Make Disciples As You Go: The Great Commission

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When 11 Disciples Walked the Mountain

The text’s shift from 12 to 11 disciples reveals a sobering truth: even those closest to Jesus can falter. Discipleship isn’t automatic—it requires intentional pursuit of Christ through prayer, Scripture, and accountability. Like the disciples who witnessed miracles yet still struggled, believers today must guard against complacency. Spiritual drift happens when disciplines fade, leaving room for doubt or self-reliance. The call isn’t to perfection but to persistent, humble dependence on Jesus. [36:42]

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 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.”
(Matthew 28:16–20, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you felt spiritual complacency creeping in this month? What one intentional step—like setting a prayer alarm or texting an accountability partner—could reignite your daily pursuit of Christ?

Day 2: Doubters Who Kept Worshiping

Some disciples doubted even as they worshiped on that Galilean mountain. Worship isn’t reserved for the certain—it’s the lifeline for the uncertain. Bringing raw questions to God realigns hearts with His unchanging character, even when circumstances feel chaotic. Like a man praying in a driveway amid cancer diagnoses, honest worship reminds us God’s mercies outlast our understanding. Doubt shrinks when we fix our eyes on His faithfulness, not our feelings. [40:24]

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22–23, ESV)

Reflection: What unanswered prayer or unresolved pain makes worship feel hard today? How might writing one honest sentence to God (“I’m struggling to trust You about…”) open space for His fresh mercies?

Day 3: Baptizing With Chocolate Pudding

Discipleship isn’t about grand gestures but daily immersion in Christ’s love—like mixing medicine into a father’s favorite pudding. “Baptizing them” means overwhelming others with grace in practical, persistent ways. It’s choosing kindness when cut off in traffic, generosity with grumpy servers, or patience with coworkers testing your faith. Every small act of love submerges someone deeper into the reality of Jesus. [56:33]

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
(Colossians 4:6, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your routine (barista, neighbor, coworker) needs “chocolate pudding” grace this week? What tangible act—a larger tip, a listening ear—could show them Christ’s relentless love?

Day 4: Commissioned Candy and Turn Signals

Making disciples happens “as you are going”—not just on mission trips but in school carlines and grocery aisles. It’s flashing lights to let hurried drivers merge, then explaining, “I try to drive like Jesus would.” It’s keeping candy rewards for gospel conversations, turning errands into holy appointments. Ordinary moments become divine when we see them as Jesus’ marching orders. [55:52]

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane task (commuting, shopping, chores) could you redefine today as a discipleship opportunity? How might narrating your Christ-centered choices (“I’m doing this because Jesus…”) impact those watching?

Day 5: Mercies New With Every Pudding Spoon

God’s faithfulness isn’t a vague promise—it’s daily manna, like morning mercies measured in pudding spoons for a dying father. His presence meets us in driveways and hospital rooms, not just sanctuaries. The Great Commission’s power lies in its “therefore”—because Jesus holds all authority, we disciple from victory, not fear. His resurrection power fuels our ordinary obedience. [44:38]

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: What heavy burden (“I must save them” or “I’ve failed too much”) keeps you from joyfully making disciples? How does Jesus’ finished work free you to disciple others from rest, not pressure?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 28 sets the risen Jesus before the 11 disciples in Galilee, on the mountain where he told them to go. The 11 disciples matter because there used to be 12, and Judas is no longer standing there. Judas’s absence gives a warning: falling away is possible, and nobody ought to act like temptation disappeared just because Jesus died, rose again, and sent the Holy Spirit. Discipleship is not extra church work; discipleship is the way a Christian keeps learning, growing, and drawing close to Jesus instead of drifting off to do life on personal terms.

The disciples worshiped, but some doubted. Their doubts did not make Jesus send them away. Worship puts things back in order when answers do not come, when healing is delayed, when justice seems far off, and when life feels too heavy. God is God, and worship remembers that his mercies are new every morning, even when strength feels used up.

Jesus gives the main command plainly: make disciples. Going, baptizing, and teaching all describe how that command gets lived out. “As you are going” means discipleship is not only a mission trip somewhere far away. Discipleship belongs at lunch, at work, at home, on the road, and even with a waiter or waitress after church. The love of Christ ought to show up in kindness, generosity, prayer, and a life that helps somebody else see events from God’s perspective.

