Day 44 - All Authority

Well, thank you so much for joining us this morning as we finish out our forty days of Ashes to Easter morning devotions.

Today we're looking at the final passage of Matthew chapter twenty-eight, that's commonly known as the Great Commission.

We read this.

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some of them doubted.

Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 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.

When I was in college, a family that I was close with left for a two-week family vacation and asked me if I would house sit while they were gone.

They needed someone that could care for their animals, water their plants, cut the grass, and other basic household chores.

Being a broke college student that was used to living in a 12 by 15 dorm room, this was a major upgrade.

Before leaving, I met with the family, they showed me around the house, gave me the instructions, and handed me the house key.

While the family was out of town, I was responsible.

I had been given authority to take care of their home.

In our final passage in the book of Matthew, Jesus is giving his final decree to his followers.

Through the resurrection, Jesus had defeated sin, death, and the powers of evil.

All authority is now placed in his hands.

He has the keys in his possession, and nothing will stop his mission from moving forward.

So with all authority, Jesus tells his disciples to do four things to go, to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach people to be obedient to all his commandments.

This passage is known as the Great Commission, and it is the new marching orders for the followers of Jesus.

We are to be proactive in spreading the truth of Jesus to our local communities and people all around the world.

However, we are not only to share the good news, but once people commit to follow Jesus, we are then to continue to help them be transformed into the image of Jesus.

Disciples of Jesus are commissioned to make other disciples of Jesus.

This is the mission of the church and every follower of Jesus.

While this task can be overwhelming and a bit intimidating, this passage should bring great comfort because of the last verse.

And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

The one that has been given complete and total authority has not left us, but instead he will be with us as we work to accomplish his mission, knowing that the one that holds the keys is working in and through us, should lead us to be bold, not shying away from the truth of God's word and what he has called us to do.

And so our action this morning, as we come to the end of our devotion series today, how has the Lord worked in your life over the last forty days?

Where has he shown up?

What changes have you made in your life as a result?

Make a list of the ways that God has changed you and then be proactive in sharing it with someone close to you that doesn't have a relationship with Jesus.

And so we pray this morning.

Lord, I thank you for who you are and for all that you have done in our lives over the last 40 days.

We thank you for the time we were able to spend in your word and how you worked in our hearts and minds.

My prayer this morning is that you would continue to use me as I move forward, living on mission for you.

Thank you so much for joining us for this morning devotion series.

We pray that it's been a blessing to you.

We'll be back with more devotions in the future, but until then, we pray that you will continue to press in and choose to read and study God's Word on a daily basis.

There are many great tools, apps, and devotions out there on the internet that you can make a practice of listening to.

Check out the Bible app that you can download on your phone.

There's many audio devotions and written devotions that you can follow along with, including many churches in our community and area that also have similar resources available.

We love you guys.

We're praying for you.

And if there's anything that we can do in the meantime, please let us know!