“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” —Matt. 28:19-20
These verses are often quoted and often misapplied. They have been the standard bearer for evangelistic efforts for many years in our culture. However, a careful examination of these verses shows that the Lord was encouraging us to make disciples–not make converts.
Is evangelizing inferred in these verses? Of course. One must hear the gospel first before becoming a disciple. But the command is “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” and that takes more than an afternoon of sharing. It takes a lifetime. We must share who we are with each another. We must share our tears, our laughter, our hard times and our good times. To be honest, when hearts are open, it sometimes hurts. But this is necessary in order to obey to the Great Commission. We believe that if one’s heart is hurt while being obedient to the Lord, then the Lord Himself will heal. That’s called growth.
In the One Brick Ministry, the person being discipled will typically meet on a regular basis (weekly or bi-weekly) with a more mature Christian ‘discipler’ to work through several key books of the Bible together.
What ends up happening is that they not only study the bible, they begin to process life together from a biblical worldview. Fellowship develops. Friendships are forged. We learn to obey. One Brick is a safe place to bring questions, struggles or even doubts and ultimately learn to what it means to live in obedience to Christ in 21st century America. Those who have been discipled are then encouraged to go on and ‘pay it forward’ by discipling someone else as they themselves were discipled.