HE
CAME; WE GO
John
20:19-23
John
20:21: “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As
the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.’”
The
Great Commission always sets people on edge.
Me? I can’t go out into the world and preach the
Gospel, baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit! we protest. That’s for
preachers and missionaries!
Let’s break down The Great
Commission, from Matthew 28:19-20. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end
of the age.”
“Make disciples,” Jesus
commands. This is not done by preaching. Make disciples is done by living the
Christian life. Believers SHOW
victorious lives through speech and conduct, since everyone lives on the
world’s stage. People watch others and
judge for themselves what kind of person they are.
“Baptizing”
and “teaching” are verbs that indicate ongoing effort. Any Christian may baptize another, and often
do in extraordinary circumstances.
Believers teach by showing kind actions and speak encouraging
words. It’s all about showing Christian
attitude in every situation, every day.
How would you guess others judge you by what they hear you say and
watching the things you do?
Jesus’
command is overwhelming, to be sure. We
imagine how proud His disciples must have been following Jesus around for three
years. They got to hear Him speak and
watch healing miracles. They were known as “His” among the people. They were Jesus’ inner circle. They were the “in” crowd.
Suddenly, Jesus’ disciples were in
the “hot” seat. Jesus didn’t choose them
to be admired; He chose them to learn, then go.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:20: “We
are…Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through
us.” When we show others Christian
living, they notice that we’re different from everyone else. Ambassadors are representatives of a person
or a nation. Ambassadors show others who
or what they represent. Does your speech and conduct represent Jesus?
Some ten year old girls were
whispering and laughing. When their
classmate Cassie approached, they shut up.
Has this ever happened to you?
Don’t be sad, be glad. They
understood that Cassie would have stood up for the one they were gossiping
about.
Take
Home Nugget
You are in the hot
seat. The Great Commission is too large
a command for twelve disciples to fulfill; Jesus meant it for the entire body
of believers. Check the lesson linked
below to see how.
It’s
a privilege to be singled out as being a part of the body of Christ in the world.
J.D.
Griffith
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