and after some days paul said to barnabas, “let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” [acts 15:36]
this passage really is demonstrating the long game of the great commission. “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, teaching them to observe all that i have commanded you. and behold, i am with you always, to the end of the age.” [matthew 28:19-20] the first part, paul and barnabas had done. they had gone. they had called people to the hope of the gospel and to a lifetime of following Jesus. they had baptized. these are the beginning work of the gospel in a person’s life. although we will go back to the power and simplicity of the gospel daily in our lives, we are only awakened to salvation once. it is all that is needed. we proclaim our desire to be a follower of Christ through baptism only once. it is all that is needed. paul and barnabas had planted many churches all over the known world, and now those churches were to continue carrying out this part of the great commission.
however, the second part of Jesus’ command takes great perseverance, patience, and steadfastness. teaching them to observe all that i have commanded you. this is a lifelong task, because we are always learning. this is a lifelong task because there are so many false teachers with false gospels creeping into the lives of believers and swaying them from the truth. this is a lifelong task because the flesh longs to complicate the truth of the gospel, often making it a man-centered, false gospel without us even realizing it. this is a lifelong task because we have an enemy who is always crouching at the door.
so the two questions we need to ask ourselves honestly, before our Father who longs to teach us all things, are these… who am i teaching to observe all that Jesus commands? who is continuing to teach me to observe all that Jesus commands?
1. who am i teaching? this can take on many forms.
- offering encouragement and exhortation to your spouse
- offering guidance and family worship for your children
- offering encouragement and exhortation in the context of lot family
- offering accountability or scripture study in peer relationships
- offering individual or group discipleship
- offering discipleship to younger believers in the context of lot family or the greater body, mlkids, or mlstudents, college, etc.
2. who is teaching me? this also can take on many forms.
- asking for encouragement and exhortation from your spouse
- asking for guidance in family worship
- asking for encouragement and exhortation in the context of lot family
- asking for accountability or scripture study in peer relationships
- asking for individual or group discipleship
- regular fellowship and teaching in the context of the wednesday night gatherings
- seeking further study of the word through discipleship, meeting with God, sLi groups, bible doctrine, mission with God, the nine month group, or other avenues offered at matthias
our commission from Jesus is not a one and done. it is our lifelong mission. it is now who we are, not simply what we do. who is the Lord calling you to pursue in any of these ways? reach out today! and when Christ comes again, may he find his children working faithfully and joyfully for the kingdom!
~arwen eastman