Making Disciples
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Transcript
Last week, we talked about God’s desire to find the lost and our responsibility to join Him in that work. Today, we’re building on that idea, focusing on living outwardly and embracing our responsibility to make disciples.
Let’s dive into a moment from the disciples’ lives after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The Gospels tell us that Jesus, after rising from the dead, instructed His disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matt. 28:10). That brings us to today’s passage:
16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19 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,
20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.
“They worshiped.” That’s where it starts. Our ultimate purpose is to worship God and bring Him glory. Worship isn’t just singing on Sunday—it’s lifting God up in every part of our lives, recognizing His worth and His sovereignty. He’s the Creator, the One who knows all, sustains all, and owns all. He’s both a loving Father and a righteous Judge.
Listen to this from Deuteronomy:
3 For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God!
4 The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.
Worship happens personally, together as a church, and globally as we reflect His glory. Whether we’re marveling at His creation, thanking Him for His work in our lives, or sharing His love with others, worship should weave through everything we do.
“But some doubted.” It’s surprising, isn’t it? These were people who’d seen Jesus teach, perform miracles, die, and rise again. Some think this ties to 1 Corinthians 15:6, where Paul mentions Jesus appearing to over 500 people—maybe not all were as convinced as the eleven. Still, how could anyone doubt after all that?
Yet, if we’re honest, we get it. I’ve seen God move powerfully in my life, only to later wonder if He’s really in control. Maybe you’ve been there too. Doubt creeps in, even among those closest to Jesus. But here’s the good news: Jesus didn’t let their doubt derail His mission. He stepped in and spoke with authority.
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” That’s a game-changer. Jesus isn’t just a teacher or a healer—He’s the King. We see His authority throughout the Gospels: teaching with power, healing the sick, forgiving sins, defeating evil. Paul echoes this in Ephesians:
20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—
21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Before giving the disciples their mission, Jesus established His credentials. Why? Because living an outwardly focused life starts with trusting His authority. He’s not just our personal Savior—He’s the Lord of everyone, everywhere. Too often, we shrink Jesus down to a convenient helper, a genie for our problems. But He’s far above every power, every government, every title—forever. That demands our full surrender.
Before He tells us what to do, He tells us who He is. He’s not just a teacher or a prophet—He’s the risen King, the one who defeated sin and death, the one who holds all power. Think about that for a second. The winds and waves obey Him. The demons tremble at His name. Even the grave couldn’t hold Him. And this Jesus, with all authority, is the one sending us out.
Why does this matter? Because when we step out to share the gospel or invest in someone’s life, we’re not doing it in our own strength or on our own terms. We’re ambassadors of the King. Imagine a soldier in an army—when they’re sent on a mission, they don’t question the general’s authority. They go because the order comes from the top. Jesus has the authority, and He’s given us the assignment. That means this isn’t optional—it’s a privilege and a responsibility.
This truth is the bedrock of our mission. We can’t make disciples in our own strength or out of guilt. We need confidence in Jesus’ power, knowing He’s in control and has equipped us for the task. Fear often holds us back, but His authority drives out fear.
A few years ago, April and I felt God calling us to move to Atlanta. I was a consulting engineer in our family business and a bi vocational church planter in Alabama. Six months before the move, I was at a retreat, staring at uprooted trees after a storm, and sensed God saying we’d be uprooted too. The economy had crashed, work dried up, and we prayed for direction. Then a job opened in Atlanta.
It was terrifying. We’d lived in Alabama our whole lives. April had a steady job at Children’s Hospital. Our friends, family, and the church I’d planted were there. Plus, we had to sell our house in a terrible market. But God was leading, so we obeyed. Looking back, that step of faith showed me obedience isn’t about comfort—it’s about trust.
We need to obey despite our fear and selfish desires. Obedience is the mark of a true Christ follower.
