The Call of the Christian

Part 3 – Make Disciples

By Michael K. Farrar

© God’s Breath Publications

 

When we are saved from our sins and become a follower of Christ we need to understand that in our service to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father wants us to follow our calling. Our calling will be fulfilled as the Holy Spirit, who is given to us as a gift to reside within us at conversion, empowers us accomplish this calling.

 

Some would say our calling as followers of Christ is to impact society through political and social means by voting, obeying the laws of the land and providing assistance for those in need. While these are activities that responsible Believers should participate in, they are not the main calling that is upon our lives. Others feel that our calling is to attend church, learn about the Bible and worship God every Sunday. While this is also a good practice for the Christian, it is not our main calling. Still others would say that our focus should be that we pray for and practice, signs and wonders, including experiencing encounters with His Spirit. While these can be beneficial at times in the life of a Christian they are not the calling of the Christian. The desire for signs and wonders, as well as spiritual experiences, without the proper basis and wisdom of God’s Word can actually become a distraction or hindrance to the true calling of a Believer.

 

I believe the call in the life of the follower of Christ is threefold or triune. One part of our calling as a Christian is found in Matthew 28 in verses 16-20. In this passage Jesus gives His final command before ascending to Heaven;

 

Matthew 28:16-20

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 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.”

 

Here we see what takes place during the last few moments of Jesus’ life on the earth. He instructed His disciples to go to a specific mountain to witness this event. They did not know what was to take place, but Jesus knew He was to ascend back to Heaven to wait the time for His return to the earth.

 

I believe the commands He gives at this time are the main calling we have as followers of Jesus Christ. As I have mentioned in previous parts to this series, our calling as believers is to “love God with all our heart, mind and soul” as well as to “be holy as God is holy,” but this last part of our calling is the most critical. This is the last command, the final statement of direction Jesus gives His disciples before leaving. It is crucial that they understand this last order for upon it rests the destiny of many men and women. When you are leaving for a long time and wish to communicate critical information that will impact the lives of people you care about, you are concise and to the point. Yes Jesus wants us to read the Word, obey His commandments, minister to the those in need, love God with all our heart, mind and soul as well as be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy, but most importantly, He wants us to make disciples and teach them in the ways of Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus knew that the focus of our Christian lives should not be hording the truth to ourselves while creating Christian “clicks,” “clubs,” or “social networks” that exclude non-Christians. We are to be around and about in the world mixing with those who don’t know Jesus so we can introduce them to who He is and His purpose for coming to earth. Those we come in contact with need to know that Jesus came to set people free from their sin. If people don’t know Jesus as their Savior, they can’t love God adequately. They can’t even begin to seek holiness. They can’t know God as their Heavenly Father. They can’t understand scripture so they can know how to properly obey God’s commands. They can’t experience the Holy Spirit living within them. But all of these are available if a person accepts Christ as their Savior. But they can’t accept Him if they don’t know about Him and that is our ministry, responsibility and calling as followers of Christ. Jesus knew this and that is why He gave this most important command.

 

Jesus often spoke of the need to make disciples and share the gospel. This was one of the main reasons He chose His disciples. Mark 3:13-15 states, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, designating them apostles that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach,”

 

After Jesus ascension to Heaven we see the disciples traveling all over the known world sharing the gospel. Paul, Barnabas, Silas, John, Peter, John Mark and others made extensive trips to numerous towns and countries so that the gospel message would spread and people receive salvation. They were following the instructions of Christ, the main focus of His reason to come to the earth to save people from their sins. But unless people hear about the gospel they don’t have the choice of accepting Him as their Savior. Romans 10:14-15 speaks to this when it says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

 

The purpose of their ministry was to prepare people for their opportunity for becoming part of the kingdom of heaven by accepting Christ as the Messiah and as their Lord and Savior. When Jesus would later die and rise from the grave, they could enter the kingdom of heaven by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus wanted to prepare their hearts, minds and souls for this opportunity. The soil of their spirit had to be prepared for the sowing of the seed so that it could be received and accepted then it could take root and grow through a commitment to Him as Lord and Master.

 

God’s desire for a relationship with men and women was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus was God in the flesh living as a man to die as a living holy sacrifice for sin. This is the gospel that Jesus taught and lived. This is the good news that Jesus wanted the disciples to share with others and we have this same responsibility.

 

Many verses speak of Jesus’ passion to share His gospel and the need for us to as well. In Matthew 9:35-38 it says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 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.’” Here we see that the gospel must be spread by workers who share the gospel with others. We are the workers as followers of Christ. The vast numbers of friends, relatives and neighbors who have not accepted Christ as Lord are the harvest. We are the workers that must go out to love people and share the good news of salvation.

 

The disciples set the example of sharing the gospel in whatever town they lived or traveled to. Luke 9:6 states, “So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.” And Acts 8:40 says, “Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”

 

Paul gives us a model for the degree of passion and concern we should have for those who have not committed their lives to Christ. In Acts 20:24 he states, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only

 

I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

 

We should confidently share the gospel with people we come in contact with because there is power in it. The gospel can save the souls of people and give them eternal life. Romans 1:16-17 verifies this when it says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

 

We should not be afraid to share the gospel even if we feel we are inadequate to share our faith for it is not how or what we say, it is the power in the message that saves souls. The Holy Spirit is the one that ministers and convicts and He can use the weakest most humble words to move someone to accept Christ as their savior. 1 Corinthians 1:17-19 states, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” And 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 tells us, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.”

 

Paul spoke of how tenacious he was to share the gospel. He attempted to relate to anyone anywhere in order that he might share the gospel of Christ with them. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 illustrates this when it says, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” This does not mean Paul pretended to be someone he was not or was untruthful about who he was. It means Paul sought to relate to the person he was speaking to, to make it possible for him to share God’s truth with them. When we desire to share the gospel of salvation we must first get to know the person we are talking to. We ask questions to reveal their needs, their past, the troubles they face, the thoughts and feelings that bother them so that we can share how the gospel not only relates to these issues, but can bring insight, freedom and answers to their questions. The gospel is relevant to the needs of people because all people sin and the only answer to sin is salvation from them through Christ.

 

Because many people know about Jesus and are aware to some degree of His ministry we assume they know what they should do to be saved. But often they do not. They are often misinformed or deceived as to what the gospel of Christ truly is. It many instances the gospel is hidden from them as it speaks about in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” That is our job to share the message of Christ and pray that their eyes are opened and hearts are receptive to receiving Christ as Savior and Lord.

 

So seek to love God with all your heart, mind and soul. Be diligent at obeying God’s commands in order to be holy as God is holy. But especially desire to share the love of Christ with others so that they might be saved from their sins. Everyone will spend eternity somewhere and it is critical that people know that eternity in Heaven is only provided through Jesus. Once this ministry of evangelism is complete Christ will return. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”