Not wanting to miss the boat on #TestimonyTuesday, I thought I’d share a brief snippet with you.
It is not my testimony but rather a minor thing which happened to me once.
A skyscraper
When I left university, I had little idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I took a job at a local employer and consider it my first “real” job. I was young then, both in age and experience, and it was rather daunting to step into this new world.
On day one, someone came by and handed me a wadge of papers. “Fill these out,” they said, “and give them to Alice.” Before I had a chance to ask anything, they were gone. I did indeed fill them out, but literally had no idea who Alice was! The building housed 1500 employees, and for me (with problems with my sight) the thought of trying to find said mystery woman was no easy task! I asked a few of my new colleagues, and they were not exactly sure.
I did all I could, and prayed! I asked God to help me find this Alice, and then set the papers to one side and carried on doing my other work. A while later, I looked up to see a small group of colleagues talking, and one of them said, “Alice…” addressing one of the others. This was the Alice I needed, and she walked right past my desk and I was able to hand her the papers then and there.
This is, in the grand scheme of things, a miniscule event but it was God’s way of reminding me of His presence in my life. I knew, in that moment, that Goid had answered this simple prayer and I knew that He would continue to support me.
Has God given you these little nods from time to time? Just small encouragements that remind you of His constant love for you?
Praise Him for the big things in life, yes, but don’t forget to thank Him for the small as well!
Do share below any “nods from God” which He has given to you.
We are often discouraged from using sharp words when talking to others. It is usually meant by this that we Christians should talk to people with gentleness and humility, and not to be rude, hard or harsh. This is all quite true, but not the point of my post today.
I instead want to think about another form of sharp words:
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Hebrews 4:12-13 WEB
The Bible, here called the Word of God, is a sharp word. While it is never intended to be harsh, it can be a difficult pill to swallow at times.
These verses tell us that the Word is both living and active. To be “living and active” means that the Bible is not some ancient, dead or irrelevant work with no bearing on life today. The culture may have changed, but the Word has not, yet this does not make it outdated. God does not change, and neither does His Word. Our design and purpose as humans has remained the same, even if the world around us is different from what it once was.
If you want to know your purpose, and if you want to know how to live well on this Earth, then you will need to engage with this living Word. It teaches us who God is. It tells us how we ought to live. It instructs us in how to please our Creator. It sets out how we can be saved from our sin, and be united with Christ for all eternity. There is nothing more relevant; nothing more necessary.
The Word of God is sharp, indeed sharper than a two-edged sword. It can pierce. It can divide.
When we venture into sin, the Bible can pierce our hearts. That stab of guilt and shame we feel as we face our sinfulness is found only in knowing we have fallen short of God’s standards. The Word does not condemn us, but it does convict, prompting us to change. Condemnation leads only to death, but conviction through the Word and the Spirit leads to life. Practically, if your feelings of guilt and consciousness of sin lead you away from God, then that is condemnation. If they spur you on to live better and follow Him more deeply, then that is conviction.
The Word of God can divide. It separates flesh from spirit, showing us when our desires are selfish or selfless. It discerns, as it says above, between the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. This is a key point. Too many of us do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons. We pray loudly and earnestly in front of others, hoping they will think us saintly. We sing loudly and robustly in church, while at the same time wondering what we will eat for lunch. We bless our brother or sister in Christ, then tear them down with gossip over coffee the next day.
The Bible reveals all such things to us. It is a mirror that we can gaze deeply into, and as we do, it will show us not just where our actions fall short, but where our heart does as well. The wonderful thing about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (from Matthew 5-7) is that He shows us that the thoughts of our heart are every bit as important as our actions.
If you look lustfully on someone who is not your spouse, then you commit adultery. Even if you do not physically go near them, your heart betrays you as you have gone there in your mind. To hate your brother is the same as killing them, as surely to hate is to wish someone dead. Such thoughts are every bit as bad as their corresponding actions.
Verse 13, quoted above, tells us that we are naked before Him to whom we must give an account. This means there is no place to hide. We cannot push our sins under the rug and hope He does not notice them. All will be uncovered; the good we did with wrong motives, and the good we did not do for similar reasons.
That is why the Bible is a sharp word. It forces us to face ourselves and a level of honesty most of us do not dare enter.
If you find this difficult, then that is exactly right. If the thought of exposing your heart makes you uncomfortable, then you are feeling precisely the correct emotion. If our sinfulness does not make us squirm, then we have not fully understood it, nor our need for a Saviour.