24 The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.
We are commanded to lay our lives on the altar and obey Jesus no matter what the cost. Jesus taught time and again that one who desires to follow Him must be willing to give everything up. In Luke 9, Jesus said that anyone who desired to go with Him must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him. Later in that chapter we read about Jesus telling potential disciples that they must be willing to become homeless, let someone else bury their father who recently died, and leave without saying goodbye to their family. He told a rich young man that he must sell everything he had and give it to the poor.
This flies in the face of the American dream. We are taught that we can accomplish anything if we work hard enough. We can have it all and we should. We put our faith and trust in our power and possessions. But Jesus has called us to give up control of our life and put our trust in Him. He is a treasure that is imaginably greater than anything we can have or accomplish here on earth.
The hymn “Trust and Obey” captures it:
When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toil he doth richly repay; not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, but is blest if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay; for the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows, are for them who will trust and obey.
19 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,
With His authority clear, Jesus gave the disciples—and us—a mission: “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 everything I have commanded you.” Let’s break it down.
“Go” isn’t a one-time command—it’s “as you go.” Wherever life takes you, make disciples. Jesus told Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people!” (Matt. 4:19). Every believer is called to this—no exceptions. The New Testament doesn’t picture Christians as spectators; it shows them empowered by the Spirit, taking the gospel to the world.
Notice that word “go.” It’s active. It’s not “sit and wait for people to come to you.” It’s not “build a nice church and hope they show up.” It’s go. This is a mission that moves us out of our comfort zones—into our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools, even to the ends of the earth.
We’re not doing very well following this command in the typical American church. The most common model is “say a prayer and sit in a chair.” The problem is that our church, like our culture, is focused on watching from the sidelines. We are more concerned with “come and see” rather than “go and tell”. We aren’t focused on equipping people as effective disciple makers. Our challenge is to make disciples through one-on-one discipleship, small groups, and ministries for kids and youth. Still, too many of us leave this to “someone else.” I challenge you: make disciples in your family, neighborhood, workplace, and friendships. Be intentional.
Jesus didn’t limit this to our hometowns—it’s for all nations. The word here means people groups, not just countries. God’s heart has always been global. He chose Israel to shine His glory to the world, and Jesus said the gospel will reach every nation before He returns (Matt. 24:14). Before ascending, He told the disciples, “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Why does this matter? Because Jesus made it a big deal. I’ve been convicted that I’ve dodged this, assuming it’s for “super Christians.” Last week we learned there are 12,263 people groups in the world and over 7,000 people groups are considered unreached because they are less than 2% Christian. Of those 7,250 unreached people groups, 3,118 have not been engaged by anyone.
Not everyone’s called to move overseas (though some might be). But we’re all called to care about the lost worldwide. Pray for the nations using tools like Operation World. Give to support missionaries . Go—serve outside your comfort zone, whether locally or on a mission trip. Make disciples outside of your own group of friends and neighbors. Reach out to those who aren’t like you.
“Baptizing them” shows this mission is about leading people to Jesus. Baptism is a public declaration of faith, a symbol of dying to sin and rising to new life. It unites believers under one faith (Eph. 4:5). If we’re baptizing, it means people are trusting Christ through our witness.
20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Discipleship doesn’t end with baptism. It’s our responsibility to pass along what we’ve learned about following Jesus to the new believer in the setting of biblical community. Discipleship takes place in the context of relationship. Jesus invested in the lives of twelve men. That was His plan to take the gospel to the world. He poured His life into theirs and taught them how to become mature believers. Paul did the same thing in his missionary journeys.
28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.
Every disciple making effort should include teaching God’s Word. I know that some of you will quickly put up a wall in your mind. You might be thinking that you don’t know how to teach. You might say that you don’t have that spiritual gift. I think most of think about a classroom when we think of teaching.
Think about the first disciples. Jesus didn’t just preach to them and leave. He lived with them. He ate with them. He taught them by example. Making disciples isn’t a one-time event—it’s a relationship. It’s messy, it’s time-consuming, and it’s beautiful. Who in your life is God calling you to pour into? Maybe it’s a co-worker who’s asking questions about faith. Maybe it’s your kids or grandkids. Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t even know Jesus yet. The call is to go and to make.
