The Mission
October 4th, 2011 by Victor
Consider the following:
Matthew 28:18-20 – 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.”
I have read these verses countless times. Â I am encouraged by these verses seeing that the one who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth is the one who will be with us even to the end of the age. Â This is the one who is saying “Go…” Â What an amazing context to the great commission!
But what my heart has seen over recent days is that the mission of the church from the mouth of Jesus is to “make disciples.”  This struck me over the last few days as I pondered these verses because I often have thought that the great commission from Christ to the church was to go and “preach the gospel” (cp Mark 16:15, etc).  It is.  But it is also more than that – its actually something bigger than just the preaching of the gospel, as huge as that is.  We’re called to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.
This is more than a one time gospel presentation leading to a sinners prayer. Â Now, I know and I have expereienced myself times when you only have one shot with someone. Â You are on a plane, in another city, on a short-term missionary trip, etc. and you will only see this person once (cp. Phillip &Â Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8). Â These are cases where we can’t always disciple someone so we encourage them to find fellowship and get connected with a community that will teach them the truth and help them.
But the ideal situation is that we preach the gospel, the hearer is filled with the holy spirit and then becomes a part of a local community where they can begin to be discipled by mature saints.  This takes time.  This takes effort.  This takes commitment.  This takes love.  And that’s why this part of the great commission is so often left undone.
We can’t let that happen.  As followers of Jesus, we need to preach the gospel and make disciples out of those who have heard and believed.  I wonder if we are even fulfilling the great commission if we have left the discipleship task undone.
Many of us have been a part of a church or fellowship for a long time. Â It isn’t the plan of God for us to hear the gospel and be saved so that we can hold on to this great treasure for ourselves. Â If we are content living our lives for God without helping those around us, especially those new in the faith, something has gone wrong. Â Consider today if there is someone in your life that needs discipleship and ask the Lord for strength to heed his call.
Jesus changed the world in many ways. Â But one of the most impactful things he did was he chose twelve men in whom he poured out his entire life. Â May we follow his example and start with one.
Thank you, Victor, for reminding us of how our hope is a global one, one that is not meant to be kept selfishly for ourselves, but to share with all who will listen.
Fiona
Victor, Jc is a nice man from the scriptures that are in the nt he does try to help us all to live a peaceful life from what he preaches but, it has been over 2000 years since jc and this world has not changed at all. As you said in your post you too have been trying to preach the word for so long but it is showing no true total results. There are many indifferences, inequalities, injustices, and greed and with Christianity and other religions comes many politics and this is not the way jc planned it. When Obama won the election a news journalist named Richard Roper in the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an ariticle the next morning on how during the election celebration people were in euphoria, crying tears of joy, and all gathered together but later that evening Mr. Roper said that he went down the street and he saw a large group of Hebrew Israelites so called black people and amoung them was no so called white person, then he went further north and came upon another huge group of Europeans, so called white people and among them was no so called black people. You see Victor it is the same all over the world the haves and the have nots or those with indifferences are not seeing eye to eye because of the injustices, and the inequalities. For how can you teach peace and love to people when they see and live this everyday, and jc and Christianity and other religions has been a part of this all through the centuries and nothing has brough people together yet. Before, they all were seemingly as one but in the end the truth came out and everyone separated to who and what they really stand for as in Daniel, 2: vs. 43. As you say in your post the plan is not for us to hold these loving scriptures to ourselves but as in the column wrote by Roper you see that this is what it is people are ingenuious with one another because of the world wide indifferences and inequalities and greed and jc and Christianity has not yet solved this problem for over 2000 years now it and many other so called religions have not made things any better between people. To question these religions is a wonder for in Isaiah chapters 42 and 43, and 44:vs. 6, “I am the first, and I am the last, and before me there is no God. And he also states in Isaiah and all through the OT that he will not give his glory unto NO ONE. The Creator YHWH GOD has told us exactly who is and who’s not meaning who he is, and what he wanted from us and yet we do not hearken to his Law the Commandments and the Sabbath, this is the problem and why it is taking so long for people to get it right. YHWH GOD says until we turn back unto him we will all be cursed Deut., 28:vs.15-67 because 68 has already been fullfilled we need to do it. Many people tend to think that what is in the OT is not referring to what is going on today but just as I said earlier nothing has changed since the beginning of times people were then selfish greedy and full of pride and that is what got us in this situation of illnesses, poverty, indifferences, inequalites crime natural disaster and global warming, and more due to Deut., 32, strange gods, and it is not going to change too soon until we heed to YHWH GOD and his law. And those of us who feel this does not apply to them well this is why we have the calamity for we are all in this together whether we are in denial or not. But in the day of YHWH GOD it will be done. Too bad it looks like we have to get to that point. Praise YHWH GOD I AM THAT I AM.
2 Peter 3:4-9:
(4) They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
(5) For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
(6) and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
(7) But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
(8) But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (9) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Sarah, just as in the old days of Yerusalem or Jerusalem as is happening today, YHWH GOD told them that in Jeremiah, 15:vs.6 he is tired of repenting. The Lord YHWH GOD is not slow and yes he is patient, yes, but the people are slow and making it long suffering, for he doesn’t respond to what we want now but it is us who must respond to what He says and want not the other way around. That is why we go through our strife from our transgressions and iniquities and it could all be done if as he has said over and over until we turn back unto Him we will be punished. Yes, he loves us and he tells us in Isaiah 43 and 44:vs.22 that he forgave our sins and have redeemed us and that he is the only Savior and that he made all things by himself, Isaiah, 44:vs.24. And then as in Malachi, 3:vs. 6 YHWH GOD does not change and that means his word does not change so that we won’t be consumed by false worships. For out of the conquering of Cyrus for the quest of the rebuilding of the Temple to YHWH GOD with Zerrubabel the Prince and the Messiah of Yhudah or Judah being the high priest, Daniel, 9: vs. 25, only a remnant returned from their disobediences which was prophesied in Isaiah, 7:vs.3 as a sign from his oldest son Shearjashub, who’s name means ‘a remnant shall return’. I say this to say that we need to take heed now for I too do not wish any to perish as YHWH GOD does for He wants us all to live by his words and ways, and if only all could be saved. Praise YHWH GOD.