If our sinfulness does not make us squirm, then we have not fully understood it, nor our need for a #Saviour. #Jesus #Bible #Christianity #sin
The poisonous feelings of guilt and shame must lead us to the antidote – and His name is Jesus. As we gaze into the Bible, it shows us of our need of rescue and points us to the One who indeed saves.
The sharp words ought to make us turn more fully to God. We cannot approach Him in our own merit, but instead come to Him cleansed in the blood of the Lamb.
As you study Scripture, try not to stick with your favourite passages or books. Look at the parts of the Bible that challenge you. If you notice you are falling short in some way, rejoice that God has shown you and then work with Him to come up higher. Instead of feeling guilty about your failures, turn them into reasons to praise God for sending His Son to save you.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 WEB
Praise God that He has given us His precious Son that we might be freed from all guilt and shame. Thank God for His Word, sharp as it may be at times, that shows us the way of salvation.
Throughout this week, we have been thinking about the Great Commission as given to us by the Lord Himself and recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. I want this week’s Sunday Suggestion to carry on the theme.
Before I do, is there anything that has challenged you this week? If so, talk it out with a trusted friend at church. Perhaps you were moved by the fact that the Eleven disciples had doubts (see Matthew 28:16-17), or perhaps you felt a nudge from the Lord to “go”? Maybe the discussion about baptism prompted you to want to explore it for yourself, in which case why not take this chance to discuss with your pastor? Did the posts about making disciples or teaching challenge you to want to go deeper with the Lord, or help others do the same? Whatever it may be, grab a coffee after the service and sit down with someone. Share your thoughts and get their views.
If there was nothing in particular that stood out this week, then that is fine. Instead, take that same cup of coffee and talk to your home group leader or leadership team about how your church is fulfilling the Great Commission. Do not be critical of course, but look for ways you can get involved and support the church’s efforts. There are undoubtedly myriad ways you can get involved. You might like to help run the next baptism preparation class, or take the big step of offering to lead a small group and help make disciples? You could start a prayer programme for those who are going out and sharing the Gospel, or join them yourself.
Ask your pastor or trusted friend to help you figure out your gifts and unique contribution, together make a plan on how you can use those talents to preach the Gospel – directly or indirectly.
As you discuss the Great Commission, see if there are ways you can encourage others. Some may be cautious or even fearful about stepping out, so give them confidence by supporting them and reminding them of Christ’s presence with them. It might be that they have a God-ordained idea in their heart to reach people with the truth, but they cannot do it alone. You may be the person they need to help turn their idea into a reality.
There are countless ways in which we as individuals and as part of a church, can seek to fulfil Jesus’ commands here. Perhaps you are desperately seeking a way to do so, but just can’t seem to find the right avenue. Talk to someone about it, and listen not just to them, but to the Lord through them as well.
I do hope you have enjoyed what you have read this week, but do not allow it to just pass you by. Let it prompt you to action, and to “go” as Christ instructed. Don’t dive in without thought, but do take definite action. Take the counsel of fellow believers and work with them in whatever way God is directing you.
Together, we can take the Gospel to the world that needs it so very much.
As a reminder, here are the words we have read so many times this week. Read them once again, slowly, and pay particular attention to those elements you have not noticed before. Importantly, read that last sentence more than once. Jesus is with you! Praise the Lord!
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. 18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go[b] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:16-20 (WEB)
If you missed any of the post on the Great Commission, here is a list:
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Over the course of this week, we have taken a good look at the Great Commission found in Matthew’s Gospel. I hope that you now appreciate (if you did not before) that it goes beyond simply sharing our faith – although that is clearly part of it.
In summary, Jesus tells His Eleven – and by extension, us as well – that they are to go, to make disciples, to baptise and to teach people to obey Him. We have explored each of these in turn, and I now ask you to reflect on how you can contribute to fulfilling each element.
I hope you agree that this is no small task! If you are feeling a little daunted by the idea of trying to fulfil this Commission, then you are not alone.
The first thing to remember is that God will never ask you to do anything that you cannot do. He would be unjust to do so. God is neither unreasonable nor sadistic, enjoying watching us struggle. Instead, God never lets us go through things we cannot bear.
No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (WEB)
Paul, talking of temptation here, points out that God does not allow any temptation beyond that which we can bear. He will provide a way of escape so that no temptation will overcome us.
In a similar way, I believe God will not lay a command us on that we cannot do. He equips us with all we need to succeed, be it gifts, talents, resources or indeed His very own Spirit.
