Make Disciples – Go, Tell, & Teach
“A disciple is a follower of another person seeking to learn and become like them. When you become someone’s disciple, you are saying, ‘I want to be like you.’” – Tony Walliser
Read Matthew 28:19-20
Make Disciples – Go, Tell, & Teach
The father had decided it was time to start giving his two sons a weekly allowance, but also wanted it to be a learning experience. So, he sat down with his boys – one being a year older than the other – and presented them with an option.
“I’m going to begin giving you an allowance each week, but I want to give you a choice. I can either give you a dollar a week for 52 weeks, or I’ll start with a penny the first week, then double it to two cents the second week. The third week, you’ll receive four cents, and each week that follows I will double the amount I gave you the week before – for a total of 52 weeks. Which do you choose?”
The older son, a straight-forward thinker, quickly calculated that $1 a week for 52 weeks would amount to a total of $52. So, he told his father, “I want the dollar each week.” His younger brother, however, was a curious type. The idea of having his allowance doubled each week over what he received the previous week intrigued him. He said, “Dad, I’ll take the penny the first week, doubled every week after that.”
The first week the older son received $1, while his brother received a penny. The next week the younger brother received two cents, then four, then eight, then 16, then 32, and then 64. But by week eight, things started to change. While older brother again received his $1, younger brother received $1.28. The next week he received $2.56, then $5.12, then $10.24, and then week 12, $20.48!
Fast forward to week 20 and younger brother received $5,243 – and by week 30 he received an allowance of $5.3 million! (If you don’t believe it, get your calculator out and check.)
Okay, this isn’t a true story. But it’s a tangible example of the power of multiplication. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He commissioned His followers to “therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). He was commanding them to multiply themselves.
How do we know this? Because in the opening chapter of the first book of the Bible, God said, “Let us make man in Our image” (speaking to the Trinity), and after creating man and woman He commanded, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:27-28). He wanted humans to increase not only in number, but also in the image of God – to be His image-bearers.
Too often we misunderstand this command. We rejoice when people are saved and become converts – and rightly so. But converts aren’t disciples. At best, they’re spiritual infants. They can’t feed themselves, they need to learn how to do everything, and most of all, aren’t able to reproduce. When someone gets saved, we add (one more believer). But the Lord says we’re to multiply: One becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight becomes 16, and so on.
The Bible describes disciples as followers of Jesus Christ, learners, people eager to reproduce spiritually and make more disciples. Perhaps the best passage for explaining this is 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you [Timothy] have heard me [Paul] say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
In this single verse we see four generations of believers – Paul, Timothy, “reliable men,” and “others.”
During His earthly ministry, Jesus touched many lives but focused His attention on 12 men. One of the men “failed the course” (Judas Iscariot), but the Lord left the responsibility for making disciples to the remaining 11. Over time – as these men invested their time, energy, resources and genuine care in others, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded – they multiplied.
Today, many millions of people profess to believe in Jesus. But not all are devoted disciples, seeking to reproduce themselves spiritually in the lives of others. The job isn’t done. Until Jesus returns in His glory, He wants us to continue to “make disciples.” Are you willing to become a disciple-maker? If you’re not already, are you willing to become a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ – and then begin to join in making other disciples?