Disciple-makers

The Great Commission is about only one phrase: not “evangelize the world,” not “penetrate the darkness,” not anything but “make disciples.” As I read my Strong’s (Concordance), that means to go forth and enroll as learners.

Plain fact: We (Southern Baptists) boast 16-plus million members but struggle to find 5 million any one Sunday. We even joke about how folks join and then disappear.

Now God said He, via His Holy Spirit, baptizes folks into the body of Christ, so I’m assuming the 16 million people were brought to us courtesy of God. And by the numbers, we are doing a lousy job of making disciples. Which begs the question how do we expect God to send us more people when we have done a poor job with the ones He’s sent? I mean, our people seldom know what they believe beyond that which let them get on the membership rolls.

Internet Monk, I believe it was, said at the announcement of some new “evangelism program” or other, “That’s all we are … evangelistic!,” not disciple-makers.

Robert G. Cleveland
Pelham, Ala.