Notes of Faith August 2, 2025
Rousing Send-Offs: The Great Commission
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
Matthew 28:19-20
According to Nations Outreach, 31 percent of the world identifies as Christian, 23 percent as Muslim, and 16 percent as atheists, agnostics, or people who do not identify with any religion. Forty-two percent of the world’s population has heard the Gospel. But the most unreached nations are still largely in darkness: India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Iran, and Turkey.1
Turning Point and many other groups are working around the clock to spread the message of Jesus. Sometimes the work is dangerous, especially in restrictive nations. Persecution is widespread. Yet God is moving, the Gospel is spreading, and we’re still taking the Great Commission of Christ seriously. The One who sent off His disciples two thousand years ago is still sending you and me in our day. Let’s take our job seriously!
God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.
George Whitefield
1 “2025 Christian Missionary Statistics,” Nations Outreach, February 3, 2025.
Making disciples of Jesus is more than just leading them to understanding who He is and coming to Him with believing faith. “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” is a life-long discipleship process and continued learning from the Word of God. There are many, even in our churches, who do not know God well. They do not know His character and nature nor understand what He desires from a relationship with Him. This is a much deeper life experience than simply sharing the gospel for them to know that they are a sinner in need of a Savior. Jesus spent years with the Apostles and they were a disaster without the Holy Spirit living within them and even after continued to fall into sinful behavior, just as we do. That is why we need daily to be in the Word, to meet and have relationships with other believers, to strengthen our walk with God and our witness before the unbelieving world. My prayer is that the intention of our heart be to bring people to the throne of grace and continue to nurture and lead where God places us, to truly disciple those who come to faith in Christ, “teaching them to observe all things that He commanded.”
Pastor Dale