September 8- Matthew 28:18-20

THE VERSE

Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
~Matthew 28:18-20

THE THOUGHT

For the next several days, as we continue looking at God’s call to make His Son famous around the world, we will focus on the central verse about missions: the Great Commission. Here in this one passage, we will see the foundation of missions, the command of missions, the God of missions, the goal of missions, and the comfort of missions.

Today we will begin with the first thing Jesus said: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." All authority belongs to our Savior and Lord- authority over all nations, all events, all times, and over all aspects of our lives. By virtue of both His eternal Sonship and His victory over sin, He is the Sovereign Lord of the universe, upholding all things by the power of His word.

This is the foundation for missions, for if God was not sovereign, missions would not be the zealous joy that it is, because there would be no guarantee that it would succeed. But we have the promise from the lips of the almighty Christ Himself: "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." This is the sure and steady foundation of missions- that our God is bringing glory to Himself in the salvation of the nations, and we are being called into this same pursuit.

THE PRAYER

Lord, I long for the day when the knowledge of Your glory will cover the earth as waters fill the sea. Thank you for calling me to be a part of Your eternal campaign to glorify Your Son; now give me faith to go where You send me.

EXTENDED READING

Isaiah 11:9-10
Matthew 24:13-14


THE QUOTE

"Enemy occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." ~C.S. Lewis

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Isaiah 21-23
Proverbs 22:1-16
Luke 22:24-30
Hebrews 5

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