Discipling the Nations!

“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 28:18-20)

The Great Commission dominates most of our mission motivation.  We always place our emphasis on obeying the command to Go and Baptize.  Discipleship then becomes just a task in the process. Unfortunately, many of our mission fields illustrate 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 as it is popularly known.  As much as the word nations mean ethnic or linguistic peoples 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 the whole 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 nations and blesses nations. God even used other nations to bring judgment on Israel.

Our God is the ruler of all the nations.  Daniel and his friends witness to the kings influencing a whole empire.  Esther influenced a whole nation.  We are called to disciple whole nations. It is in this context that we should see our mission. India and Haiti are not the only nations God is concerned about.  As much as God brought people from other nations to preach the Gospel to us, God has called India and Haiti to take the Gospel to other nations.

India is not the only nation in the world.  As our economy looks beyond, as Indian business goes beyond our borders, we need to go to the ends of the earth.  India is influencing the nations of the world in economics, politics, media, technology and even in spirituality.  The Diaspora Indian phenomena – is an act of God.  The influence of the Diaspora Indians around the world is now part of the global reality.  How can we come along and participate in God’s mission?  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 of 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 the influencers a whole nation can be discipled to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. 

Let us work together to disciple whole nations!

If you would like to know more about the work that VMI does please check out our website HERE.   I want to ask that you might prayerfully consider giving to support the work we are involved in India, Haiti, and the US.  Please click here to GIVE.