Why We Make Disciples: A Love for Lost Souls

There’s something exciting about sharing good news.

If we find a great restaurant, we tell our friends about it. If we watch an entertaining movie, we recommend it. If we discover a product that solves a problem we’ve been dealing with for years, we end up talking about it without even realizing it. Good experiences tend to naturally spill over into our daily conversations.

We don’t usually share those things because we feel obligated. We share them because they mattered to us. The experience was meaningful enough that we want others to experience it too.

And that simple instinct raises an important question for those of us who follow Jesus.

If the gospel truly is the greatest news in the world (the news that God has reconciled sinners to Himself through Christ), then why do we sometimes struggle to share it?

As we continue our series “Go Make Disciples: Living the Great Commission,” we come to a deeper question that sits at the heart of disciple-making: Why do we make disciples at all?

Scripture shows us that disciple-making is not simply a religious duty placed on Christians. It is a natural response to two powerful realities: the urgency of the gospel and the love of Christ that fills our hearts.

When we understand those two truths more deeply, sharing our faith begins to feel less like pressure and more like a chance to participate in something beautiful.

The Urgency of the Gospel

The apostle Paul describes the urgency of the gospel in Romans 10 through a series of questions that build on one another.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." - Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)

Paul walks us through a logical chain that is difficult to ignore. People cannot call on Jesus if they have not believed in Him. They cannot believe in Him if they have never heard about Him. And they cannot hear unless someone shares the message with them.

His point is both simple and profound: the gospel must be shared for faith to be born.

No one simply stumbles into salvation. At some point, someone speaks the message. Someone explains who Jesus is and what He has done. Someone takes the step of telling another person the good news of the gospel.

When we pause and think about our own story, most of us can trace that moment back to someone in particular. Maybe it was a parent who taught us about Jesus when we were young. Maybe it was a friend who had a conversation with us at the right time. Maybe it was a preacher, a mentor, or even a stranger who shared the truth of the gospel with clarity and kindness.

However it happened, God used a person.

And that realization should reshape how we think about disciple-making. Evangelism is not only something that happens in formal settings or distant mission fields. It often unfolds through everyday conversations, ordinary relationships, and simple acts of courage.

God’s plan for the spread of the gospel has always involved people carrying the message to other people.

Compelled by the Love of Christ

While the gospel carries urgency, Scripture also shows us that the deepest motivation for sharing it is love.

Paul explains this beautifully in his letter to the Corinthians.

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)

When Paul says that the love of Christ “controls” or “compels” us, he is not talking about guilt or pressure. He is describing a heart that has been changed by grace.

When we truly begin to grasp what Christ has done for us, it reshapes how we see our lives. We remember that we were once lost. We remember the patience God showed us in our wandering. We remember the mercy that met us at the cross.

And when that reality sinks into our hearts, something begins to change.

We no longer live primarily for ourselves. Our lives begin to revolve around the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. Gratitude begins to grow, and true gratitude has a way of turning outward.

The love we have received becomes the love we want others to experience.

We begin to see people differently. Instead of simply seeing coworkers, neighbors, or acquaintances, we start to see souls, people made in the image of God, people who are searching, people who are burdened, people who are longing for hope whether they realize it or not.

And slowly, sharing the gospel stops feeling like a religious obligation. It begins to feel like a natural response to the love that has transformed our own lives.

Ambassadors for Christ

Paul goes even further in describing the role believers now play in God’s mission.

Through Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself. But He does not stop there. He then entrusts us with the message of reconciliation so that others might also be restored to Him.

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV)

Paul uses the word ambassadors to describe our role. That image carries deep meaning.

An ambassador represents the authority and interests of the one who sent them. They do not speak their own message or pursue their own agenda. They carry the words and intentions of their government or king.

In the same way, followers of Jesus are ambassadors for Christ. We are not sharing our personal opinions about religion or spirituality. We are carrying a message entrusted to us by God Himself.

And that message is one of reconciliation. It is the announcement that through Jesus, forgiveness is possible. Through Jesus, broken relationships with God can be restored. Through Jesus, sinners can find grace and new life.

It is remarkable to consider that God makes His appeal to the world through ordinary people like us. Through our conversations, our relationships, and our acts of evangelism, the message of reconciliation continues to spread.

That is both a responsibility and a privilege.

Barriers to Urgency and Love

Even when we understand these truths, many of us still find ourselves hesitant to share our faith.

Sometimes the barrier is fear. We worry about how others might respond. We fear awkwardness or rejection. We feel uncertain about what to say.

Other times the barrier is distraction. Life becomes busy. Work, family, responsibilities, and routines fill our days, and the mission of God quietly slips to the background.

And sometimes the barrier is simply forgetfulness. Over time, we can begin to take grace for granted. The wonder of the gospel fades, and our hearts grow less attentive to the spiritual needs of the people around us.

But the answer to these struggles is not guilt.

The answer is returning to the gospel again and again.

When we remember what Christ has done for us, when we reflect on the mercy that reached us at our lowest point, something begins to stir within us again. Gratitude grows. Compassion grows. Courage slowly begins to grow as well.

The same love that saved us becomes the love that sends us.

So let me ask you…

As I ask myself these same questions:

• When I think about the people in my life who do not know Christ, what emotions rise in my heart?

• What fears or hesitations tend to hold me back from sharing my faith?

• How has the love of Jesus personally changed my life?

• Who are the people God has already placed in my everyday world, at work, in my neighborhood, and in my family?

• What might it look like to begin one honest, gospel-centered conversation this week?

A Closing Word for Fellow Pilgrims

Disciple-making is not meant to be driven by pressure or performance.

It flows from two realities that shape the Christian life: people need the gospel, and Christ has loved us beyond measure.

When we remember those truths, evangelism begins to take on a different tone. It stops feeling like an obligation and starts to feel like a natural extension of love.

We share because the news is too good to keep to ourselves.

And as we take small steps of faith (through prayer, conversation, and simple acts of courage and obedience) we trust that God is already at work in ways we cannot see.

Our role is not to force outcomes or manufacture results. Our role is simply to be faithful messengers of the hope we have found in Christ.

And the primary motivation of all of this is love.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. This week, let's try taking three small steps. First, pray and ask God to deepen your love for people who do not yet know Christ. Second, reflect on your own story of faith. Who did God use to reach you? What if they had stayed silent? Finally, act by looking for one opportunity to begin a gospel-centered conversation, maybe through a thoughtful question, an invitation to church, or simply sharing your story. Disciple-making often begins with one small step of courage.