#God equips us with everything we need to succeed. #Bible #Christianity #temptation
It is also important to remember that we are not expected to fulfil this task all on our own. We may have individual responsibilities yes, but it is not on any one person to complete this great work solo. We work together, as a family of believers, and united as the Church of God, we can complete the mission before us.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (WEB)
We, the church, are one body. We are made up of different parts, but all exist together as one, and only by co-operating can we hope to fulfil the Great Commission. I may be able to write (to some extent) but I surely cannot sing! What if someone is to be reached with a tuneful rendition of a biblical song? You will not be able to call on me to do this! Instead, you will need a different part of the body.
The truth is that you cannot do everything, but you can do something. God has purposely made us all different, and so each of us can bring our unique gifts, talents and experiences to bear. I cannot do it all, and neither can you, but together we can do a whole lot more.
I am with you
Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:20b (WEB)
Not only do we have one another’s help and support, we have Jesus’ too. Here, He tells us plainly that He is with us and will remain that way.
When we “go” in faith, stepping out to make disciples, baptise and teach, we do so with the Lord Himself. One of the keys to success is not trying to do this in our own strength, but in His. No one comes to the Father except through Christ Himself (John 14:6) so attempting to do this without Him is fruitless.
I recall a time when my wife and I had to move some furniture in our home. One of our children, who were rather young at the time, tried to help us. Their little amount of strength was insufficient to move the item, but with their father’s help, the job was completed.
Trying to fulfil the Great Commission without the strength and power of the Lord is like a little child trying to pick up and move a bed. It cannot be done.
I am reminded of Jesus’ words from earlier in Matthew’s Gospel:
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:29 (WEB)
A yoke combines the power of two or more oxen, so that the plough is more easily moved and the work done. If you only put one ox in the yoke, it will be lopsided and likely move in circles. Jesus asks us to link up with Him, and together the task will be completed.
Do not go it alone, but go out with Christ. He has promised to be with you, and only by working with Him can you extend His kingdom and share the Good News with the world. It is a great mystery that God chooses to involve us in His plans, yet I rejoice in that mystery and in being a part of that family.
I leave you with this thought; in heaven, you will be able to pray, to worship, to study Scripture, to fellowship with God and His people, but the one thing you cannot do is fulfil the Great Commission. Let this spur you on, united with the church, and in the power of the Spirit. Let us go out, make disciples, baptise and teach, knowing that Jesus is with us. Amen!
What will you do?
Ask yourselves these questions today:
What comfort do you gain from knowing Christ is with you?
How can you practically draw on His strength more?
Having read this series of posts, what three things can you do now to participate in this great mission?
If you have not checked out the Berry Bunch Family already, then I strongly encourage you to do so. i’m truly excited to hear more of their testimony and about gods faithfulness in their lives and ministry.
It was something of an honour to be mentioned in this post as well!
Do give it a read, and start following their site. you won’t regret it!
I’ve written, edited, and scheduled our first #TestimonyTuesday post. This is an exciting new, and regular, output for us, and we have Nicola to …
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
The substance of our Christian lives ought to be different from that of the world. If we talk the same, act the same, think the same, and do all the same things that the world does, then we must question whether we are truly born anew. Disciples are not meant to be the “same” as those who follow their own fleshy or sinful desires.
If that is a shock to you, then perhaps the Great Commission has yet to be fulfilled in your life. Maybe you have believed in Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, yet no one has taken the time to teach you to obey.
And so, we come to the third part of the Great Commission which Jesus gave to us. To teach disciples all that He commanded.
Obedience may not seem like a very exciting topic to you, yet it is crucial we learn to observe what Jesus told us to do. It will lead us to God’s kind of success, blessing and most importantly, the glory of God.
Having made disciples, and baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, we must then teach them. This task will take a lifetime, and most people (myself definitely included) are slow learners!
Where do we begin? I suspect there is no right or wrong answer to this, and it might be different for everyone.
Firstly, we are to teach people to obey all that Jesus commanded. We might strictly interpret this to mean following only the red letters in our Bible, and thus dismissing most of the epistles and the entirety of the Old Testament… I do not think this is so however!
Every Scripture is God-breathed and[a] profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 (WEB)
The entirety of Scripture, the totality of God’s Word in both the Old and New Testaments, the letters, the history and the prophecy are all inspired by the Spirit of Christ. In my opinion, it is all to be taught and learned.
Now can you see why it might take a lifetime?
