In Matthew 28:19-20 we read: “Go and make disciples of all nations, [commanded Jesus] baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Let’s be clear: what exactly is it that Jesus commands us to do? – Go and make disciples. We are to go and make (the verb is make)… not wait for folk to come in and ask, ‘Excuse me, how can I become a disciple of Jesus’? We are the ones who have to go out and bring the lost in. The church is not meant to just be a cruise ship or a pleasure boat (even though it is often), it’s meant to be a lifeboat, and we are the crew, the rescue party. We are to make disciples, not just converts. In the Great Commission we are commanded to:

• make disciples (people need to commit to Christ)
• mark disciples (baptise them) and
• mature disciples (teaching and helping them to obey the Scriptures)