Day 2 - Week 83 - Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

In Robert J. Morgan's book, "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart", he recommends understanding the five great components of the Great Commission to better enable memorization. He lists the five components as:
 

1. Power

"The Great Commission begins with Christ's assertion of authority over heaven and earth. He has the right to send us even to those who don't invite us to come. We're authorized to go with the full backing of His unlimited power and authority."

I love that "He has the right to send us even to those who don't invite us to come." Jesus' authority overrides etiquette. We don't have to wait for an invitation...but where we go, we are to go with His grace, mercy and compassion.

2. Purpose

"We're to make disciples...A disciple is someone who confesses Christ as Lord, is actively growing in His Word, and is fully committed to His purpose of making other disciples."

If we allow it to be, the above should be convicting to those of us who have been Christians for a long time. Are we still showing the evidence of being disciples? Are we still actively growing in God's Word? Are we fully committed to His purpose of making other disciples? Or have we grown complacent in our discipleship. We certainly can't be enthusiastic about going out and "making disciples" if we aren't actively being disciples.

 

 

3. Place

"Our zone of ministry is the world: 'all nations.' Jesus predicted the gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations before He returns."

There is nowhere in the world that we are not to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No place should be beyond our concern. Whether we are physically going, or enabling others to go through our financial and prayer support, we should be passionate about the spread of the Gospel throughout the world.  With that being said, we should also be passionate about the Gospel being conveyed to every person living within our neighborhoods, our cities, our states and our country.  In fact, our immediate surroundings should be our primary place of influence.  It's sometimes easier to send money to others to spread the Gospel to the far corners of the world, than it is for us to take the courageous step of sharing our faith with the person who lives at the end of our block.
 

4. Plan

"Disciple-making involves two simple steps---baptizing and teaching.  Baptizing implies we've shared the Gospel and led someone to receive it.  Then we must teach that person."

"Discipleship isn't just a matter of book learning, but of lifestyle transformation."

 

Making a disciple does not end when you hear the person you've been talking to make their own personal profession of faith...that's just the beginning of their discipleship, and of your discipling of them.  To disciple means that you're willing to invest the time and energy that it will take to teach this new convert of what it means to be a Christian, and how their life is going to impact others, and that they too are to be passionate about discipling. 
 

5. Presence

"Just as Jesus began His Commission by asserting His power, He ended by promising His presence.  He'll abide with us always, to the end of the age.  He's a very present help, a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, and the unseen Partner in all our efforts for His Kingdom."
 

We never have to fear striking out on our own when we begin the adventure of discipline others.  Jesus has commissioned us, He has authorized us, and He is with us, always.  Whenever we have fears, doubts or uncertainties, we are to remember that He walks with us, that He is encouraging us, and that He is pleased when He hears us sharing Him with someone else.

Our lives here on earth, once we have become a Christian, are to be focused on discipleship...our own discipleship and making disciples of others, near and far.

Day 1 - Week 83 - Back after THANKSgiving!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful time of thanksgiving this past week.  Our family enjoyed a good times of eating, visiting and just "hanging out."  It was good to have our daughter and son-in-law here from Tulsa, and always fun to be around grandkids.  But most of all, it was good to take time to realize just how much we truly do have to be thankful for.  Even though the past months have been the hardest of our lives, we realize that God has blessed us with loving family, wonderful friends and so many people who have kept us in their prayers.  I know these prayers have made, and continue to make, a difference in our lives as we slowly, ever so slowly, make progress in this healing process that we will continue to go through.  And most importantly of all, we always give thanks that we have a Savior who, out of His love for us, took all of our sins with Him to the cross, died and through the power of God the Father, rose again.  Because of His testimony, we are assured of eternal life where we will never suffer the pain of death.  Hallelujah...that is cause for THANKSGIVING every day of every year!

Now, back to the Great Commission...remember our last verse?  It's been a few days since we've practiced it, so...do you remember?  Remember that before we can accept a commission, we need to be assured of the authority of the one issuing the directive!  So Matthew 28:18..."Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'"

We are following the One of supreme authority.  Are we ready to receive His commission to us...it follows His statement of authority in the very next verse:

Matthew 28:19  "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Jesus entrusted the message of salvation to a band of uneducated nobodies, simply telling them to "Go"...if we stay seated, if we don't get up and move, if we stay in our comfort zones, we will miss the opportunities to make disciples. 

It is very easy for us to avoid the commission to be makers of disciples, excusing ourselves by saying that "evangelism is not our gift"...but Jesus didn't put that caveat in His commission.  He didn't say, "For those of you gifted to evangelize, you go and make disciples...."  No, He said it to every one of His group of vagabond followers who would "Go" and who would turn the world upside down.  None of them ignored His commission to them.  None of them failed Him.  They did it.  They went. 

What's your excuse?  It doesn't count.  "Go!"