Biblical Evangelism and Discipleship

► A student should read Matthew 28:18-20 for the group.

Some people have believed that this command was only for the apostles.

► Was this command only for the people who heard it that day? Explain your answer.

William Carey lived from 1761-1834. He was from England. He was a shoemaker who felt a strong desire to spread the gospel. His church was not much interested in foreign mission work. They believed that God had already decided whom he would save, and that he did not depend on human help.

At a conference of pastors, Carey suggested a topic for discussion: he asked if the Great Commission is the task of the church until the end of the world, since the promise that Jesus gave with the Great Commission is that he would be with them until the end of the world. The leader of the conference said, “Sit down, young man. You are an enthusiast [fanatic]. When God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your help or mine.”

We know that the command is given to the church till the end of the world. Jesus promised to be with those who carry the gospel, even to the end of the age, which shows that the responsibility for the task belongs to the church through all generations. The apostles could not finish the task during their lifetime, but Jesus said that the gospel would be preached in every nation (Matthew 24:14).

So the responsibility of evangelism is inherited by each generation of the church.

► Look again at the details of Matthew 28:18-20. What is commanded specifically?

Jesus’ specific command was that the church go everywhere and make disciples for him.

The command includes evangelism because a person cannot be a disciple until he is converted.

The command means that the church must make evangelism and discipleship its priorities and take zealous action; otherwise, it is not fulfilling the reason it exists.

The phrase “all nations” (every ethnic group) shows that foreign mission work is commanded, since ethnic groups do not have the gospel until it is brought to them. No category of people should be excluded.

The command is not just to preach the gospel. A process of teaching is necessary because we are supposed to teach converts everything Jesus commanded.

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The teacher must have complete personal commitment to obey the commands of Christ because he must be a good example, demonstrating to converts how to live a life of obedience to Christ.

The convert must be committed to obey Christ also, because learning the commands of Christ is not enough without obeying as he learns. If he is not obeying what he has learned, he is resisting the work of discipleship. The process of discipleship is not only educational, but character forming.

[1]“I am more than ever convinced that if we were to take the direction of our Master and the assurances he gave to his first disciples more fully as our guide, we should find them to be just as suited to our times as to those in which they were originally given.”
- J. Hudson Taylor, “The Call to Service”