Glorify God by Making Disciples Locally and Globally

God created people for His glory, not for their own little purposes. Isaiah 43 says that everyone called by God’s name was created, formed, and made for His glory. Paul says that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him, so all glory belongs to Him forever.

God’s glory does not need to be boosted or enhanced. A mirror reflects the sun’s light without adding anything to it, and a telescope helps people see a star’s magnificence without making the star bigger. God calls His people to reflect His character and magnify His greatness so that others think rightly and more highly of Him.

Paul makes glorifying God an all-encompassing endeavor. Eating, drinking, working, speaking, serving, walking the dog, riding a bike, and making ordinary choices can all aim at God’s glory. The church can do a thousand good things, but if God’s glory is not the bull’s eye, the target has been missed.

Christ gives His church its mission rather than leaving the church to invent one. Matthew 28 grounds the mission in Christ’s authority, commands the church to make disciples, sends disciples to all nations, and promises Christ’s presence to the very end of the age. The goal is not simply filling seats or getting people to say yes to Jesus. A disciple trusts Jesus, follows Jesus, learns from Jesus, increasingly obeys Jesus, and helps somebody else do the same.

Discipleship works like a chain reaction of grace. God uses one person to lead another to Christ, pour Scripture into that person, and then equip that person to pour into somebody else. The home provides one of the most beautiful places to begin, but family, friends, coworkers, and people who know less all become opportunities for organic, faithful investment.

Christ’s mission reaches across the street and around the world. The neighbor right in front of someone cannot be ignored while grand ideas of changing the world are celebrated. Acts 1:8 gives the Holy Spirit’s power for witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth, all at the same time. Revelation 7 supplies the finish line: a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language crying, “Salvation belongs to our God.”

The mission statement must become a movement. A church becomes more than a random crowd when brothers and sisters recognize that each person brings something needed for the assignment. God calls His people away from comfort, apathy, consumerism, and complaining about culture, and into the game of making disciples for His glory.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s glory is the bull’s eye God’s glory is not one priority among many. Every ministry, dollar, song, meal, and ordinary decision finds its proper aim there. Good activity without this aim can still miss the target. [29:39]
• 2. Disciples make more disciples A disciple is not merely someone who has information about Jesus or attendance at church. Christ calls disciples to follow, obey, and then lead another person along that same path. Discipleship becomes healthy when it is replicated. [34:28]
• 3. Mission starts where feet are planted The neighbor, coworker, classmate, and person sitting nearby are not interruptions to a bigger mission. Across the street is where gospel intentionality gets real. God often places the next opportunity for witness directly in everyday life. [35:45]
• 4. The nations belong in the heart Acts 1:8 refuses the false choice between local ministry and global mission. The Holy Spirit empowers witness in every direction at once, from nearby places to the ends of the earth. Revelation 7 gives confidence that God will gather worshipers from every people and language. [38:27]
• 5. A statement must become a movement A mission statement becomes a blueprint only when it shapes going, giving, serving, and personal relationships. Comfort can quietly turn disciples into consumers who watch rather than engage. God calls every believer to get on the same end of the rope.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [22:49] - Why Does the Church Exist?
• [24:15] - Created for God’s Glory
• [26:21] - Mirrors and Telescopes of God’s Glory
• [28:05] - Glorifying God in Everyday Life
• [30:26] - Christ Gives the Church Its Mission
• [31:12] - The Great Commission and Christ’s Authority
• [32:44] - Disciples, Not Just Filled Seats
• [34:02] - A Chain Reaction of Grace
• [35:06] - Across the Street and Around the World
• [38:05] - Power for Witness Through the Spirit
• [39:05] - The Command, Power, and Finish Line
• [40:43] - From Mission Statement to Movement
• [41:28] - Who Are You Helping Follow Jesus?
• [44:10] - Blueprint or Indictment
• [46:05] - Every Person Is Needed
• [47:30] - Prayer for Courage and Faithfulness

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” [31:16]

Isaiah 43:7
“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” [25:17]

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [38:14]

Revelation 7:9-10
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” [39:34]

1 Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [28:06]

Romans 11:36
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” [25:53]

Observation questions

1. According to Isaiah 43:7 and Romans 11:36, who is the source, purpose, and rightful recipient of all things?
2. What ordinary parts of daily life are included in Paul’s phrase, “whatever you do,” and what examples help show how broad that command is? [28:22]
3. In Matthew 28:18-20, what five parts of Christ’s mission are named: authority, command, scope, process, and promise? [31:52]
4. What does Acts 1:8 say believers receive before being sent as witnesses, and which places are included in their witness?

Interpretation questions

1. If God’s glory cannot be increased, what does it mean for a believer to glorify God like a mirror reflects light or a telescope helps people see a star more clearly? [26:50]
2. Jesus commands His followers not only to make disciples but also to teach them to obey all He commanded. How does this show that discipleship is more than attendance, information, or a one-time response?
3. A disciple trusts, follows, learns from, and increasingly obeys Jesus, while also helping another person follow Him. What might this look like in an ordinary friendship, family relationship, or workplace connection? [33:18]
4. Acts 1:8 includes Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth, while Revelation 7 shows worshipers from every people and language. Why should a church resist choosing between local gospel witness and global mission? [38:34]

Application questions

1. God created His people for His glory. In what part of life—work, family, finances, habits, conversations, recreation, or private choices—does there seem to be the greatest need to reflect God’s character more clearly? [27:39]
2. “Whatever you do” includes the ordinary routines of life. What is one normal activity this week that could be approached more intentionally for God’s glory, and what could that look like in practice? [28:41]
3. Jesus’ mission is to make disciples, not merely to fill seats. Is there someone God may be inviting a believer to encourage in following Jesus—a child, family member, newer Christian, friend, or coworker? What could be a simple first step? [41:28]
4. Discipleship can be organic rather than impressive or complicated. What could it look like to meet regularly with one person to read a passage of Scripture, ask questions, and pray together? [42:03]
5. Mission begins where feet are planted. Who is one neighbor, classmate, teammate, or coworker who may need genuine friendship and a clear witness to Christ? What might a faithful next conversation or act of hospitality be? [35:47]
6. The Holy Spirit gives power for witness, and the mission includes both nearby people and the nations. How can the group grow in caring for both: personally engaging someone nearby and praying, giving, or serving toward gospel work around the world? [39:01]
7. Comfort and consumerism can keep believers watching from the sidelines rather than joining Christ’s mission. Where might someone in the group have a gift, experience, or opportunity that could strengthen the church’s disciple-making work? [46:25]