Saturday August 17, 2013

Read Matthew 28:18-20. 2 Peter 3:9

 

Do you see Jesus powerfully at work each and every day? Do you see God moving in phenomenal ways throughout the week in your own day-by-day existence? Do you experience God using you effectively in other’s lives on a regular basis?

 

I’ve pondered these types of questions for most of my Christian life and have seen a typical pattern in my life and in the lives of others, including the lives of the so-called Christian greats. God is most powerfully at work when individuals and churches take the Great Commission seriously and seek to be actively involved in it.  Conversely, God is least powerfully at work, sometimes not at work at all, when we are living in disobedience to this Great Commission.

 

Some churches see Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20 as The Great Suggestion, or worse, The Great Idea. But these words from Jesus’ lips are a command not a suggestion. Jesus is not saying that this concept of making disciples might be a good idea for a church to consider and perhaps to take on during quieter months. This is a non-optional command from our Commander-in-Chief.

 

When you decide to take this Commission seriously you will realise a potency and power to your life that you never dreamt possible. You will realise that God is able to (and will) work in wonderful, even miraculous ways. You will see God doing incredible things. The key to unlocking a powerful life for Christ is to walk in obedience to the Great Commission.

 

When your whole church decides to take this Commission seriously, what you have experienced personally will be exponentially multiplied and your local community will be threatened. People will be converted and you may even experience some form of persecution because of the threat your church now poses. Your worship services will take on a completely new flavour and freshness brought about by this radical obedience. The key to unlocking a vibrant church that eternally impacts the local community is to take the Great Commission seriously by obeying it.

 

Jesus ended the Great Commission with the promise, ‘And surely I am with you to the end of the age.’ This promise can not and should not be divorced from the context. What Jesus is saying is that if we make a firm decision to obey the Great Commission then He will be with us to the very end of the age. God longs for every person to come to repentance and He has promised through His Son that if we get out into the world to share the Good News then His Son, the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth, will be with us.

 

How obedient are you in keeping the Great Commission.

 

Prayer:

Write down at least one prayer point in each of the following categories based on the following verse.

 

 

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness.

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,

but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for the chaplain at Glenvale Public school and her work there. Pray that Cath would have ample opportunity to speak of Christ, to make disciples for Jesus and even to introduce the staff to Christ. Pray that any Christian staff would support the chaplain in her role there.

¥ Pray that God would provide for the orphans in India through Shiloh Church Ministries. Pray that they would have adequate funds to buy food, clothes, school materials etc. Pray that joy would fill the hearts of these little ones each and every day.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. If Marcus doesn’t come to Christ, what might his future look like?

2. If Marcus said to you that he has tried praying and reading the Bible but it didn’t help him, what would you say or do?

3. If Marcus confided in you that he desperately wants to be loved, what would you say or do?