Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” —Matthew 28:18-19
The key to the missionary’s work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the lost. We are inclined to look on our Lord as one who assists us in our endeavors for God. Yet our Lord places Himself as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say that the lost will never be saved if we don’t go— He simply says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” He says, “Go on the basis of the revealed truth of My sovereignty, teaching and preaching out of your living experience of Me.”
“Then the eleven disciples went…to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them” (Matthew 28:16). If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him myself. I must take time to worship the One whose name I bear. Jesus says, “Come to Me…”— that is the place to meet Jesus— “all you who labor and are heavy laden…” (Matthew 11:28)— and how many missionaries are! We completely dismiss these wonderful words of the universal Sovereign of the world, but they are the words of Jesus to His disciples meant for here and now.
“Go therefore….” To “go” simply means to live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say in this verse, “Go into Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria,” but, “…you shall be witnesses to Me in [all these places].” He takes upon Himself the work of sending us.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” (John 15:7)— that is the way to keep going. Where we are placed is then a matter of indifference to us, because God sovereignly engineers our goings.
“None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus…” (Acts 20:24). That is how to keep going until we are gone from this life.
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October 14 2015
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Good morning God, and thank You once again for leading us to a deeper understanding of our surrender and connection. It is a good feeling to understand Chambers as he tells us that “to go” is simply meant …”to live”. As he writes…“Go therefore….” To “go” simply means to live. Once again You remind us that the mission or goal is not as important as our surrender and connection. And that out of surrender and connection, You will provide our “mission field”. We may think or believe it is supposed to look like this, or that…or that our work as missionaries requires us to go here or go there, but it seems to me that You are showing us that the whole world is our mission field as we live out of surrender, connection , curiosity and obedience.
And God says…”When you keep your eyes on Jesus, and surrender yourself and your rights to yourself to Him, your connected day to day living becomes your preaching and teaching. When you seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, I will provide everything else you require for your life, including your mission field. When you acknowledge Me in all your ways, and do not rely on your own understanding of missions and missionaries, the Spirit is free to live through you and make your paths straight. How you are used, where you are used, what you are to say and do is of no concern of yours…trust in Me with all your heart. Your work and impact as a disciple, missionary, or teacher is none of your concern, when you are surrendered and connected. In fact most of your impact will be oblivious to you except in retrospect. You can be assured that when you are surrendered and connected to Me, there will always be a harvest. John 15:7-8 The Message (MSG) 5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.”
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