Thursday, November 3, 2022 Some material taken from The Church I Want to Belong to Part 6
So many of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what our purpose is. Our purpose changes from season to season in our lives but one purpose we have never changes no matter what season we are in – the purpose God has for us as a child of God.
As His children, our purpose is found in the Great Commission - to know Him and make Him known – to spread the Gospel. 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. Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus said this to the disciples just before He ascended into heaven. He wanted them, and the rest of His church, to carry on the ministry of spreading the Gospel - the good news of God’s amazing gift of salvation and mercy and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that brings eternal life to all who believe. This is still His purpose for His church today. The commissioning of the church by Christ makes it clear that the priority of the church should be evangelism.
Physical ministry in the flesh, or doing things to look good and bring glory to us, will seldom produce a spiritual harvest but Spiritual planting will always produce a physical harvest. In other words, when a person or a church is motivated by the Spirit there will be works. God knows whether we live for the flesh or the Spirit. Sowing in the flesh will give us nothing to reap but trouble. But when we sow in the spirit in an authentic and intentional desire to save lost souls, there will be fruit.
There is no spiritual harvest without spiritual planting. There is work to be done if we are going to grow and mature spiritually – to know Him more – and if we are going to make Him known. The purpose we exist for and the purpose we pursue should be to win people to Christ for eternal salvation. There is Right/wrong, Good/bad, Flesh/spirit Sin/righteousness, Child of God/child of wrath and there is an Eternal Heaven/Hell. Everyone you know and love will be judged by God. He will not be mocked.
The command that Jesus gives is to go – and make disciples. How? By baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; A disciple is someone who receives instruction from another person; a Christian disciple is a baptized follower of Christ who believes the teaching of Christ. A disciple of Christ imitates Jesus’ example, clings to His sacrifice, believes in His resurrection, possesses the Holy Spirit, and lives to do His work. The command in the Great Commission to “make disciples” means to teach or train people to follow and obey Christ.
Before we can make disciples, we have to be a disciple of Christ. As we grow and mature in our relationship with Him, He prepares us to fulfill His purpose in going and making disciples.
