Make disciples

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

I recently heard a pastor speak about these verses. There are 4 instructions/commands found there. Of them, in the original Greek, make disciples is the primary verb, with the other 3 being supporting/describing verbs. In other words, make disciples as you are going, baptizing & teaching.

I love this. As we prepare for Nepal, we can keep in front of us our primary goal - that of making disciples. We'll do that by going, (baptizing), & making disciples.

Actually, we probably won't baptize anyone, for cultural reasons. But the precept is still there:

To make disciples, first we must GO: reach out, love, serve, build relationship, tell the good news of Jesus, offer opportunities for people to believe in Him.

Second, we must move them toward BAPTISM: this is a process of repentance, surrender, obedience, death to self.

Third, we must teach people to OBEY: This is making the most of every opportunity to be a witness for Him, praying for people, sharing the Word, speaking His truth.

Thank you, Father, that in Your strength we get to partner with you in moving people toward clearer knowledge of You, deeper relationship to You, fuller surrender to You, more complete obedience to You. Help me to, in humility, lead by example in all these areas.