This Sunday, we witnessed a believer’s baptism. It was very encouraging to me, and I hope to you as well. Often, it feels like God is working slower than we would desire. But it is important to remember that He is always in control and can always be trusted. This is especially true for discipleship. God grows His kingdom at His pace, and our job is to be faithful.
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His disciples, “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.” As disciples of Jesus, we are under that same command. Jesus does not give timelines or quotas. He just says, “Go.” A lot of time and effort is expanded in discipleship. We can lose sight of our mission when we are not “seeing results.” This weekend we saw fruit from the church’s effort, but we must remember our job is to be faithful with our opportunities. God will change hearts and grow His kingdom at His pace.
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus continues saying, “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Watching the baptism was very exciting. However, we must realize that it was not the end but the beginning. It now falls on the church to continue to teach this newly professing believer all that Jesus has commanded us.
This is a lifelong commitment and can seem like a daunting task. But Jesus says, “And Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We are not in this alone. We will fail but Jesus will not leave us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to continue this sanctifying work.
God is always working, and He is growing His kingdom at His pace. He works on discipler and disciplee as He sees fit. This is for our good and His glory. I would encourage you to be faithful with the opportunities He sets before you—to continue to trust God in His faithfulness and enter into a relationship with someone to obey Jesus’ command. We should be in relationships that allow us to teach others while being taught ourselves. We are not called to do this alone. Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age.