Practicing Discipleship
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And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Introduction
Introduction
One of the Civil War’s most intriguing figures has always been the Union General, George McClellan. On paper, President Lincoln couldn’t have hoped for a better general. They called him “The Young Napoleon” because he possessed an incredibly strategic mind. He was the youngest member ever to be accepted to the U.S.
Military Academy (at age 15) and he graduated top of his class
● Excellent recruiter; when he came on board, he increased the volunteers for the army by 300% in 4 months
● Troops loved him: under him, they started to believe So no one was surprised when President Lincoln made McClellan General-In-Chief. He had the experience. He had the talent.
He had it all.And now he had a powerhouse army, outnumbering his enemy more than 2 to 1.
There was just one problem:The man would not fight. For weeks General McClellan readied his position, organized, and strategized. Lee’s army lay dangerously exposed just a few miles away. President Lincoln repeatedly urged McClellan to put his numerical and tactical advantage to use and crush the rebellion with one, swift attack. McClellan understood the strategy. He knew the odds. But he wouldn’t fight.If a military man is unwilling to fight, what good are all his other talents?So, after an excruciating year of inactivity, Lincoln removed the greatest military mind of his time and eventually replaced him with a man with half his tactical talent, but a man who would have picked a fight with a beehive buck-naked: Ulysses S. Grant. The greatest asset of a military man is his ability to fight. Without that, all other assets are—ultimately—useless. I share that because I want to talk about something as Christians, as a church—we have to do well; something which, without it, everything else we do is useless. That one thing is make disciples. No matter how good we are at everything else, if we don’t do that well, we fail.
● We can raise money and build great buildings; we can sing great songs; I can preach great sermons; but if we don’t make disciples, we fail.
There are four “alls” in this text: All authority, All nations, All things, and finally Always. These four alls layout the nature and practice of discipleship
I. All Authority – Jesus First, Christ Centered
I. All Authority – Jesus First, Christ Centered
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
II. All Nations – Others, Evangelism
II. All Nations – Others, Evangelism
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teach all nations.
In many versions is translated Make Disciples
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
· Scripture – 1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
III. All Things – You, Discipleship
III. All Things – You, Discipleship
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
John 8:31
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
IV. Always – Jesus last, Christ-centered
IV. Always – Jesus last, Christ-centered
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
· Scripture – Acts 1:11
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
· Scripture – Revelation 22:20
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Conclusion
The Word of God is clear. Regardless of what a church may try to claim, if that church does not measure up to the essential characteristics of discipleship it will fail in the most important thing it is called to do: the Great Commission.
If You are not a member of a Bible-Believing, Gospel-Preaching, Soul-winning, sin-hating, Christ-honoring church, then I invite you today to come and join this one.
If you are a member of this church, then I challenge you – are we doing all that we can to live up to the Bible’s example of what true Discipleship is. If not, we should repent here and now.
Is Jesus central in your life – Does he have All Authority?
Are you reaching out for him – Are you Disciple - ing All Nations?
Are you a disciple – Are you observing All Things?
Are you ready for Jesus – Looking for Him Always?
Come to the altar today and make things right with Christ.