SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/26/2024 9:08 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-6 “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 have been quoting from the introduction that John
MacArthur wrote on this very last section of the book of Matthew and I have one
more section to quote before I get into looking more closely to these
verses. I have to say that in some ways
I am sad to finish up this wonderful gospel of Matthew and am wondering where
the Lord wants me to go next. I am
thinking about doing the book of 2Corinthians as I have always enjoyed reading
that book as Paul has many things to say that helps a person to grow in the
Lord, something that I am always wanting to do, and have actually been looking at
that process from 1 John as I have posts on my blog from my study of 1 John.
“In
his devotional book Quiet Talks with
World Winners, S. D. Gordon recounted the story of a group of amateur
climbers who planned to accent Mount Blanc in the French Alps. On the evening before the climb, the guides
started the basic requirement for success.
Because it was an exceedingly difficult climb, one could reach the top
by taking only the necessary equipment for climbing, leaving all unnecessary accessories
behind.
“One
athletic young man discounted the guides’ advice, thinking it could not
possibly apply to him. He showed up for
the climb with a blanket, a small case of wine, a camera, a set of notebooks,
and a pocketful of snacks. Although
warned again by the guides, the strong-willed young man nevertheless started
out ahead of the rest to prove his superior skill and endurance.
“But
as the other climbers proceeded up the mountainside, they began to notice
various articles left on the path.
First, they noticed the young’s man food and wine, a short while later
the notebooks and camera, and finally the blanket. The young man managed to reach the peak, but,
just as the guides had predicted, he did so only after discarding all his
unnecessary paraphernalia.
“Apply
that illustration to the church, Mr. Gordon comments that, unlike that young
climber, who eventually paid the price for success, many Christians, when they
discover they cannot reach the top with their loads, simply stop climbing and
settle down on the mountainside.
“In
the final message of Christ reported by Matthew, Jesus gives five explicit or
implicit elements that are necessary for His followers to fulfil their supreme
mission on earth—to reach the mountain peak of their calling, as it were. These essential elements may be summarized as
availability, worship, submission, obedience, and power.”
With
that I end this fairly long introduction
to the last verses that are found in the book of Matthew, and set out next to
look at the first point, Availability.
10/26/2024 9:24 AM
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