Passing the Baton: Running the Great Commission Together

Devotional

Day 1: Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi

The ancient Jewish blessing—“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”—paints a vivid picture of discipleship. To walk so closely behind Jesus that His footsteps kick dust onto us means prioritizing proximity over convenience. Discipleship isn’t passive observation but active pursuit, marked by listening, imitating, and staying near even when the path is unclear. This kind of nearness transforms us, leaving the residue of Christ’s teachings on our daily choices. True growth happens not in distant admiration but in the messy, dusty journey of following. [51:36]

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

Reflection: Where is Jesus “kicking dust” onto you today—calling you to step closer even when it feels uncomfortable? Who models this kind of intentional discipleship in your life?

Day 2: Baptism, Teaching, Obedience: The Discipleship Loop

Discipleship isn’t a checklist but a cycle: baptism marks surrender, teaching roots us in truth, and obedience turns knowledge into action. Like a relay runner training for the handoff, each phase prepares us to pass faith forward. Baptism isn’t the finish line but the first stride; teaching isn’t mere information but formation. Obedience, the hardest leg, requires trusting the Coach even when the race feels long. This loop—baptize, teach, obey—keeps the faith alive across generations. [55:38]

“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.” (Matthew 28:19–20a, ESV)

Reflection: Which part of the discipleship loop feels most challenging for you right now—surrendering, learning, or obeying? How can you lean into that step this week?

Day 3: Running the Relay of Faith

A relay race hinges on two things: gripping the baton tightly and releasing it confidently. Jesus handed the baton of discipleship to the Eleven, who passed it to others, who passed it to us. Our job isn’t to hoard faith but to run our leg with urgency, then cheer others as they sprint ahead. The track is littered with saints who ran before us; the finish line belongs to those still grasping the baton. [59:14]

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: Who handed you the baton of faith? Who are you training to receive it from you?

Day 4: No Solo Disciples: The Body’s Shared Work

Discipleship thrives in plural pronouns: we baptize, we teach, we obey. Like a body, each part matters—the pray-ers, the teachers, the quiet servants. No one runs the race alone; even the most solitary saint leans on others’ prayers, wisdom, and encouragement. When we isolate, faith withers. But when we lock arms, the work becomes lighter, the joy louder, and the impact eternal. [56:59]

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)

Reflection: Which “body part” are you in the church’s discipleship work? How can you better support another member this week?

Day 5: The Baton in Your Hand: Passing Faith Forward

The baton isn’t a trophy to display but a trust to transfer. Every prayer whispered, lesson taught, or story shared plants seeds for future harvests. Today’s confirmands become tomorrow’s mentors; today’s doubters become next year’s bold witnesses. Holding the baton means stewarding it, not clinging to it. Our legacy isn’t in how tightly we held faith but in how freely we gave it away. [01:03:02]

“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV)

Reflection: What “baton” has God placed in your hand—a skill, story, or truth—that someone else needs to receive? How will you pass it this month?

Sermon Summary

Matthew sets the scene on a mountain in Galilee where the risen Jesus meets the eleven. The disciples see him and worship, and Matthew quietly admits that some doubted. That tension sounds like real life. Joy is present, but so is hesitation. Into that mix, Jesus steps close and speaks, not from a distance but face to face. Jesus declares, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. The claim is total. The authority once laid down in the incarnation is now taken up through death, resurrection, and the ascent to the Father. From that authority, Jesus sends.

The Great Commission then moves like a relay handoff. Jesus puts the baton in their hands with one controlling call: make disciples. The grammar leans into ordinary life. As you go, make them. Discipleship is long. It is iterative. It sounds like the same truth repeated until it sinks in. It looks like people steadily being shaped into the image of Christ. In Wesleyan language, the Spirit drives this sanctifying work so that a person actually grows holy over time.

An old blessing fills out the picture: may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi. The disciple does not trail Jesus from the cheap seats. The disciple walks close enough to catch the dust he kicks up, close enough to hear and then to imitate. That is why the Commission adds concrete verbs that tether the call to visible practices. Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Baptism marks belonging in the Triune life. Teaching lays doctrinal footing. Obedience takes the truth from memory to muscle. All three work together.

