Teaching them I have Commanded you… - Pastor Johnny Marten
Jesus grounds the whole call in Matthew 28 by saying that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Jesus then tells His followers to go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He commanded. The church exists today because a small group of men received what Jesus taught, carried it forward, and faithful people kept carrying it forward through every generation.
The first step is reaching people with the gospel wherever life takes a Christian. Baptism follows genuine faith, marking the point where an old life lived in the flesh ends and a new life in the Spirit begins. Acts shows this pattern clearly when those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized and three thousand were added in one day.
Teaching gets wide very fast because “everything” Jesus commanded includes, well, everything. Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that God’s servant can be equipped for every good work. Sound doctrine requires healthy and accurate biblical truth, and anyone who wants to teach well must also remain a student of God’s Word. God’s Word belongs at the beginning of the day, giving the heart something stronger than problems, bad news, and anxious thoughts to meditate on.
Titus pictures discipleship as life speaking into life. Paul calls older and wiser believers to help others grow in self-control, sound faith, love, patience, wisdom, integrity, and speech that cannot be condemned. A Christian life should leave no room for hypocrisy, where one kind of behavior appears among church family and another kind appears elsewhere. Older men, younger men, older women, and younger women all need godly mentorship, especially those who have grown up without healthy examples close by.
One-on-one discipleship carries a special weight because pain, struggles, hurts, and needs are not easily unpacked in front of a group. A trusted person keeps confidence from becoming damage and gives encouragement that helps another person stand. The church needs to make sure nobody is left out and that each person has someone able to walk alongside them.
Equipping supplies people with what they need to fulfill their particular work. Gifts differ, so resources differ, whether the work involves teaching children, serving through cooking, supporting missions, or another calling. Multiplication then carries faith forward, first into families and then into the next generation. Jesus remains with His people to the very end of the age, so discouragement must not pull their eyes away from Him. Like Peter on the water, faith begins to sink when it stares at the commotion rather than at Jesus.