Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Romans 15:17-23 (NIV) 17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” 22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 23But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you.
Today God has raised up the Church (the bride of Christ) to declare the good news of salvation to all of humanity. The Church is you and I. The definition of the Church is based on a Greek word “ekklesia”. This word is used over 100 times in the Bible; it means a group that has gathered together. The Church is not a building; it is people who believe in Jesus Christ, who gather together so that they can go out and proclaim the gospel message.
Jesus’ commission to those who believe in Him is that as they live life, they are to make disciples who make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. That means that a true Christian (disciple) is one who makes disciples who obey all the teachings of Jesus, not just the ones that they like. The challenge for many today is that to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ is to be a person who obeys all that Jesus taught.
In Romans 15, we read Paul’s declaration of his service to God. This service was the declaration of the gospel of Christ. Paul presented Christ to all he came in contact with. This message was the truth of who Jesus is and the teachings of Jesus, so that people could become disciples of Jesus. The end result was Paul’s statement in verse 22. There was no place left for Paul to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus wants everyone who follows him (disciples of Jesus) to be able to make the same declaration that Paul made – there is no place left to preach the gospel. Are you willing to be a disciple who makes disciples, who teaches all that Jesus commanded?
Memory Verse: Romans 10:15 (NIV)
And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”