S) "18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)
O) The Great Commission is the last section of the gospel of Matthew. He ended the relation of his testimony with the last instructions they all received. Jesus, understanding that this would be His last direct contact with the (now) eleven, summarizes the most critical points to take away. Jesus started by reasserting, without any room for doubt, that He is the Son of God. Then, He gives a clear directive to go. He wants them to act upon all that they have learned from Him. Finally, He ends it with a promise of His everlasting relationship.
A) The call to discipleship is unmistakable. And scary. It's pretty easy to feel a little overwhelmed at the thought, because I have a tendency to be a little bit antisocial. It's also intimidating to think about going to "all the nations," but I have to remember, that not every person can disciple in every country. The best counter to all of these concerns, though, is to act. As long as I am complacent and inactive, then I am susceptible to attack. I cannot look past the fact that I disciple my wife, in a real way. I have a responsibility to lead her spiritually, and that involves a discipleship. I cannot neglect my children, either. I have a great opportunity to disciple them as they grow in stature, to also grow in the Lord. And finally, discipleship can absolutely happen within the other relationships I still have. I do not want to neglect missionary work, but there are other ways to support that aspect of ministry (certainly through tithes and offerings), and also I could still go on trips. But, most important with al of this, is that I actively disciple others, teaching them to observe all that He commanded. While the going will get inevitably rough, and there will be times of discouragement and/or frustrations, I need to cling to the promise Jesus left us. It doesn't necessarily seem like that promise would fit the command, but Jesus paired them for a reason. With any of the problems I may face, in making disciples, teaching, and ministering, the best possible solution for me is to spend time with my Lord. That happens in The Word, and in prayer, and through direct and intimate worship.
P) Father, I understand that the Great Commission is not optional. Even still, I have a hard time being focused. Or, when I am focused, I have a hard time not being afraid. In order to overcome this, I need Jesus. In order to correctly lead others, I know I need to correctly follow Him. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear. Help me to go. Quiet the doubts I hear, with the truth You speak. Let Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment