"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)

Nobody likes "that guy." Someone says "Will you please quiet down?!" and he talks louder. The flight attendant says, "Please turn off all of your electronic devices," and he whips out his cell phone to make a call. He does the exact opposite of what is asked. We all know "that guy," who thinks the rules don't apply to him.

How often in our Christian walks do we do the same thing?

"Go into the entire world and preach the Gospel."

We say, "That's a job for missionaries."

"Serve the poor, give shelter to the refugee and the alien."

We say, "That's a job for someone else."

Often, in our Christian lives, we are "that guy." We may not be as obnoxious as "that guy," but we are not in line with what we are supposed to be doing. We remember about the "don'ts" that are presented in Scripture. But we fail to focus on the "dos."

Read Matthew 28. Read the whole chapter, not just the Great Commission. The chapter starts out with the resurrection. Jesus, who left heaven to come and "dwell among" us, rises from the dead. In one mighty act, He conquered death and made a way for all people of all nations to have a relationship with God. In one moment, sin's grip on humanity was dealt a lethal blow.

Keep reading the chapter. As He prepares to ascend into heaven, Jesus gives a command. This do-not-miss-mandate is given to all who follow Him, to every man or woman, boy or girl who trusts in Him. The command that Jesus gives to all His followers is: "Go and make disciples of all nations."  

We all have the privilege of making disciples-none of us gets a pass on the responsibility­­-because God's mission is that all people everywhere hear the Good News of Jesus and have help to follow Him.

Don't be "that guy" when it comes to following Jesus' command. His Great Commission is for all of us who make up His church. We are God's chosen instrument to reach the world.

Around the time that the USSR was opening up to the Western world, I joined a troop of six people who set off to share the love of God in some busy cities in Russia, Georgia, and Armenia. This was following a period of time when the Gospel was not able to be spoken of publically in these places. It was an adventure. Our faith was challenged and our eyes were opened as we talked with people about a living God in places where that idea was rarely considered. God's Spirit moved. People welcomed and received the truth of God's grace. Lives were changed, ours included.

Twenty years later I live in Wheaton. Right now I can't travel overseas. Where is my mission field? How do I engage in God's command to be a witness to the ends of the earth? The amazing thing is that God has brought the world to us in Chicagoland. Many people in my neighborhood are from parts of the world where thoughts or discussions about the love of God are rarely considered. For this moment in time right here is not just my Jerusalem, but also my Judea and Samaria as well. The Good News is as new a concept for many in our neighborhoods as it was for those in Russia. God's spirit is calling me to be as intentional, loving, concerned, and courageous to share His love and grace as I was when I stepped behind the Iron Curtain to do the same thing.

Whether it is building relationships with my neighbors and co-workers, or reaching out to refugees from Iraq, Burma, or Burundi, God has prepared a rich and diverse mission field in my own backyard.

Who knows? Maybe one day a refugee that accepts Christ because of our church here will travel back to his or her home country and lead a revival!

We can all participate in reaching the ends of the earth without leaving our neighborhoods.

"After this, I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne... '"
(Revelation 7:9-12)

by Chris Parker, Associate Youth Pastor

At the tower of Babel, the people of the earth chose to elevate humanity by making a name for themselves rather than making the name of God known and exalting Him: "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4, ESV).

As we have seen in previous devotionals, God's desire is that His name and His name alone be lifted up among all peoples. God, in order to prevent further instances where people would build a name for themselves, chose to displace humanity around the earth and separated them by language. In this way He did exactly what humanity was trying to avoid, being scattered over the whole earth.

The proliferation of languages seems like an impossible barrier to cross. Could all peoples ever be brought together again? Yes! Read Revelation 7: 9-12. God will gather His church from among the nations to bring glory to His name. Humanity cannot and will not achieve this on its own. Only by being reconciled to God in Christ are we able to reconcile ourselves to one another. In the end, we see the ultimate fellowship of the church in Revelation 7 when the saints will rejoice and praise God in unison with "the voice of multitudes."

