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!"

Day 3 - Week 82 - Matthew 18:16 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.'"

Who do you view as your authority figure?  Your boss?  Your parents?  Your teachers?  Government officials?  Judges? 

All of these are definitely authorities in our lives.  But who is your ultimate authority?  If it is anyone other than Jesus, the Son of God, you have misidentified your commander in chief.  For Jesus has been given ALL authority, not only over our earthly lives, but also over our eternal lives. 

Consider these verses...

Matthew 10:32  "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."

Matthew 15:16-17  " 'But what about you?'  he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."   Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah..."

John 20:31  "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

1 John 5:5  "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Surrendering to the fact that Jesus is the authority over our lives is the faith step that takes us from mortality to immortality.  Here it is that we begin our "rebirth" into the realization that we were made for something more than this earth alone, we were designed for eternity, and Jesus is ready to begin to open our eyes to all of His truth.

When we recognize Jesus' authority over us, His Spirit comes to live within us.  His Spirit is now ready to teach us because we have put ourselves in a position of submission to His will over us.  Until this happens, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon us as unwilling participants.  We have to submit with our hearts to the authority of Christ.  

ALL authority has been given to Him...in heaven, on earth.  ALL will eventually acknowledge Him as King....

Philippians 2:9-11  "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
I said get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king..
Jesus Christ is still the king of kings!

Let's get excited about our King...when we do, the Great Commission becomes our natural commission.  When we are excited about our news, we will be excited about sharing this wonderful, good news.  We have a great King and He is over all!   If we aren't excited, we should be...if we aren't excited, Holy Spirit please revive us to a spirit of excitement...light Your fire within us!

Hallelujah, Thine the glory...Hallelujah, Amen.  Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Revive us Again!
 

Day 2 - Week 82 - Matthew 28:17 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth."

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." ~ Hudson Taylor.

Many of you will know who Hudson Taylor was, but many of you may not.  Hudson Taylor was the great evangelist to the Chinese.  He was born in 1832 and went to his heavenly home in 1905.  Hudson Taylor took the Great Commission seriously, spending 51 years of his life in China, spreading the gospel.  If it were not for Hudson Taylor's passion for spreading the Word of God, the church would likely not have a presence in communist China.  But because of the seeds he planted long ago, there remain faithful Chinese Christians...many of whom have been persecuted and imprisoned for their faith. 

Listen to the true zeal of Hudson Taylor's words... "If I had a thousand pounds, China should have it—if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour?"

That's the kind of zeal we should have...to carry in our hearts the impetus that Taylor carried, knowing that even though we can never do enough for such a precious Savior, we will give everything we have to show Him our gratitude.  And since Jesus' parting words to His followers were the commission to take the message of His love and forgiveness to the world, that is what He wants most from us as His followers of today as well.  It is the one thing that we can do that truly shows Him that we have listened to His words, that we have accepted His call, and just like His disciples, we are responding to His request to follow Him. 

Jesus, through His obedience to the cross and through His resurrection from the dead, declares His authority in heaven and on earth.  He is in the glorified position of authority, with everything and everyone under His command.  We either respond in submission or rebellion.  If we have claimed Him as our Savior, why would we want to do anything other than what He asks of us? 

Then why aren't we?  I know that many of us will say that we are not gifted evangelists.  Jesus didn't seem to give anyone an exemption, did He?  We are all called to share our faith...to go and make disciples. 

 

"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere...go tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!"

 

Day 1 - Week 82 - On to the Great Commission!

We finished up our twelve verses of faith, and now we embark on the next leg of our journey.  It's a short leg - just four verses - all centered on the commission that Jesus gave to all who follow Him in faith to spread the gospel throughout the world.   I don't know about you, but I am feeling a greater compulsion than in the past to speak of my faith.  Maybe it is a part of getting older and not being as concerned about what people may think of you, and maybe it is growing in conviction of faith and realizing the urgency of letting people know that there is reason for hope, and that reason is named Jesus. 

