[:en]
by Rev. Un Hock Wee
Adapted from Gospel Light vol. 24, December 2015.
What must a Church do? What is its ultimate goal and duty? It is no other than GO and make disciples!
I. GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES
Matthew 28:19 says,
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.
If we read our English Bible, it looks like there are four verbs. They are:
- go
- make disciples
- baptizing
- teaching
But the original Greek Bible contains only one verb: the word “go.”
This was the last word of Jesus to the disciples. Jesus was about to go and be with his Father in heaven, and he left a parting word with his disciples. Often, when people are about to leave us, their last words are the most important, for they come from the heart and the words they say are well thought out. The very last word that Jesus said is, “I want you to go and make disciples.”
We have to go out
How can they (unbelievers) have Christ, if we don’t go out? How can they hear, if we don’t preach about Christ? How can they know, if we don’t tell them?
Romans 10:14 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?”
We have to go out and tell. We have to go out and reach them. We have to go and bring them to know the Lord. If we don’t invite them, they will not come.
We Chinese are very particular when receiving an invitation. When we see the invitation, we pay special attention to the intended recipient of the invitation. If the invitation was written to the whole family, then we can bring our children to join the party. If the invitation was written to the Mister and Missus, then only the father and mother can attend.
How much more important this is when sharing the gospel! We have to personally invite them. We have to look for ways to bring them to know the Lord.
We have the best news
We have the best news, because we have the Good News. The Good News is about the great love of our God Creator who sent His own Son o die for our sin, and the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over death.
No other god has done such great thing sacrificing Himself for His subjects. Without Him, we will not have joy and peace in our lives.
People need the Lord and only Jesus Christ can change and set us free from sins. Christ is the only hope and assurance for us to have eternal life.
II. HOW SHOULD WE DO IT?
Bring people to know Christ
We have to tell them the love of God and why God sent his Son, Jesus Christ. We have to tell them that the main reason why Christ, the Son of God, came to die for us is because there is no other way for us to become His children. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Tell them about the LOVE OF GOD.
Tell them why Christ has to become a human being.
Tell them we are born sinners.
Bring them to accept Christ into their lives.
Baptize them
If a person came to understand why God sent Jesus and why Christ had to obey and must become human, then the person will commit his life through baptism.
Baptism is not to inherit salvation. Rather, it is a commitment and a public declaration or confession that a person understands and commits his life to Christ. Jesus himself set an example for us to imitate for He let John the Baptist baptize Him.
If we are baptized in a Church, we make the church our spiritual family. The church will help us grow, and in return, we should love and serve our church.
Continue to nurture
Teach them. The training continues on. Help them to grow to the point that they can stand on their own. At the same time, our church will be in the right focus and direction.
The process does not stop after baptism, We must continue to nurture the new believers, and over time, disciple them so that they can grow and become effective followers of Christ.
III. RESULT: As they mature, the disciples can become disciplers so that they can also disciple others
Over the generations, people will come to know Christ, grow and improve each year.
Let us look for prospects to nurture and disciple.
Last year, we encouraged people to read the whole Bible. This year, we go to the next level and that is to study God’s Word. It will help us to grow and be able to help others grow as well.
No other mandate is more important in this world that we should prioritize than to fulfill God’s mandate, i.e., Christians are to GO and make disciples.[:zh]
by Rev. Un Hock Wee
Adapted from Gospel Light vol. 24, December 2015.
What must a Church do? What is its ultimate goal and duty? It is no other than GO and make disciples!
I. GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES
Matthew 28:19 says,
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.
If we read our English Bible, it looks like there are four verbs. They are:
- go
- make disciples
- baptizing
- teaching
But the original Greek Bible contains only one verb: the word “go.”
This was the last word of Jesus to the disciples. Jesus was about to go and be with his Father in heaven, and he left a parting word with his disciples. Often, when people are about to leave us, their last words are the most important, for they come from the heart and the words they say are well thought out. The very last word that Jesus said is, “I want you to go and make disciples.”
We have to go out
How can they (unbelievers) have Christ, if we don’t go out? How can they hear, if we don’t preach about Christ? How can they know, if we don’t tell them?
Romans 10:14 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?”
We have to go out and tell. We have to go out and reach them. We have to go and bring them to know the Lord. If we don’t invite them, they will not come.
We Chinese are very particular when receiving an invitation. When we see the invitation, we pay special attention to the intended recipient of the invitation. If the invitation was written to the whole family, then we can bring our children to join the party. If the invitation was written to the Mister and Missus, then only the father and mother can attend.
How much more important this is when sharing the gospel! We have to personally invite them. We have to look for ways to bring them to know the Lord.
We have the best news
We have the best news, because we have the Good News. The Good News is about the great love of our God Creator who sent His own Son o die for our sin, and the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over death.
No other god has done such great thing sacrificing Himself for His subjects. Without Him, we will not have joy and peace in our lives.
People need the Lord and only Jesus Christ can change and set us free from sins. Christ is the only hope and assurance for us to have eternal life.
II. HOW SHOULD WE DO IT?
Bring people to know Christ
We have to tell them the love of God and why God sent his Son, Jesus Christ. We have to tell them that the main reason why Christ, the Son of God, came to die for us is because there is no other way for us to become His children. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Tell them about the LOVE OF GOD.
Tell them why Christ has to become a human being.
Tell them we are born sinners.
Bring them to accept Christ into their lives.
Baptize them
If a person came to understand why God sent Jesus and why Christ had to obey and must become human, then the person will commit his life through baptism.
Baptism is not to inherit salvation. Rather, it is a commitment and a public declaration or confession that a person understands and commits his life to Christ. Jesus himself set an example for us to imitate for He let John the Baptist baptize Him.
If we are baptized in a Church, we make the church our spiritual family. The church will help us grow, and in return, we should love and serve our church.
Continue to nurture
Teach them. The training continues on. Help them to grow to the point that they can stand on their own. At the same time, our church will be in the right focus and direction.
The process does not stop after baptism, We must continue to nurture the new believers, and over time, disciple them so that they can grow and become effective followers of Christ.
III. RESULT: As they mature, the disciples can become disciplers so that they can also disciple others
Over the generations, people will come to know Christ, grow and improve each year.
Let us look for prospects to nurture and disciple.
Last year, we encouraged people to read the whole Bible. This year, we go to the next level and that is to study God’s Word. It will help us to grow and be able to help others grow as well.
No other mandate is more important in this world that we should prioritize than to fulfill God’s mandate, i.e., Christians are to GO and make disciples.
[:]