No time to waste!
Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" 7 He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
I have been studying about leaders in the Bible and learning that the only leaders that were pleasing to God was the leaders that were willing to do anything that God asks them to do. That brings about the next area of focus for my Bible study.
What is it that Jesus told us to do?
Jesus told his disciples that they are on a mission from God, he told them that as they go about their everyday lives he wants them to make disciples, the man that wants to be obedient and pleasing to God must make this mission a top priority in life.
Remember Jesus started his ministry by telling his disciples "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Now as Jesus is preparing to leave he confirms the original purpose that he had for calling these guys, he wanted to make them fishers of men.
Not only are we to go and evangelize next thing that is essential for us to nurture these converts and turn them into disciples, we have to teach them how to live by instructing them from the word of God. We are on a life long journey of growth spiritually, we are to become more mature as we are pushed along by our desire to be more like Jesus and to please him, and as we grow we need to help grow others that are around us.
Notice that Jesus didn't tell us to go and make offering givers or teachers or chair stackers, he just told us one thing that we are to make and if we make disciples then all of those other things will get done as well. Doing all of those other things will become a part of the mission of getting one more soul for Jesus.
There are many missions that we can base our life on, commonly pursued missions that the world pursues are: pleasure, money, fame, influence, and power. We need to set aside the fleshly desires and take up a higher purpose for life.
My mission will decide how I spend my time. Those worldly pursuits can easily get out of control and can occupy your time and keep you from fulfilling the mission that God has given us. We cannot say we are willing to do all that God asks unless we are willing to adopt the mission of making disciples as the top priority in our daily lives.
Help me Lord to keep my mission in focus, help me to be obedient to your command to make disciples. Help me as I work in my church to make discipling men a top priority.