Baptizing them means more than getting somebody into water at the right moment. Baptizing them means immersing people in Christ, overwhelming them with the love of Jesus and the family of God, and continuing to love them even when they push back. Teaching them looks like apprenticeship. Teaching happens when life gets debriefed, when actions are explained, when kindness on the highway gets connected to Jesus rather than just good manners.

Jesus grounds all of this in his authority. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, so every excuse loses its power. Shame, failure, fear, poor speech, and past wandering do not cancel his command. The risen Christ gives permission, freedom, and authority to make disciples.

The promise of his presence belongs to the path of obedience. The Great Commission is a gratitude based covenant: Jesus has saved, forgiven, loved, and given life, therefore his people go make disciples. The presence of Jesus is enjoyed as the church does what he said, because making disciples is one way to spend time with the One who died to be with sinners.

Key Takeaways

1. Discipleship guards against drifting away Discipleship is not just something the church needs done; it is something the soul needs in order to stay awake to Jesus. Judas’s absence among the 11 disciples is a sober reminder that closeness to holy things does not automatically keep a heart faithful. Intentional prayer, Scripture, worship, fellowship, service, and witness are not religious busywork, but means of staying near the Lord instead of quietly walking away. [36:42]
2. Worship reorders honest doubt Doubt does not have to end conversation with God. The disciples worshiped even while some doubted, and that pattern gives room for honest questions without surrendering reverence. Worship may not hand over every answer, but it restores the right order: God is God, his mercies are new, and his goodness is not measured by the ease of the moment. [42:01]
3. Making disciples is the command The main verb is not “go” as if only travel counted; the main command is to make disciples. Going, baptizing, and teaching describe what disciple making looks like in ordinary life. Every lunch table, workplace, car ride, family conversation, and moment of kindness can become a place where someone is helped to see Jesus. [46:46]
4. Authority silences every excuse Jesus does not send disciples out on the basis of confidence, training, personality, or a clean record. Jesus sends them because all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to him. Shame, fear, past failure, and the thought “I’m not qualified” have to bow before the King who says his people are free to go make disciples. [64:14]
5. Presence follows obedient going The promise “I am with you always” is tied to the command to make disciples. Feelings of distance from God call for more than chasing an old spiritual high; they invite obedience to what Jesus has already said. Discipleship becomes a way of spending time with Jesus, because love gladly goes where the beloved is going.

## [67:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:51] - Matthew 28 and the Great Commission
[36:21] - Why the 11 Disciples Matter
[37:01] - The Danger of Falling Away
[39:31] - Christian Disciplines Keep Disciples Close
[40:24] - Worshiping While Doubting
[43:20] - Mercies New Every Morning
[46:46] - The Main Command: Make Disciples
[52:06] - Evangelism and Discipleship Together
[53:33] - Discipleship As You Are Going
[56:33] - Immersing People in Christ’s Love
[58:28] - Teaching Like Apprenticeship
[63:08] - Jesus Gives Authority to Go
[67:20] - His Presence With Disciple Makers
[75:05] - Practical Challenges for the Church
[78:34] - Prayer and the Altar Call

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:16-20
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 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.’” [34:54]

Lamentations 3:22-23
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” [43:16]

Acts 1:6-8
“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.’” [01:03:30]

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” [01:13:06]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28, what stands out about the fact that there are eleven disciples instead of twelve, and why does that detail matter? [36:42]
According to Matthew 28:16-20, what are the main actions Jesus names when he gives the commission to his disciples?
In the passage, what are the disciples doing at the same time some of them are doubting, and what does that show about their response to Jesus? [40:01]
What were some everyday examples given of what “as you are going” can look like in ordinary life? [53:33]

Interpretation questions

If Judas is missing from the mountain scene, what warning does that give about drifting away from Jesus, even for people who have been close to Christian things for a long time? [38:05]
The disciples worshiped Jesus, but some doubted. Why might worship be the right response when answers are delayed, life feels unfair, or faith feels shaky? [42:16]
Jesus’ main command is to make disciples. How does that shape the way a believer should think about normal places like work, home, restaurants, and the drive down the road? [47:54]
Jesus says that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. How does that answer the common excuses that a believer might give for not speaking about Christ or helping others follow him? [01:04:14]

