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In our last series on Nehemiah we saw the missional journey of Nehemiah and therefore our next series is on Missions and I hope this stirs your heart to Go and spread the love of Jesus.
Our passage for today is Matthew 28:18-20
These are the final instructive word from Jesus to His church. Jesus had just risen, the Jews handed him over to the Romans to crucify him on the cross.
Unlike today the world in which Jesus commissioned his disciples was a hard ground. There is already a lot of tension between the Jews and the Romans and here is Jesus asking his disciples to go spread the good news to the world.
Not all of the disciples that were gathered believed in the fact that Jesus is now risen. But still Jesus did not reject or disapprove of them, he accepted their worship.
Verse 18 Jesus starts his conversion by saying “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me”
Here’s what that authority meant –
- Authority to forgive Sins (Luke 5:20)
- Authority to mediate to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5)
- Authority to send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26)
- Authority to open the hearts & minds of His people (Luke 24:45)
- Authority to reveal the Father (Matt 11:27)
- Authority to give eternal Life to whom He chooses (John 10:27-28)
- Authority to raise us up on the last day (John 6:40)
Jesus showed His equality with the Father and possessed all authority and power.
Verse 19 – Go therefore & make disciples of all nations
This command was not given only to the disciples but even to us in this generation. We are called to make disciples.
This is the core reason we exist – of all the things we do in life.
We often speak of God been glorified in our lives. Mission is the means through which God is glorified in us.
Mission draws us nearer to God – and keeps us away from slackness.
Bill Hybels in his book “Becoming contagious Christians” writes
“Often I meet Christians who are in spiritual malaise, holding on to their faith but not advancing it much. Bible study has become a chore; prayer is a dry routine. The miracle of their own conversion, once recounted with great passion, is now a distant, fading memory. And going to church is – well, its something they just do.
Mechanically and half-heartedly, these people trudge along through the drudgery of quarantined Christianity.
But when these lethargic believers break out of spiritual isolation and meet some spiritual seekers, something incredible starts to happen. As they experience high-stakes conversions that tend to happen with unchurched people, they begin to notice a sort of inner renewal taking place. Areas long ignored suddenly come alive with fresh significance .. Isn’t it incredible how elevating our efforts to reach others can be a catalyst for personal growth?”
The ultimate goal of Mission is worship
Worship of the true & living God is the ultimate goal of Mission. We lead and disciple people to Christ not to make them mere Church going Christians but to lead them into becoming true Worshippers, the one the Father seeks.
John Piper in his book “Let the nations be glad” writes
“Worship is ultimate, not mission. Because God is ultimate, not man”
We need to make Mission the ultimate goal of our life by
- living intentionally
- looking for opportunities to glorify God
- consistently reaching out even in hard times
- staying faithful to our calling
Author / Preacher
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