Great Commandment and Great Commission Orientation
Discipleship is about connecting all Believers to the two “Great Principles” that Jesus provided.
- The Great Commandment is the sustaining foundation for the Great Commission:
The Great Commandment according to Matthew 22:34-39 – … Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
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.”
2. The Great Commission – We have a Great Co-mission with Jesus, our 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.”
GO and MAKE DISCIPLES – the Great Commission incorporatesan important assumption, two critical elements, and a significant prophetic promise.
- Jesus made a remarkable assumption.
- He knew who He was speaking to – He had a direct role in making them who they were still becoming – faithful DISCIPLES.
- That is not usually 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, and/or never practiced!
- 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 baptism in water.
- We can’t make disciples unless and until we introduce them to the One we want to make them disciples of!
- Evangelism and missions are fundamental to our purpose as a disciple.
- Teaching them to obey everything…
- True discipleship requires being a dedicated student of whom you intend to become a disciple to!
- Intentional discipleship is the on-going learning, understanding, and application of Biblical principles to our lives leading to becoming spiritually mature. Discipleship can occur on multiple levels (we will discuss fully later).
- Jesus included a wonderful prophetic promise.
- When we are obedient and faithful to initiate and pursue His assignment 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!
- By the way, the word “nations” is “ethne” in the Greek, and it means People Groups, not countries.