Making Sure

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

Yesterday, we began talking about the things we need to make sure of if we’re going to live out the Great Commission. I encourage you to go back and read yesterday’s devotion if you missed it. Today, we’re going to continue this important conversation and discuss four more things we need to make sure of.

The third thing you need to do to live out the Great Commission is to make sure of the salvation of your family. Can you imagine going to heaven without your family? You have been saved, but what if your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, your brother, your sister, your mother or your father, anyone in your genetic pool or your family unit, does not join you in heaven?

If you are a believer and you have a family member, you need to share Jesus with them. I don't care where they live or what church they go to, if they have never given their life to Christ, you need to share Christ with them. They may not listen to any other person.

Fourth, you need to make sure of the salvation of your friends. Some of us have friends who are closer than family. Although they are not in our gene pool, we are like family to them. We spend more time with our friends than with many of our family members. They are a huge part of our lives.

With this in mind, can you imagine being friends with someone for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 30 years, or lifelong friends, and never sharing the Gospel with them? What if they never hear the story of Christ from your lips? Is that being the best friend you can be if you never tell them how to be saved?

Fifth, you need to make sure of your discipline. The church described in Acts 2 grew because they were making sure of their discipline. They devoted themselves to the Word of God, and they stayed in prayer. One of the greatest things you could do is to be a man or a woman of prayer. You need to speak to God, listen to Him, and stay in fellowship with God and others. When you hold fast to these spiritual disciplines, you will grow and mature in your faith.

Finally, to live out the Great Commission, you need to make sure of your sensitivity to the needs of others. In other words, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. If God places someone on your heart to bless financially, or to bless with a word of encouragement, I pray that you won’t hold back. If God tickles your heart and draws you to reach into your pocketbook or reach into your heart to bless someone, just do it! That is what the first generation did, and that’s what I hope the last generation will do as well.

If we make sure of these six things, we will surely be the types of Christians who obediently live out the Great Commission!