PT-5 "Intro to Matthew 28:16-20"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/24/2024 9:21 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-5 “Intro to Matthew 28:16-20”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 28:16-20

 

            Message of the verses:  “16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

 

            I want to continue in looking at John MacArthur’s introduction to these last verses in the book of Matthew in today’s SD.

 

            “That is therefore also the supreme mission of Christ’s church.  The work of the church is an extension of the work of her Lord.  ‘As Thou didst send Me into the world,’ Jesus said to His Father, ‘I also have sent them into the world’ (John 17:18).

 

            If God’s primary purpose for the saved were loving fellowship, He would take believers immediately to heaven, where spiritual fellowship is perfect, unhindered by sin, disharmony, or loneliness.  If His primary purpose for the saved were the learning of His Word, He would also take believers immediately to heaven, where His Word is perfectly known and understood.  And if God’s primary purpose for the saved were to give Him praise, He would, again, take believers immediately to heaven, where praise is perfect and unending.

 

            There is only one reason the Lord allows His church to remain on earth:  to seek and to save the lost, just as Christ’s only reason for coming to earth was to seek and to save the lost.  ‘As the Father has sent Me,’ He declared, ‘I also send you’ (John 20:21).  Therefore, a believer who is not committed to winning the lost for Jesus Christ should reexamine his relationship to the Lord and certainly his divine reason for existence.

 

            “Fellowship, teaching, and praise are not the mission of the church but are rather the preparation of the church to fulfill its mission of winning the lost.  And just as in athletics, training should never be confused with or substituted for actually competing in the game, which is the reason for all the training.

 

            “How tragic that so much of Christ’s church is preoccupied with trivialities.  Many Christians are fascinated with the process and have no thought for the goal.  They are preoccupied with the spiritually insignificant and show little commitment to reaching the lost.

 

            “The resources God has provided most churches are, for the most part, barely tapped in their efforts to call men and women and boys and girls to Jesus Christ.  The contemporary church is blessed with previously unheard of means of proclaiming the saving message of Christ to the world.  But like the world at large, it is frequently crippled by indulgent, self-centered preoccupations.  Instead of asking, for instance, how we might get by with a smaller house or car and sue the saved money in the Lord’s word, we are inclined to dream about getting bigger and nicer ones.

 

            “A counselor of my acquaintance has long had the practice of asking those who come to him for spiritual advice to show him their check stubs for the past year or so.  His purpose is to help them recognize their t rue priorities, which invariably are reflected in the way they spend their money.  Another helpful revealer of priorities is one’s calendar or appointment book, because where and for what we spend our time is also a reliable barometer of our true interests and concerns.

 

            “Christian fellowship, biblical preaching and teaching, and times of praise to God are good and godly, and in many ways carry their own rewards and blessings.  But reaching the lost for Christ is much more difficult and demanding, and the results are often slow in coming and the rewards are sometimes long delayed.  The gospel is frequently resented by those to whom we witness, and sometimes faithful witnessing is ridiculed even by fellow believers.  Yet above all others, that ministry can only be accomplished while we are on earth. We will have no opportunity in heaven to call the lost to the Savior.”

 

            Lord willing I will finish this introduction in the next SD.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have to say that my toes were stepped on in writing this quotation from MacArthur’s introduction to these last verses in Matthew’s gospel.  I have had people on my mind to go and talk to them about the saving faith in Jesus Christ but as yet have not done that to my shame.  Giving out the gospel can be a fearful thing, especially if it becomes harder to do because of the political climate in our country today. 

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to trust the Lord to help me in talking to those who have been on my mind to talk to about the Lord.  I need to do it.

 

10/25/2024 9:45 AM