20 October 2022

HAVE YOU BEEN DISCIPLED ?IF NOT WHY NOT? IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO START. WE ALL NEED IT.

By John Ollis

It seems to me that perhaps the most NEGLECTED/DISOBEYED commandment is not obeying THE GREAT COMMISSION as found in the last verses of Matthew’s Gospel 28:18-20 NKJV All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

AMP.N.T.

All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age .Amen (so let it be).

MESSAGE God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

PASSION “All the authority of the universe has been given to me. Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

We thank God for the ministry of the “Navigators” in this area, but it is the responsibility of every local church to Disciple new Believers.

Making a Disciple is making sure the right FOUNDATIONS have been laid so that the new Believer can GROW IN GRACE AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Sadly, there is even the attitude we leave it up to the Holy Spirit to do it. In Matt. 28 Jesus clearly tells His Disciples that they MUST make Disciples.

The very first thing we need to do is to see that the new Believer has ASSURANCE his sins are forgiven and that he has received the gift of eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NKJV These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Sadly, I have heard Preachers say, “Now that you have prayed that prayer (The Sinner’s Prayer) you are now a Christian. No one can see into the human heart, and often becoming a Christian can b a pilgrimage, and many often pray the Sinner’s Prayer more than once before they know they are born again.

The new Believer must be taught and TRAINED (Message Bible) a number of FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS SUCH AS:

1 The Essential ingredients to daily prayer

2. What is part of God’s so great Salvation they have received

(a) Forgiveness 1 John 1:9

(b) Access into the presence of God Eph.2:18

(c) A glorious inheritance NOW Eph.1:11 and throughout eternity

(d) The Whole armour of God Eph.6:10-18

(e) Jesus makes intercession for us Rom.8:27

(f) They must be “planted” in the House (Church) Psalm 92:13

The list goes on and on, but these are very important.

A Disciple is a Follower or a pupil, a learner.

Discipleship is the process of making someone like Christ.

It is NOT a 4-6 week class, but a Disciple-maker walks with the new Believer for as long as it takes until Godly maturity is evidenced.

The training will develop in time for the Disciple to be assisted in finding his ministry in the local church, and for he himself to become a Disciple-maker.

In the following blogs I will develop each of these things starting with the essential ingredients to daily prayer.