jesus.
Jesus shared His life with His disciples. These men lived together, shared meals, worked together, and learned from Christ. We are to do the same. We are to share our lives with others. Bring them along to our own growth and invite them to join in.
This could be grabbing a younger woman around you to go on regular walks together to talk about faith. It could be grabbing a friend or acquaintance that may be a few steps behind you in their walk with Jesus to help her learn more about God’s Word. It could be serving within a ministry at church and intentionally asking to be with women that you don’t know or that may be younger than you to begin building relationships.
We are called to be disciples who make disciples. It’s one of the greatest privileges of the Christian life. The God of the Universe calls us to be ambassadors for Him. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!
Teaching Them to Obey
The third aspect of the Great Commission is to teach. Yes, we are to share our lives. But as we do this, we are to teach others the commands of Scripture. We don’t just merely want to make moral disciples or even disciples who know a lot about the Bible. We want to teach others to obey Christ’s commands.
God gave us Scripture so that we can understand His character, His will, His plan for the world, and how He wants us to live so that we can flourish.
Some may hear this and think, “I can’t do that. I don’t know enough about the Bible.” I want to remind you that Jesus called regular, ordinary men to follow Him. He didn’t ask them to have the Torah memorized before following Him. He simply asked them to come.
Jesus isn’t asking you to be a Bible scholar. He’s simply asking you to be available and faithful. The Holy Spirit lives inside of you if you are in Christ. Because of this, He will equip you and guide you as you speak and teach.
Remember, we grow in our understanding of God as we follow Him closely. Our role is simply to share what we’re learning and then to learn together.
I Am with You Always
The final portion of the Great Commission is a promise. Jesus promises to be with us to the end of the age. He didn’t ascend to heaven and say, “Good luck. I’ll see you later. Let me know how it goes.” No, He gave us His very Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to be with us always.
As stated earlier, the Holy Spirit’s role is to guide, empower, convict, encourage, and so much more. So when we enter into a conversation where we have the opportunity to share the gospel, it’s the Holy Spirit who will give us the words.
When we’re scared about asking that acquaintance about getting together to study the Bible, the Holy Spirit will be the one to give you the strength and understanding of what to do. When we’re unsure about where the Lord would be calling us to go next, the Holy Spirit is the one who will direct and guide each of our steps.
The Great Commission is an invitation for you and I to join Jesus in bringing others back to a relationship with God. The question is…will you join Him?