What holds us back from sharing our faith?  Fear?  Fear of what?  Disapproval?  Well, would we rather have the disapproval of people or of our God?  Jesus has commissioned us to spread the Word...it is our job as His followers.  How are we doing?  How am I doing?  I know I have missed many opportunities, and that makes me very sad and it also makes me more determined not to miss future opportunities.  So maybe I'll become known as a "Jesus Freak."  I hope so!  Reminds me of the dc Talk song....

What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it's true
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguising the truth

 

Let's throw away our fear and let's get bold in our witness.  Time is running out for someone you know, for someone I know.  Let's not miss the opportunities we are given...we have no assurances that we will have others.

 

We'll drop off the sections of verses on the Holy Spirit and on Joy to make room for our verses on The Great Commission:

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns
 and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6  "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18  "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

I can hear you saying, "That does not sound like a verse on spreading the Word to the world to me."  Well before someone accepts a commission, they need to know that the person sending them out on the mission to be accomplished has the authority to do so.  We need to be confident that Jesus is the One with the authority to send us forward.  When we have that confidence, we will not hesitate to do what He asks of us.  He is our commanding officer...we are His foot soldiers!  Let's march!

Day 3 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Here are four reasons faith is necessary for pleasing God.

1. Faith brings salvation to our lives.  As we've seen in previous verses, we are saved by grace through faith.
2. Faith brings motivation to our work. The main theme of Hebrews 11 is that faith leads us to do things for God we would never otherwise do.  It motivates, fuels, and drives our labor.  The very next verse (v. 7) tells how Noah, by faith, built an ark to save his family.
3. Faith brings rest to our souls.  When we're temped to fret and fear, we discover that God has given us multiple promises and assurances for every contingency in life.
4. Faith brings excitement to our future.  We look forward by faith to a city whose builder and maker is God (vv 10, 16)."

                                  From 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, by Robert. J. Morgan

Our faith pleases God, and without faith we cannot please Him.  Our faith shows that we have come to the conclusion that God does, indeed, exist.  If we didn't believe God existed, we would not be coming to Him, would we? 

I think it is very pleasing to God when he sees one who has been trying to figure life out, trying to figure out who is in control, to finally come to Him in belief, no matter the road that they have taken to get to that point.  In fact, I think sometimes the longer, the more twisted the road that brings someone to the acknowledgement of God's existence, the greater the pleasure God has in their arrival.

It brings to mind the verses in Deuteronomy 4:27-29, "And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.  And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.  But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Whoever you are, wherever you are, God is asking you to seek Him...to sincerely and honestly seek Him.  When you do that, you will find Him, you will believe that He exists, you will have found faith.  And He will be pleased.

 

Day 2 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."

What is foundational to a life that is pleasing to God?  Faith.  Faith is where we start.  Faith as small as a mustard seed, but faith just the same.  Faith that says, "I believe, help my unbelief."  And faith as exhibited through those mentioned earlier in Hebrews 11: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel.  If you want to know what lives of faith look like, go back and read their stories.  Were these people perfect?  Were they infallible? Nope - they all led lives that contained moments of weakness and rebellion.  But they  all looked to God through eyes of faith in Him.

Where are we tonight?  In the United States we are watching election results.  The race is so tight that no matter who you voted for, you cannot be assured of a victory.  But in whom are you placing your trust?  Where is your faith?

If your faith is grounded in any one person, if your faith is grounded in any human plan or device, you have no assurances for your future.  For any person can prove untrustworthy, any human plan can prove absolutely fallible.  There is no one who can give you the ultimate confidence that your future is secure.

But if your faith is in the Creator of the Universe, if your faith is in the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, who knows the beginning, the present and the future, then you can persevere through uncertain times, because your faith is placed in the One who is certain.

Rejoice in your faith...He is in control, He has always been, He always will be.