The Great Commission

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Photo source: www.etsy.com

    In just a bit over two weeks, it will be VBS time at our church! The organizing, planning and decorating will all come together as we share the Good News of Jesus in a fun-filled atmosphere with several precious little ones.  This is one way in which our church fulfills what has come to be known as the Great Commission. This charge was handed to the disciples right before Jesus ascended to Heaven.  This, along with the Greatest Commandment are the mission statements for the church and every believer.  They go hand in hand and work synergistically to  build up believers as well as build the Body of Christ (His Church). 
 Let's look at them both briefly.  Jesus give us the Greatest Commandment in Mark 12: 30-31:

 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Then, Jesus gave the Great Commission in Mark 16:15:

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

    As members of the Body of Christ, these goals must be ingrained in us. First, we are to love God with all of our being.  This requires study in the Word as we learn about Him.  How can we love what we do not know?  How do we know what He wants from us and what pleases Him?  Only through the study of His Word.  
    Then, we are to love others.  It is a simple, blanket statement to love everyone as we would ourselves.  This means loving the unlovable.  We can only do this when we are completely in love with the source of love: Jesus.  Only through Him can we accomplish this Greatest Commandment.  It is the calling of each one of us, however.  Scripture gives us a lot of insight into what it means to love.  Loving includes much more than just handouts and hugs.  Loving demands that we care enough that we share the Gospel message with all.
    See how these two go hand-in-hand?  The Greatest Commandment leads us to the Great Commission:  Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone!  Yes, pastors are given a special calling to shepherd local churches.  That, however, does not take away the charge to each one of us to share the gospel with every person we encounter.  This is how we love our neighbor.  As we perform acts of kindness or provide physical needs to those around us, we are called to share the gospel as well. This is for every believer.  
    I can remember my grandfather, wheelchair bound, going to mall entrances every Saturday for hours with the sole purpose of talking to every person who would stop about Jesus.  I know countless souls are, or will be in Heaven because of his faithfulness to the Great Commission and carrying out the Greatest Commandment.  
     It is fairly simple ---as we show Christ's love and the Gospel message (which are one and the same!) we are fulfilling our mission.  But first, we must be totally in love with Him ourselves.  Then we can carry out the rest of the calling. So the question for you and me is, are we doing our part? Are we so in love with Jesus that we are sharing His love to everyone we encounter?  

    I am so thankful to be a part of a local body that shares the love and Gospel of Jesus.  May I be faithful to do my part.  

💓 Heather Sparks💓





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