MORNING MANNA 1-19-21
THE GREAT COMMISSION
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”– Matthew 28:19-20
Here Jesus succinctly sums up the entire purpose of his church, the commission he has given us.
Go.We are not to simply wait for God to bring people across our path that may have an interest in the gospel. We are to go to all nations (which includes our own neighborhood, city, and country) in the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus.
Teach.Our job is to disciple those who have never heard the gospel, or who have never seen it lived out seriously and joyfully. Inherent in Jesus’ command to disciple is the claim that all faiths are not equal, and that Christianity has an exclusive and authoritative message. You are to teach others, because in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).
Baptize.Our teaching is not simply for the sake of information; it must be a call to action. When we accurately and uncompromisingly present the truth of Christ, it will necessarily include a call to commitment and it will require a public profession of faith. Baptism is only fitting for those who have been discipled, those who have come to believe in the triune God of the Bible.
Teaching them.Too often churches focus so much on outreach that they neglect the vital, tough work of ongoing training and instruction. Our goal should be for God’s people to actively pursue all things that Jesus has commanded concerning them.
Are you going? Are you discipling? Are you publicly professing Christ? – Baptist Bible Hour
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
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