Matthew 28:19-20 “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.”
This is our last lesson, but it’s not the end. It’s the beginning. What are you going to do tomorrow? We’ve looked a bit at the Great Commission, which is what the verses above are often called. It’s a command to go.
When the disciples are sent out, they first minister in their hometown, then in the surrounding area, and then to the “ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After the “GO” command to make disciples, the rest of the two verses of the Great Commission is about what that looks like. We baptize others to lead them into the new life in Christ offered them, where the life of flesh is cut off and buried and the Spirit resurrects the life of Christ in us. And we teach others to obey God’s word, so they can learn God’s ways, so they can live like Jesus.
But to do either of those things, the first step is to go. Pray and ask God where He is sending you. Maybe you will get a call to foreign missions; but remember, first a disciple is sent to their hometown. He may be sending you to a friend, family member, or neighbor.
Pray and ask God how He wants you to express His love. It could be talking to them about this course and what you learned. It could be helping or giving. God is creative. Ask. Always ask. Don’t make a method. Each time go with Jesus, never go on your own.
After their home area, the next place on the list of places to go wasn’t just any place nearby. It was to go to Samaria. Jewish people, like the disciples, refused to even be around Samaritans. Where I live, there is a small city just about fifteen minutes away where at least a third of the people are unemployed. It’s a place that ranks high nationwide for gun violence. That’s the Samaria where I live. That’s where I ministered and ran children’s programs before I lived overseas. My story was like this. First, I taught kids in my church, then in my “Samaria,” then through EP to the ends of the earth. Each step looked different. God brought me into each one. I mentioned a bit of the story of the beginnings of EP in Lesson 81. You can read more of the story of how EP began here. It wasn’t by God telling me to do it! He just naturally led me there and made it what it is.
Lesson Point and Challenge Question: Jesus commands us “Go.” Will you?