Disciple the Nations - Basic Framework

Disciple the Nations - Basic Framework

Collin Leong. September 5, 2024

Discipling the nations is God's calling to all His Children. No one is exempted. The command is given in Matthew 28:19-20 - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"

A. There are four important verbs in this passage:

1. Go – The great commission requires an action. Where and whom to go to, is between you and the Lord. The "where" can be where you are, or somewhere you’ve never been before. The "who" can be your family, friends or foreigners you have never met.

You need to ask God where and who should you go to. Do not doubt the answer given by God. The Holy Spirit in you already knows, but sometimes, we just ignore it. Write down the first word God puts in your mind, or any other ways he communicates with you. Then obey it.

2. Make Disciples – The mission is to tell them the good news and to make them a disciple of Christ. There are many ways to do it. Ask God to show you how. It can start by being their friend, by having more communication, by doing things together.

You don’t need to be an expert in the scripture, or know how to preach. Most people don't need a discourse of scripture at the beginning. They need to trust you first, before they trust the scripture you speak of. Rather, your attitude and character will play a major part in this task.

Even if God asks you to do something risky or embarrassing, you need to have faith to obey him. If you are doing his will, he will make sure you are protected and provided for. If He asks you to do something complicated, don't be afraid to discuss and ask for help with your spouse, spiritually mature friends and the church leaders. You can also join a short-term mission team, who has experienced people, and you can learn from them.

3. Baptize Them – The purpose is to influence them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You need the discernment when to ask the question "Is there anything that prevents you from accepting the Lord Jesus as your savior?" Sometimes they will give a reason and say "no", which is fine. There are many stories where the person that sow the seed was not the one who did the harvest. Keep praying to God for specific person consistently.

Baptizing them is to confirm their faith. You, as a believer, is given the right to baptize new believers. Either you can baptize them, or you can help from the local church.

4. Teaching Them The Word and To Obey – The vision is to make them be like Christ and to learn how to be intimate with God. It is understood that the Word must be thought, else how can they obey? To do this, you must be familiar with the Word. You can also ask someone to help and to answer their tough questions. Sometimes, God may call us to be a long-term mentor to the new believer, to journey with him or her. Make sure they are settled in to the appropriate church. This is to help them to grow in knowledge and to be spiritually mature, and to be Christ-like.

B. What can we do to disciple the nations?

These are practical steps to take for the reaching out to others. It applies whether you doing the commission locally or in foreign land, and whether you are doing it for you family, your friends or for strangers.

1. GO

Pray for direction: Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel, for the strength and wisdom to do so, and for the people you are trying to reach. Once you hear Him (or the Holy Spirit), then start to act to implement what He wants you to do. Note that God is not obligated to tell his entire itinerary to you. You need to go by faith, just like Abraham just go to where God told him, without knowing why. God will reveal it to you at the right time, and will provide all the help and resources you need, just-in-time.
Live Out Your Faith: Demonstrate Christ-like behavior in your daily life, in season and out of season. Your actions can be a powerful testimony to others, and make them ask you questions about your faith. Continuously study the Bible and other Christian resources to deepen your understanding of your faith and how to share it effectively.

2. Make Disciples

Serve them: Serve whoever God assigned you. It could be your local community, your family members, your relatives, and foreigners in and out of your country. Show them acts of kindness and charity. This can open doors to share your faith.
Use Your Gifts: Utilize your unique talents and skills to serve God and others. Whether it’s through music, art, writing, or any other abilities.
Build Relationship: What you do above will strengthen the relationship with them. If your mission is for other races, different culture, and different background (eg: the poor, the old, people with disabilities, etc), you need to understand their daily lives and circumstances first, before you can share the Gospel in a relevant way. Visiting their homes and listening to them is the default way to do it.
Gain their trust: One easy way to start is to share relevant testimonies how God helped you in the same circumstances, and offer to pray for them and for God to solve their problems. Most of them will say yes to prayers, even if they believe in other gods.

3. Baptize Them

Share the Gospel: This is the time to them about Jesus and His teachings, and to ask them if they want to receive Jesus as their savior. This can be done through an intimate personal conversations or testimony of how you were saved and what has changed once you became a Christian. You need discernment on the time to ask them to accept Jesus. Pray to God to give you the opportunity. When the opportunity is given, be courageous and act quickly, as God may have prepared their hearts. As said, even if he/she say no, they may say yes the next time or to someone else, because you have laid the seed.

