The Great Commission, Not Suggestion
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"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."
(Matthew 28:18-20)
It seems that every time I read the Great Commission of Jesus, I learn something new. In His parting words to His disciples, Jesus gave them clear marching orders. His method of world evangelization was for this small band of brothers and sisters in Christ to go and change the world. How would they do this? First, they would receive the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to send them. He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit. They waited, and on the day of Pentecost, Luke tells us in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came in great power. They were endued with power (dunamis) and went out and spoke about the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11).
We too, as followers of Jesus at the end of 2020, have received the same Great Commission that all believers have received in every epoch of time. We are to go and make disciples just like the early church went and obeyed this clear command from Jesus. The simple yet powerful method to reach the world for Christ is for you and me to make disciples in our own contexts. This can be a daunting task, yes, but it is not impossible. In fact, it is not only possible but most doable. Why? We will be successful in this great missionary endeavor because of something Jesus told us in our biblical text for today. He said all authority (exousian) is His, and He will be with us. The Almighty King of the Universe commissions us to be His ambassadors, and He promises to go with us. How can we fail? The only way we, as followers of Jesus, fail in obeying this great commandment is by not trying.
When we couple our surrendered lifestyle to Jesus with speaking to others about Him, we will see people come to Jesus in salvation. Is it because of how wonderful and eloquent we are? No, not at all. When we evangelize, our power and persuasiveness come not from our own wisdom or abilities but from God. Sharing the good news of the Savior with those who do not know God is the privilege and responsibility of each of us who are in Christ. Will we be rejected, and will most people refuse to repent and believe? Yes, that is reality. But there will be many who will respond in repentance and faith. God knows who they are, so let us just tell everybody we meet the great news of Jesus' death for their sins and His resurrection from the grave!
What a joy it is to make disciples. It begins with evangelism but does not end there. I believe the task of making disciples ends when the person we have led to Christ is leading others to Christ. That is how the early church operated, and aren't you glad? Were it not for their faithfulness and obedience to Jesus' commandment, we would not be here today. Who will you engage in conversations today with the good news of Jesus Christ? God has people prepared just for you. Don't miss the opportunities when they come. They may be disguised as interruptions or even inconveniences, but look a little closer. Look past what you initially see as a disruption to what God sees as an occasion to bear His name.
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Pastor Gregg Matte on Leadership, Balance, & More
Pastor Danny welcomes to the show Pastor Gregg Matte, lead pastor of First Baptist Church of Houston, TX. Pastor Gregg shares a bit about his story, his ministry, and his thoughts on leadership, work-life balance, and more.
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