The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

And coming up, Jesus spoke with them, saying, All authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Me. Therefore going, disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, as many things as I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Amen.

Matthew 10:1

And having called His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity of body.

Matthew 10:7-8

And going on, proclaim, saying, The kingdom of Heaven has drawn near. Heal feeble ones, cleanse lepers, raise dead ones, cast out demons. You freely received, freely give.

Most American churches seem content with making believers. Believers make an intellectual choice to believe in God. They go to church and believe themselves to be basically good people.

In the meantime, American society is becoming more evil. Lawlessness is increasing. What was once considered good is now considered bad. The lawless rebels and evil doers see no strength or real solution in Christianity. This is because the Holy Spirit, God’s amazing power, isn’t moving. The Holy Spirit doesn’t choose to move by our intellectual belief.

This is where the difference between a believer and a disciple comes into play. As opposed to believers, disciples know they are unrighteous and have a natural rebellious heart. They know their ways are not God’s ways. They know they need to continually strive to submit their own will to God’s will, in all areas of their lives. They put obedience to the Word above all else. They aren’t just making an intellectual choice to believe in the Word...they follow it up by DOING it.

We can see in Matthew 28 that Jesus told the eleven remaining disciples to go into the world and make more disciples (not believers). To accomplish this, He told them to teach the new disciples to do all the things He commanded them to do. Which according to Matthew 10, includes spreading the Word, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons. This is considered the “full gospel.”

The typical American church isn’t being obedient to the Word. It stops at “spreading the Word” and pretends it doesn’t hear Jesus’ order to also heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Because of this, the amazing power of the Holy Spirit isn’t revealed. The power and authority given to us by Jesus isn’t utilized. The devil and his demons continue to beat us up.

But when the disciple obediently walks out the calling of the great commission, in its entirety...the Holy Spirit moves. God’s amazing power is released. When the lawless rebels and evil doers see God’s power, they realize the Word is true. Then...lives will change.

Mark 16:15-20

The one believing and being baptized will be saved; but the one not believing will be condemned. And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: they will cast out demons in My name; they will speak new languages; they will take up snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them, not any; they will lay hands on ones being infirm, and they will be well. Then indeed, after speaking to them, the Lord was taken up into Heaven, and sat at the right of God. And going out, they preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the miraculous signs following after. Amen

Our ways are not God’s ways. We should be obedient to the Word with the blind faith of a child. We won’t let the current church system, our family, our friends, or anything else in this evil world prevent us from walking out the orders of our Lord. After all, He isn’t really our Lord unless we let Him lord over us!

2 Timothy 3:1,5

But know this, that in the last days grievous times will be upon us...having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it…

Paul told Timothy that in the last days people will present themselves as having a form of godliness, but they will deny the power of the Holy Spirit.