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. — Matt 28:19-20

I have been around Christians for many years, and I can tell you that a healthy number of them don’t feel successful at the Great Commission. When I ask them why, the answer is often, “I have never led anyone to the Lord.” What they are saying is that they have never shared the gospel message with another person, and therefore have not had the opportunity to pray with someone who wants to become a Christian. Simply stated, they do not feel adequate to communicate the gospel message. But this sense of failure and inadequacy assumes that the primary focus of the Great Commission is winning lost souls for Christ, but the Great Commission also includes the process of teaching believers on an ongoing, lifelong basis, which many of us engage in whether we’re aware of it or not.

I think the above verse describes the big picture of “making disciples,” which is teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. This is a process, not an event and not accomplished the same day someone professes their faith in Christ! This is a lifelong commitment to bringing others along in their faith in Jesus, whether they are infants in Christ, or mature believers in Christ. In the Christianese language, we call this lifelong process of teaching “discipling.” To disciple means to teach or instruct. All believers are called to obey the Great Commission by discipling others, helping them grow in their faith through instruction.

Many of you have discipled others successfully. If you have been a parent and provided opportunities for your children to learn about God and His Son, Jesus, you were discipling them. Once they professed their faith in Christ, you came along beside them by modeling biblical principles to them. You taught them to share. You taught them the importance of integrity. You modeled helping others in need and engaged your kids in the process. You did everything possible to foster your children’s faith in God. You lovingly taught them and corrected them when it was necessary. You are pros at discipling, so let’s build on this.

Photo Courtesy @ IStockphoto.com/Mammamaart

There is a paradigm in the Great Commission that I think we overlook and which can help us disciple others more effectively. The proclamation begins, “Therefore go.” In the original Greek, in which the New Testament was written, “go” functions in the present participle, meaning, “as you are going.” We can read this verse as, “As you are going, make disciples…” We honor the Great Commission by bringing others along as we are going. What does this look like in our daily lives?

 As we are going implies that discipling is a process of inviting others to join you where you are in your journey with Christ and teaching them what you already know. This has probably been the greatest insight the Lord has revealed to me lately.

I love to serve others in a variety of ways, so making decisions on how to commit my time can be a challenge for me. I remember during my twenties, I over-committed my time, especially through the church, working full-time, teaching a youth Sunday School class, participating on the Finance Committee, being an adult sponsor on Wednesday nights with the youth group, and leading evangelism training. I was burned out.

So here’s how the “as I am going” paradigm has helped me make wiser decisions on how to commit my time. The Lord has spiritually gifted me in the area of teaching. I can honor the Great Commission by discipling others as I am going with my teaching ministry. I already read Scripture, study it, and prepare a bible study each week. So why not pull the curtain and invite those who want to learn how to study the bible more effectively as I am going? There are other bible study teachers who want to grow in their skills to teach more effectively. So why not pull the curtain and invest my time with those who want to get better at teaching as I am going? I’ve already committed the time.

I implemented “as I am going” when I started an online ministry called Bible Without Borders. Six to eight people meet with me in a webinar format to learn inductive bible study. The timeframe for this occurs while I am at the office anyway. I’m already doing inductive bible study each day to prepare Sunday School lessons. We spend time honing these skills by digging into the upcoming Sunday School lesson. What I’m not doing is spending extra time to find a different passage to prepare. That would not be pulling the curtain, but rather putting more work on my plate that requires more time. That defeats the purpose of as I am going. I’m simply inviting people into a process I’ve already started for the coming Sunday School lesson. There is no stress to this. I love teaching, and they love learning. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that! The key is that I am not adding time to my schedule, but rather inviting them to join me where I am. When I follow this paradigm, I don’t get burned out.

This insight has given me a framework to make decisions on how to commit my time and succeed in obeying the Great Commission. It has been so freeing for me. It is my prayer that as you were reading this, the Lord has given you a picture of how you can bring others along and encourage them in their faith as you are going. You don’t need to add anything extra to your schedule. Stay within your gifts that God has given you and disciple from there.

 Are there some insights you would like to share regarding discipling others? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Blessings,
Lee Ann