Discipleship is about more than meeting together for worship on Sunday mornings. It’s about learning together in a Bible study like Experiencing God. It’s about connecting during the week to talk about the things going in your life and seeking God’s will for you. It’s about older people in our church leading by example and teaching younger generations to live a Godly life and grow in their faith. Paul talks about this in Titus 2:
1 But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.
2 Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.
3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good,
4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children,
5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.
6 In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled
7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching.
8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us.
To do this, we have to grow ourselves. We have to become a disciple to make disciples. Discipleship is about more than just learning with our mind. A disciple is devoted to their teacher, and our teacher is Jesus. Jesus’ disciples gave up everything to follow Him and devote themselves to His teaching.
We can’t teach what we don’t know. Let God’s Word fill you, then pour it into others:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Being a disciple is more than just learning about your teacher, it’s also about wanting to be like them. Discipleship is about changing our whole life to learn from and to become more like Jesus.
SHOW BUT DON’T READ
20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Now, here’s the best part. Jesus doesn’t send us out and say, “Good luck, hope you figure it out!” No, He promises, “remember I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Church, we don’t do this alone. The same Jesus who has all authority is with us every step of the way. When you’re nervous to share your faith, He’s with you. When you’re teaching someone and you don’t have all the answers, He’s with you. When you feel discouraged because progress is slow, He’s with you.
This promise is our fuel. It’s what keeps us going when the mission feels hard—because it will. Not everyone will listen. Not every conversation will go well. But Jesus isn’t asking us to be successful by the world’s standards—He’s asking us to be faithful. And He’s right there with us. Matthew begins with Jesus as “Immanuel—God with us” and ends with His promise to stay. Wherever we go, whatever we face, He’s there, providing strength and resources.
Don’t wait until you think your ready to make disciples. If you have followed Jesus with your life and have the Holy Spirit in your heart, you are equipped to make disciples. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean to invite a friend over for coffee. You don’t have to know all the books of the Bible before you tell someone what God is doing in your life. Our church doesn’t have to be perfect before we invite someone to come and hear God’s word.
I know I’ve encouraged us to renovate the church to make it more welcoming for our guests. I truly believe we should keep the Lord’s house up and do our best to make it attractive. Please understand that we don’t have to wait until it’s just right before we ask someone to visit. The church isn’t really a building, it’s the people. Our family has been blessed by your warmth and welcoming spirit. April wasn’t with me the first time I preached here. I had been filling in the pulpit for several churches and I remember telling her how kind and friendly ya’ll were. I can tell you that isn’t the case everywhere.
So we’re going to start a series in March through the Gospel of John that will match up with a sermon on 3/16 about John 3:16 and continue on through Easter. Please don’t feel pressured to finish everything before we invite people to visit. I hope you’ll invite someone different every week!
So what does this discipleship like for us today? We’re in a world that’s hurting, a world that’s searching for hope. People are scrolling their phones, chasing likes and distractions, but deep down, they’re longing for something real. And we’ve got it—Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life.
Start small. Invite someone to coffee and listen to their story—then share yours. Pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus naturally. If you’re a parent or grandparent, teach your kids what it means to follow Him, not just with words but with your life. If you’re a friend, be the one who points people to hope when they’re struggling. And as a church, let’s be a community that doesn’t just gather here on Sundays, but scatters into the world to make disciples. Let’s be a church that teaches God’s word to each other and helps all of us grow to be more like Jesus.
I’ll close with this: In Acts, we see the early church take this commission and run with it. Peter, a fisherman, becomes a preacher. Paul, a persecutor, becomes a missionary. Ordinary people, empowered by the Spirit and backed by Jesus’ authority, turned the world upside down. If they could do it, so can we—not because we’re great, but because Jesus is.
So let’s go, church. Let’s make disciples. Let’s live out the Great Commission—not tomorrow, but today. Because Jesus is with us, and His mission is worth it. Amen?
