A sent community

When Jesus left to establish his Kingdom in this world, his work was not complete when he left. While he had finished what he intended to do, there was still much work to be done. So, as he prepared to return to the Father, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples…

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

There are three things that Jesus asks us to do as we continue to spread the Kingdom of God: go, baptize, and teach.

Go. We are called to go out and spread the news of the Kingdom. Once we become Christians, Jesus does not call us to sit in our pews and wait for people to show up at our church buildings. Rather, we must go into the world proclaiming in the Kingdom.

This isn’t just something we do with words. The apostle Paul says it this way: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)  When we go to share the good news, we live the good news. We go out into the world and proclaim the Kingdom with our lives.

We are also called to invite people into the family of God. As we baptize those who are drawn to the Kingdom of God, we welcome them into a family - a family where love, grace, and mercy reign. We welcome them into a family where we encourage and challenge one another. Baptism is not simply something that guarantees us a future; it also offers us something now. It is the promise of eternity with God’s people that begins today.

As people who go and baptize, we must also teach. The Kingdom of God must be shared and modeled to others. As new people enter the family, we have the responsibility of helping them learn what it means to be disciples of Christ. We are teachers for the Great Teacher. God has given us the responsibility to transmit the Kingdom of God.

God is partnering with us in his grand work for all creation. The church is a community that is called to multiply. We must go into the world. We must baptize those who believe. We must teach them what has been taught to us. This is what it means to be the church, the living and active body of Christ.

 

 

shine!
Jason