"GET INVOLVED!"

"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,"

Matthew 28:19

One of the challenges a local church can face is people not getting involved in the ministry. Some are content with attending church services and struggle to find a place to use their spiritual gifts.

Let’s go back to the last command of the Lord Jesus before He ascended to heaven. This part of Matthew 28 is widely known as "The Great Commission," not because it's higher in value than the other commands, but because it involves every believer. 

Some Bible scholars identify this meeting as the Lord's appearance to over 500 individuals in 1 Corinthians 15:6, who previously doubted but now have been confirmed as believers.

Contrary to what is popularly known, there is only one direct command in this verse: "make disciples." How about the verbs "go,” "baptize,” and "teach"? These three words are not direct commands but present participles. They add information about the main task. In other words, while we are going about telling people about Christ, we should make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them the things Jesus taught.

Each believer is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This phrase supports the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The God we serve is one God, yet He is three Persons. The Father is God, but is not the Son; the Son is God but is not the Father or the Holy Spirit, who is God. Every Christian must believe this teaching is as it's an essential doctrine.

A disciple is someone who placed his saving faith in Jesus Christ and made a public declaration of his faith by being baptized. But it doesn't end there. A disciple stays in the fellowship of believers for training and, eventually, being able to go out and make disciples of Jesus. This was the simple yet effective evangelism and church growth pattern of the first-century church.

The same design still works today—but we all need to be involved. We should preach the Good News to the lost, baptize new believers, and make them faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Pursue the Saviour today!