We make disciples because Jesus commanded it, because it’s his strategy for building the church, and because people need personal help to follow him. Making disciples isn’t just for pastors or outgoing Christians. It’s for every follower of Jesus. And you don’t have to be spiritually mature to start, because we grow as we help others grow.
Going Full Circle
So far in this series, we’ve covered the first two parts of a “full circle” faith: trusting Jesus (Lessons 4–6) and honoring God (Lessons 7–9). Most churches teach these basics. But for many Christians, that’s as far as it goes. Jesus had something more in mind for his followers. The final three lessons cover the third part of the journey.
Let’s make this personal: Jesus wants you to make disciples. Here are three reasons why.
1. Jesus Commanded It
In one of his last conversations with his disciples, Jesus made his expectation plain.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on 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.”
Jesus wasn’t making a suggestion. He had spent three years discipling his followers, and now it was their turn. Imagine your dad clearly asking you to take out the trash and you refusing. Jesus made disciple-making one of the last things he said on earth. Obedience to the Great Commission should be reason enough to start.
2. It’s Jesus’ Strategy for the Church
Jesus envisioned a church where leaders equip people and the people do the ministry. Paul explained this strategy to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
In many churches today, the pastor ministers and the people watch. But in a biblically functioning church, pastors equip everyone to do the work of ministry. Pastors don’t burn out, people grow in their faith, and the church becomes healthy and full of love (Ephesians 4:16).
3. People Need Personal Help
Look around. People are confused and hurting. Sermons are important, but they aren’t enough. Jesus himself made this point after teaching huge crowds.
Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus’ heart broke because the crowds needed more help than they could get from a sermon. People need to process truth in a caring, personal relationship. Jesus told his disciples to pray for more workers, and in the next chapter he sent them out to answer that prayer (Matthew 10). Today, you are the answer to that prayer.
You’re Mature Enough
Maybe you’re willing but don’t feel qualified. What if they ask a question you can’t answer? Those fears keep many Christians on the sidelines, and that’s exactly where the enemy wants them. But Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors, not religious experts (Matthew 4:19). They grew as they made disciples, not before.
Ephesians 4:14-15 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Paul says we grow up and gain spiritual discernment as we speak the truth in love. Disciple-making comes first, and maturity follows. In Lesson 11, we’ll look at how to do it.
The Takeaway
We make disciples because Jesus commanded it, because it’s his strategy for the church, and because people need personal help to follow him. You don’t have to be an expert. As you help someone else pursue God, you’ll grow in your own faith too.
