REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) | And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
OBJECTIVE
To know the importance of sharing the gospel and how to make disciples, while having the confidence in doing so.
CONTENT
UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT COMMISSION
- Jesus gave the command in Matthew 28:18-20. We are called to make disciples and to spread the gospel. The word gospel literally means good news. Why is it so? When all mankind fell into sin, they were separated from God. Yet God loves us so much, He sent his only Son, to die for our sins and to rise from the dead, to be our redeemer (John 3:16). So that we may be reunited with our Father and Creator, free from eternal death.
- Why is the great commission important? As disciples of God, we should understand that the great commission is a command. It is indeed an obligation to fulfill. Yet regardless of it being our duty, if we truly love God and are grateful for how He has transformed our lives, we would want to share it with the people around us. To want as many people as possible to taste God’s love and mercy. We like sharing good food to people around us, we should be all the more excited to share the ultimate goodness in our lives, Jesus Christ.
HOW TO GET IT DONE
- To make others the disciples of Christ, we must first be a disciple of Him. The great commission should start from a God loving heart, total gratitude & worship.
- “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 end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).This very verse underscores the importance of the Holy Spirit’s role in enabling the disciples to be witnesses of His sacrifice for us. The success of it is achieved not by our own strength and wisdom, but by God’s. As long as we do our part wholeheartedly, there is no reason to be weary. We shall put our trust in Him. “… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
- To be God’s disciples we must build a relationship with Him, this also goes for us to disciple others. Spreading the good news and making disciples cannot just be done by only spreading the word.We have to share Christ in the midst of human relationship. To actually care and have the intention to know those we want to share the good news too.
- We have to bring both word and deed together, to be involved in their lives & to lend a helping hand while also keeping the focus on Jesus.
- We are all enabled to spread the gospel yet many of us may overthink it in fear of being not knowledgeable enough or offending others. Yet we have to know that this is what we are called to do, and to know that the Holy Spirit will enable us. We share the good news with a heart that is so sure and so confident in our faith that we have no fear in letting others know about it.
- We should be doing the simplest behaviors; loving people, caring for people, being a person of integrity and letting people know of our Christian faith. Then it will bubble up naturally.
- When in doubt, we have our perfect example of a disciple-maker: Jesus Christ Himself, He set the example by showing the disciples the righteous Christian life, inside and out, in public teaching and private prayer. He wants us to also walk the talk. Our daily life, our deeds and words towards others, should go in line with His teaching that we spread. This is how the gospel is planted deep in human hearts.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTION
- What’s your experience in trying to fulfill the great commission and how did God help you through it?
- How do we deal with rejection of the gospel?
REFERENCES