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            Relationships are built on communication. If communication breaks down, the relationship will not make much progress. I can remember when Nikki and I where dating, we dated almost 1,000 miles apart. I was in Kentucky at college, and she was home in South Florida. Our relationship was primarily cards, letters, notes, and phone calls. We spent over $250 a month on long distant phone calls, and we only spoke two times a week. Communication was important because we could not spend time together in person. If I sent her a letter or card and she did not read it or ignored what I said, that would be harmful for our relationship. Responding to each other’s written communication was so important to our relationship. We could not be with each other, but we could communicate or love to each other by writing and reading each other’s letters and cards. We cannot be with Jesus in Heaven, but we can read His letter He gave us. His words found in the Bible are given to us to teach us and show us how He loves us and how we can love Him in return. If we ignore His words, then our relationship with Him will suffer.

            His greatest commission for us is to make disciples. To make disciples, it is incumbent on His followers to tell people about His sacrificial love for them, so they can be baptized and then we can teach them what God expects for them. Somewhere along the way, the idea of making disciples and evangelism got separated into two different activities. However, without evangelism, there would be no one to disciple, and without making disciples, no would know how to evangelize people. Last week, I talked about the reality that people are not sharing the Gospel like we are called to. There are several reasons for that, but a major one is the lack of disciple-making in churches today. Very few people would disagree on what evangelism is, but the vast majority of people would define making disciples differently. The fact is making disciples and evangelism are both suffering because we have neglected to read and follow God’s Word. We need to make disciples who boldly share the Gospel, and people who share the Gospel to make more disciples.

            Many years ago, I was a part of an evangelism effort that saw over thirty people pray to accept Jesus Christ. There was all kinds of excitement. Near the end, we asked over 200 people who was willing to disciple these new believers, and to my surprise, the room fell silent and at first no one was stepping up to help these new believers grow in Christ. I received a visual picture of how making disciples and evangelism became separate activities. I realized that the making of disciples was falling short in helping people realize that disciples evangelize because that is what Jesus did and what He called us to do. The problem is not God’s Word, but our willingness to do what He calls us to do. If we lose the passion for making disciples our evangelism will suffer. If we do not evangelize, making disciples will suffer. The reality is that we need to get back to making disciples who make disciples who evangelize. Let’s get to work fulfilling the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”