When Christ was about to leave the earth, the last command he gave us was to go and make disciples of all nations. Now, this is deeper than just saying "go and win souls" or "go and make converts". Christ meant something deeper than that.
His last command was that we go and make disciples of all nations. This is a comprehensive assignment. It entails preaching to the lost, getting them saved and nurtured until they become mature.
Verse 20 of our opening text says, "TEACH these NEW DISCIPLES TO OBEY all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
Discipleship entails living the life of Christ for others to see and then teaching them to do same.
Discipleship is a lifelong commitment to ensuring that those brought into the faith become like Jesus in character and conduct. It is for this reason God set the five fold ministry in the body.
Apostle Paul says, "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ" (Eph 4:11-12 NLT).
The purpose of the five fold ministry can be summed in one word- Discipleship. God set these gifts in the body to disciple the saints. That is why it is important for every child of God to identify with a body of believer.
The primary purpose of the church is to disciple believers to become like Jesus. Any other purpose aside this is not of God.
The church is the only certified place by heaven to churn out men and women who represent heaven using Christ as the template/ model. If a preacher's goal is to raise business men or wealthy people, he has deviated. Why? There are many secular schools for that and they'll do it better but nowhere in the world will we get the nourishment into becoming like Jesus except the church.
Making men to become like Christ should be the overriding purpose for the existence of any church and ministry. A call into ministry is a call to model Christ and teach others to become like him. God is big on discipleship. It is his global agenda till Christ comes.
