Rise Up | Go And Make Disciples
As Jesus ascended into heaven, having defeated death, resurrected, and spent time with the disciples and others, Jesus left explicit instructions for how they should continue to live their lives. These instructions have affectionately become called “The Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:16-20. At the height of the disciples experience with Jesus Christ, the disciples undoubtedly wanted Jesus to merely stay with them or bring about the final return of the Kingdom. Surely, this could just be the end and they would spend an eternity in heaven right? Yet, Jesus had other plans. Not all who would come to faith had arrived. Thus, Jesus left the disciples with the singular mission that people not only needed to hear the Gospel that Jesus saves, but needed to grow in relationship with and faith in Jesus Christ.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20, ESV
When we first come to Christ, we all go through some type of honeymoon phrase where it seems we are hanging out with Jesus. But, at some point, the honeymoon phase ends as we have to go back into the day to day and live our lives having been changed by the transformation that comes from Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We may find ourselves asking the question the disciples undoubtedly asked; “What now?” The whole purpose of Rise Up is to choose to live our faith in a way that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. We become the outposts of the Gospel for the glory of God and rise up in our faith by bowing before the authority of Jesus Christ and choosing to make disciples rather than mere converts.
All Authority Given To Me
Before skipping to the thrust of the Great Commission, Jesus clarified His authority. All authority that is present, both in the world and in the spiritual realm have been given to Him. Christ defeated death, reigns over all the earth, and rightfully will rule and reign in the throne room of Heaven. No area exists that Christ does not reign and rule over with absolute authority. Thus, no power exists that could overcome the power of Jesus Christ. Not the powers of the enemy. Not any past sins or struggles. And not even our own inability to live up to the standards of righteousness. Jesus holds all the authority and nothing, not even us, will be able to over power or strip Jesus Christ of that authority. Thus, as we are called to rise up in our faith, we should do so with the confidence that, no matter what we face, Jesus Christ reigns over all of it.
In the previous post, we discussed the idea of going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the world. Yet, most people fail to move for fear of failing and disappointing God by our effort. God, though, does not require perfection and looking for a heart that pursues Him. If we wait until we are perfect, we will grow stale as we refuse to reflect our faith and express the change that God has spurred within us. The authority of God reigns even over our completely and total inability to do anything worthwhile. When we discuss the sovereignty of God, we often neglect to consider the times God is sovereign over our inability. Even when we fall short and fail, which we will do often, God still reigns sovereign, bearing all the authority within Himself. Therefore, we do no need to fear failure as a reason to not rise up as God can work even in our failure. God equips those He calls and extends the same grace to all who need it and works in the outpouring of our heart, not our ability or expertise.
Go and Make Disciples
Too often, people feel that the main thrust of the Great Commission is the “Go!” We rally behind the idea that people must pray one prayer in order to receive eternal salvation. However, the main idea of the Great Commission is not the “Go” but the “Make disciples.” Too many people have simply opted to pray a prayer with someone and leave them in that process there. They have opted to relegate themselves to the “Go!” but not the “Make disciples.” From that, we have created generations of those who claim to follow Jesus Christ but have no understanding of who He is and what it means that He is Lord. We have provided them with a false security of salvation without any understanding of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we stop at simply making converts we stop short of the full mission that Jesus has set before us and that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to do every day of our lives.
The expression of our faith should reflect the rhythmic breathing in and out of discipleship and evangelism. Getting people to the point of praying a prayer is only the beginning. Not only do we grow deeper in our faith through discipleship, being obedient to the God involves bringing others along in their faith as we go. Everyone can and should be discipling and pouring in to another person to grow according to their faith. Christians do not make converts to the faith but devote their lives to make new and old disciples because the message that Jesus Saves is worth shouting from every avenue imaginable. We can demonstrate our faith by ceaselessly giving ourselves to the mission of God to see everyone come to faith in Him and grow closer in their understanding of the Savior!
