And Jesus came up 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
Now that we have set our sights squarely on the bullseye, let’s continue dissecting the King’s Commission. Jesus was after the world. Not part of it, not some of it, all of it! When He said to make disciples of “all nations” the Greek word is ethnos meaning every ethnic group. That means the commission to make disciples goes way beyond the borders of various countries. Jesus is saying “Make disciples” of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation! (Rev 5.9, 7.4, 13.7) When we finish, there will be NoPlaceLeft. Every people group on the planet will have had heard the good news of Jesus Christ and had the opportunity to follow Him as their King.
Many of us had the privilege of having Steve and Laura Smith as our co-laborers, mentors, and friends. And when you were around them something became very evident. They were absolutely captivated with the vision to finish the Great Commission. For them, it was “The World or Bust!” But in the sovereign plan of God, Steve was overcome with cancer and didn’t get to see his dream of “finishing the final lap.” Some may doubt the wisdom of God by taking one of the most strategic missionary personalities on the planet out of the fight. (I know I did!) But the beauty of Steve’s life is found in his supreme allegiance to King Jesus and His commands. He made a bunch (and I mean a bunch) of disciple-makers personally and through multiplication and they are laboring all over the world. And now one unreached people group after another is being reached for Jesus. Steve may not have seen the last lap but he did everything he could to pass the baton to us and inspire us to pass it on to the next generation of disciple-makers. Does your vision for disciple-making include the world? Do you see the gospel going beyond your context and breaking the barriers of race, language, culture, gender, etc…? Are you casting a vision for others that includes every tribe, tongue, and nation?
ToBeLikeJesus 