Jesus didn't tell us to collect decisions—He commanded us to go and make disciples, and that's the point I keep hammering on: disciples are lifelong followers who reproduce, not one‑time emotional moments.

I explain how a decision is just a doorway while discipleship is the journey—teaching people to observe and obey Jesus so they become witnesses who then help others do the same.

We talk about baptism as a public flag in the ground, a covenant marker that says “I belong to Jesus,” not a club membership card for your pew. I also point out that the local church is supposed to be a supply point and training center for sending people out, not a trophy case or a fortress to protect turf.

We dig into authority too—when we go we go in Jesus’ name and by the Spirit’s power, so we’re not winging it but operating as His sent representatives.

I give practical encouragement: disciple‑making happens person‑to‑person over coffee and at scale through the tools God’s given us (yes, even the internet), and it’s obedience, not mere Bible trivia, that proves we follow the King.

Finally, I call out the comfort trap—if churches only build members and not reproducing disciples, we’re rearranging chairs instead of changing cities—so let’s stop being consumers and start being sent.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: https://JesusSaid.tv

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Hello there.

Pastor Bob Thibodeau here.

Welcome to freedom through faith.

Glory to God.

Lost my cursor here.

Hallelujah.

Running into technical issues already.

Bless the Lord, oh, my soul and all that is within me.

Bless his holy name.

Glory to God.

We don't know what's going on here.

Praise you, Jesus.

Let me try and fix this.

Hallelujah.

The devil is a liar and Jesus is Lord.

Amen.

Glory to God.

All right, I think we're ready to go here.

Get this.

How about this?

All right.

There we go.

Hallelujah.

All right, we got that.

Glory to God.

Love.

This is an important message today because the devil's fighting it every step of the way.

Glory to God.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we bind the devil.

He cannot succeed at this.

And your word will go forth into all the world through the power of the Internet.

And we give you praise for it, Father, because someone somewhere needs to hear this, this day.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

Let's pray the Lord's Prayer, Lay down the solid foundation upon which we're going to build, and we'll just continue on.

Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven, Holy be thy name.

May your kingdom come.

May your will be done in this earth, just as it's always accomplished in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.

In Jesus name.

Amen and amen.

Praise the Lord.

Last time we started a great, great teaching on the Great Commission.

Now, I hope you're enjoying this series of what did Jesus say about.

And then we got different topics, and I think this is like part eight or nine or something like that.

I mean, we just been going after the devil with this.

Amen.

And last time, I mean, there are times when the Holy Spirit just leads me on a conversation and what I thought was going to be an appropriate length ends up being we just run out of time, so we got to continue it.

Then there are other times when I come in and say, man, I hope I have enough to talk about today.

And I run out quick.

But then you just can't tell how the Holy Spirit is going to lead.

Last time when we were talking about the Great Commission, that's what it was like as I looked up at the clock.

Oh, Lord, have mercy.

We got to continue this.

So we're going to continue with part two of what did Jesus have to say about the Great Commission.

Amen.

Hallelujah.

So as I said last week, we dealt with the part of the Great Commission that most people try to soften.

And that was one word, go.

Because Jesus did not say go to church.

No, he said go to the world.

And he didn't mean, you know, show up to a building.

He meant personal outreach to other people.

Go to people who are not coming to you.

Go to people who are not coming to your church.

Go to the lost, the broken, the confused, the hurting.

And he just didn't say go.

He said, go to all nations, not go to all the visitors who come visit your church, not to all who like your preaching style, not to folks.

All nations mean the mission field, not the guest list.

It means the kingdom is meant to move outward.

And we also reset where the local church fits into all this last time, the local church is vital.

Okay, vital, but it's not the ultimate destination.

Last time I said it is just the supply point, the training and the refueling station for the mission.

I mean, you come in to worship, yes.

You come in to be equipped even more.

You come in to be strengthened.

Then you go back out to fulfill what the King has commanded you to do.

That's the way it's supposed to work.

And we used a simple chain of command illustration from the military to emphasize that point.

If the president gives a general an order, the general doesn't negotiate it.

He doesn't say, well, now we're not comfortable with doing that.

I mean, no, he says, yes sir.

He formulates the plan.

He equips the units and sends them out into the field.

And he has been given, what do we call it?

A mission.

Huh?

Sound familiar?

Amen.

Nod your head in agreement.

Right.

Units do not sit on the base and call that obedience.

Because staying on base when the mission is out there, that is disobedience.

And then we talked about something God has put in our hands, that the first disciples did not have technology.

The disciples, they had sandals and roads and that was it.

I mean, we have streaming apps, streaming devices, and global distribution opportunities.

