Teaching Them I Have Commanded You - Pastor Johnny Marten

Jesus grounds the whole call in Matthew 28 by saying that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Jesus then tells His followers to go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He commanded. The church exists today because a small group of men received what Jesus taught, carried it forward, and faithful people kept carrying it forward through every generation.

The first step is reaching people with the gospel wherever life takes a Christian. Baptism follows genuine faith, marking the point where an old life lived in the flesh ends and a new life in the Spirit begins. Acts shows this pattern clearly when those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized and three thousand were added in one day.

Teaching gets wide very fast because “everything” Jesus commanded includes, well, everything. Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that God’s servant can be equipped for every good work. Sound doctrine requires healthy and accurate biblical truth, and anyone who wants to teach well must also remain a student of God’s Word. God’s Word belongs at the beginning of the day, giving the heart something stronger than problems, bad news, and anxious thoughts to meditate on.

Titus pictures discipleship as life speaking into life. Paul calls older and wiser believers to help others grow in self-control, sound faith, love, patience, wisdom, integrity, and speech that cannot be condemned. A Christian life should leave no room for hypocrisy, where one kind of behavior appears among church family and another kind appears elsewhere. Older men, younger men, older women, and younger women all need godly mentorship, especially those who have grown up without healthy examples close by.

One-on-one discipleship carries a special weight because pain, struggles, hurts, and needs are not easily unpacked in front of a group. A trusted person keeps confidence from becoming damage and gives encouragement that helps another person stand. The church needs to make sure nobody is left out and that each person has someone able to walk alongside them.

Equipping supplies people with what they need to fulfill their particular work. Gifts differ, so resources differ, whether the work involves teaching children, serving through cooking, supporting missions, or another calling. Multiplication then carries faith forward, first into families and then into the next generation. Jesus remains with His people to the very end of the age, so discouragement must not pull their eyes away from Him. Like Peter on the water, faith begins to sink when it stares at the commotion rather than at Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Discipleship must be carried forward Jesus’ command did not end with the apostles because every generation receives faith through someone else’s faithfulness. The gospel is not meant to be kept as private knowledge or a personal comfort. Faith becomes fruitful when a believer becomes a positive influence who helps another person follow Christ. [53:44]
• 2. God’s Word steadies the day Scripture gives the mind something better to dwell on than problems that show up first thing in the morning. God’s promises do not deny hard circumstances, but they keep circumstances from becoming the loudest voice. A steady life is formed by repeatedly bringing the heart back under the truth of God’s Word. [37:47]
• 3. Trusted relationships make disciples One-on-one mentorship makes room for honesty about hurts, struggles, and needs. Trust requires that confidence remain protected rather than becoming something carried elsewhere for damage. God uses safe and encouraging relationships to help people grow where group settings often cannot reach. [47:36]
• 4. Integrity protects the witness A double-minded life gives people a reason to call Christianity hypocritical. Sound faith shows up not only in words at church but also in conduct everywhere else. A life that lines up with God’s Word gives opponents less room to condemn and gives younger believers a pattern worth following. [41:38]
• 5. Jesus remains above the commotion The noise of politics, cultural confusion, and religious conflict can become deeply discouraging. Peter’s steps on the water show that attention fixed on Jesus sustains faith, while fixation on the storm leads to sinking. Another person’s lack of obedience must not be allowed to hinder a believer’s own relationship with Christ.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [27:38] - Prayer and Beginning
• [28:59] - The Great Commission
• [31:02] - Reaching People and Baptism
• [34:03] - Teaching Everything Jesus Commanded
• [35:24] - A Paul and a Timothy
• [37:24] - Starting Each Day in God’s Word
• [39:09] - Knowing People to Help Them
• [41:20] - Integrity and Sound Faith
• [43:53] - Mentoring Younger Women
• [46:22] - The Power of One-on-One Mentorship
• [48:35] - Equipping People for Their Work
• [50:46] - Multiplying Faith Into the Next Generation
• [54:19] - Keeping Eyes on Jesus

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.” [00:29:58]

Titus 2:1–8
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. [00:40:08]

2 Timothy 3:16–17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. [00:34:27]

Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. [00:33:08]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 28:18–20, what does Jesus say about His authority before He gives the command to go, baptize, and teach?
2. What are the four parts of making disciples seen in the passage: reaching people, baptism, teaching, and equipping? [00:50:22]
3. According to 2 Timothy 3:16–17, what four things is Scripture useful for, and what is the result in a believer’s life?
4. In Titus 2:1–8, what qualities are named for older believers, younger believers, and those who teach others? What does Paul say should mark a person’s teaching and speech? [00:41:28]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus begins the Great Commission by declaring that all authority belongs to Him. How does Christ’s authority give confidence to a believer who feels unprepared to speak about the gospel?
2. Acts 2:41 places baptism after people received Peter’s message. What does baptism show about a person who has genuinely placed faith in Christ? [00:32:19]
3. Paul says that Scripture equips God’s servant for every good work. Why must a person remain a student of God’s Word before trying to guide someone else? [00:36:49]
4. Titus calls believers to integrity and speech that cannot be condemned. How can a different life at church than at home, work, or school damage both a person’s witness and the growth of those watching them? [00:42:01]

Application questions

1. Who in your everyday life—at home, work, school, or in your neighborhood—might God be giving you an opportunity to encourage, serve, or speak with about Christ? What would a simple next step look like? [00:31:23]
2. What usually gets your attention first in the morning: God’s Word, worries, bad news, tasks, or something else? What small and realistic practice could help you begin the day with Scripture this week? [00:37:47]
3. Is there a “Paul” in your life: someone mature and trustworthy who can speak truth, wisdom, and encouragement into your life? If not, what keeps you from seeking that kind of relationship? Is there also a “Timothy” you could encourage? [00:35:24]
4. One-on-one discipleship requires trust. What helps a person feel safe enough to share real struggles? How can you become someone who protects confidence and brings encouragement instead of spreading hurt? [00:47:45]
5. In what setting is it hardest for your conduct, words, and attitudes to match your faith—at home, online, at work, or somewhere else? What would integrity look like in that specific setting this week? [00:42:23]
6. God gives different gifts and different work to different people. What gift, skill, experience, or resource has God given you that could help someone else grow or serve? [00:48:43]
7. What “commotion” has been pulling your eyes away from Jesus lately? How can you keep your relationship with Christ steady rather than allowing another person’s choices or the noise around you to hinder your faith? [00:54:48]