Verse: Matthew 28:18-20
“18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Devotional Thoughts:
Last week, I discussed how we are called to go, and how the Great Commission is an urgent matter. This week, I want us to notice something different – the Great Commission is uncomfortable.
Too often we tend to gloss over familiar verses precisely because they are familiar. But don’t miss how this statement – Go and make disciples of all nations – would’ve been a paradigm shift for the disciples. Old Testament evangelism primarily dealt with people coming to Israel to be saved. They had to come to Israel, be circumcised, follow the sacrificial system, follow the dietary laws, etc.
So, what Jesus is telling them means that they are to go to the nations, rather than the nations coming to them. The application remains the same for us today – we, Christians, are the ones responsible for reaching the nonbelievers. We are the ones that have to be willing to overcome the uncomfortableness of the Great Commission and go where the nonbelievers are.
Points to Ponder:
We are to take on the uncomfortableness of the Great Commission. We’re called to get outside of our comfort zones in order to reach the unbelievers around us.
Don’t miss this – we’re the ones called to the uncomfortableness of the Great Commission, not the unbelievers.
Too often in the church today we view evangelism as primarily inviting an unbeliever to church. Viewing evangelism in this light means understanding our mission as pushing unbelievers to step out of their comfort zone.
I’m not saying don’t invite people to church – please don’t hear that. In fact, I think it’s very important.
What I am saying though, is that inviting unbelievers to church should be a tool in our tool belt for our work in accomplishing our God-given mission, but it shouldn’t be the mission itself.
We’re called to take on the uncomfortableness of the Great Commission. Let’s take it on together.