So the mission has never changed.

Only the method of accomplishing the mission has changed.

You know, our Navy today is not trying to pull up along broadside at about 100 yards and fire single shot cannon at other ships anymore, do they?

I mean, we can shoot their ships over the horizon with accuracy.

And when it comes to sharing the gospel, right, you need to adapt to new technology also, you know, I mean, stop and think about the old way fashion way of knocking on doors in the neighborhood.

You know, Today there are some neighborhoods, you might not want to go there and do that.

Let's put it like that.

Amen.

But that's probably the reason Jesus had the Internet invented in the first place.

For this day and time.

Praise God.

Which means we can reach more people in more locations on less money than even broadcast pioneers could even imagine 50 years ago.

And we will have to answer to God for what we did or did not do with the tools he's allowed in our generation right now.

And that's matter of fact, that's why we're building JesusSaid TV.

Not as a replacement for personal outreach.

No, but as a multiplying force for the outreach.

I mean, it's a mission platform to help ministries go farther, more consistently on a scheduled basis and more affordably than traditional television ever allowed.

Because.

Because folks, go still means go.

Now, today we're gonna go deeper.

Amen.

Because Jesus did not just say go.

He said go make disciples.

So last time, part one basically mobilized us.

Now part two, today you're gonna see how God actually multiplies us.

Praise God.

Because like I said, the Great Commission is not complete when people hear.

It's only completed when disciple makers are formed and doing their job.

And that's not happening a lot today.

Are you with me?

Praise God.

Because like we learned last time, if the King said it, that settles it.

Why?

Because his words matter.

Amen.

Praise God.

So let's look at disciples making disciples and not decisions.

Here's the phrase that changes everything.

Jesus did not say, go get decisions for me.

No, he said, go and make disciples for me.

A decision is just a moment in time.

A disciple is for life.

A decision can be an emotional moment, but a disciple is lifetime obedient.

Amen.

A decision can be private.

A disciple has to become visible.

Amen.

Don't misunderstand me.

People must decide, they must believe.

They need to make that first and important decision to receive Christ and a salvation offer.

Amen.

And what's usually the prayer?

Well, something to the effect of come into my heart, make me new.

I give my heart to you, Jesus.

Right?

Am I right?

But what does that mean?

Well, first of all, it means they must respond to the gospel message they have heard.

But Jesus never treated belief as the finish line.

No, not ever.

He treated belief like the doorway into Him.

Alright.

And then he called people to follow.

Follow who?

Follow him.

Amen.

That's why the the Great Commission doesn't say go and make converts.

No, it says go and make disciples.

Because Jesus is not only after Their agreement.

He's after their allegiance.

Praise God.

I mean, he not only.

He just doesn't want to see a raised hand.

He wants to see a surrendered life.

And this is where the modern church can accidentally aim at the wrong target.

I mean, we can celebrate the moment.

Yeah, but then it seems like we skipped the process.

We can count the hands, but ignore all their habits.

I mean, we can build crowds.

You see that all the time.

We can build some crowds, but we fail to build character.

We can create church attenders who never become kingdom ambassadors.

Think about that.

This isn't Pastor Bob preaching to you now.

That's coming from the Holy Spirit.

Because Jesus didn't commission us to fill chairs.

He commissioned us to form followers.

Matter of fact, one of the best things that could happen to a church is not to have that many people there on Sunday morning because they're all out in the street.

Amen.

He didn't say teach them to know.

He said teach them to observe what I've said.

I know I'm stepping all over some spiritual toes out there right now, but if you got a problem, it's not with Pastor Bob, all right?

You have a problem with the Holy Spirit, and he's just using Pastor Bob right now to let you know it.

Amen.

Amen.

All right, where was I?

Oh, we'll get there in a moment.

Right now, I want you to understand and feel the weight of this.

Because if the goal is only decisions, that means the mission becomes marketing.

Get them in, get them to respond, then move on to the next one.

But if the goal is disciples and making disciples, then the mission becomes transformation.

Teach them how to obey the King.

Help them grow in their spiritual life.

Help them change from what they were to what they have now become.

Help them follow Jesus.

Help them reproduce.

For Jesus.

And folks, that's slower.

That's messier, too, because it requires a relationship, and relationships require patience.

But that's exactly what Jesus commanded.

And it's also why the go part matters so much.

Because when churches focus on decisions, they tend to focus on whoever shows up, whoever comes through the doors.

But discipleship starts with reaching people who are not coming into church and then walking with them until they learn how to walk with someone else who's not coming to church.

Whether or not they come to your church or somebody else's churches does not matter.

Whether or not they come to your church for a little while, learn what they can't, and then move somewhere else or go out on their own mission field.

That does not matter.

Pastor, you're not recruiting slaves for your church.

You're recruiting soldiers that will obey only one person.

The king, Jesus.

Not you.

So here's the question.

The Great Commission forces on every single single church and every single believer.

Are you ready for this?

Are we satisfied with moments or are we committed to making disciples?

No, he rose to build a kingdom.

Not your kingdom, his kingdom and kingdom.

Citizens are called disciples, not spectators.

So if the king said make disciples, that settles it.

And that means the church has to adjust the target that they've been aiming at.

Not just decisions, not just people to come sit in the pews, but disciples.

So that brings us up to the next question.

What does a disciple do?

Well, he reproduces.

Not just join.

He has to reproduce.

If you want to know whether something's alive, scientists look for one.

One thing only.

Does it reproduce?

Living things reproduce cells or people or whatever.

Dead things don't.

Hey, man, scientists can look in their microscopes and can tell if something is reproducing that makes it alive.

If not, it will die or is already dead.

And that's how they study colds and the flu and stuff like that.

Cancer.

Disciples are meant to to reproduce.

Not because it's the trending thing to do, but because it's the design of the King.

Make disciples means reproduce disciple makers.

That's how it's done.

Oh, thank you, sir.

I just thought of something.

If your church is not making disciples and sending them out, if your new converts are are only pew warmers, then your church is dying.

You're not producing disciples that will go out.

You can have that little bit of information for free that I just gave to you right there.

Because it's straight from the Holy Spirit.

There's no charge for what I just said there.

Amen.

Praise God.

This is where the church has been drifting into a comfortable substitute.

We've made the goal.

Join our church, Join our church, Join this class, join this small study group, join our system.

And then never leave once you join.

But folks, none of those things are wrong by themselves, but they are not fulfilling the Great Commission.

Jesus never said go and make more church members.

He said, go and make disciples.

And a disciple is.

A disciple doesn't just add church to their schedule.

A disciple changes their total allegiance.

A disciple doesn't just sit and consume what you're giving them.

A disciple learns, obeys, and then helps someone Else, learn and obey.

Amen.

That's why discipleship that never reproduces.

It's not true discipleship.

It's just incomplete.

Because the moment someone becomes a disciple, they become a witness for Jesus.

And witnesses do not stay silent.

Jesus said the Spirit would testify of him, and then what did he say?

And you shall bear witness of me.

Amen.

That means disciple making is built into the Christian's identity.

And here's where this becomes very practical.

In the generation we live in right now, in the first century, reproduction was a lot slower.

They had to walk to the next town and they spoke to whoever would listen to them.

And they wrote letters and waited months for those letters to travel to the recipients and more months for any response to come back.

But, folks, today we have multiplication tools they never had.

We can reach more people in more locations with less money than Billy Graham could have reached just 50 years ago.

Amen.

Now, that does not.

That doesn't replace personal witness.

It just multiplies.

Doesn't remove the need to go.

It just extends the reach of those who are going.

They can reach more people.

Amen.

So a disciple today really can reproduce in two different ways.

Person to person, over coffee or on the job or in the neighborhood.

And then there's the message to the masses using the tools God has invented in our day and time and has allowed our hands to use.

Because the mission never changed.

Not at all.

Only the way we reach out changed.

Let me say something.

It might sting, but it's true.

If the only growth a church experiences is people transferring from other churches, we're not reproducing, we're just rearranging the chairs.

It's not the same thing.

Jesus never said, go and trade sheep.

No, he said, send the sheep out into the world.

The Great Commission is not a church competition plan, folks.

It is a kingdom multiplication plan.

That's what it is.

And that means.

That means every believer has to stop thinking like a consumer.

Feed me, bless me, serve me, pray with me.

You need to start thinking like a disciple.

Now, what would a disciple say?

Use me, send me, Teach me to obey so I can help someone else to obey.

That's a disciple.

Because disciples don't just join.

Disciples are alive with the word of God inside them.

They.

They reproduce.

Amen.

Praise God.

Oh, I hope you're getting this.

You mean you need to go back and rewind this?

And start from the beginning.

Start taking notes.

Praise the Lord.

Jesus didn't just tell us to go make disciples.

He told us exactly how to do it.

You Know I was in the military, if I was training someone, I just say, okay, this is how you go do that.

Knock it out.

I had to teach them and show them.

He said, Jesus said, teach them to observe all things, whatever I have commanded you to do.

That word observe means go.

It means practice.

It means obey.

So discipleship is not mainly giving information.

It's helping to provide transformation.

It's not just what people know that matters, it's what they live on a daily basis.