Application questions

Where is there a real danger of drifting in life right now—prayer, Scripture, worship, fellowship, obedience, or simple attentiveness to Jesus? What would it look like to take one intentional step back toward him this week? [39:31]
When doubt shows up, is the instinct usually to withdraw from God or to keep worshiping? What would it look like to stay honest with God without stepping away from him? [42:01]
Jesus did not say disciple-making only belongs in faraway places. Who is already in the path of everyday life right now—a family member, coworker, neighbor, friend, cashier, or server—who could be loved with more gospel intentionality this week? [55:20]
Kindness can become part of disciple-making when it clearly points to Jesus. What ordinary setting this week might become a moment to show patience, generosity, or prayer in a way that helps someone see Christ? [54:39]
Teaching others to follow Jesus often looks more like apprenticeship than a lesson. Is there someone who needs not only advice, but shared life, conversation, and a simple example to follow? What might that look like in a practical way? [58:28]
Shame, fear, failure, awkwardness, and “I’m not qualified” often keep people quiet. Which of those excuses has the strongest grip right now, and what would it mean to believe that Jesus’ authority is greater than that excuse? [01:05:30]
Jesus promises his presence as his people go and make disciples. If there has been a sense of distance from God lately, could obedience be part of what is missing? What is one small act of witness or disciple-making that could be taken this week as a step of love toward him? [01:07:20]

Sermon Clips

62s

#GoByPromises

“My question to you would be, are you doing what he said to do when he promised you that his presence would be with you? You see, most of the time we focus on the fact that I don't feel him and we go by feel. When we need to go by promises, we need to go by this covenant that he has made with us when he said, look, I'm the one. I am the savior of the world. I am the son of God. I am God in the flesh. I died and rose again, and I ascended to be with God, and I sent the Holy Spirit to be with you. We're not waiting on anybody else. And I promise that my presence would always be with you as you were going to make disciples. So my question is, if you're not feeling the presence of God, are you going and making disciples?”

43s

#JesusWantedYou

“I'm saying to you is, don't you love spending time with Jesus? While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you. When you were rotten and wretched and vile and denied his existence and cursed who he was, He went to the cross knowing that because he wanted to spend time with you. He had absolutely no interest in the vile life you were living. He wanted you.”

40s

#AuthorityToMakeDisciples

“This is a different word. This word means that you have the authority to do it. Not that you're endowed with supernatural power and you'll be able to go out and and and speak words. That's the acts kind of power that you were talked about last week. This power is more like the high court has given you permission to talk about Jesus. The high court has given you permission to make decisions. The ultimate authority in the cosmos has said, you are free to make disciples.”

64s

#WorshipRestoresOrder

“You see the powerful thing about worship is it puts things back in order. It orders things back in the right direction. It orders things back in the right order that they're supposed to be in. When we worship, we recognize that God is God and we are not. Amen? We recognize that he's God and he has a greater plan than we do. He is a greater God than we could ever be. And that even if things don't go the way that we think they ought to go, the way that we're crying out for them to go, the way that seems right for them to go, Even if we don't understand it, we recognize through worship that God is God. And that he doesn't change, that he is always good, and that his love for us has no end, that his mercies are new every day.”

51s

#GenerosityInAction

“We ought to be generous. We ought to be nice. We ought to be kind. There is nothing stopping any of us from praying for our waiter and waitress when we go out to eat. You're gonna pray over the food, right? And you can simply say to him, hey, we're getting ready to bless his food. Is there anything I could pray for you about? Leave a generous tip because God is generous to you. Your server may not be any good. That's irrelevant. You should be good because God is good. You should be generous because God's generous. Let's change the way the food industry thinks about us. Let's practice some subtle discipleship.”

40s

#MissionWhereYouAre

“Where's your mission trip gonna be? And there's nothing wrong with going on mission trips, but the primary focus is not that you have to go somewhere. It is that as you are going through life, you should be making disciples. You should always be making disciples. It's the primary verb because Jesus to make disciples. You wanna know how I know it's the right thing to do? You wanna know how I know it's the primary thing to do? You wanna know how I know that it's what we're all supposed to do? Because Jesus said, go make disciples.”

29s

#WorshipOvercomesDoubt

“So you see, doubt and worship, I didn't really phrase that well. I don't wanna say can coexist, but if you're doubting, don't stop worshiping. Because worshiping can fix your doubts. I don't mean that it can give you all the answers. I just mean that it can put things back in the right order. It can put things back in the right direction.”

36s

#DiscipleBeforeConversion

“Do you know you can disciple somebody before they even become a Christian? Imagine, we taught them what it was like to be a Christian when they made the decision to follow Jesus Christ, when they accepted him as their savior, when they were born again. They'd already know what it was about, wouldn't they? So there is absolutely no reason that you can't disciple somebody, and in some form, everybody that you meet.”

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