Great Commandment and Great Commission Orientation

Discipleship is about connecting all Believers to the two “Great Principles” that Jesus delivered to His people and church.

1. The Great Commandment is the sustaining foundation for the Great Commission:

• The Great Commandment according to Mark 12:28-31 – … “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
• The Great Commandment is also documented in Matthew 22:34-39.  

2. The Great Commission – we have a Great Co-mission with Jesus, our Lord and Savior:

• The Great Commission according to Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  

3. GO and MAKE DISCIPLES – the Great Commission incorporates an important assumption, two critical requirements for His Church, and a significant prophetic promise:

• Jesus made a remarkable assumption.
  • He knew who He was speaking to because He played the essential role in making them who they were still developing into – faithful DISCIPLES.
  • Unfortunately, that is often not an accurate assumption in the modern church!
  • Why is this important?  You can’t make a disciple if you aren’t one yourself – you can’t teach what you don’t know, have never been taught, or never actually practiced yourself.
• Baptizing them …
  • Lead the lost to the Lord (Salvation) = this is just the STARTING  POINT in our Christian walk-of-faith and intimate relationship with God!
  • It should be followed closely by the first step of obedience which is a public declaration of a new Believer’s commitment to Jesus – full emersion water baptism.
  • We can’t make disciples unless and until we introduce them to the One we want to make them disciples of – JESUS!
  • Active participation in evangelism and missions is fundamental to fulfilling our purpose as a disciple.
• Teaching them to obey everything…
  • True discipleship requires being a dedicated student of the person you intend to become a disciple of!
  • Intentional discipleship is the on-going learning, understanding, and application of Biblical principles to our lives leading to achieving spiritual maturity. 
  • Discipleship can occur on multiple levels (as we will discuss fully later).
• Jesus included a wonderful prophetic promise.
  • When we are obedient and faithful to initiate and pursue His Great Commission assignments in our lives, He will be with us and empower us through the Holy Spirit to lead the lost to the Lord and make disciples!
  • Incidentally, the word “nations” is the Greek word “ethne” – it means People Groups, not geographically distinct countries on a map.