How Do We "Make" Disciples?

This third part of the Great Commission is often neglected by evangelists. They go into all the world well and sometimes they baptize but they often forget to disciple new believers. Being a victim of such carelessness myself, I have a particular interest in discipleship. It's one reason I keep posting about these basics of the faith.

The first thing we need to do is teach these new believers to follow Christ. As he said in Matthew 16:24 (KJV), "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The disciples of Christ certainly obeyed this Great Commission. Paul most of all was obedient to Christ. Even his critics acknowledged that fact. In Acts 24:5 (BBE), Tertulus said at Paul's trial, "For this man, in our opinion, is a cause of trouble, a maker of attacks on the government among Jews through all the empire, and a chief mover in the society of the Nazarenes."

Luke also showed how Paul and Barnabas went about making sure people stayed in the faith. Acts 14:21 and 22 (BBE) says, "And having made a number of disciples through the preaching of the good news in that town, they went back to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, Making strong the souls of the disciples, saying to them that they were to keep the faith, and that we have to go through troubles of all sorts to come into the kingdom of God."

Christ also has an eternal purpose for making disciples. Colossians 1:28 (KJV) reads, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

A day will come when we will be among a countless group in the presence of God Almighty. Revelation 7:9 and 10 (BBE) tells us, "After these things I saw a great army of people more than might be numbered, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and languages, taking their places before the high seat and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and with branches in their hands, Saying with a loud voice, 'Salvation to our God who is seated on the high seat, and to the Lamb.'"

So lets work to bring in as many new citizens of the kingdom as God gives us. I certainly will do my best through my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People need to know that persisting in Christ's service is what we're here for.

On Thursday I'll post about why we must make disciples. I touched on the reasons in this post but I want to explain further about the importance of discipleship.