Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.” [1 Chronicles 16.35]
David's song, long before Jesus' Advent, prophesies clearly of God's universal salvation!
Jesus then certainly spoke in continuity with this before He ascended back to heaven:
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28.18-20]
Because of God's love for the world, it is His will and desire to redeem all mankind.
Our work on earth then, no matter what variations we may see individually, is, at the core, to be found as workers, servants, representatives, and even authoritarians in this Divine endeavor. It is the universal calling, and therefore our individual calling. No person, in Christ, is exempt from making disciples.
There is no valid excuse for any conscious person to not be a disciple-maker. Therefore, if we are capable of understanding the words, "go and make disciples of all the nations..." then we are responsible to do so! It's not just the preacher's job or the missionary's job, it is ours.
This is consistent then, with the multiple mandates we find in the Bible to pray. Like disciple-making, no man is exempt from the call to prayer. It is not ironic then, that prayer plays such a key role in disciple-making!
I have learned that the more I pray, the more I find myself in the position of disciple-maker!
Father, help us to understand that the things we are told in the Bible to do are for Your Kingdom.
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