The Great Commission
"Then Jesus came to them
and said, “All the 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.”
How are we
going to do this?
I believe that there are many ways and many
tools to evangelize. Some Christians roam around a vicinity to talk to people
and share the Word, some others ride at each public vehicle to announce the
Good News to the passengers, others invite their families, friends and enemies
at the church services and some others hold concerts, seminars, or outreach
programs to insert the knowledge about Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, there’s
nothing wrong with doing all these to advance the Kingdom of God, but there is
one guaranteed way on how we can fish for people: BY LIVING LIKE JESUS.
“And
we, who unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into
His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit.” -
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved
and those who are perishing.”
-2 Corinthians 2:15
Being
Christ-like is important not just for our spiritual maturity but it’s also a
way to live out the glory of God in our lives. Living out His Glory is a way in reaching out to the lost and those who are in darkness. Imagine a light
shining in a very dark room crowded with mournful people. Their tendency is to
go near the light. Imagine that YOU/WE are the Light in this world. People will
wonder why they like to be with you or like to know how you live your life. Sooner,
they will understand that it is not because of your kindness, generosity,
beauty or fame, it’s because Jesus is actually living in you. Without words
uttered in your mouth, you have become a living testimony of God. When people
see the difference that you make, they will start wanting what you uniquely
have. And because of that, JESUS IS REVEALED. Living a Christ-like life is not
easy in this world, but through the Holy Spirit and by the Father’s grace and
mercy, we can become an example of a true, genuine follower of Christ.
“Those
who obey His commands will live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know
that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us. -
Where are
we going to reach out?/ Who shall we reach out for?
I once read this from a book:
PASTOR: Where do you think Jesus would be
if He were here in Colorado Springs right now?
GAY: Focus on the family?
PASTOR: (Made a ding sound) Nope, wrong
answer. You know where Jesus would be, Ed? Right here at Poor Richards (where
all the gays, lesbians, Wiccans and generally odd people hung out).
The Pastor asked another question:
PASTOR: Ed, if Jesus came into this room
right now - I mean physically was here – who do you think He’d prefer to hang
out with, me or you?
GAY: It would be you.
PASTOR: Ed, you’re not doing well. You’re
zero for two. Jesus would for sure go home with you. You need to read the Book,
Bro.
GAY: What book?
PASTOR: The Bible. The Book about Jesus.
It’s all in there. He was always making religious people angry – the ones who thought
they owned Him and all truth, - because He kept hanging out with people they
thought were inappropriate. The sinners. Lepers. Prostitutes. Samaritans. Ed,
He would choose you.
Normally, we fish for people inside the church, those who
answer the altar call, those we invited and those whom we sit beside with. But
just like Jesus’ disciples, we are all commanded to go and make disciples in all
Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth.
Let us not be
satisfied with the fellowship that we have with our churchmates and other Christian
friends, but let us widen out social network: in our campus, our workplace,
recreational and leisure environments. You wouldn't know how much they crave
for the Lord unless we allow them to become part of our lives. Yes, it's said
in the Bible not to be yoked with the unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14)
but being yoked means that you recognize that you are part of them: doing what
they do, saying what they say and thinking how they think. Getting out of the
comfort zone doesn't mean that we are being yoked together with them; it means
that we get to know these people, befriend them, hang out with them and let
them know that they are accepted. Instead of them influencing us, it should be
us influencing them through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Let us not deny that we are followers of Christ. Let us know what Jesus would do if He were still here. Jesus will be with the sinners, the liars, the insecure, the gays and lesbians, the shoplifters, the drug addicts, the broken-hearted and many more.
On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." -Matthew 9:12-13
If we are really
true followers of Jesus Christ, we should do the same. What would Jesus do?
That’s what we got to do too!
·
Are we
really ready to preach the gospel? YES!
 |
| just when I thought I'm not going to be part of the team... |
You don’t need to be of legal
age to preach the gospel. You don’t need to finish reading all the books in the
Bible before going to missions. As long as you do this because God has called
you and you want others to experience the love that God has shown you, even the
most impossible persons will be moved because of your faith. So do not be
afraid of doing what He wants you to do. After all, He has left a promise
before He leave the Earth:
And surely I
AM WITH YOU to the very end of age.
-Judie
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