- Discipleship, Growth, The Great Commission

The goal of God’s church is not to simply have members, but to have men, women, boys, and girls to represent the kingdom in which they take part. We live in a world where doubt and the devil have settled in long-term. But what we are commanded to do is to train fellow believers to think and act like Christ and we will combat the sin in the world. We are called to become a source of good among a culture that evil seems to dominate.

A critical point to understanding discipleship is knowing that all authority has been given to Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth. Everyone can talk about God, and pray to God the father. But Christ is the one who intercedes. Christ is the one who gives the great commission to go, baptize, and teach. He has the authority to command His followers and aid them along the way while fulfilling the commission.

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 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 28:16-20

The goal of the church is discipleship, not just membership.

Discipleship is the developmental process that progressively brings Christians from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity so that they are then able to reproduce the process with someone else. Explore the priority, goal and ministry of discipleship, among other key principles with Tony Evans

Watch this message from Tony Evans titled, The Command of Discipleship.

The church that is rooted in Christ’s biblical teachings should not be one concerned with enrollment and numbers. The goal of the church is discipleship, not just membership. The command from Christ seems like a simple one, go and make disciples. Yet that command is one that is a struggle every day. Christ is aware of our doubts and knows there is sin in the world, Matthew 28 shows us that, so then it is a priority to prayerfully seek guidance from Christ.

There is doubt that can creep up, even in the church among those who seem to be strong in faith. In Matthew, Christ calls us to have faith in Him, encourage and raise up our fellow brothers and sisters no matter what culture or region they come from. Be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach one another to obey the will of God. Even among the sin in the world and in the church, the goal is clear. We are to make disciples, and a disciple is to become more like Christ.

Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. When we need help, we pray to Him. When we pray for gospel conversations, we do so in Jesus’ name. When we engage in making disciples, we should do so knowing Christ is always with us. Christ gave us the command of discipleship and it is an ongoing task to go, baptize, and teach. It is our task, but we do it with help and direction from the one who has all authority, Jesus Christ.