Unpacking the Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) 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.”

This is the classic call to missions for the believer and used in many contexts for sending out workers, both short and long-term. But, I think this is a commission for all believers. Jesus gave this to his disciples before he went back to heaven but it wasn’t just for them. The Great Commission has as much bearing on our lives today as it did back then.

• Therefore, Go: First, we are each called to go! That implies action but it does not say that everyone is to cross geographical borders. It may mean going down the street, going to the cubicle beside you, or going to a group of people who are different from you. This going is based on the authority that Jesus has that is passed on to the believer.

• Make disciples: Jesus didn’t say to go build buildings, start churches, or train pastors. You might be saying, “What? Are those things bad?” No, not necessarily. But, our task is to make disciples- followers of Jesus.

• All nations: This word is ethne, or people groups. Sometimes we focus on the countries of the world, but within countries there are distinct groups of people. These groups may be very different culturally and will require a different approach in disciple-making. This is a call for all of us- from the US, China, Sudan, Brazil, etc.

• Baptize: There are various opinions on the timing and form of baptism, but we cannot get away from the fact that this is a critical part of disciple-making. Baptism symbolizes our relationship to Christ and commitment to Him.

• Teach them to obey: This is a big one! So much of what we do is based on knowledge and learning more. But Jesus didn’t say, “Teach them about my commands”, he said, “Teach them to obey those commands”. Would you rather someone know 5,000 things and obey 50, or know 50 things and obey 45? From the very beginning we need to help people learn how to obey.

• God is with us through each step and it is His work! His authority and presence make it possible.

The Great Commission is one of the commands that we all are to learn to obey and to teach others to obey. It is something that we are all called to, no matter where or what stage of life we are in. It is exciting to be a part of God’s redeeming work among all peoples!

Jesus I Love You

Happy Valentine's Day!

This has always been one of my favorite holidays, which is no surprise to most of my friends and family. It is a day to celebrate special friendships and also to be reminded of the amazing love that God has for us. But, this Valentine's day I thought of love in a different way- am I showing God that I love Him? It is not a one-sided relationship. Just as I celebrate the relentless, steadfast love God has for me, am I growing in that same kind of love for Him?

Matthew 22:37 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". That is a pretty strong statement actually of what our love for God should look like! Does a love for Jesus consume your heart, soul and mind?

It is easy to focus on how much God loves us. It is displayed in His sending of Jesus who died to pay for our sins. Wow, that in and of itself is pretty incredible! We do not have to work to earn a relationship with God and an eternity with Him, but God does ask us to love Him. This love should spill over in obedience to the commands that Jesus gave us which includes loving those around us.
We do not obey out of duty or because we feel like it, but rather because we love God and want to grow in that love.

How is God's love displayed in your life? How are you showing your love for God?

1 John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Yes...I'm Single

Some might say I’m a bit sensitive to the term “single”. I don’t particularly like labels of any kind, but for some reason this one rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps it is because I am approaching my 26^th birthday, the old-fashioned age when one became an “old maid”. Maybe I have heard a few too many times, “Sarah, you just need to try. Put your antenna up, girl”. Perhaps it is because I left my Single Adult 1 class to join the college/career class only to have them rename our class Single Adult 1 (and my previous class morphed into Single Adult 2). Whatever the case, I don’t care for the label.

I was recently looking for other books by an author I was reading, and I ran across a book called Redeeming Singleness. This book, according to the description, explores a biblical theology for singleness, showing that not only does the Bible give a foundation for marriage but also how the blessings of the covenant are available to singles as well. I have not read the book, so I have no idea whether this is a good book and whether the author is true to his word to offer a solid, biblical outlook. But, the title stuck out to me. When I think of redemption, I think of having to be saved from something: God has redeemed us from a life of sin through His sending Jesus to die on the cross. It implies something good coming out of a situation that is bad. So, therefore, does that mean that singleness is bad and that somehow it needs to be redeemed?

Well, our culture does value marriage in a sense, although it also values independence (a very interesting contrast). There is the argument that God’s plan from the very beginning was marriage in His creation of Adam and Eve, and that singleness is somehow less than God’s best. Instead of trying to redeem singleness, however, I think we need to see a bigger picture. It is, in fact, not about us and our relationship status but about God’s plan for all of the peoples of the world to know about Him, and for His followers to walk in obedience. Our job is not to worry about labels or status, but instead to serve God with joy no matter what stage of life we are in. We are all in need of God’s redemption and we are all called to share that redemption with others.

Maybe I need to read the book to actually talk about it (and really, I have nothing against this particular one, it was just a good illustration). But, maybe more importantly I need to seek God’s heart through His Word and listening to His Spirit, leading me along each step of the way. I would love to hear any thoughts or if you have actually read the book and can correct me.

A Month In: Prayer

We are a little over a month into the new year! 2012 started out to be pretty crazy for me, with a mini-term class before the regular semester started and preparations for an award banquet my organization was hosting. In the midst of everything, God has been continuing to mold and shape me. Now that we are a month in, here is one of the lessons He has been teaching me.

The theme of prayer seems to have come up an awful lot lately. This is already an area that God has breathed His new life into, starting when I was in Italy the summer of 2007. It seems that everywhere I turn in 2012, prayer is being referred to as our strongest weapon in the spiritual battle in which all believers are engaged. In my mini-term class we talked about prayer as "rebellion against the status quo". The status quo is that Satan has dominion and lives are broken in our fallen world. Our rebellion through prayer is to say, "Lord, this is not what You want! Help us bring light to the darkness, reveal Yourself as the Ultimate Victor in this situation".

A friend recommended a book to me last week called Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion with God by Eric and Leslie Ludy. This book is stretching my image of sitting sweetly in the pew with my hands folded and eyes closed. Eric is doing most of the writing and he is using the heroes of the Old Testament and their literal battles to show how we as believers are to approach prayer. It is a battle against Satan and unlike most battles, we know that God is the winner! How often do we as Christians admit defeat without putting up much of a fight? I am only in the beginning of this book and it has given me lots to think about.

Just this morning I read a short devotion on prayer that I happened upon in a newsletter as I was opening the office mail. Do you think God might be trying to tell me something? Here is the devotional for you to ponder along with me:

How Much Do You Love Your World? by Wesley Duewel
Of all the rivers of living water that Jesus wants to flow from your innermost being (John 7:38), surely the first and greatest is love. God is love, and children of God must be children of love.

Have you seen people whose love seems to flow continually? They are spiritually powerful, the ones who like John lean on Jesus' chest, the Christlike.

There are three ways to overcome any opposition, penetrate any darkness, and win any victory for Christ- prayer, faith and love. Satan cannot combat that kind of spiritual warfare. God's love through you can be so supernatural that Satan will have to flee.

The Holy Spirit exists to pour God's love into and through your heart to others (Romans 5:5). Heaven knows no more powerful plea from earth than tears of loving prayer. He who wept over Jerusalem weeps over earth's millions today.

Do you share that depth of love? God so loved the world that He paid a great price. How much do you love your world? Prove it!