Some of the Most Popular Verses in the Bible Day 3: Go Plant! (Matthew 28:19)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)
Amy and I love going to movies. We love good characters who are struggling through life to find success or love. One of my favorite kinds of movies is driven by several storylines. In the movie, each storyline is meticulously developed, and then you see the characters’ stories merge as they intersect each other’s lives. These types of movies remind me so much of our lives and how they have intersected because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Most of the people are connected to my life because of the Gospel’s transformation in their lives. We are connected through the blood of Christ and the salvation that we received by grace through faith. We all have our own stories, and they have all intersected at the cross.
One of the most exciting seasons of life is when we step into the story of someone who does not know Jesus. It happens in so many ways: a casual conversation in a store, playing on a softball team, or even sitting in a Starbuck’s. It may happen at a party or a special event, or a moment in someone’s life when their world is falling apart.
Jesus spoke about these moments with His disciples. He focused on their responsibility to leverage the opportunities that present themselves to be used in the spiritual transformation of the people God placed in their lives as they did ministry. In our key verse today, Jesus commands His disciples to “go . . . and make disciples of all nations.” This commission reflects the global responsibility of all believers to share the Gospel and make disciples. We love to reflect on the global work of the Gospel and the missionaries that are spending their lives to share the Gospel in places we have never been. However, Jesus is speaking to the personal responsibility we all have to share the Gospel on a consistent basis. I’ve heard it said that the first part of the commission should be read like this: “As you are going into your world, make disciples . . . ” Sadly, the Great Commission has become the Great Omission in many believer’s lives, because of fear and a lack of urgency.
We know the harvest is out there because Jesus affirmed that with his disciples. On a very busy day, Jesus modeled what true relational ministry was for his disciples, and was witness to the oppression of the people He spent time with in the cities and towns He visited. In His time with His disciples, Jesus spoke to the need for leaders in these people’s lives that would love them — leaders who would be part of the disciple-making process that would transform them. In His final comments in this section of Scripture, Jesus shared the reality of the robust harvest and the human resource issue that was there from the beginning:
“. . . He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matthew 9:37 – 38).
My challenge to you today is to pray for people to rise up as ambassadors of the Gospel, and for you to personally step out in faith and share your faith. Become a farmer and start planting seeds for the Gospel. If we as a network of believers become serious about this calling on our lives, we could change our neighborhoods, our cities, our states, our nation, and the world. It is my life’s passion to have the crucial conversation with people about their need for Christ and plant the seeds of the Gospel in their lives. I have seen so many people embrace faith in Christ through the obedience of people who are taking part in the Great Commission.
So, this week step up and share your faith with someone. Tell someone your story about how God changed your life, and then watch God work. Don’t be discouraged if the message is rejected because that is part of the process. However, because of your faithfulness and obedience, you never know what God will do! Can you imagine what would happen if the Body of Christ made sharing our faith a priority in our daily lives? Pray for a renewed commitment to sharing the Gospel for all believers so that we can witness a great revival in our lives and the lives of those around us. Go plant!
Pastor Chuck