There is no endpoint. Jesus does not set a quota or a finish line. There are only markers along the way and a Spirit-driven loop that keeps running through generations. Making disciples leads to baptisms. Baptisms lead to teaching. Teaching leads to obedience. Obedience ripens into more witness. The presence of Jesus is the promise under it all. I am with you always, to the very end of the age. So this is not a solo proposition. The body of Christ runs this race together. Different gifts, one work, and a shared baton. Like a relay team, one runner hands off, keeps cheering, and watches the next runner fly. In this season of confirmations, the handoff is visible. The church prays, blesses, and sends, and the newly commissioned take their lane.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ’s authority grounds the mission [49:06] Jesus does not send disciples out on thin ice. He sends them from the bedrock of his universal authority, taken up after the cross and empty tomb. Obedience draws its courage from who commands, not from how favorable the conditions seem. When fear rises, authority answers it with presence and promise. [49:06]
2. Discipleship happens as you go [50:31] The Commission lives in the hallway, the commute, the checkout line. Formation is not a side project but a way of walking that turns daily paths into holy ground. A life that moves with Jesus invites others to come close enough to catch the dust, and in time to walk like him too. [50:31]
3. Baptize, teach, and obey together [53:01] The Triune name claims a person, sound doctrine steadies a person, and learned obedience matures a person. Pull one thread and the fabric thins. Keep them bound and the Christian life gains depth, ballast, and traction in real decisions. [53:01]
4. There is no endpoint in formation [54:47] Jesus gives no graduation date. Growth comes in loops, not ladders, and each loop carves the gospel a little deeper into the heart. Patience here is not passivity but faithfulness over time, trusting the Spirit to finish what he starts. [54:47]
5. Disciple making is a team sport [56:42] The body carries this call together with different gifts and one purpose. Some run first legs, some anchor, some coach, all cheer. The baton image frees a person from trying to be the whole team and focuses attention on a faithful handoff and a hard run in their lane. [56:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:32] - The Great Commission Read Aloud
[48:02] - Worship And Honest Doubt
[49:06] - Christ Declares Total Authority
[50:31] - Making Disciples As You Go
[51:36] - Covered In The Dust Of Your Rabbi
[52:30] - Baptize In The Triune Name
[54:31] - Teach Toward Obedience
[54:47] - No Endpoint In Discipleship
[55:38] - The Generational Discipleship Loop
[56:42] - Teamwork In The Body Of Christ
[59:14] - The Relay Race Baton
[62:44] - Parents Hand Off The Baton
[65:39] - Praying Over The Confirmands

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)
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.”

Observation Questions

The passage mentions that even as the disciples worshiped Jesus, "some doubted" (v. 17). What does this tension between worship and doubt reveal about the nature of faith? [48:23]
Jesus links His command to "make disciples" with His declaration of "all authority" (v. 18-19). How does His authority shape the mission He gives? [49:06]
The Great Commission includes three actions: baptizing, teaching, and obeying (v. 19-20). Why might these specific practices be essential for discipleship? [53:01]
What does Jesus’ promise, “I am with you always,” imply about the challenges of discipleship? [56:25]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon describes discipleship as happening "as you go" rather than as a separate program. How does this reframe everyday moments as opportunities for spiritual growth? [50:31]
The phrase "covered in the dust of your rabbi" emphasizes closeness to Jesus. How do baptism, teaching, and obedience help believers stay "close enough to catch the dust" of Christ? [51:36]
Why might the absence of an "endpoint" in discipleship (no graduation date) actually encourage perseverance rather than frustration? [54:47]
The relay race analogy highlights teamwork in discipleship. How does this image challenge individualistic approaches to faith? [59:14]

Application Questions

Discipleship is described as “iterative” and happening in daily rhythms. What is one ordinary moment this week (e.g., commute, errands) where you could intentionally model Christ-like character for others? [50:31]
The sermon notes that doubt can coexist with worship. Where do you feel hesitation or uncertainty in your faith right now? How might Jesus’ promise of His presence (v. 20) address that doubt? [48:23]
Baptism, teaching, and obedience are interconnected. Which of these three feels most challenging for you to prioritize? What practical step could you take to grow in that area? [53:01]
The relay race analogy emphasizes cheering for others. Who in your life is currently “running their leg” of faith? How can you encourage them this week? [59:14]
The sermon says discipleship is a “team sport.” What unique gift or strength do you bring to the body of Christ to help others grow? How could you use it more intentionally? [56:42]

Sermon Clips

49s

“He walked where he went, and his disciples went with him. And so there was an ancient Jewish blessing that said this. It said, it said, may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi. As Jesus was walking around and teaching even in his life as the disciples were gathered around him. The the blessing the the hope was that they would be so close to him as he kicked up dust from the ground as he walked. They were so close listening so intently to what he was saying that the dust that he kicked up got on them. And it stuck with them even as they learned and grew. May the dust may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

from 00:51:28

#DustOfTheRabbi

37s

“At the end of the gospel of Matthew, this is very, close, probably within seventy two hours of the resurrection. And the 11 disciples have heard from Mary and the other Mary that they need to go to Galilee and Jesus will meet them there. So they head north from Jerusalem to go to Galilee, to the mountain that Jesus told them. And when the 11 arrive in Galilee, they see Jesus. And when they see Jesus, they worship. Matthew tells them tells us that some doubted. Isn't that like our faith life? That in the midst of worship, there's still like a little bit that we hold back. There's still a little bit that's like, I don't know.”

from 00:47:55

#WorshipAmidDoubt

42s

“And in the great commission, the history of the trinity and the obedience of Christ are passed on to us. For all of us, all of us are called baptize, to teach, and disciple in the name of the of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. In making disciples, there is baptism. Eventually, someone comes to faith and they need to be baptized. There is teaching so that there is consistent theological foundations for their life of faith. And then there's obedience. This is the part that's the hardest.”

from 00:53:40

#CalledToDisciple

42s

“It's what we do as the body of Christ as we as we go and make disciples. It is being made more into the image of Christ. It's becoming more and more like our lord over time. This is the process that, we Wesleyans understand is the process of sanctification, that we are being made holy by the presence of the spirit in us that moves us closer to Jesus. When Jesus says go and make disciples, the verb there is in the tense that says, that you are, that you are doing it as you go along. You are making disciples as you go along. And then he throws in a few more things.”

from 00:50:07

#SanctificationJourney

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Smithfield Methodist North Richland Hills Texas This sermon · AI assistant

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