GREAT COMMISSION OR OMISSION?

Christ’s last words included his marching orders for all Christians until he returns. These are called The Great Commission. Unfortunately, many who claim Christ don’t know what it is, where to find it, or how it applies personally or corporately. In that sense it is a Great Omission. Therefore, let us look at these orders.

Each of the four gospels and Acts have a record of what Jesus said during the five different times he gave his orders. Each has a slightly different emphasis. Let us look chronologically at how Jesus gave these during the 40 days after the Resurrection and before his Ascension.

The first gives a focus on “peace” in John 20:21. Jesus appeared after the Resurrection first to some disciples who had locked themselves in a room in Jerusalem. They feared the Jews might kill them like they did Jesus. Suddenly Christ appears and says, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Jesus encourages them with words of “peace” since they are being sent by Him personally just as He was by the Father. There is no need to fear since God is 100% with us. Fear of witnessing can best be overcome by trusting God and prayer.

The second Jesus issues the commission in Galilee to a large crowd of disciples. Matthew 28:18-20 says, … "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

He emphasizes his divine authority to command them to make disciples of all nations. This is not just for pastors or evangelists; it was, and is, for all true believers. Today Christ is the most known person on earth and Christianity is the largest religion in the world and is still growing after 2,000 years. Are you attempting to making disciples?

It is said that the presence of Julius Caesar transformed every soldier into a hero. In a greater way the authority of Christ should propel us to carry out His plan. 

The third presentation of the commission is in Mark 16:15-16. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” This quote is questioned since the oldest manuscripts do not contain verses 9-20. However, it is in line with the New Testament. 

"Preach" is the primary verb in verse 15 and means to proclaim. That can be done from a pulpit but also from coffee tables, computers, toolboxes, or places of work. Note the serious warning of condemnation to those who reject this gospel. Lives depend upon it.

The fourth record of the commission was given to James and the apostles in Jerusalem shortly before Jesus ascension. In Luke 24:47 he says, “and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Jesus emphasizes repentance which is a sincere change of mind about God. Our thinking changes from going one direction to the right direction. Preaching forgiveness goes along with this since it is a result of that repentance and faith. Are you forgiven! If so then proclaim this good news.

The fifth and final time Jesus gave his commission is in Acts 1:8 stressing the power we have.  “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Jesus then went to the Mt. of Olives and ascended to heaven. His follower’s mission was now clear. They started in Jerusalem where the giving of the Holy Spirit took place on Pentecost (Acts 2). Many powerful miracles followed during that time as the Gospel went out.

Note three important points here.

1.      They did have power and so do we since the Holy Spirit is in all true believers to guide us (I Cor. 12:13). We he goes ahead and paves the way. Adrian Rogers tells of a man who bragged he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: “Someone had already done that.”

2.      Their witnessing started where they were in Jerusalem. Our witnessing starts where we are too. We don’t always have to go to foreign lands. England once sent missionaries all over the world but neglected home base. As a result, many of the national churches there have closed and the country is now a mission field itself. Don’t neglect home base.

3.      Later their witness spread to neighboring Samaria, then to Judea, the larger area around them, and finally to all the world. As the Lord leads our witness will go far beyond where we are. Pray for our missionaries who are an extension of us.

At our Annual Ministry Meeting (1/26/2020) we voted on members coming and going, approved our 2020 budget, voted to establish a Pulpit Committee to recommend a replacement when I retire in September. We also accepted Dave & Elice Cooper as new missionaries. All motions were amazingly 100% unanimous. Paul Hayes was voted to serve another term as Elder and both Daniel Hunt and Zachary Travis were voted as new Deacons. We now have a total of five Elders and seven Deacons. I am thankful for the harmony we’ve had at DBC these past forty years and to have been your pastor. Full details and reports are in our 2020 Annual Report available at church. May God continue to bless as we move into 2020 with a mind to build.

Missionaries Tim and Martia Franklin and girls Rebecca and Hannah are with us and will be updating us on their ministry and speaking this Sunday Feb. 2nd as we resend them to Brazil.

Missionary Jon Mitchell will be with us May 3 to report at our church. If you have a loaner vehicle, he could use May 1-18 please let me know.

Pastor Mark

RESTING UNDER THE TREE

Mark’s gospel has gotten me under a tree recently. Mark wrote primarily to encourage Roman Christians in a time of persecution. Did it work? Yes!

