12h • General discussion
Kingdom Key Point 99
I Am Sent to Make Disciples
Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Kingdom Lesson
Not long ago I came across a post from a respected evangelist that stopped me cold. He wrote that “ministry without a call from God is like law enforcement without a badge.” What troubled me was not the post itself—it was the response. Hundreds of Christians agreed. They liked it. They shared it. They nodded along as though he had finally said what they had always believed: that witnessing, discipleship, and the work of the Great Commission belong to a credentialed class of believers—the called, the ordained, the specially equipped.
I want to say this as clearly and as lovingly as I know how: that idea is one of the most dangerous lies the enemy has ever successfully planted inside the Church of Jesus Christ.
Jesus did not stand on a Galilean hillside and say, “Go ye therefore—some of you.” He did not add an asterisk directing the rest to wait for ecclesiastical approval. He looked at ordinary fishermen, tax collectors, former skeptics, and redeemed sinners and issued the same command to every one of them:
Go.
Every believer who has received the grace of God has simultaneously received the commission of God. You cannot separate the two. The cross that saved you also sent you.
You were not saved simply to be saved. You were saved to go.
The Great Commission is not a suggestion offered to the spiritually ambitious. It is the standing order of the King of kings to every member of His body—regardless of title, platform, gift, education, or season of life. It is the assignment that never expires, never gets reassigned to someone more qualified, and never waits for more favorable circumstances. The moment you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you became His ambassador to a world desperately in need of hope.
Consider what Scripture actually says. Matthew 28:19 commands us to teach all nations. First Peter 3:15 instructs every believer to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is within us. Jesus declared, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). The harvest is not waiting on ordination papers. The harvest is waiting on believers who are willing to obey.
We may not all be called to stand behind a pulpit. We may not all be gifted to serve as pastors, elders, or evangelists. Scripture clearly teaches that God has given different gifts within the Body of Christ. But there is a profound difference between a spiritual gift and the Great Commission. Spiritual gifts differ. The Great Commission does not. Every blood-bought believer has been called to witness, to disciple, to encourage, to teach, to love, and to point people toward Jesus Christ. There is no exemption. There is only obedience or disobedience.
Sadly, one of the greatest hindrances to the advancement of God’s Kingdom has been the quiet belief that ministry belongs only to professionals. Sometimes this mindset has developed through denominational traditions. Sometimes through church culture. Sometimes through a sincere but misguided desire to protect sacred responsibilities. Regardless of how it began, the result has been devastating. The Body of Christ has often remained seated while the harvest has stood ready.
When the message becomes, “Leave ministry to the ministers,” the Church becomes spectators instead of participants. The harvest remains in the field—not because there are too few laborers, but because countless believers have been convinced they need a badge before they can begin.
I remember one season early in my own ministry that forever shaped my understanding of the Great Commission. A friend of mine named David and I were working at Compaq here in Houston. What began as a daily discussion with a Jehovah’s Witness in our workplace slowly began attracting others. People gathered. Questions multiplied. Conversations deepened. Before long, that office became an unexpected mission field.
There was no church sanctuary.
No official ministry.
No denominational appointment.
No pastoral title.
Just two ordinary believers who believed Jesus meant what He said.
We shared the Gospel. We answered questions. We taught Scripture. We watched people come to Christ and planted seeds that only eternity will fully reveal.
Looking back, I realize God wasn’t simply winning an argument with a Jehovah’s Witness. He was teaching two young believers that ministry begins wherever obedient Christians decide to open their mouths.
That season taught me something I have never forgotten:
The Great Commission does not require a pulpit. It requires a willing mouth and a surrendered heart.
Isaiah declared,
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1)
Notice the command.
Not attend.
Not observe.
Not wait.
Arise. Shine.
Darkness is covering the earth, and the answer has never been brighter church buildings. The answer has always been God’s people carrying His light wherever they go.
Peter’s life illustrates this beautifully. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied his Lord three times before a servant girl. Yet only weeks later, on the Day of Pentecost, that same man stood before thousands and boldly proclaimed the risen Christ. Three thousand souls were added to the Church that day.
What changed?
Peter did not become more educated.
He did not become naturally more courageous.
He did not suddenly become more talented.
He was filled with the Holy Ghost.
The same man who trembled before one servant girl now stood before thousands without fear because he had become convinced that Jesus Christ was alive and that the Holy Spirit would empower him to do what he could never accomplish in his own strength.
That same power is available today.
What the Church needs is not merely more information.
Not another conference.
Not another seminar.
Not another degree.
We need the fire of God once again burning in the hearts of ordinary believers.
Jeremiah described it this way:
“His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones… and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:9)
That is the spirit of the Great Commission.
A fire that refuses to remain hidden.
A burden that refuses to stay silent.
A love for people that compels us to tell them about Jesus Christ.
God has never asked you to save anyone.
He has only asked you to faithfully tell them about the One who can.
We have waited long enough.
We have delayed long enough.
We have excused ourselves long enough.
Your neighbor does not need your pastor.
Your neighbor needs you.
Your coworker is not waiting for the next revival meeting.
Your coworker is waiting for you to share your testimony.
Your family member who does not know Christ is not waiting for another Christian television program.
They are waiting for you to arise and shine.
Every believer is a witness.
Every testimony is a tool.
Every relationship is a mission field.
Every day is another opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission.
As I think about the years God has allowed me to serve in ministry, one truth has become increasingly clear: the greatest investment we can ever make is not merely building churches, organizations, or ministries. It is investing our lives in people who will one day invest in others. That is discipleship. That is legacy. That is how the Kingdom advances from one generation to the next.
After ninety-nine Kingdom KeyPoints, you have been encouraged, challenged, equipped, strengthened, and prepared.
Now there is only one thing left to do.
Go.
“The moment you were saved, you were sent. You don’t need a title, a platform, or a badge—you already have a commission.” Pastor Robert E. Hardy
Kingdom Declaration
Today I declare that I have been sent by Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations.
I will not wait for a title, a platform, or permission that Christ has already given me. I will boldly share the Gospel, faithfully disciple others, and let my light shine wherever God places me. I will plant seeds, water faithfully, and trust God to bring the increase. The Holy Spirit lives within me, and I will walk in His power and His purpose. I am Christ’s ambassador. I am sent, and by His grace, I will go.
Kingdom Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for saving me and sending me. Forgive me for every opportunity I have missed because of fear, hesitation, or the belief that someone else would do what You had called me to do.
Fill me afresh with the power of the Holy Spirit. Give me the boldness of Peter, the compassion of Jesus, the perseverance of Paul, and the burning passion of Jeremiah. Help me recognize that every relationship You place in my life is an opportunity to reflect Your love and proclaim Your truth.
Use my home, my workplace, my business, my ministry, and every sphere of influence as a mission field for Your Kingdom. Help me faithfully make disciples who will love You, obey Your Word, and lead others to Christ.
May I arise and shine in a world that desperately needs Your light. Let my life become a living testimony of Your grace, and may I never lose sight of the commission You have entrusted to me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Robert E. Hardy
If these Kingdom Key Points have been a blessing to you and you want to see them go across the world in different languages — we invite you to pray about sowing a one time seed and or becoming a monthly ministry partner with us at www.wordoflifehouston.org. Together we can take these Kingdom principles to every nation, every language, and every generation. Thank you for believing in this mission.
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