How can we teach the entirety of the Bible ourselves? Again, I believe it is a team effort. If you are a pastor, or are called to teach, then it might be more obvious how you can fulfil this part of the Great Commission. Use your pulpit, wherever it is, and teach the people to obey Christ. You may lead a church or be privileged to speak at one, you may write a blog or books, or you may be recording and sharing videos on YouTube or other media platforms. All of that contributes to the teaching of God’s people.
For the rest though, who do not have such platforms, or who do not feel called to teach, how can they comply with Christ’s instruction to teach?
Parents can and should teach their children. Older members of the church family may instruct the younger. The members of a small group will encourage and challenge one another, whether they are leading the discussion or just participating. As we do life together, the church ought to be helping each other to grow in faith and obedience.
Even if you personally have little opportunity to teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson.
If you have little opportunity to #teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
Here, the apostle Paul, urges the Corinthian church to follow him, as he follows Jesus. Imitate me, he cries, as I imitate Christ. This is not easy, and if we take a hard look at ourselves, we may not feel like the best examples of Jesus’ lifestyle. But each of us should be striving forward to observe what Christ has taught us, and as we do, let us bring others along for the ride.
Sometimes we think of the Great Commission as only relating to evangelism. I hope these words have shown you that it is not so. Fulfilling this Commission does, of course, involve telling others about our faith, but it also encapsulates our journey into maturity as believers. I do not think there is one Christian who can claim to observe all that Jesus commanded us, and so we are all to keep walking with Him, bearing fruit and growing in faith.
What will you do?
I want to ask you:
How well do you feel you obeying Jesus at the moment?
What is your “pulpit”? i.e. in what ways can you be a teacher and encourage others to obey Christ?
What one thing can you do to be a better example for Jesus?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Jesus gave three primary instructions to His eleven followers on the mountain.
Make disciples of all nations
Baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Teach them to obey all He commanded
We now consider number two on the list, namely the instruction to baptise.
In some respects, I feel this is a forgotten element of the Great Commission. I have said previously that simply telling others about Jesus is not quite enough to fulfil the task at hand, and this particular instruction is relevant. Telling others about Christ and the Gospel does not equate to baptism.
We must not neglect the command of baptism in the Great Commission.
We must not neglect the command of #baptism in the Great Commission. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
For the individual, this may feel somewhat difficult to fulfil. It is clear that we ought not to run around throwing holy water on people, baptising them with a super-soaker! For the most part, we tend to leave this instruction to be fulfilled by the church, rather than us as members of it.
To be clear, baptism is a symbolic event where water is sued to indicate the new life of a believer seeking to follow Christ. It is a public declaration of an internal change. When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He gives us a heart of flesh instead of stone, and gifts us with His Holy Spirit to dwell with us. Baptism, then, is an outward sign of that commitment.
Different church traditions do this in a variety of ways. Some will completely immerse an individual in water, using a pool or even the ocean. Others simply sprinkle water over them as a symbol of cleansing. Some church traditions baptise children or infants, while others only adults.
On that last point, it is clear that as an infant, you cannot make the promises required for a real commitment for Christ. Instead, it is the parents and godparents who make those promises on the child’s behalf, and later in life it is hoped the child will make the promises for themselves. In the Anglican tradition, a baptised infant, when they reach an age of understanding, can then go forward for “Confirmation” which is essentially adopting the baptismal promises for themselves.
Whatever your tradition, and whatever your views on infant baptism or total immersion, the command from Jesus is clear – we are to baptise.
A friend of mine came to faith in his twenties, but was never baptised. He had not been baptised as a baby, and his church had not emphasised the need for it. When he moved home and thus changed to a different fellowship, he became involved in serving at the church. One day when the pastor was teaching on the subject of baptism, he came to the decision that he must be baptised as a sign of his belief.
Did it enhance his faith in any particular way? Was he not “properly” saved until he was immersed? Was it just a good excuse for a get-together? The likely answer is no to all of these (although some may disagree) but the point is it was a definite step of obedience. Baptism is a command of Christ, and this man fulfilled it.
As he climbed down the steps into the water, it represented the death and burial of his old life of sin. As he emerged from the surface of the water, it depicted his freshness as a “new creation” in Christ. This is what baptism is all about.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Jesus instructs His followers to baptise in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To be honest, there is some debate about this point. Are these not titles, rather than names? Some will ask. Is it not sufficient to baptise in the “name” of Jesus?
There is something of a rabbit hole to avoid here. The issue is not unimportant of course, and I urge you to investigate it for yourself. We do not have time in these brief words to give the topic justice.
