-September 5, 2020-
Good morning, happy Saturday,
-The Great Commission For Every Christian-
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and 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).
The two main places where the Great Commission is mentioned are Mark 16:15-18 and here in Matthew 28:18-20. It is also referred to in Luke 24:46-49 and John 20:21-23. Of all the passages, Matthew gives the fullest teaching on this subject.
Jesus begins by stating that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and earth. This serves as our marching orders in spreading the gospel to the whole world. Though we have so many mediums (i.e preaching to large groups, radio, TV, the internet) for sharing our faith and teaching the Word, nothing takes the place of one on one evangelism. The personal approach is the best approach, though we can and should avail ourselves of every means of getting the message out.
The Great Commission is not just for pastors, missionaries, and Bible scholars, but for every believer in Christ. We bear and sow the seed of the gospel and the Holy Spirit uses it to bring people to salvation. The work is God’s work through us His vessels. We do our part and God does His part. Our part is composed of three things.
1. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” – The word “go” sent the early Christians out to the whole world with the gospel message to proclaim Christ. The Great Commission is not fulfilled just by preaching and winning souls to Christ, for it goes far beyond that to making disciples. New believers need to be grounded in the Word and be prepared to then carry the message to others. This is how the gospel is spread and multiplied in the world.
2. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Once a person is saved they are to be baptized as a public proclamation of what the Lord has done for them in their hearts. Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. That is why a person must be fully submerged in water, stays for a moment, then rises out of the water to live a new life in Christ.
3. “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you – Not everyone is a Bible teacher, but we can all share with others what the Lord has taught us. In Matthew 10:24-25a, Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” Discipleship brings with it accountability. We also call it mentorship. An older, more mature believer helps and guides a new believer in their walk with Christ, being their role model. One can only take another as far as they have gone themselves.
Jesus not only gave the saints the authority to go in His name but He promised to be with them. Both of these truths are very powerful. It gives us the courage to make disciples and for the gospel to be spread. Someone once said, “If everyone won, won one, and everyone won, won one, what hosts would be won, when everyone won had won one.”
May the Lord challenge us to take up our responsibilities to go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them. Every believer has the potential to be mentored and to mentor. We are living in the last days and we need to get going in the Great Commission. It is not too late. Living in this Coronavirus pandemic makes things quite different. We must employ the phone, emails, and texts more than in person gatherings.
Have a blessed day going forth to make disciples teach them, encourage them, and help them. Stay safe and healthy.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 