And folks, to be honest, this is where the church has drifted into a comfortable substitute for the real thing.

What?

What?

What?

What?

What did you just say, Pastor Bob?

Yeah, I said it.

The modern church and our society today has become a substitute for real Christianity.

And because of that, many well meaning people will end up in hell because they go to a comfortable church.

Don't turn me off just yet because Pastor Bob, just getting started now, Praise God.

Somebody out there needs to hear this.

Amen.

We can turn discipleship into and a classroom Christianity.

You know, notes and notebooks and head knowledge.

We can turn it into a program people can attend, a curriculum people have to complete.

I mean, think about this.

So many churches now have new believer classes, new member classes, and folks, all of that's okay.

But it's not the final stop.

I'm not putting it down.

There's been several churches that I've attended where if you join that church, there are four weeks of classes you had to go to when you first joined the church.

The last class is designed to fit you into a helps ministry for the church's benefit.

Not one time that I can think of did anyone ever teach about go out and make disciples.

Not even one time.

And again, teaching is good.

Learning is necessary.

And if learning never becomes obeying, Jesus would not, he wouldn't call that discipleship.

He called that hearing without doing, ooh, stepped on some toes there.

Creating converts for your own purpose, Pastor, not his.

Oh, amen.

Because Jesus did not say teach them to agree with my commands.

He never said that.

He said teach them to observe my commands.

And that changes what discipleship looks like.

It means we are training people to forgive when they'd rather hold a grudge.

We're training people to, to tell the truth when lying would be so much easier and not so hurtful until the lies found out.

I mean, we're training people to love enemies when it feels impossible.

That's what we need to teach them.

We're training people to go.

Even when it's inconvenient for you to go.

We're training people to give when things are tight.

We're training people to serve when nobody's even noticing.

We're training people to speak about Jesus even when they feel nervous, not comfortable.

Folks, that's discipleship.

Because obedience reveals who your king really is.

Jesus said, why do you call me Lord, Lord and don't do the things I say, huh?

That's the dividing line right there.

Not titles.

I'm the assistant pastor for outreach.

I'm the assistant pastor for the nursery or whatever.

Not your church attendance.

I've been 212weekends in a row.

Not religious activity.

I read my Bible every day.

Well, praise God for that.

So do I.

The only thing that matters is obedience.

Because a disciple is not someone who just hears what the king has to say.

A disciple is someone who obeys the king.

And let me say this as plainly as I can.

Alright, Listen to me now.

If our church discipleship programs produce people who know Bible facts, but they never go out the door and reach the loss, we missed it entirely.

If our discipleship produces members but not witnesses, we missed it entirely.

Because the Great Commission is not just learn.

The Great Commission is obey.

And obey includes outreach, it includes the mission, it includes making other disciples instead of, you know, these little programs you hear about.

Everyone invite one next weekend.

That's next weekend.

Is everyone invite one.

It should be everybody go out and make one.

Praise God.

You can invite them later, but go make one.

So teaching them to observe is not just teaching them how to behave inside the church.

It's teaching them how to live as citizens of the kingdom out in the world.

It's teaching them how to follow Jesus at work, at home, in their conversations, in their decisions, and then teaching them how to help someone else do the exact same thing.

Praise God.

And that's why the red letters, folks, matter so much here.

Because Jesus didn't commission our opinions.

He could care less about your opinion.

He commissioned his commands.

So discipleship is really obedience training.

Not membership training, not denominational training.

It's simply obedience to Jesus.

Amen.

Praise God.

Hallelujah.

As a matter of fact, if you want to know what Jesus said, get this book.

What did Jesus say?

Seven messages from the Master.

There is nothing but the red letters in this book.

Amen.

You want to know what Jesus said?

This is the book to get.

Go to wdgsbookproject.com and I'll give you a free copy of it.

Praise God.

Now, Jesus also includes baptism, the Great Commission.

And folks, that's not accidental.

It's part of the disciple making process.

He said, go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

So baptism is not a side issue.

It is a kingdom marker, a flag stuck in the ground, a public line in the sand.

And it's not something the Baptists thought up either.

Alright, just saying.

Baptism was used for centuries in ancient Judea, even before John the Baptist got on the scene.

People were baptized in various life changes, getting married and all that, especially when entering the rabbinical priesthood.

Hence why Jesus had to be baptized.

Amen.

Anyway, this is where we have to undo a lot of modern confusion.

Because many churches have treated baptism like a membership requirement.

As soon as you get baptized, you can join our church.

But baptism was never meant to say, I joined this denomination.

No, baptism was meant to say, I belong to Jesus.

That's it.

