The record that the early disciples attained with regard to obeying the great commission remains unsurpassed today. In comparison, we contemporary believers do have a very long way to go.

But what did they do that made them extraordinarily successful? We know that they proclaimed Jesus Christ alone as the Saviour and Lord of the whole world, as we saw in our maiden newsletter in April. We also know that they prayed fervently and persistently, as discussed in our May newsletter. What else did they do that gave them such a remarkable success in obeying the great commission?

We find that the early believers obeyed the great commission by actually making disciples as it demanded. Jesus gave the commission to them and all His followers (Matt. 28:18-20), and they went everywhere, carrying it out by actually making disciples. Even with primitive means of transportation and communication and lack of sponsors, they went everywhere and actually made disciples for Jesus Christ.

This is one important lesson we must learn from them. Like them, we must actually make disciples. No farmer ever harvests good crops from his farm just by talking about it and having the desire to do so. He must actually clear the land, plant the seeds, and tend them until harvest. This is exactly what the early believers did in response to the great commission. This is exactly what we must do today. It is never enough to know about the great commission, talk about it frequently, have the desire for it, establish networks for it, and even hold webinars and conferences on it. We must actually make disciples.

We cannot claim that we are obeying the great commission until we are actually making disciples for Jesus Christ. We cannot answer the question whether we have faithfully obeyed the great commission in any satisfactory manner if we have not actually made disciples for Jesus. The test of obedience is in the act, not in the plan or intention to do the act. In the same way, the test of obeying the great commission is in actually making disciples, not in merely thinking, talking, or writing about it. Therefore, let us actually make disciples for Jesus Christ, instead of just talking about it.