After singing "Happy Birthday" to Cheryl (who brought the snack on her own birthday!!) we sang about how deep the Father's love for us is. Tony asked Cheryl to read Matthew 28:18-20 to begin: "And 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." The third strand of our Mission Statement is to "Reach the World for Christ." We discussed this verse and the following themes:
-We are all challenged by this verse.
-The tendency is for us to be condemned that we are not "doing enough" to fulfill this command, but that wasn't Jesus' intention when he spoke it.
-There are many facets and roles in sharing the Gospel, including speaking the Word, helping new believers on their journey, teaching children, reaching out to neighbors and co-workers, taking an interest in others' lives, offering to pray for others, being available to help those in need...
-This verse describes a life-long process of being pleasing to the Lord.
-We must remember that the Word never comes back void when it is sent out, even through imperfect vessels.
-We can pray for God to open our hearts to see opportunities to share the Gospel. He can lead and guide us so easily into "Gospel-sharing" moments. (Mary prayed for us all to be led by God to people that He has been preparing to hear His Gospel.)
-God doesn't want us condemned by this verse nor puffed up by a successful sharing experience. We are part of the whole movement of the church as it is used to share the Gospel and glorify God.
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