The Great Commission (Part 1)
How to get infinite returns on your time investment
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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.
Matt. 28:19-20 (ESV)
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Born to reproduce.
As disciples of Christ we have a mission inside these final words of Jesus from Matthew’s gospel:
Make disciples.
In essence, we are disciples tasked with making disciples who also make disciples that also-also go out and make disciples, on and on, until the great return of Christ and the resetting of the Earth.
In John 15, Jesus talks about bearing fruit for the glory of God. Often we think of the fruit of the Spirit (which you can find listed out in Galatians 5). But that’s only a part of the fruit we must bear.
People are fruit, too.
I suppose that’s an odd thing to say. But hear me out: the souls of people will live on forever — either in eternal glory with God or eternal damnation in hell.
Regardless, the return on investment of your time is infinite when you spend it on making disciples.
The way we make disciples is right there in those verses: by going, baptizing, and teaching. And, typical of Jesus, we have good news in that He leaves us with more than a task and instructions:
Jesus also promises to be with His disciples always.
He accomplishes this by having the Holy Spirit live inside each and every one of his disciples. And God living within me is so much better than Jesus walking next to me.
Tomorrow I’ll dig into the evangelism aspect of this verse a little more.
See you then.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
