Monday, February 25, 2008

The Everyday Commission

Read Matthew 28:18-20

The first step in discipling our friends is evangelism. We must be intentional about winning our friends to Christ. But that is only the beginning of a lifelong process in each of their lives. The second part is to be intentional about helping them to grow. Just as a mom and dad bring a newborn into the world they don’t just stop there because that would mean certain doom for that baby. They must intentionally help the baby to grow by giving nourishment and love. So we also must do the same for our friends. That is the overwhelming theme of this passage. This passage is called the Great Commission, however like Dan Spader I like to call it the Everyday Commission. Again the first step in fulfilling the everyday commission is to win a person to Christ. Then the second is the help them go public with that decision (baptizing them). It is imperative to help your friend understand that making a commitment to follow Christ is not to be a private matter. If it were then no one would share Christ and thus no one would come to know Christ. Baptism is the first step in making our relationship with Christ public. Encourage your friend to get baptized. Next is the most vital part, (teaching them to observe all things). All what things? The Word of God. It is not enough just to win your friends to Christ you must help them to grow in their relationship with Christ. That means that you must help them to take steps of faith. One way to do that is to encourage them to come to church and join a d-group. Another is to do a Bible study with them or just to read the Word of God together. Pray together as this will teach them to talk to God. These are just a few things that you can practically do with your friend. Understand though it is imperative that you are intentional about helping them grow in their relationship with God or they like a baby without nourishment will die.

Father help us to be intentional about reaching our friends for Christ and helping them to follow after you.

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