Discipleship: The Heartbeat of the Great Commission

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents did evangelism, went on mission trips, brought people to the Lord, wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. They were (and still are) my main example of a Christian lifestyle. Through them, I didn’t just learn about God—I experienced Him.

The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19-20, is often understood as a call to evangelize. For much of my life, I believed this meant street preaching, praying for the sick, caring for the homeless, and ministering to widows—things I saw my parents do regularly. I supported this understanding with scriptures like Acts 1:8, Mark 13:10, Mark 16:15-16, Luke 24:46-47, and Matthew 24:14.

Was I wrong? No. But now I realize the Great Commission, as modeled by my parents, was less about the specific acts and more about teaching me not to be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16) and giving me the boldness to proclaim my faith. They discipled me—not just through their deeds, but by teaching me how to evangelize, pray, study the Bible, and lead others to Christ.

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB)

The word "disciple" means to be a student or follower of a teacher. Though we often associate discipleship with Jesus, the concept appears throughout the Bible. Consider the Psalms, traditionally attributed to David (Hebrews 4:7), though he only wrote around 73 of them. The rest were written by others, but they reflect David’s discipleship and the revelation he received from God. They carry a messianic and eschatological message throughout the 5 books, even the unnamed authors carried forward the pattern of worship and teaching they learned from David. Apart from Psalm 90, written by Moses, every other Psalm is directly linked to the Tabernacle of David and by association, his leadership.

Jesus asked people to follow him and become his disciples. He showed them to preach, teach, heal, cast out demons, serve, and how to understand and interpret the Hebrew Bible concerning himself. He taught them to "learn, do, repeat, and teach others"—a pattern that has spread Christianity across the world for centuries.

The Great Commission is not just a mandate to EVANGELIZE—it’s a call to make disciples.

Today, the Church needs more disciples who are committed to making disciples. While Christianity thrives in many regions, vast areas of the world remain unreached. According to Nations Outreach, 42% of humanity has never heard the gospel of the Kingdom, and over 96% of the world’s unreached people groups are concentrated in the 10/40 window (between latitudes 10 and 40 north of the equator).

Unreached people in the 10/40 window: over 3.2 billion.

The Lord called us to spread his word as far as the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). John Piper says: "Missions exist because worship does not". The worship of Jesus Christ is to be expressed through every tribe, tongue, and nation. There’s a need for missionaries willing to leave their countries and shine the light of Christ where is not as established. Jesus told his disciples that it starts with prayer. Eventually, like in Matthew 9-11, the same disciples who prayed for laborers, later on are the same ones who are being sent.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37–38 NASB)

There is a deep need for teaching. This conviction shapes how our family lives, the decisions we make, and how we invest our resources. The ministry we have, Stewards of Secrets, is a small part of that effort—a grain of hope in the shadows of the internet.

The name “Stewards of Secrets” comes from two scriptures:

"One should think about us this way—as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1 NASB)

"Certainly, the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret plan to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7 NASB)

In the Bible, mystery refers to something revealed by God, at least to a few (Allen C. Myers). As G. W. Barker explains, “in its fullest expression, it refers to the secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God, which, though hidden from human reason, are being disclosed by God’s revealing act to those for whom such knowledge is intended”.

In Paul’s writing to the Corinthians, he explains how Jesus, explained throughout the New Testament, reveals all of these mysteries, and some are understood now, and some will be unveiled at the end of the age (1 Corinthians 2:1-10). List of some of the mysteries mentioned in the New Testament: Eph. 3:3-6, 9–10, 5:31–32, 6:19; Col. 1:26–27, 2:2; Rom. 11:25, 16:25–26; 1 Cor. 13:2, 14:2, 15:51; 1 Tim. 3:9, 16; 2 Thess. 2:7; Rev. 1:20, 17:5–7.

"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10 NASB)

As believers, we’ve been entrusted with these mysteries. At Stewards of Secrets, our mission is to encourage others to be faithful stewards of what has been revealed to them. What we’ve learned from God, through His Spirit and teachers, we want to pass on. Our hope is that our readers will share what they’ve learned with their church communities, families, and neighbors—perhaps even stepping out of their comfort zones to reach strangers, old friends, or even distant nations. So that God would be glorified and Jesus would be known.

Disciples making disciples.

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References:

Peter K. Nelson, “Disciple,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 348.

Alice Ogden Bellis, “Mystery,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 931.

G. W. Barker, “Mystery,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 452.

Nations Outreach: https://nationsoutreach.org/blog/christian-missionary-statistics/