And again, in Jewish culture, immersion and ceremonial washings were common around major life transitions, like an identity shift, covenant moments, separation from the old life and stepping into something new.

So when Jesus commands baptism, he.

He's commanding a public marker of allegiance to him, a covenant public declaration.

It's the believer's way of saying, I have changed kingdoms.

I have a new king.

Folks.

That's why I like to describe baptism as the wedding ring of the believer.

Right?

It doesn't create the covenant, but it publicly announces the covenant for all to see.

It's not the marriage ceremony itself, it's just the visible sign that the marriage is real in their heart.

In baptism, you're declaring, I am now joined to Christ, men and women both.

Amen.

Scripture describes the church as what, the bride of Christ.

So baptism becomes a covenant moment that you can point back to when things aren't going well.

That was the day I surrendered.

That was the day I publicly said, I belong to Jesus.

Right?

Amen.

That was the day I stopped hiding.

That was the day I gave my life to Jesus for forever.

And folks, that matters because discipleship is not just a private belief.

Discipleship is public allegiance, public declarations.

You're not just agreeing with Jesus as a teacher, you're submitting to him as your king.

So baptism should not be reduced to a church policy.

It should be celebrated as a kingdom declaration.

Glory to God.

How much time we got left?

Alright, baptism is not just about joining our church.

It's belonging to Christ.

It's not adding religion to something, it's changing a person's total identity, their total reference point.

And it's one of the most powerful early steps that a new disciple can take.

Yes.

Because from that day forward, when the enemy tries to pull them back, they can point back to that moment, say, no, no, no, no, no.

I belong to Jesus now.

Amen.

That's why Jesus included it in the Great Commission, because discipleship requires.

It requires a public marker, a covenant lying in the sand, an allegiance declaration, a place where you can stick your flag in the ground and rally around it.

Amen.

Glory to God.

Hallelujah.

I'm preaching myself happy right now.

I don't know about you, but let's talk about something.

Now, Jesus ties directly to discipleship.

Making is called authority.

Because you cannot fulfill a kingdom mission without kingdom backing.

Amen.

All say all.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

That's what Jesus said.

But he didn't stop there.

Keep reading.

Immediately, he says, go, therefore, meaning the command flows out of his authority.

You're not going out as a volunteer, hoping it works.

You're going out as a representative of the King.

You have to know it works every time.

Amen.

That's what in my name means.

All across Jesus teachings, it is delegated authority.

Amen.

You know, as a.

As a police officer, there was an accident or something out on.

On the highway.

I could get out and hold up my hand and traffic would come to a stop.

Not because I had the power of.

What was that?

Star Wars?

Yoda?

Not because I had the power of Yoda to stop those big rig trucks.

I don't have Yoda's force inside my hand.

Right.

My hand was not powerful enough to stop a semi truck.

But because of the authority behind the badge and the uniform I was wearing, traffic would come to a complete stop every time I raised my hand.

That's the idea I'm trying to get across here, okay?

Authority.

Praise the Lord.

And when Jesus sends his disciples out, he sends them out with his authority.

In the Gospels, he gave authority to preach.

He gave authority to heal.

He gave authority to cast out demons.

Not because the disciples were special.

They weren't special at all.

You can read that yourself in the Gospels and find out.

They were not special.

They're just like you and I.

Because the King authorized them to do it.

That's why they're able to do it.

So when you make disciples and you're not just sharing ideas, you're announcing the rule of the King.

You're just not offering up encouragement.

You're calling people into allegiance with the King.

Because the Great Commission is not about Inviting people to join a religious club.

We meet every Sunday morning and we have Sunday brunch after services too.

So come on in and.

And join our church.

It needs to be bring them under the authority of Jesus, not the pastor.

That should be the only priority, folks.

The only priority.

And that's why baptism is not in the name of the church.

No, it's in the name.

Because stop and think about name means authority and ownership.

It's identity, it's allegiance, it's covenant language.

And this also changes the way we need to think about disciple making because a lot of believers feel unqualified.

They say, I'm not trained in how to do this.

But the Great Commission isn't powered by your resume.

It's powered by the King's authority.

Praise God.

The question isn't who am I?

The question is, who sent me?

You know, in the military.

Oh, thank you, Lord.

That's good.

In the military.

If I sent a private to go tell Sergeant First Class Jones to come see me, and Sergeant Jones ignored that private, Sergeant Jones would be in some serious trouble.

Right.

Why?

A sergeant, especially Sergeant First Class, definitely outranks a private every single day of the week.

Why would Sergeant Jones get in trouble for ignoring a private?

Because that private was my ambassador with a message to that sergeant.

So when Sergeant Jones ignored the message, he was really ignoring my message.

And military authority does not work that way.

And neither does kingdom authority.

Amen.

Praise God.

I hope you're getting this.

Jesus told his disciples, as the Father sent me, now I send you.

Oh, glory to God.

Sent people carry the authority of the one who sent them.

Not arrogance, authority.

If Private Jones walked into the NCO office and then yelled, sergeant Jones, get your butt over to see Lieutenant Thibodeau right now or there's gonna be hell to pay.

Do you hear me?

Move, boy.

Well, that would be insubordination on the private's part.

And that private would soon feel the wrath of all the NCOs that were in that room.

And then when they brought them to me, I'd have a go at him too.

Amen.

He was my emissary and a representative.

He was an ambassador sent by me, not their superior.

Amen.

So as the Father has sent me, Jesus said, now I send you.

Sent people carry authority.

Not arrogance, authority.

Amen.

It doesn't make you rude, it makes you responsible.

You can't walk up into a store and say, every person in that store is going to hell unless you bow right now before me and I can pray with you that doesn't work.

Authority doesn't make you loud.

It just makes you faithful.

It doesn't make you as a controller of other people, makes you a servant under orders from the king, and that's it.

Period.

Hey, man, if you're a pastor or a leader, this is critical.

Your job is not to build personal kingdoms for yourself.

Your job is to train people to.

To operate under Jesus authority.

Not dependent on you, dependent on him.

Because when believers learn to walk in delegated authority, they stop living timid.

They stop waiting for the professionals to go do something.

No, they go do it.

Praise God.

Amen.

They begin to go out and pray for others.

They begin to speak up.

They begin to reach other people.

They begin to disciple other people.

And that is how multiplication happens.

Not by building a bigger crowd, but by building authorized disciple makers who know the king is backing what he commanded.

That's it.

Amen.

You know, this is gonna step on some toes, this all Holy Spirit.

I'm just, just saying, right?

Let's say there's a thousand people that go to your church every Sunday.

And if every person witnesses just two people during a week, that means 3,000 people should be every weekend not coming to church, but have changed lives and impact the community in which they live.

Which means over the course of a year, an entire city could become Christian.

Think about that.

But instead they focus on.

Invite them to our church.

No, you train the disciples to go out and change lives in the community.

That's what it should be all about, not going to church.

And right about here, someone say, okay, okay, Brother Bob, I hear what you're saying, but I don't think I'm ready for that.

I'm not equipped for that.

Okay, I got you.

Well, that's being honest.

Amen.

Because disciple making can feel intimidating.

But Jesus never intended his mission for us to run on our own human strength, did it?

He promised us power.

Hallelujah.

Jesus said, Behold, I send the promise, my Father, upon you.

Tarry ye, wait here until you're endued with power from on high.

He didn't say, just go wing it.

No, he didn't say that.

He didn't.

Just.

Just go and do the best you can.

No, he said, wait until you're empowered because the mission is a spiritual mission, not a natural mission.

In Acts, chapter one, verse.

I believe it's verse eight.

It has red letters in many Bibles.

Jesus said, you.

You shall receive power, and you shall be witnesses unto me.

That means power has a purpose.

Amen.

Witnesses.

That's what we're called to be.

Witnesses.

Give testimony.

Amen.

Not performance.

You have to go out for and do a show for people.

Gather around everyone.

I'm gonna pray for this guy right here.

You're gonna see him be healed.

That's the wrong reason.

The wrong reason.

But Jesus also dealt with the biggest excuse that still shuts many believers down.

You know, I hear what you're saying, Pastor Bob, but I just don't know what to say.

Well, guess what?

He answered that one, too.

Jesus said, Take no thought how or what you shall speak, it'll be given you in that same hour what you shall speak then.

He said, for it's not you that's doing the speaking.

It's the spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Praise God.

That means you don't need a perfect script.

The only thing required is your obedience.

You don't have to go to two years of Bible classes before you go witnessing.

You can witness 10 seconds after you're born again.

You don't have to carry the pressure of trying to change someone's life.

You just have to open your mouth and speak.

And for a lot of you, that is not an issue.

It's just what's coming out of your mouth that's the issue.

Because the Holy Spirit will supply the words in the moment that you need them.

The Holy Spirit supplies boldness in the moment.

You need to be bold.

I've been in more than one situation where I don't know how detailed I can get on this, Lord.

Okay, as a police officer, I see something going on that it has to stop right now.

Now, I don't go up there and say, okay, okay, now just stop for a minute.

Let's talk about this.

Because you know, you shouldn't be acting like that.

No, I said stop right there.

Oh, boy.

Tell you what.

Heads will snap around, see who's doing the command.

Amen.

Same thing.

Same thing can happen with believers.

The devil's working on someone, and all it takes is in the name of Jesus.

Well, I'll tell you what.

That person will snap around.

Why?

Because that demon inside them heard.

Heard the voice of the ultimate king come through that person, through you.

Amen.

But you just can't walk into the gang riot out on the street and say, now, now, now, in the name of Jesus, y' all have to stop this now.

No, that's not gonna work.

Okay.

Oh, glory to God.

We're running out of time.

This is why the Great Commission is for everyday disciples, folks.

Praise God.

It's for the busy mom, the working dad.

It's for the student and the retiree as well.

Praise God.

It's for the business owners.

It's for the pastor and the plumber.

Amen.

So the Spirit is not simply reserved for full time ministry personnel.

No, he's given for a kingdom mission.

Amen.

So when the disciple.

When you disciple someone, you're not saying, you're not telling them, I have all the answers?

No, you're simply saying, hey, I know the King.

He has all the answers.

You got a question?

We'll go to the King and find out what he has to say.

Amen.

That's what you're supposed to do.

What you're saying is, I have seen Jesus handle this before.

I've seen him change lives before.

And then the Spirit will help you say, hear me now.

The Spirit will help you say what needs to be said in that situation, when it needs to be said.

Amen.

Oh man, this is good stuff.

Thank you, Holy Spirit.

Praise God.

Here's the freeing part, though.

It's you that's doing the speaking.

He convicts from the words you say.

You plant.

He draws them in.

Amen.

You testify, you give your testimony.

He'll press it into their hearts and minds.

Amen.

See how it's working?

That's why you can stop trying to be impressive.

Your only job is to be faithful.

You can stop waiting.

You can stop waiting for confidence first.

Because obedience is always first.

Glory to God.

And when you get it right, oh Jesus.

Just like when you get it right, like we're talking about, then he, his power shows up.

Then the right words show up.

Then boldness in the Holy Spirit shows up.

And when all that happens, then disciple making becomes possible.

Oh, amen.

And amen again.

I pray you're getting it.

You need to rewind this and listen to it all again.

Because the mission was never meant to be done in and through your own strength.

No, never.

It was meant to be done in and through his power.

And that's the only way it was meant to be done.

Period.

End of story right there.

Amen.

The church is simply the training center for it all.

Let's bring this back to the local church because this is where multiplication either happens or gets blocked.

The church is not meant to be a club that you join.

It's meant to be a training center.

We covered this in the last week.

It's a supply point.

It's a launch pad for disciple makers.

Amen.

Not the final destination for a church member.

Members.

I've seen what happens when churches actually come together with that kind of mindset.

I've lived it.

When I work back in the day with Dr. Bernard Johnson, we did 48 gospel concerts in 48 cities in 48 weeks.

And I think we actually end up doing like 75, 76 total concerts in like 18 months or something like that.

Convention centers, arenas.

I'm talking big venues.

Okay.

These didn't happen by accident.

They took coordination.

Amen.

It took planning.

You know, we go up to whatever city and Friday and sometimes a different city on Saturday.

And after our Friday or Saturday concerts, then I would travel into the city where we're going to be in six, seven, eight weeks ahead of time.

And on those Sundays, I would speak it as about 10, 15 minutes in as many as 12, 13, 14 churches and then fly home and prepare for the next concert coming up that Thursday night or Friday night or Saturday night, sometimes both nights.

Amen.

And then we do it all over again the next Sunday.

It was tiring.

It was a lot of work.

But if we didn't have a Saturday night concert, then we go where we're going to be in a few weeks and hold a prayer breakfast in towns that we wanted to schedule concerts in later in the year and invite pastors from all the different.

All the different denominations in that town or city.

Sometimes we'd have 20 or 30 churches represented at the prayer breakfast.

Amen.

But the main point I'm trying to make is this.

When churches work together, the community got reached.

Thousands showed up for the concerts, packed out convention centers.

Thousands.

I think the most we had was 6,000 or some maybe 6,600 in Oklahoma City, 5,000 and I think was Cincinnati, another 4,000 in Dallas.

Amen.

When we held meetings, when we held these meetings, people got saved.

Lives were changed.

And then we connected.

Those that came forward, they didn't have a church.

We connected with the.

The church list and gave the pastors their contacts so they could be reached in their communities.

That's what happens when the church thinks kingdom, first everybody grows in Christ.

Then 15 years later, I use the same skills to help bring churches together for community outreach events in the local community here in Baltimore that I live in now because they want to do a community outreach.

And about 10 churches, maybe eight, something like that, said they wanted to do that.

And all we could get them to commit to was to meet in a local church that could seat like a thousand people.

