We live in a world where people build walls that separate themselves from one another. Our communities often succumb to caste system of the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ resulting in broken marriages; estranged families; racial and religious divisions. In India, the four castes are divided into thousands of sub-castes. Everyone can find someone who makes him or her feel inferior and someone else to whom he or she can feel superior.
The Christians in the Book of Acts knew that the only way that they could show the power of Christ was by smashing the caste system of their day. Over the last several weeks we studied the family that they created in Jerusalem. We have the same vision; A loving family, dependent on the Holy Spirit, committed to the Word, growing in grace, reaching out in mercy. Jesus gave his disciples a mission in Matthew 28:18-20:
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
This is not an easy mission. But it is a doable mission. Jesus begins by telling us that he has all authority, and he ends by promising us that he will be with us always. But we will have to do our part too. Let’s unpack the Great Commission phrase by phrase. It begins with the verb “go.” Literally, it is ‘going’ in the original language. Disciples must always be on the go: moving on, moving on out, and moving on up. We can’t stay in one place. But going somewhere isn’t enough. We have to ‘make disciples of all nations.’ We have to go to the nations. The Greek word is ethnoi. From it we get our word ethnic. We not only go to the nations of the world, we go to the ethnic groups, races, and castes in our own cities and nation. If we aren’t reaching out to people who are different than us, we aren’t fulfilling the Great Commission. And, what do we do? We disciple them. What is a disciple? He or she is ‘a fully devoted follower of Christ.’
Jesus goes on: baptizing them. This is evangelism. People can’t become disciples until they first commit to Christ. Baptism is a public confession of conversion, but is not yet discipleship. He goes on, ‘teaching them.’ But even if we fill people’s heads with Bible knowledge, that doesn’t make them disciples. If the demons believe the Scriptures, then Bible knowledge simply qualifies you to be a demon.
Jesus goes on to say, ‘teaching them to obey.’ Discipleship isn’t about what you know, but what you do. It’s putting faith into practice. But even that’s not enough. Jesus says, ‘teaching them to obey everything.’ Jesus won’t allow us to pick and choose what we want to obey. Discipleship is an all-or-nothing deal. But there’s one more thing: ‘obey everything I have commanded you.’
Some have called this the Great Commandment. It is at the heart of the Great Commission. Living out this Great Commandment is the key to fulfilling the Great Commission.
Erick Chepkwony, TH.D 