4. Teaching Them The Word and To Obey

Teach and Mentor: Disciple others by teaching them about the Bible and helping them grow in their faith. This can be done through small groups, Bible studies, or one-on-one mentoring. If you are unable to do it alone, ensure that they join a cell group who will support him/her.

C. Missionaries Out There

If God did not call you to do missions overseas, you can also support the existing missionaries out there. God will "introduce" missionaries to you via your church or friends. Many missionaries depend on resources from God day-by-day basis, and also to support the poor. God can use you as the source of providence to the missionary. You can do the following:

Sponsor a missionary - many of them have needs, but because of their faith in God, they never beg from anybody. Get insights from God how much to give the one he revealed to you, and how many times a year. In fact, this is what faith is - they will get what they need without asking because God asked you to give. Sponsorship can be partial and subsidized. You can decide to sponsor one or more missionaries.
Sponsor the local children - Some missionaries implement sponsorship for the poor children to receive the necessary things such as education, health, food, and bible learning. Find out how much you need to give for one child, and you can decide (after praying) how many child sponsorship you can afford.
Pray for them and their ministry - pray specifically for those you are giving to. Pray for both their physical and spiritual protection, health, and growth in God. Many of them are in danger of spiritual attacks. Pray for God to protect them from the evil influence and temptation.
Pay them a visit - Go to the missionary you are supporting for a visit for one or two days. This is not a mission trip, but to observe, and to encourage the missionary, the family and their staff. Don't suddenly show up; always ask them if the dates you plan is alright with them. These trips are helpful for your own spiritual expansion, to recognize their need that you didn't know exist, and teach you to be compassionate for the people they are caring for. Why not do it in the next opportunity?

D. My Testimony - Siem Reap Short-term Mission (August 2024)

Elder Kian Huat is a church member of Bethesda Hall in Singapore, and has been my friend from 30 years ago. He became a full time missionary in Kampung Chnnang, which is 2 hours north of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Over there, he has helped build a Christian School (called Canaan School), a Chapel, a dormitory (which holds him and his wife, six chosen local kids, and visitors.)

He had just completed building a Bible College, and the first class will start in January 1st 2025. He has strong faith to build all these infrastructure even before he has the money, as his experience shows him that God will provide at the right time.

On August 8th, I went for a short-mission trip to Siem Reap (SR) with Full Gospel Church (Johor). They will go back to Johor on August 13th. I will visit Kian Huat on August 14th,

I was concerned that there were no direct transport SR to Kampung Chnnang (KC). Even the local staff could find me any transport. They told me I have to take bus to Phnom Penh, and then take another bus to KC. But that trip will take 8-9 hours.

It so happened that on 9th August, AirAsia told my mission members that their flight from SR to KL has been cancelled and they were ask to depart the next day (on 14th.) So they had a free day on the 13th, and they decided to celebrate the 12th anniversary and to dedicate the new dormitory (where we stayed.) So many people were invited, including a Cambodian man called Tree, who is a Christian.

Tree lives in Kampung Chnnang and has a van he used to provide transport, but he has stopped that service. He was thinking of taking his motorcycle to the event, but his wife asked him to drive the van for safety, as it was a 6 hour journey.

They called him and ask whether he can take me to KC the next day, after the celebration (i,e. on the 14th). He said yes!

The staff and outsiders invited to the dedication,
including the mayor of the village sitting in blue dress.

When I met Tree at the event, I found out that he knows Kian Huat, for his wife used to teach at Canaan School! Glory to God for arranging all this to happen, so that I can get a direct transport to KC, door-to-door!

When I told Kian Huat that we will be arriving around 7pm, he said that's good, because he is coming back from Singapore in the morning. Again, God's hand is in all this, who cancelled the flight, meeting with Tree, and made sure Kian Huat will come home before I arrive!

Tree and his two friends,
at the restaurant we had lunch

On the way to KC, Tree picked up 2 of his friends. They were pre-believers. When we went to lunch, I had the opportunity to tell them about the Gospel. As their English is not very good, I prayed to God that He will not let them forget what I said. Tree later told me that what I said sticked with them, as he heard them discussing what I said, when they stayed at Tree's house.

I praise God that he arranged all these things, so that everyone will benefit, and the gospel is shared, with just a delay of the flight.

Other Photos of SR and KC mission trips: