Introduction

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that 1 have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age”
Matt 28:19-20
 

One of the words that define the body of Christ today is "evangelical." We hear so much about evangelizing the world, and rightfully so. Many of our churches have evangelical outreaches, teach courses in evangelizing, and stress the life-changing importance of the born-again experience. All true, worthy of time and energy, and biblically sound.
 

What I have noticed and heard repeatedly however is the belief within the church that the "Great Commission" is a call to evangelize. A call to go and preach the gospel with the intent of making converts. This is certainly a part of what the Holy Spirit revealed through the Great Commission (Matt 28:19), but certainly not the entire message. The Great Commission goes MUCH further than just evangelizing as we have come to know that word. Verse 19 declares "go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." It does not say go and make converts, nor believers, but "disciples." This book is about making disciples.