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.”                                                 

                                                                                                            Matthew 28:18-20

Today: Read Matthew 28

I believe the church today should adopt a renewed focus on the mission that Jesus has left us prior to His ascension from the earth. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth and He informed the disciples that He would equip them to carry out their mission of making disciples. Consider the following:

…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

                                                                                                                           Acts 1:8

So with Jesus as our authority and with the Holy Spirit as our source of supply, let’s fulfill our threefold mission.

(1) We are to “go” into the world and preach the gospel to all nations (Mark 16:15). This verse can be translated “as we go” because there is an assumption of action already taking place. All of us are “going” throughout our daily routine. As we go, we are to look for opportunities to share the good news with others. Relying on the Holy Spirit for the opportunity, the words, and the timing is essential in discovering “divine appointments” in our lives.

(2) We are to baptize those who receive Christ. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward, spiritual reality. When we are born again, our first response should be to publicly affirm what has taken place in our lives. It is the church’s responsibility to guide new believers in baptism, celebrating their spiritual restoration with them. Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

(3) We are to teach believers so that spiritual growth can take place. Teaching is an important part of the spiritual maturation process. It is possible for new believers to receive salvation only to fail to grow spiritually in their faith. Christians who neglect the study of God’s Word will inevitably find themselves being tossed around by every teaching that is in the world (Ephesians 4:14). Spiritual growth is essential for us to experience the abundant life that Jesus desires for us to receive (John 10:10).

When the church focuses on its primary mission of preaching the gospel and making disciples, the world begins to change, one heart at a time. I believe that placing Christ as priority one is ultimately the only way in which society will begin to see healing and restoration.

If you have been reading through the gospel of Matthew this month, let me congratulate you on completing your journey! Keep in mind that this gospel begins with a genealogy of Christ and ends with the commission to go make disciples. Let’s make this mission our priority as we “go” into all the world.