Go!

Go!

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:19 KJV

We call this 'The Great Commission'; with a mandate to specific people to also reach out to specific people with a specific message about a specific person. There is no doubt about who this commission is about; it is not about promoting personal agenda, but promoting the message about Christ, who is the focus of the assignment. Every part of the verse above is important, and we start with GO. I am certain that there can be no going without action or movement. I cannot sit down, fold my arms and claim to be going. Going would require that I leave where I am to where the need is; it could mean speaking, relating, helping, guiding, praying or encouraging, or a combination of all the above, but it certainly will require action in my part. Am I going, or am I content just taking up space, pointing the finger at other people and criticising their approach, with no attempt on my part to get involved?

The assignment is to TEACH. It is not to promote another message, but to promote that which I have already been taught. To teach will first require that I be taught, as I cannot give that which I do not have. We do have people who do not want to take time to learn what the gospel about Christ is, or who have begun the journey of discovery but do not wait to be fully grounded before they teach. I must learn as much as I can, before I can teach others. Even the disciples were not sent out until they had received instruction from Jesus. Dare I do otherwise? I also learn that the audience is ALL NATIONS, no exception. Some don't deserve it more than others; Christ died for all nations, and His message of love is also to all nations. If I am a disciple, I must have his heart to go out and teach all nations. Does this describe my heart at the moment, or do I need to ask God for more grace? 

Nations are all around me: work, shops, school, neighbours, the community. I don't have to be a travelling evangelist to reach and teach all nations; God can bring them my way in the place where I am planted. The focus also is to baptize then in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe the combination is very important. The baptism is into union with the Trinity: Father, Son, Spirit. You don't take one and reject the other. You don't choose the one that makes you comfortable and reject the one that pushes you to be better. The message is about the love of the Father, brought to life by the gift of His Son, and then the help of the Spirit to live to please the Father and to live right. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the confidence I have to know that I am backed up by the Greatest power in the world: the power that can reverse the irreversible can change anyone's heart, no matter how vile.

It must be emphasised that this message is for those who are disciples. Jesus was not speaking here to the crowd; at this time, the crowd had all deserted him. Am I a disciple or part of the crowd? Knowing who I am helps keep me focused on the assignment. I also note that it is the great co-mission, which means I am not left alone to fend for myself or sort things out by my own wisdom and power, but by the help, support and comfort of the One who gave the assignment. He never leaves his own alone; His grace is always sufficient. I must also note that there is a measure of a command here; it is not a negotiation, even though I have a choice of response. If I know what I have received, I will have no problem passing it on to other people. The judgment of God in sin, which leads to eternal death, is sufficient motivation for me to reach out with the message of the love of Christ to all people. Am I a disciple on assignment with God, for the salvation of all nations? God's time of favour is here.