The Great Commission is a call to make disciples who make disciples, and to be a gospel-centered church is to make this our mission. Believers are to glorify God by making disciples of all nations, and nothing short of this will suffice. Worship and witness must be our heartbeat. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, and to teach them everything that He commanded. Since this is true, it is important for us to know what a mature disciple looks like and have a process to move people toward maturity.
The simple gr
aphic to the left of this page illustrates what growth looks like in the Christian life. To begin with, a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ by repenting of their sin, confessing faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, and following through in obedience to Christ’s command of being baptized. Then, that disciple is to mature in his or her new faith. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the new believer at the moment of salvation to enable and empower spiritual growth. We grow by reading Scripture, praying, and through involvement in the local church. Growth is not simply a matter of knowledge, however. It also involves obedience. True growth comes through serving others. The supreme mark of maturity in a disciple’s life is his or her participation in the mission of making disciples. We are to share the gospel with non-believers and lead them to trust Christ. Those who repent and believe must then be led down this same pathway toward maturity.