The Epistle to Diognetus was written less than a century after Christ died giving proof of the growth of the church in Rome. Mathetes writes to his friend Diognetus. “For this reason you hate the Christians, because they do not deem these to be gods.” They didn’t accept the gods of Rome so early Christians were called “atheists” by the Greco-Romans. It cost them but in spite of the persecution they grew as the letter below suggests.

“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all.“ He says much more.

Mark’s gospel records the first parables of Jesus that would have encouraged Roman Christians and us also. The first was a parable of four soil types where the first three didn’t bear fruit (false converts) because of poor soil conditions. The fourth type was good soil which produced much fruit up to one hundred fold. That is a picture of what genuine conversion looks like. I gave this first message on the The Parable of Your Soil last Sunday. They bear much fruit. What about you?

Then Jesus gives three other parables ending with one that pictures a tiny mustard seed growing into a huge tree providing cover for many birds (Mark 4:30-32). This pictures the kingdom of God and all who have repented and truly trusted Christ and are resting in this wonderful kingdom. It pictures believers of all ages here.

My little Nancy resting under the shade of the branches of this huge tree we found some years ago in Hawaii. Wow!

Some dismiss Christianity as a thing of the past that has seen it’s day and is in decline. It is a passing thing like all religions. But, after two millennia it is still growing and in the last century has tripled. The Pew Research Center says it is the largest faith on earth with roughly 31.5 % of the world’s 7.7 billion people (as of November 2018) claiming Christianity. Islam is second claiming 23.2%. Figures may not be fully accurate but, it does say something about the impact of gospel of Christ continuing. No other person in human history has affected the world more that Christ. That is why I am encouraged and resting under this massive growing kingdom. How about you? This Sunday we look at the parables where Jesus explains these to His disciples. See you at 10:30 at church or on line.

Pastor Mark

Also, this Saturday our men will gather from 8 to 9:30 for breakfast and our Bible study on 1 Timothy 2 in the Fireside Room.

SYMBOL OF A BORDERLAND

If an eagle symbolizes America, then what symbolizes Ukraine? It is the trident seen on my shirt here. But, what is it?

It is not an anchor but a stylized falcon from the time of Prince Vladimir the Great (980-1015) who first ruled in Kiev (Kievan Rus). Falcons are quick and alert much like our eagle.

The golden wheat and blue sky are the national colors.  Clearly the rich soil and good growing seasons have made the Ukraine the bread basket of this part of the world.  No wonder others want this productive land. My shirt is a gift from our associates here, the Sagadeyevs. They are also co-grandparents of our grandkids here. 

Our weekend in Odessa was productive too.  Sunday Caleb and I were at the Skinniya Church in the downtown. Their building, a store front, is smaller than our barn but packed full of people. During the week the building is productive also as a Bible book store. I spoke here on the resurrection.  Some Tatar believers from South Ukraine testified also about the first Bible in the Tatar language just produced. The director of education for all South Ukraine was also visiting and had lengthy discussion with Pastor Oleg afterwards.  Pray!

In the afternoon we visited an old Soviet resort where now about 500 war refugees are housed. The sun came out so we had the first outdoor service of the season.  Vladimir Sagadeyev organizes this regular outreach and provided portable sound and music which brought residents down from the old hotels nearby to see what we were doing.  What an opportunity for the gospel to such needy people.

Monday we relaxed until noon and then met our long time ministry associate, Velodia Motovilian and his family from the village of Makarovo. They came to have lunch and talk.  Our Ukraine Fund will assist them in doing a VBS this summer. They also have invited us to a special 25th anniversary celebration in October.

Minutes later we also met with Vasiliy and Olga Kaletnik to talk ministry for a few more hours.  Fortunately we were able to help sort out some financial matters and discuss future ministry.  We feel humbled that the Lord has put together such an amazing ministry team in this place that needs the gospel so much.   

We bid our missionary son Caleb's family goodbye in Odessa as we boarded our overnight train to Kiev. We'll spend a few days with our missionary daughter Rachel's family and then fly home. All in all I have gone boarder to boarder in all four directions and spent four nights and a day (53 hrs.) on trains doing it. Thanks again for praying for us during this amazing time of ministry and family fellowship in this amazing borderland of Ukraine.