However, we still have a part to play! God is slowly tearing down the walls that separate us. We catch glorious glimpses of this in Acts 2 at Pentecost. (Read Acts 2.) As God sends His Holy Spirit, the apostles are able to be heard by people from every nation under heaven. God was gathering the church from all nations, from different languages and people groups everywhere to bring rightful attention to Himself. This process continues today as the global church strives to be Christ's ambassadors to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Church is His tool to reach the world, to reconcile humanity to God and to one another.

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"  (Romans 10:12-15, TNIV)

by Shannon N., Global Outreach Associate

Earlier this week, we studied how the Church has been given the task of making disciples of all nations. But what does that mean? Historically, many people have restricted this to mean countries on a map. This mindset sees the task of mission completed once the Gospel has gone to all countries in the world. But in reality, God's call is far more expansive, commanding His disciples to go not only to all countries, but specifically to all ethnic groups, however small. The goal is, of course, that ultimately every person would hear the Gospel, wherever they live and whatever language they speak. So if Jesus wants disciples from every ethnic group on earth, how does this happen? In Romans 10:12-15, Paul lays out the essential first steps for making this a reality.

Paul quotes the first part of Joel 2:32, which says, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how does this happen for the many people who do not have access to the Good News of salvation? Paul explains that certain events happen in order for people to hear the Good News. 1) Someone must first be sent, and 2) this person must share the Good News.

First, someone needs to tell those who have not heard. Twenty-eight percent of the world's people are members of ethnic groups where there is no communication of the Gospel accessible in their language or culture. Unless we do something about it, this 28 percent will probably never meet a Christian who speaks their language. Because of this, God sends missionaries to learn the culture and language of these people groups and tell them about Jesus.

Second, we also need to send those who go. What does this look like? Supporting missionaries is one type of sending. There are many forms of support, including these three:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

by Scott Murray, Junior High Pastor

There are so many mysteries in the Bible. One could even say that to grasp the doctrine of grace totally is unfathomable. We may not have all of the answers or understand everything in the Bible, but there are some things that we can get a grip on. We know what our responsibilities are as followers of Jesus Christ. Simply put, we are His workmanship, and we are being built together with others to perform the works that He has set before the foundation of the world.

What are those works that He has determined for us to do?  We are to make Him known throughout the whole world. We are to teach God's Word, make disciples, and glorify Him. This is not a part-time position. Being participants in God's kingdom work means we have punched in on "the clock," and we will never punch out. Our wages are eternal and spiritual rather than temporal and material. In the end, we will not pocket anything; we will give it all to God. We are to make known to all peoples of the world the mystery of God's "Good News."

Ephesians 3:6, ESV says, "This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." It does not matter where you come from, what language you speak, if you are an immigrant, displaced person or a slave, we are reconciled together in Christ: "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . . that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace. . . " (Ephesians 2:14-16, ESV). As Christ followers, we all carry the Gospel together to those who are without Christ, no matter what our status is in this world is.

"Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" (Psalm 113:5-6)

by Dave Thomson, Communication Director

Before you begin, ask God to use this time today to open your heart to see Him with fresh eyes. Read Psalm 113.

I chose this Psalm because I am personally overwhelmed by-and really have a hard time grasping-how our God simultaneously sits exalted above all the nations and also stoops down to "raise the poor," "lift the needy," and "settles the barren woman." His control of the nations makes His care of the broken more miraculous. While He empowers princes, He simultaneously enhances paupers. Bible Commentator Bill MacDonald says it this way, " . . . the One who is ultimately high is also intimately nigh."

No visual adequately captures this dimension of God, but for a millisecond, the image of a huge, muscular man gently holding a newborn baby or C. S. Lewis' Aslan, the lion with dangerous paws and a soft mane, offer a faint glimpse. In both we see unbelievable power and incredible tenderness present together.