Matthew 28:19-20

— 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. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So the fact that Jesus has all authority has consequences for those who follow Him.

Because He is who He is and because He has the full authority He has, we are commission to “Go”!

He has told us to “make disciples”. At the heart of Christianity is God’s desire for a people to display His character.

We do this through our obedience to His Word in our relationships with Him and with each other.

Therefore He sent His Son to call out a people to follow Him.

And part of following the Son is us calling to others around us to follow the Son.

Then, in their life together, these people display the welife of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Together we demonstrate God’s own love, holiness, and oneness.

His Son therefore gave this last command before ascending to heaven:

Introduction

go and make disciples ().

13

As His people, our lives should be dedicated to helping others follow Jesus.

ing to heaven: go and make disciples (). The lives of these people, in other words, should be dedicated to helping others follow Jesus.

Discipling is deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that they will be more like Christ.

Discipleship is the term we use to describe our own following Christ.

Discipling is helping someone else follow Christ.

What in v20 is the life long process we are called to in helping others?

“Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” is the exact instruction ().

Where do we build the walls that separate a discipling activity from a nondiscipling activity?

What can we legitimately include in discipling?

Christ sets the limits: “everything I have commanded you.”

Everything that falls within Christ’s commands and directives we can consider discipling.

The Sermon on the Mount,

the upper room discourse, the

commands to pray and love one another

all fall into the discipling curriculum.

Evangelism cannot be separated from Discipleship. Evangelism is the beginning of discipleship.

32 "Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33 "just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved. 1 "Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” ()

“Give no offense” Create no stumbling blocks.

This means that anything that keeps someone from finding their way to ultimate salvation.

I don’t want anything that I do to keep you or my neighbor from entering the Kingdom!

Corinthians, you must be careful not to cause anyone to stumble (v32) even as I try to please everyone in every way. “not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.”

Do you see the evangelistic mind set? The focus isn’t on self, but on who?? “benefit of many, so that they may be saved.” And of course who is this ultimately imitating?

Christ!!!

So we are dicipled by learning from Christ and following Christ. And in discipling, we help others learn from Christ and we help them to follow Him.

This is what Christ did. We are ultimately imitating Him! Watch this now. Look at 8:11 we see that Christ died for the weak.

In 15:3 the fact that “Christ died for our sins”. So Christ laid down his life for miserable weak sinners.

What are called to do? To imitate Him. To follow and imitate Him. So this call to not seek our own benefit but the benefit of others, which is an imitation of Christ is done why?

20 "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. 21 "To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. 22 "To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 "Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.” ()

We make disciples (which starts with evangelism, because of the gospel, so that we may share in the blessings!

1 "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit—2 "that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.” ()

“great” implication of importance. “greatly, greatness, to a great degree, intense, terrible.”

“sorrow” state of mental pain and anxiety. Sadness, distress.

“sorrow”

“unceasing” continuously, not ceasing from some continuous activity.

“unceasing”

“anguish” severe emotional anxiety and distress, intense anxiety.

“anguish”

What did Paul have this great sorrow and unceasing anguish for? The lost.

How much longing and praying do you do for the unbelievers all around you?

1 "Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.” ()

Paul brings his deep concern for his people before the highest tribunal.