Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Go and Make Disciples


Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I read a challenging Christian article, which stated that, In their humble estimation, there are two great sins a Christian can commit: the greatest is to fail to love the Lord Jesus. The second greatest is not adultery, drunkenness, or murder, but it is the sin of silence—to refuse to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason being that Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37-40: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Sharing the gospel of Jesus is loving your neighbor. The opening Bible passage is referred as: “The Great Commission and it is a commandment of Christ, not a suggestion. Christians are soul winners.

All those who have been saved by God’s plan of Salvation - repenting of their sin and accepting the gift of Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord - are commissioned to lead others in need of salvation to the foot of the cross. All of God’s children are commanded to witness to others who do not know the Savior of the world, about what the Lord has done for them. This is love and ministering to your lose neighbors with concern for the eternal home. Suppose you knew the cure for cancer. Would you not tell it? Suppose you were on an island where people were starving to death and you knew where there was a vast hoard of food. Would you not tell it? Suppose your next door neighbor’s house was on fire with them trapped inside and you had a fire ‘tanker truck’ in your driveway. Would you not save them?  Suppose someone you know dies and appears in front of Jesus at the “Great White Throne Judgment” and is sent to eternal separation and torment in hell for not accepting salvation through Christ and they replied that you never told them. Live and let die? That breaks my heart. Evangelism is a tremendous responsibility and privilege of the citizen of the kingdom of Heaven. Food and water sustains physical life, but Jesus Christ saves and sustains the soul unto eternal life.


 Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

A disciple is a "disciplined follower" of Jesus Christ, not just a convert to Christianity. Evangelism is not a program, but a lifestyle of all Christians. Ours is the greatest mission, the greatest message, the great Savior and Lord the world knows anything about. History, itself, is divided by the coming of the Savior of the world. Our mission is the Great Commission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and advance the kingdom of God in this time and place. Our message is the saving Gospel of our Lord and Savior. Our master, Jesus Christ Himself, has told us we ought to take the gospel to every creature on earth by reaching those in our sphere of influence. Yet many Christians are ignoring this command. They're committing what I call “the sin of silence” and not right with God in this vital “love your neighbor” component of Christian living. Save a life.

John 20:21 Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”



This challenging article concluded: I care not how faithfully you attend Sunday church worship services, how eloquently you teach Bible study, how liberally you give your talents and treasure to the work of the church and world missions, how circumspectly you walk or how beautifully you sing to the Lord. If you’re not witnessing for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world, you’re not fulfilling the commandment of Jesus in His “Great Commission” to us and doing what is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Jesus’ mission is our commission. Go makes disciples.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”


In Christ, Brian

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