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 (ESV)
And just like that...it's Friday again. Yesterday we talked
about settling the question of who Jesus is. Today, Jesus gives us an
assignment.
Go.
Matthew 28 is an incredible moment. The disciples are standing before the risen Jesus. Some worshiped. Some doubted. Surely they could have stayed there awhile, simply taking it all in. But Jesus doesn't allow the encounter to become the destination. He gives them a commission. Go and make disciples.
Encounters with Jesus are important. So is being equipped. We need church. We need worship, teaching, fellowship, encouragement, and opportunities to grow together.
But most of our lives happen outside the church.
Let's do some math. (because everyone who knows me, knows that I do not math under any circumstances!) If we live 80 years, that's roughly 29,200 days. There are about 4,160 Sundays in those 80 years.
That's only about one-seventh of our life. What are we doing with the other six-sevenths?
Our assignment isn't simply to get someone to come to church with us. Moving someone from one church to another might increase attendance, but Jesus didn't tell us to collect attendees.
He told us to make disciples.
That requires more from us.
It means building relationships. Walking alongside people. Praying together. Opening Scripture together. Answering questions—and sometimes searching for the answers together. It means continuing to grow in our own faith while helping someone else grow in theirs.
God gives us spiritual life, but we have to participate in it.
Sunday equips us for the assignment, but Monday through Saturday are where much of that assignment is lived. At work. At home. In our neighborhoods. With our families. In conversations with friends. Even with the person who tests our patience in traffic. We don't just go to church, we are the Church—and we have somewhere to go.
So take what God has given you, step outside those walls, and live your assignment.
After all, six-sevenths of a life is a whole lot of opportunity.
#dailybreadbykitty
Daily Inspiration from the Bible
- Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
Go.
Matthew 28 is an incredible moment. The disciples are standing before the risen Jesus. Some worshiped. Some doubted. Surely they could have stayed there awhile, simply taking it all in. But Jesus doesn't allow the encounter to become the destination. He gives them a commission. Go and make disciples.
Encounters with Jesus are important. So is being equipped. We need church. We need worship, teaching, fellowship, encouragement, and opportunities to grow together.
But most of our lives happen outside the church.
Let's do some math. (because everyone who knows me, knows that I do not math under any circumstances!) If we live 80 years, that's roughly 29,200 days. There are about 4,160 Sundays in those 80 years.
That's only about one-seventh of our life. What are we doing with the other six-sevenths?
Our assignment isn't simply to get someone to come to church with us. Moving someone from one church to another might increase attendance, but Jesus didn't tell us to collect attendees.
He told us to make disciples.
That requires more from us.
It means building relationships. Walking alongside people. Praying together. Opening Scripture together. Answering questions—and sometimes searching for the answers together. It means continuing to grow in our own faith while helping someone else grow in theirs.
God gives us spiritual life, but we have to participate in it.
Sunday equips us for the assignment, but Monday through Saturday are where much of that assignment is lived. At work. At home. In our neighborhoods. With our families. In conversations with friends. Even with the person who tests our patience in traffic. We don't just go to church, we are the Church—and we have somewhere to go.
So take what God has given you, step outside those walls, and live your assignment.
After all, six-sevenths of a life is a whole lot of opportunity.
Daily Inspiration from the Bible
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to share your thoughts, but please also be respectful.