Discipling the Nations!

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) dominates most of our mission motivation. We always place our emphasis on obeying the command to “Go and baptize.” And “Discipleship” just becomes a task in the process. Unfortunately, many of our mission fields demonstrate our failure in providing adequate discipleship.

We assume discipleship means discipling individuals one at a time. Recent literature on missions by several missiologists says that we are called to disciple “nations.” “Nations” does not just mean ethnic communities or people groups, it also means political nations. We see this emphasis when we read the whole of the scripture and not just the Great Commission as rendered by Matthew.

Abraham was called to be a blessing to the “nations.” Israel was chosen to be a blessing to other “nations.” Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream brought all of Egypt and other nations to follow God’s instructions during the great famine. Prophets were commissioned to proclaim God’s word to the “nations.”

God judges and blesses nations. God even used other nations to bring judgment on Israel. Our God is the ruler of all the nations. Esther influenced a whole nation. We are called to disciple whole nations. It is in this context that we should see our mission.

America is not the only nation God is concerned about. America is not the only nation in the world. We need to go to the ends of the earth. America has always been an influence in the nations of the world in economics, politics, media, and technology and even in spirituality.

Does our mission strategy involve discipleship of other nations or are we still talking about discipling one individual at a time? We need a paradigm shift in our understanding of God’s mission of discipling a whole nation. We need to influence the whole society in its areas of influence like in arts, sports, entertainment, business & economics, education, media and governance.

We need to disciple a whole nation in the “way of the Lord.” Abraham’s call was not to just to follow God, but to bless other nations so that they can follow the way of the Lord. How many of us have received that calling? Discipling a nation requires us to reach out to the influencers – the middle class.

Discipling a nation does not mean just individual conversions, but leading a whole nation, community or society in the “way of the Lord.” Paul was seeking to disciple the whole Roman Empire and so he strategically placed himself in various cities. Paul’s ministry brought people from high places: synagogue rulers, city council members, people from the royal families, several leading business men and women, and even a philosopher in Athens – a member of the Areopagus. 

We need only 5% of the population as a critical mass to become a catalyst to bring change. Discipling nations have nothing to do with the numbers game. If we serve to transform those who have influence, a whole nation can be discipled to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

Let us together disciple whole nations!

 

--Russ Sharrock

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