Thursday August 2, 2012

Prayerfully seek to make one new disciple of Christ Jesus today.

 

Read Matthew 28, Isaiah 42:4, 51:5

 

The Church has a mandate from Christ that goes beyond itself. Christ, after His resurrection, made that exceedingly clear. The “church”  was commissioned to take the good news of forgiveness through faith in the work of Christ Jesus into all the world. The church is the hope of the nations, taking the message of hope to them. God has chosen the church to be the vehicle of blessing to the nations.

 

The commission to go into all the world is backed by the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth. The one who died and rose eternally and would be soon exalted to the right hand of God, the position of all authority, the one who has been given the Name above all names, is the one who sends the church out to make disciples of all nations. We go out with His authority.

 

It is this very same Jesus who spells out the mission mandate for us. We are to make disciples from all nations. In spreading the gospel, there are no boundaries. Political, geographical, racial and religious boundaries are erased by Christ’s commission to the Church.  All people from every nation, tribe and tongue are to hear the Word of Salvation through the church.

 

Added to this, we the church, are to be baptising converts and teaching them to obey all that our Lord and Saviour commanded. We make disciples, not converts. Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to bring people to Christ and then to leave them. As soon as a person is brought to Christ in saving faith that person MUST be discipled. It is at this stage that the evil one will put up a huge struggle to stop that new convert from being at church, from growing in commitment and from learning the Word. He will bring temptation and enticement to return to their old ways. Discipleship in the early days must be  intentional, deliberate and consistent. Never ever  let a new disciple walk too far away.

 

With the commission comes a promise. Jesus declares in the very last verse of Matthew’s gospel, ‘And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.’ While this verse is often taken out of context, it is as we take the gospel out to the nations (which includes our very own backyard) that we will see the promise fulfilled. We can expect Christ to be powerfully among us as we go out into all the world with the life saving message of the gospel. Often we wonder why Christ is doing amazing and powerful things in foreign countries like China and Africa. The answer is simple. They are taking the great commission seriously, while we put work, sport, visiting, eating (or more correctly, dining out) and so on above the great commission. When our approach and our attitude changes we too will see Christ moving powerfully in our own lives and our own communities. Try it and see for yourself.

 

Prayer:

¨ Pray for the non Christians that you know. Ask God to be granting them repentance and faith in Jesus and the opportunity for you to be sharing your faith with them. Pray that God would grow His kingdom through you. Pray in the light of 1 Tim 2:4.

¨ Make a list of these people and place it in a prominent position where you’ll see it daily. Commit to praying for these people daily.