Big outreach, right?

And you think the churches would rally a thousand, say, let's fill this place.

Praise God.

You think the leaders would celebrate a community outreach to get the word out into the community?

But the attendance was low.

They only had like 400 people show up or something.

And do you want to know why?

Selfishness.

Because too many pastors didn't want their people going inside another church.

They didn't want their people seeing a ministry that looked more active, more welcoming, more effective.

They didn't want that.

So instead of reaching the community, they protected their turf.

Instead of multiplying disciples, they guarded their brand.

I'm going to call it what it is.

It's selfishness, isn't it?

That's not kingdom thinking.

That's competition thinking.

Amen.

That's not all nations.

That's my church attendance.

And it kills the multiplication effort.

When I had my own church, I'd make it a point to say maybe not every week, but a few times, at least a few times per month.

Something to the effect of, if you're here seeking a church and something here just doesn't seem right to you, let me know, because I have many contacts in the community and we can find.

I'll connect you with a church that you will like.

Amen.

And the analogy I use was this.

Jesus said, we're to what, build his church, right?

Okay.

So if you're building a church building, we'll put it like that.

You would need a good foundation.

You'd need a good foundation laid down.

You need to hire architects to design it.

You need to hire concrete workers to pour the foundation.

Then you need to hire framers and electricians and plumbers and rock roofers, landscapers, painters, all that.

Right.

If you were building your church, would you accept a plumber to do the framing or a roofer to do the electrical systems?

Probably not, right?

Well, building the church for Jesus is the same way.

If you're not comfortable in a church, you're going to right now.

Maybe you're a roofer attending a plumber's church.

If all they talk about is plumber Gospel messages, language the plumbers can relate to, and you're a roofer.

None of this is making sense to me.

So you need to find a roofer church where you understand the lingo and then the gospel message makes all the sense that it's supposed to.

I actually say that from the platform and tell people, if you're not comfortable here with my messages, let me know, because I can connect you with another church that may be what you're looking for.

Amen.

So how would I do that?

Well, because it's not my church.

It's his church.

It's his people, not mine.

They belong to Jesus.

But there are so many misguided pastors out there right now that just want to build their church, their little kingdom, on this corner plot.

And then when they have it built, they build a moat around it so nobody can escape.

But it also means nobody else can come in either.

Oh.

Amen.

I know this is upsetting some people right now, but I got one word for you from Jesus.

Tough.

Amen.

All right, let's move on now, okay?

No, I can't move on.

The Holy Spirit's not going to let me.

The harvest is too big for one church to act like it owns the field.

The Great Commission is too important to sacrifice on the altar of ego.

The local church is supposed to be the supply point for the complete mission, not a trophy case to show visitors.

Oh.

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

So the question every church pastor out there right now needs to ask is simple.

Are we training disciple makers or protecting our authority?

They got to answer that question.

Nobody else can.

Amen.

So we've talked about the mission, the method, the power, the promise.

But Jesus also gave a warning.

It's a warning we need to hear, because it's a warning of love.

It's mercy before it's too late.

Jesus said in Luke 6:46, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things I say?

And that question is a mirror that we should be looking at right now because it exposes the gap between what we claim and what we practice, between what we sing and what we submit to.

Because calling him Lord is not a religious phrase.

It's supposed to be a declaration of his authority.

If he's Lord, then he's your master, and if he's your master, then his words are commands.

Amen.

Hallelujah.

So when Jesus asked, why do you call me Lord but don't do what I say?

Why do you use the title but still reject my directions?

That question lands directly on the Great Commission.

Because we can't call him Lord.

You can't call him your King and then refuse to do his mission assignment.

Well, you know Jesus, that's not really for me.

Whatever.

You can't call him Lord and ignore his command to go.

And here's what happens when the church avoids disciple making.

We drift into comfort.

We drift into routine.

We drift into programs that keep people busy but they're never sent.

We drift into Sunday Christianity that never reaches Monday morning.

And here's a test for you.

How many times have you left a church service, gone to lunch, out talking with family or whatever, someone gets together and says, so what they talk about in church today?

And you think and say, oh, it was a good service, but I can't remember.

I can't remember.

Well, that should be an answer to something right there.

Folks, we are all out of time for today.

Glory to God.

Before I give the invitation, I want you to see something.

Well, now, I don't have time for that.

Okay, folks, it's time for the church to get back to doing church business, and I'll just leave it at that.

Father, in the name of Jesus, take this message and use it, Lord, the way you see fit.

And I give you all honor, glory and praise.

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

Till next time.

As Pastor Bob, reminding you to be blessed in all that you do remember, his words matter.