Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV): Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 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.
Today, we look at “The Great Commission”. We see that Jesus says that we are not to be idle. In fact, the word “Go” in verse 19, is an imperative command in the Greek text, πορευθέντες. Strong’s Concordance defines it this way: poreúomai (from poros, “passageway”) – properly, to transport, moving something from one destination (port) to another; (figuratively) to go or depart, emphasizing the personal meaning which is attached to reaching the particular destination. In other words, we see that Jesus said that we are to go from one place to another to make disciples.
What we see happening in the “Church” today is that many have become comfortable in the 4 walls of the building. They may say something like, “It is not my calling to ‘evangelize'”. That may be true but, when we look at what Jesus said here, we are all called to make disciples. We are all called to encourage, to grow together, to help others learn as we are learning. We need to remember, we are walking this journey of Faith together.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV): Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV): And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Fulfilling the call that Jesus gave us, means that we have to go outside of our comfort zones. It can even mean that we need to go to places outside of our home cities, states, or even country. I think of what Paul wrote to the Roman church:
Romans 10:14-15 (NKJV): How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things
Making Disciples is not always preaching, it is also being an example. It means that we take what we learn from The Word of God and living it out in our lives. It has been said, “You may be the only Bible people read.” That should tell us that people will watch us to see if we believe what the Bible says in our lives.
Jesus even said, “They will know you by your fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
My encouragement to you today is this, are you going out of your way to fulfill Christ’s commission to us? If not, why not? If so, are you making sure you keep accountable? And are you doing it for the right reasons?
We need to repent. We need to get back to fulfilling The Great Commission of “Go Make Disciples of All Nations” (Matthew 28:19). We need to get back to focusing on Jesus and not material. We can’t have both as the center of our focus.
It starts with Our Relationship with Jesus. If you don’t have a Relationship with Him or you need to rekindle that Relationship, do it now. Call out to Him and seek his Love and Forgiveness. It really is as hard or easy as you make it.
We should look to Him daily to seek a relationship with Him. I want to encourage you to seek Him today, if you haven’t already. If you need help, have questions or need direction in this regard, please, feel free to let me know.
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Any scripture referenced here is taken from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted