The Commission

“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV 

Jesus' final instruction to His disciples is known as the great commission, not the great suggestion. No doubt Jesus last words of instruction before His ascension must be taken seriously. In His commission He empowers and grants authority to all who follow Him to make disciples of the nations. Included is baptizing and teaching those who believe the Gospel. We cannot ignore these words and this assignment for the church. It’s not a matter of “should we” but “will we” go into all the world and make disciples? We are reassured that because He is with us He enables us to accomplish the task He has commissioned us to do whether we go or send those who go.

Not everyone has heard the Gospel regardless of the effort of world evangelism. Even though missionaries have been sent to every nation not everyone has heard of Jesus. There are still large segments of the world’s population that have not been reached or heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. The Greek word nations is "ethne" from which we get the English word "ethnic". "Ethne" refers to people groups that are non-Jew or gentile or it can mean a collection of individuals with a common identity. In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples from every ethnic people group.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, give us a greater awareness of our responsibility in the great commission. Reveal your purpose and plan concerning our role and part you have ordained for us to serve. Give us your heart for the lost and a willingness to do our part.

God bless,

Pastor Matt