Last month in Rwanda, my team and I worked with a church called “International Healing Center Ministries.” For ministry we taught at a school, led youth groups, and preached at small group meetings for ministers, married couples, and single moms and widows. In addition to these different opportunities to share God’s Love, we also gave the sermon at church every week!
On the last Sunday of the month it was finally my turn. I was the last person on our team to preach. As I though about what I wanted to talk about, I remembered our host, who is also the pastor, telling us about her vision for the month. Instead of us doing door-to-door evangelism and trying to bring more people to Jesus, she wanted us to focus on building up her church members so that they can be the ones to make disciples in their community.
I loved this idea! The great commission is not just to go and make followers of Christ but to make Disciples of Christ! I thought about it for a minute and then I knew that God wanted me to preach about The Great Commission.
When I shared the message that Sunday it went so well. The Holy Spirit gave me the words to say and I would like to share those words with you right now. Below is the sermon I gave to the people in Rwanda but is applicable to all of us as Christ followers. Please read with the knowledge that I have not edited this and it was intended as a sermon.
The Great Commission:
Today God told me that I should talk about The Great Commission. The Great Commission can be found in Matthew 28:19, it says: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This is called the great commission because it is God’s call for his children. God calls us to make disciples. He wants us to share the hunger and thirst for Jesus that He has given all of us. He wants everyone to hear the Good News!
My team and I are here in Rwanda because of the Great Commission. God placed a desire in each of our hearts to make disciples of all nations. God called us to be disciples in 11 countries this year because that was in His plan for our lives.
But, in order to make disciples, you do not necessarily need to leave your home country or even leave your home. God also calls us to also make disciples in our communities, our villages, and our cities. When Jesus sent out 72 of His first disciples He gave them instruction that are listed in Luke 10:2-3: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into the fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you our as lamb among wolves.”
Jesus gave these instructions to his followers. At this point in time, Jesus wasn’t known by many people. But by sending out 72 disciples with these instructions, think of how many people heard about Jesus. God wants His message to be revealed to the whole World and that starts with each one of us making disciples. You are not a disciple of Christ until you are making disciples. It is amazing that God gives us the authority to make disciples for Him! God has deposited His message inside you and me and we are told to share it with everyone!
Now turn to John 4. In this chapter Jesus meets a Samaritan women by a well. He starts talking to her and eventually He reaveals to her that He is the Messiah. John 4:25-30 says: “The Women said, “I know the Messiah is coming – the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!” Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a women, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The women left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.” Jesus tells this women that He is really the Messiah and she decides to go share this news with her village. She is considered to be the first evangelist. We should do what this women did. She heard the message of Christ and she was so excited about it that she wanted to share it with everyone.
When God calls us to ‘go and make disciples’ he is calling us to bring the Kingdom of God to everyone we talk to. This samaritan women is also a great example that God calls everyone to be a disciple for Him. You do not need to be in church leadership, you do not need to be a missionary, you do not need to be a perfect, godly person, you just need to have heard the good news of Jesus Christ! Matthew 9:13 says: “For I have come to call not those who think they’re righteous but those who know they are sinners” You don’t have to be perfect or knowledgable to be a disciple. The samaritan women had been married 5 times and was living with a man that she wasn’t married to, yet Jesus used her as the first evangelist. Look at the 12 disciples: some of them were despised tax collectors, some were smelly fisherman, and they were all sinners. We are all commissioned to share the gospel and to make disciples. The Holy Spirit is inside all of us and through the Holy Spirit we can make disciples by sharing the Good News!
Now turn to 2 Timothy 2:2. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul says: “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” Paul is telling us the same thing Jesus told us: go and make disciples. He says that we should teach the truths we know to others so they can pass them on to others. That is exactly what being a disciple looks like.
You may wonder what being a disciple looks like for you. It may look like you traveling to share the gospel like we are, it may look like you talking to your friends about Jesus, it may look like you leading a bible study or small group, or it may look like you sharing the Gospel with your children. Whatever way God uses you, if you are sharing the Good News of Jesus to others then you are being a disciple for Christ.
Your stories are evidence of who God is. Share with others what Jesus has done in your life. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Use what God has given you for His glory. 1 Peter 3:15 says: “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain.” Move when God is moving. Always be ready to share how Jesus has worked in your life. By making disciples you are building a community of believers and you are building up the Kingdom of God. This is God’s vision. He wants us to be a part of this process. He doesn’t need our help, but He lets us partner with Him to bring others to Him.
I am going to read Matthew 28:19 one more time, it says: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God calls all of us to the great commission. We all have the opportunity to partner with God and be the disciples of Christ. I want to challenge you all to pray to God and ask Him how you can be His disciple. Ask God how you can help to bring the Good News to everyone! Amen
