“And Jesus came up and spoke
to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.’”
~ Matthew 28:18-20
What would you think if you had a child and when you gave them a command, they
didn’t obey unless they felt like it? Or what if they said they needed to think
about it, or ask someone else if they should do it? You would probably be
aghast! Well, I don’t think Jesus feels any differently. And He has given His children a command: “GO!”
And
yet, many times people just simply don’t obey that command because they don’t
feel like it. It isn’t convenient or comfortable. And have you ever noticed how
many times people say they need to “think about it” or “pray about it”?
Prayer
is essential. Jesus prayed very often. But we don’t need to ask God if He wants
us to do something that He has already commanded us to do. We may need to ask
for specific guidance, and we certainly need to pray as we go. But we never
need to pray about whether to go, and we can’t spend very long praying about
where and how to go, or we will be disobeying by not going!
If
you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, this command is for you! The practical
out-workings will look different for different people, but there is no
provision in this verse for being a disciple and not going. Besides, if Jesus
really has done something in our life, we will want to tell others!
The
following is a message that I heard on this subject that I think is excellent.
I would consider it a “must listen”!
[Disclaimer:
We can learn a lot from others and I think that is true in the case of this
message. The man who gave this message chooses to look the way he does because
of the people that he ministers to. However, although I really appreciate his
ministry, I do not believe in the idea of being like the world to win the
world.]
2 comments:
Very true Anna-if we were to look at it as though these people were on a conveyor belt to hell...moving closer and closer to the fire, I'm sure we would run to snatch them away. Sadly we walk past many people in this dire situation, and you've made a good point. (And we agree on not being like the world to win it)
So true, Theresa, may God increase our faith and vision! Sadly, many of the people who could be rescued are not because they don't believe that they are in danger. But it is our responsibility to speak up and do our part so that their blood will not be on our hands.
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