Three Reflections on the Great Commission
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
The Great Commission is a cornerstone text for all disciples that we ought to reflect on regularly. Within it we see our Christian mission, we gain encouragement for our weakness and wonder for our worship. Today let’s be reminded of the mission Christ left for His disciples and reflect on how we can participate fully in His will with our lives.
Reflection 1: The power of a disciple is rooted in their connection with Christ. (V18)
The authority by which a disciple achieves their ministry is not their own, but given through Christ. The mission of disciple-making is not our own nor are the results reliant on our power. The first thing we must be constantly reminded of as we participate in Christ’s ministry is that it is firstly His power, His ministry and His glory. Disciples who meditate on this practice humility and faith no matter the circumstances of their ministry.
Reflection 2: Discipleship isn’t the means to an end, but the end goal itself. (V18-19)
Oftentimes we think the purpose of discipleship is to make better ministries or to build better leaders. However, the purpose of Christ’s ministry is the Church itself. To bring to God all those who are rightfully His and to graft them into the covenant of salvation. To invite sojourners of life into the family of God. To convert those who were distant to God to become friends of Christ. For Christians it’s easy to mistake the activity of church for the mission of the Church. But let’s be reminded that for Jesus, the building of disciples is the very mission we have been given, for people both inside and outside the church.
Reflection 3: Obedience is the marker of maturity.
Finally, we see that maturity in Christ is not just a pursuit of intellectualism or knowledge but a desire to obey Christ’s commands in every sphere of life. To be devoted to scripture daily and to live a life obedient to Him. Healthy disciples remind one another of Jesus’ commands and spur one another on in obedience.
All of these reflections are simple but profound. Discipleship is available to all but it is challenging to keep our focus on. Today let’s take a moment to re-centre our ministry upon Christ’s words and renew our effectiveness in Him.
大使命的帶來的三點反思
“天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。”
這是所有門徒都要常常思考的最重要的經文：“大使命”。它向我們揭示了作為基督徒的使命，使我們在軟弱中得著鼓勵，在敬拜中充滿敬畏。今天，讓我們再次回顧基督留給祂的門徒的這個使命，並思想我們如何能全身心的行在他的旨意中。
反思一：門徒的力量源於與基督的連結（第18節）
門徒完成事工所倚靠的權柄並非源於自身，而是基督所賜。門徒訓練的使命同樣不是出於我們自己，其成果也不是依賴於我們自身的能力。當我們參與基督的事工時，首先必須時刻銘記：這是祂的權能、祂的事工和祂的榮耀。不斷思想這一點的門徒，無論事工的處境如何，都能操練謙卑與信心。
反思二：門徒訓練不是達到目標的手段，而是最終目標（第18-19節）
我們常常認為門徒訓練的目的是為了建立更好的事工，或是培養更優秀的領袖。然而，基督事工的最終目的，是教會本身。要將所有屬神的人帶到祂面前，使他們進入救恩的約中；邀請人生的寄居者進入神的家庭；將那些與神疏遠的人轉化為基督的朋友。基督徒很容易把教會的“活動”誤認為就是教會的“使命”，因此我們需要被再次提醒：對耶穌而言，祂交托給我們的使命就是建造門徒——這使命涉及教會內外所有的人。
反思三：順服是屬靈成熟的標誌
最後，在基督里的成長不僅僅是追求知識或屬靈的洞見，而是渴望在生命的各個層面完全的順服基督。每天堅持讀經，並活出順服祂的生活。健康的門徒會彼此提醒基督的教導，並在順服中彼此激勵。
這些反思看似簡單，卻蘊含深意。門徒訓練對所有人都是開放的，但要持續專注於其核心卻頗具挑戰。今天，讓我們花些時間，將事工重新聚焦於基督的話語上，使我們在祂裡面從新得力。
