Co-operating with Christ - Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

"Then Jesus came to them and said, '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.'"

Church starts with Jesus.  All authority rests on Him.  This is where the church gets its mission.  All summed up in two verses we find out why the church teaches what it teaches...why it clings to what it clings...and why it holds to what it holds.

The church has always been tasked to make disciples.  It has not always done a great job of it and still today we make mistakes but our genuine desire is to share the marvelous and wonderful love of God.   Our message is the same - Jesus died to set us free from the curse of sin so we can live eternally with Him in heaven but we each have to choose to accept this work of salvation.

This is why the church works so hard to spread its message across the globe.  We are trying to reach all people groups through love and service. This explains  why many willingly give their lives, or have given their lives, to share God's message of love. We also reach out into our community in order to show God's love is available to all.

Baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This beautiful act is an act symbolizing God's work of cleansing us from sin and us emerging into a new life as the old passes away. It is an act of fellowship in which an individual openly acknowledges they have received Christ as Savor and as Lord.  It is an act of saying he or she is prepared to join the efforts of the church to love others as God has loved them.

We teach everything Jesus taught because the apostles taught us. This is why we cling to the truths of the Bible for it is the teaching the has been handed down generation after generation.  What was taught then is still relevant for today - when properly taught.

The crux of these verses rests in the final verse. People call this the Great Commission.  It is the foremost mission of the church but it is done in partnership with Christ. That is where the "co" comes from.  We are cooperating with the commands and authority of Christ.

How well are you participating in cooperation with Christ?  Find a local Bible teaching church that you can help in this commission. There is still a big world out there that needs to hear.

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