Making The MAIN Thing The ONLY Thing

SERIES: BEING A GREAT PERSON FOR A GREAT GOD Matt. 28:16-20; Selected Scriptures By D.Z. Cofield, D. Min. August 28, 2022 1. You need to know your PURPOSE as a believer is to MAKE DISCIPLES. Matthew 28:16-19a (NLT) – Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, . . . . *Your purpose as a believer is to MAKE DISCIPLES. You are to BE a disciple of Jesus who MAKES disciples of Jesus, who in turn helps other disciples make more disciples! Make Disciples – John 8:31 (NLT) – Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. John 15:8 (NLT) – When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 2. You need to know what you must DO to MAKE DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) – Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 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.” – The imperative to “make disciples” is to be accomplished by practicing two participles. A. Baptizing them (19b) – focuses on bringing people to conversion/salvation. (EVANGELISM) B. Teach . . . . to obey (20) – focuses on nurturing people to full maturity. (EDIFICATION) 3. You must SHOW the signs that you are a DISCIPLE. A. Disciples LOVE GOD Mark 12:28-30 (NLT) – One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. 30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ B. Disciples LOVE ALL PEOPLE Mark 12:31 (NLT) – The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” John 13:34-35 (NLT) – So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” C. Disciples CHANGE THE WORLD by helping people change their lives through the POWER OF GOD. Acts 17:6 (ESV) – And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,” How?  SHARING THE GOSPEL BY WITNESSING TO OTHERS Acts 17:2-4 (ESV) – And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (3) explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (4) And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.  SHOWING THE GOSPEL BY SERVING OTHERS Mark 10:42-45 (NLT) – So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt t...