The critical point for me here is that we are not baptised into any old name. We are not pinning our colours to any random mast. Instead, we are dedicating ourselves to the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God of the Bible, and the One who raised Christ from the dead. You cannot easily separate the Father from the Son, nor the Spirit from Jesus. They are One God, in three Persons. To fully understand this is to comprehend God Himself, which is beyond any of us.
How we baptise is a matter for study and debate, and various church traditions have grown up over time with differing views. The point is we are to baptise.
Having gone out, as Jesus told us, and sharing the Good News about Christ, a natural step for those who believe is to be baptised. For many people, it is a key event in their lives of faith. Often it marks the beginning of something too.
Jesus was baptised by John in the River Jordan, which you can read about in Matthew 3. This was not to cleanse Jesus from sin, as He was without it, but instead marked the coming of the Spirit and the beginning of His earthly ministry.
In a similar way, perhaps you need to experience baptism for yourself, or renew the promises you or others made for you?
What will you do?
Some questions for you today:
Have you been baptised, and if not, does this encourage you to explore it?
Does your church teach about baptism and encourage it?
If you were baptised as a child, why not review the promises that were made on your behalf today, and commit yourself to keeping them?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
In the full power of His authority, Jesus tells His disciples to go. Giving specifics now, He instructs them to complete three primary tasks – the first of these being to make disciples. In subsequent posts, we will look at the other two instructions which are to baptise and to teach.
Firstly, what is a disciple? We cannot hope to “make” them if we are not clear what they are.
A disciple is simply a “follower.” A disciple of Jesus therefore, is one who follows Him.
Following someone is most commonly used in physical terms. We follow someone when they are showing us the right way to go. Perhaps you are going to a new place and you do not know the way, if you follow a friend then they go on ahead and you tag along behind.
We can follow in many more ways than just physical however. You may, for example, follow your favourite sports teams; keeping up with their scores, team news and key stats. Likewise, you might follow a singer or band, streaming their latest music and “following” them on the socials.
To follow Christ means something rather deeper. It implies a firm commitment to Him, and not to be a mere “fan” of His, but instead to devote your life in His service. Following Jesus is to follow in His footsteps, and again, I do not mean physically. We aspire to be more and more like Him; walking in love, being unselfish, caring for others, but most importantly, bringing people into a deeper relationship with the Father.
To be Christ’s disciple is to put aside all else, and follow Him with your whole heart.
To be Christ’s disciple is to put aside all else, and follow Him with your whole heart. #Bible #Christianity #Jesus
We learn about Him yes, but we learn with Him. We do what He asks of us, and we put Him first above all else. We follow Jesus into blessing, and we follow Him into troubles and trials. We sacrifice what this world has to offer and instead choose His glory. We put our trust in Him, relying on Him for our life in this world and the next. That is what it is to be a disciple.
So how do we “make” them?
Earlier on, I asked how you would sum up the Great Commission, and pointed out that many might answer by saying “Telling others about Jesus.” Sharing the Good News about Christ is the first step to making disciples.
For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Joel 2:32 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:13-15 (WEB)
They cannot call on the name of the Lord and begin to follow Him unless they are first told. To begin making disciples, we must tell them the truth. We tell them the Gospel, which is that Christ came, He lived and died, and on the third day He rose again to new life. Whoever believes in Him will live and have eternal life! Praise His Holy Name!
Is telling those who do not know Jesus enough to make disciples? For some it might be. They hear the word preached to them, and the Spirit of God stirs up their hearts to make a lifelong commitment to Him. For others, they may start to accept and believe the truth of the Gospel, but will then need love, support and guidance. For all of us, there is a substantial journey between the moment we give our lives to Jesus, and the time we reach maturity in the faith.
This is why God has given the church a variety of gifts and offices:
He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
Ephesians 4:11 (WEB)
Our goal in making disciples is not simply to get someone to mouth the words “I believe in Jesus,” but rather we want them to experience the changed life that comes from being a true follower of Christ. At times we need to be taught the truth, and at other times we need the care of the shepherd or pastor. There are times we may need the warning or encouragement of the prophet, and many begin our journeys responding to the call of the evangelist. All are involved in making disciples.
All Nations
Carefully reading Jesus’ words again shows us that “make disciples” is not the full command, instead He tells us to “make disciples of all nations.” This shows us that no one is excluded. God wants His Gospel preached everywhere, and to have disciples present in all places. You might consider the collective disciples as the global church, which is God’s hands and feet, reaching every corner of the globe.
