Pentecost Sunday! The birthday of the church!

You will find the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2, but let’s take a look at a couple verses before that, Jesus’ last words to the church before He ascended to heaven. He was making provision for his disciples for what they would do after He returned to the Father, and how they were to continue to walk out the Kingdom He had died and risen to start: for His followers, to be the people of God on the Earth, what would become “the Church.”

What was it that the disciples were to do?

The Great Commission

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 16-20

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He spoke these words to His disciples, some of whom harbored some doubts about what would happen next. Additionally, in chapter one of the book of Acts, you will also see that Jesus said to the disciples at that time:

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

Acts 1: 5-9

So, the disciples were to “wait in Jerusalem until the gift, the Holy Spirit sent from the Father” would come upon them with the power to be His witnesses. They also were to “make disciples, teaching them to observe all that they were commanded” to by Him. Pentecost is the day in which the power to do that work was sent to Christ’s followers in the upper room in which they had gathered for prayer and waiting. In that day, Peter rose up and spoke a powerful sermon, tongues of fire appeared over their heads, and a mighty wind rushed through the room, not caused by earthly weather patterns. People spoke in languages they did not know and about three thousand people believed and became Christ-followers. This truly was the beginning of the church and the day which Jesus had commanded them to wait for before going out to make disciples.

Power came upon them for the mission and the tasks and change happened within the people so that they became new and filled with the Holy Spirit, which Jesus described as being “baptized” in the Holy Spirit, a term that meant “immersed in, waterlogged,” like a log that has sunk in a river and completely soaked up as much water as it could hold. This was the beginning of the church, that body of Christ-followers who believed in Him and filled with the power to do both the mission (“The Great Commission”) and all the tasks (whatever specific things they were commanded to observe from Jesus words and teachings as disciples).

You can look up Acts 2 and read all about that and the beginnings of the Church throughout the book of Acts, which I encourage you to do. Acts 2 speaks of the power whereby Christ-followers can accomplish the mission and tasks set before the Church. But this post is not just about that—the power—but about something else.

Christ-followers are to be disciples and make disciples.

The Great Commission is not so much about “Going” or where to be, but “Who” to be. It is framed in the context of Who Jesus is, His authority (vs 18), and His presence (vs 20). Authority—Jesus is Lord, and Presence—Jesus is always with us.

Jesus wants His disciples to “observe all that they have been commanded,” in other words, that which He has instructed them while He walked the Earth with them and what was written out in the four gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. His life is the model for how disciples are to live out the Kingdom of God. Actually, this life of disciples is synonymous, or should be, to what we mean when we say “the Church,” “Christ-followers,” or what later became the term, “Christians” or “Christianity.”

Note that Jesus says the primary goal is not to make converts, but disciples. In other words, while conversion is necessary it is not the same thing as becoming a disciple. Signing your name on the “Salvation” dotted line is merely the utter beginning, not an end in itself. People must encounter Jesus and want to follow Him, of course, and they won’t know everything to start, nor do they need to be “perfect” to become “Christians” but they are to become disciples, as are we who say we are Christians.

We have to be disciples (i.e., those who are observing the commandments of Jesus) in order to make disciples. We are not here to make people follow our image, but we all are committed to observing all that Christ commanded and live out our lives to be like Christ. He is the model. If we focus only on Jesus as our Savior, which He beautifully is, we miss what He wants for us and for the Church as a whole.

Just as we can’t save ourselves (and the law was there not because God thought we could follow it, but to show us that we can’t and that we need a savior), so too, do we need Him to accomplish the tasks and mission of discipleship. This is why Jesus told the disciples to wait until they received the Holy Spirit before they went out and tried to “do” anything for Christ. Doing it in the flesh is not going to accomplish the purposes of God.

What is my part in this?

Jesus is with us always in this work, in this great project of transforming our life and the lives of others. This is how we can make an impact upon the world around us. Fleshly wrangling and strife will not accomplish the purposes of God. Those things are just dust in the wind and a distraction from the Kingdom that so many around us need to see. Commit yourself anew to knowing and applying the things that Jesus said so that your life is reflective of His life. Be a disciple. Make disciples through that life wherever you go.