Called to Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples.
Preaching the Gospel was top priority for Jesus because of His passion to see men and women come to salvation. He had a simple straightforward Gospel message. It was simply “Repent. The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2). It was a clear call to repentance and it is the same Gospel we are called to preach today.
Repentance is being sorry for the sin that separates us from God and keeps us out of the kingdom of heaven. To repent is to turn our backs on our old sinful lives and make a U-turn to live a new life in Jesus. The Message puts it this way “Change your life.” Mark 1:16. Jesus calls it being “born again”. He told Nicodemus that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) and reaffirmed it by saying that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” and “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5,6).
Jesus is pointing out that it is not our being and doing good and observing Church traditions of baptism, confirmation, or works of charity and such like acts that will gain us a place with Him in eternity, but by dying to the old sinful life and living (being born again) in the new life in Jesus. “Jesus took our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness”. (1 Peter 2:24).
Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ”. Before we repent we deserve eternal death but after we repent it is only by the grace of God by faith in Jesus that we are saved and receive the free gift of eternal life. (Eph 2:8).
The Bible tells us that “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old life is gone and the new has come. (2 Cor 5:17). We are now sons and daughters of God, have eternal life and become citizens of the kingdom of God.
This then is the amazing Good News (Gospel) that the Disciples of Jesus, and we, are called to preach. This is the Great Commission He entrusted to them and to us. Let us be obedient to our calling and not let this become the Great Omission!
CHALLENGE
Some of us have been disciples of Jesus Christ for a long time. Do we take our calling to bring lost souls to Jesus out of the darkness of sin into His marvelous light seriously? Are we giving high priority to sharing the Gospel with others? How much time do we have left to bring lost sinners home? May God grant us grace to know His Father’s heart of love and the urgency to save lost souls in these last days. It is never too late to join Jesus as He seeks and saves that which is lost. (Luke 19:10)
PRAYER
Dear Lord, you have chosen us, called us and commissioned us to be your Disciples and to make Disciples. We thank you for this privilege you have bestowed on us to be your hands and your feet to take the Gospel to a lost and needy world. May we faithfully carry out this Great Commission in the power of your Holy Spirit to your glory and the blessing of many. In Your Name. Amen
Day 2 Friday 31 May: Matthew 28: 18-20
Called to Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples.
Preaching the Gospel was top priority for Jesus because of His passion to see men and women come to salvation. He had a simple straightforward Gospel message. It was simply “Repent. The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2). It was a clear call to repentance and it is the same Gospel we are called to preach today.
Repentance is being sorry for the sin that separates us from God and keeps us out of the kingdom of heaven. To repent is to turn our backs on our old sinful lives and make a U-turn to live a new life in Jesus. The Message puts it this way “Change your life.” Mark 1:16. Jesus calls it being “born again”. He told Nicodemus that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) and reaffirmed it by saying that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” and “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5,6).
Jesus is pointing out that it is not our being and doing good and observing Church traditions of baptism, confirmation, or works of charity and such like acts that will gain us a place with Him in eternity, but by dying to the old sinful life and living (being born again) in the new life in Jesus. “Jesus took our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness”. (1 Peter 2:24).
Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ”. Before we repent we deserve eternal death but after we repent it is only by the grace of God by faith in Jesus that we are saved and receive the free gift of eternal life. (Eph 2:8).
The Bible tells us that “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old life is gone and the new has come. (2 Cor 5:17). We are now sons and daughters of God, have eternal life and become citizens of the kingdom of God.
This then is the amazing Good News (Gospel) that the Disciples of Jesus, and we, are called to preach. This is the Great Commission He entrusted to them and to us. Let us be obedient to our calling and not let this become the Great Omission!
CHALLENGE
Some of us have been disciples of Jesus Christ for a long time. Do we take our calling to bring lost souls to Jesus out of the darkness of sin into His marvelous light seriously? Are we giving high priority to sharing the Gospel with others? How much time do we have left to bring lost sinners home? May God grant us grace to know His Father’s heart of love and the urgency to save lost souls in these last days. It is never too late to join Jesus as He seeks and saves that which is lost. (Luke 19:10)
PRAYER
Dear Lord, you have chosen us, called us and commissioned us to be your Disciples and to make Disciples. We thank you for this privilege you have bestowed on us to be your hands and your feet to take the Gospel to a lost and needy world. May we faithfully carry out this Great Commission in the power of your Holy Spirit to your glory and the blessing of many. In Your Name. Amen
Diocese of Raiwind is one of the 8 Dioceses of the Church of Pakistan and came into being in 1980, 10 years after the Church Union in which Anglicans.