No one person can do this. If you are worried you might have to travel far and wide to begin making disciples, then let me reassure you. There are plenty of opportunities on your doorstep. Perhaps God may call some of us to go to far off places and make disciples there, but for the most part we are to do it in our own backyard.
We can make disciples in our own family. We can make disciples of our work friends. We can make disciples of our neighbours. We can make disciples of our followers on social. And if we write, we can make disciples of Christ of our readers.
One of the great things about writing a blog is that the stats tell you where your readers come from. I live in the UK, and many of my readers come from there, but I also see readers from places I am never likely to go. It is humbling that my words, such as they are, reach such places. It remains my continued prayer that those who do read will become more and more like Christ. That is, surely, what making disciples is all about.
What will you do?
Some questions for you to think about:
How well are you following Jesus?
What is your role in making disciples, do you think?
Can you think of someone who may need encouraging in their walk with Jesus today?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Having established His authority, the Lord Jesus begins to command His Eleven disciples. Jesus is neither vague, nor unclear. He sets out for them several things they must now go and do to fulfil this Great Commission, and we will examine each in turn in the coming days.
Every journey must begin with the very first step. For the Great Commission, the first step is to simply “Go!”
To go is an action. It is not standing still and letting the world pass you by, but it is to move, and move forwards.
The Eleven would never fulfil this mission if they had set up camp on that mountainside. Had they stayed there, discussing what Jesus had told them or all the things that had happened, then we may never have heard of them again. Had they formed a committee to decide the best course of action, taking a vote on the right direction to travel in or what was the best approach to teaching, then they would have been paralysed on the spot.
There is a place for discussion, planning and committees, don’t get me wrong, but there is also a time for action. I do not advise you to jump into something without prior thought, but neither do I suggest you sit around shooting the breeze.
Go! Says the Lord, move out and together we will change the world.
It does not matter how far you go, as long as you do go. Whether you walk a dozen steps to your neighbour’s house, travel half a mile to the local town square, or cross the globe to a far flung nation, go and take the message of Christ with you.
Using a Bible search engine, the word “Go” appears over 1400 times in the KJV version of the Scriptures, whereas the word “stop” only occurs 7 times! Clearly God wants us to get the message that we are to go, pressing on and doing the work He has called us to.
Philip was told “Go!” and he went to Samaria:
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did. 7 For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 There was great joy in that city.
Acts 8:5-8 (WEB)
Paul followed the command to go, and he went to the Gentiles, Peter did likewise, but to the Jewish people:
Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised— 8 for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles
Galatians 2:1-2, 7-8 (WEB)
Moses was told to go to Pharoah. Jonah was instructed to go to Nineveh. God told Joshua to go and conquer the land. Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to go, and bring him a cake, and she went, receiving a miracle. Likewise, Elisha told another widow to go and get empty jars that they might be filled with oil, and she, too, went.
Where is God telling you to go?
The point of my post today is not some deep theology, but rather to encourage and inspire you. I am not revealing some great doctrinal truth, but instead am directing you to action. We will never fulfil the Great Commission without it.
For you to go may mean a shift in your attitude, habits or thinking. It may not mean a change in physical location, but a definite decision to alter your mindset and do whatever Christ is calling you to.
When you go, you may need to leave certain “baggage” behind you. Gossiping friends, TV addiction, the comfort of familiarity or just plain old worries may need to be discarded so you can fully go for the Lord.
The word “go” means to move or proceed, as I think I have emphasised above. It can also mean to start or begin, as in to fire the starting gun on the race track.
This exclamation – Go! – is a trigger for us to begin. When that starting gun fires, the runners do not amble along, enjoying the sunshine and having a chat! No, they leap forward with energy and vigour, and that is precisely how we ought to launch into the Great Commission.
I do not want you to proceed without haste; to just quit your job, up sticks and charge ahead without clear direction from God. That is not wise. I do want you to proceed with urgency, energy and excitement however, giving this all you have.
Make a firm decision today that you are going to follow Christ and all He commands with everything you have. Join me, and let’s go!
What will you do?
My questions to you today are:
What does it mean for you to “go?”
Is there anything hindering you, or holding you back from going?
Can you think of anyone else from the Bible who was told to go, and what can you learn from them?
I read this post over the weekend, and really wanted to share it with you. I perhaps should have done so yesterday (on the Sunday) or even waited until next weekend…
But here it is, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Morning friends and welcome to the weekend. I had a different post for this morning but I think the Lord had other ideas so I have put it back into …
Andy Brown 