This week I want to start off with some verses, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:16-20
This passage is often referred to as the great commission, it was written after Jesus had risen from the dead, but before He ascended into heaven. In this passage Jesus is telling them again the reason for His going away and the purpose for all Christians lives. He tells them to go into all the nations making disciples. Many churches have started this come as you are theology, no commitments just come to know Him and then you can continue to live your life the way you did before you met Jesus. God never called us to just come to know Him and then go live like the rest of the world does. It should be, come as you are, accept Him and turn from your sins, then to get to know Him through studying the Bible, prayer, and church to observe Jesus’ commandments, and then going and making disciples.
When you come to know Jesus it is a relationship. Relationships are not built on one person spending time waiting for the other person to notice them, it is built on experiences and time spent with the other person. So many people come to Jesus, but do not realize that it is a commitment to follow Him for the rest of eternity, it is not just fire insurance, it is a commitment. We as a church have separated the commitment into two different commitments, when really they are one commitment to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and give Him the rest of your life. We have brought a casual nature into Christianity, that was not there in the first couple of generations of Christians. We as a church have made being a christian a one or two hour a week habit, when being a Christian is not a switch you can flip on and off, it is a lifestyle and relationship. Church is not an educational tv show that will only matter when we die, it is building a relationship with God now and forever.
This week I want to encourage you to be aware that I believe the fields are ripe and the gathers are few. There is a readiness like never before where people are aware of their own morality with this pandemic. People are ready to hear about Jesus and the workers are few, yes there are some hurdles to jump to share during this time with the whole shelter in place and six feet rules, but all these can be overcome. We can reach most of the world on our phones or computers by social media, blog, podcast, or instant messaging. Other ways you can share is by leaving tracks and by talking to those you come in contact with. We need to let others know that it is not just fire insurance, it is a personal relationship with Him and He wants to know you and He wants you to be His light while here on earth.
If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior know that He loves you and wants to know you. You can choose to follow Jesus and give Him your life. If you would like to come to know Him click the link below. I also want to let other christians know that God can not love you any more or less than He does right now. So this week, know that allowing Jesus into your heart is not just a commitment to allow Him to come into your heart, but it is also a commitment to grow in a relationship with Him and share the gospel with others and to follow Him into eternity. Allowing Jesus into your heart is not just for eternity, Jesus is the relationship we were made for, He is all we will ever need. He has a purpose for you being here, people only you can reach and disciple, no one is here without a purpose. He knows all by name whether you know that name is up to you, but He is calling for you, will you answer, can you hear Him? He created each and every soul for a reason and He loves each and everyone of them enough to send His one and only son to die on the cross for their sins. So this week pray and ask God who He has put in your life to reach, to minister to, or to disciple.
https://www.biblicalencouragement.org/2020/11/15/do-you-have-a-river-of-living-water/