Monday, October 22, 2012

The Great Commission omission

We preach it and teach it. We put words from it in our vision and mission statements. We write it on our walls and hearts. We should know what it means. We should be able to practice it well as much as we refer to it.

I am referencing The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus states: 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.

Most understand we need to communicate the gospel far and wide around the globe. Thanks be to God for many who continue to answer his call to “go” both at home and abroad.

Teaching the relevant truth of biblical truth still happens in Sunday school, small groups, and gatherings of all ages. I have had some outstanding teachers as a child and as a pastor. Gratitude fills my heart when I think of the thousands who teach about Jesus and His love in Wesleyan ministries every week. Believer baptisms are on the rise at record pace in The Wesleyan Church this year. Encouraging those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ to personally be baptized as the outward sign of God’s inward grace is a reality we need to emphasize more through our churches. All of this leads to “making disciples.” And disciple-making is both the ultimate command and outcome of Jesus’ Great Commission to His children. We make disciples by going, teaching, and baptizing for the sake of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

What is often missing when studying the Great Commission is the simple phrase many lose sight of when applying it.

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