Chris Binstead
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 This is a landmark year in the history of the mission. We as a mission family have continued to press into God’s purposes for us and have some exciting news to share. We’re very pleased to announce that on 1 July 2024, AWM-Pioneers and Pioneers UK formally and legally joined together for the sake of the gospel. Our new legal name is Pioneers Arab World Ministries UK and Ireland, but as that’s quite a mouthful, we’re happy simply to be called Pioneers or, in the case of our continued work in the Arab world, Pioneers Arab World.
#arabworld #arabworldministryofpioneers #churchleadership #jesus #Messiah #salvation #SignsOfTheTimes
https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/uncategorized/arab-world-ministry-of-pioneers/
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 This is a landmark year in the history of the mission. We as a mission family have continued to press into God’s purposes for us and have some exciting news to share. We’re very pleased to announce that on 1 July 2024, AWM-Pioneers and Pioneers UK formally and legally joined together for the sake of the gospel. Our new legal name is Pioneers Arab World Ministries UK and Ireland, but as that’s quite a mouthful, we’re happy simply to be called Pioneers or, in the case of our continued work in the Arab world, Pioneers Arab World.
#arabworld #arabworldministryofpioneers #churchleadership #jesus #Messiah #salvation #SignsOfTheTimes
https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/uncategorized/arab-world-ministry-of-pioneers/
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LearningTranscript
00:00Tell you what, if I was at my home church and everybody goes out, all the children go out,
00:24then you get these hubbub starts. Everybody starts talking to everybody else, and then the moment somebody starts off, nobody takes any notice of him.
00:36You've got them very well trained, Tony. Very impressed.
00:42It really is a joy and a privilege to be with you again this morning.
00:46Last year I was looking at my notes, I was here about three years ago. Remember those days? We were just coming out of COVID.
00:53So, yeah. And now we've got bright blue skies. Isn't it gorgeous?
01:01I left home at half past seven this morning on the train on the way up from Worthing, and the trains were packed even then.
01:09So when I get home tonight, it's going to be a bit cooler, thankfully, which is why I've got a jumper and a fleece as well.
01:17So, you know, I'll get home in due course.
01:21But, yeah. Thank you for your welcome.
01:25Thank you for your prayers.
01:26Thank you for your partnership in ministry to the Arab world.
01:30Let me tell you what we're going to be doing.
01:32For the first few minutes, I'm going to give you a bit of an update as to what's happening in our ministry.
01:37Well, it's what God is doing.
01:42And I'll tell you what God is doing a lot of stuff at the moment.
01:46And then we're going to open up Scripture, a passage that you will know very well, or potentially know very well.
01:52It's known as the Great Commission.
01:55Matthew 28.
01:56But, we...
01:59Let's go back one. I'll start off with that one.
02:07This is always the problem when you've got bright sunshine.
02:10It makes it difficult to see the pictures, doesn't it?
02:12But there we go.
02:14You'll have to listen to me a bit.
02:16Is that a bit better?
02:18Yeah, you can see a little bit.
02:20What you'll see, the first thing you'll probably see, is that it doesn't mention that we're called Arab world ministries.
02:25We're now called Pioneers Arab World.
02:28There's a whole story behind that.
02:30It started 15 years ago.
02:31I could take a whole...
02:34Until the evening service to tell you what's been happening as far as that's concerned.
02:39But we're now part of...
02:40We've merged with a larger organization, but we still have this definite focus on the Arab world.
02:48And what we aim to do is going to make disciples of Jesus and meeting practical needs across the region.
02:55And as I share this morning, hopefully you'll hear some of those stories.
02:58But what is the Arab world?
03:00That should be it.
03:01Yep.
03:02You're talking about a population of 470 million people.
03:08That's a lot.
03:10It's what's at about seven or eight times the population of the UK.
03:14Each one of them made in the image of God.
03:16Now, as it says on the screen, most of them, about 93%, across the whole region, are Muslims.
03:26In some places, you talk about 97% to 99% of them are Muslims.
03:30It doesn't necessarily mean they're all fundamentalists.
03:34Some of them will only be Muslims, like practicing Muslims, if you like, during Ramadan.
03:38Lots of feasting.
03:43It always strikes me as funny that with Ramadan, that's the time when they're likely to put on weight.
03:51But when I mention the Arab world, what do I mean?
03:56Here's a map.
03:58So you're talking about North Africa, you're talking about the Middle East, you're talking about the Arabian Peninsula, those sort of areas.
04:04And the ones which are slightly darker, they're the ones in which we've got workers.
04:10As you'll see, it's most of the countries in this region, we have got workers who are actually there.
04:15And if you think about that area, is there a word that comes to mind?
04:21I think about this word.
04:24Can you see it?
04:26No.
04:27There is a word across the middle.
04:28It begins with a U, it ends in a Y, and it's uncertainty.
04:32Uncertainty.
04:35Uncertainty.
04:35What's going to happen next?
04:38What's going to happen?
04:39And if I put that one up, there's just a few things that are happening across the region.
04:45I could unpack a lot of them.
04:46I'm not going to because I want to share from Scripture.
04:50But there is, I would give one very quick update of one of them.
04:54Lebanon.
04:55I heard just on Friday some really exciting news from Lebanon.
05:01And this is from a Christian pastor in Lebanon who says, there is hope.
05:06And he said that in their country, they are now witnessing the emergence of a new hope.
05:13Praise God for that.
05:15As you go down, you'll see at the bottom, I put global uncertainty, which is very interesting
05:20given I was having a nose at the front and I picked up one of these, like for the last days.
05:25And here, no, under the heading, what is the world heading for?
05:29And here you've got war and conflict increasing.
05:32700 million people go hungry every day.
05:36Instability in the world economic system.
05:39Technology taking over our lives.
05:41The trains on the way up were very quiet.
05:47Have you noticed that?
05:48Nobody now talks to anybody else.
05:51What are they doing?
05:52They're all on a screen.
05:56I bumped into a friend of mine a couple of months ago on a train.
06:00And we hadn't seen each other for a little while.
06:04We sat next to each other and we were going to chat.
06:06All the way from Worthing to London, an hour and a half on the train.
06:09Great.
06:09Great time to catch up.
06:11The lady opposite said to us, you're not going to talk to each other the whole way, are you?
06:17We looked at each other and said, probably.
06:20Do you know what she did?
06:21She got up and she walked in the other direction to find a seat somewhere else.
06:26It's got to that sort of thing.
06:27What a shame.
06:28We were made for community.
06:32We were made to talk to each other.
06:34To be in relationship with people.
06:40Shall I say that?
06:42Yes.
06:42I think I've...
06:44No, it's like our meal times, isn't it?
06:48Can I challenge you, when we're sharing lunch together later, put your phone away.
06:53I've got to know him, I mean, that's nice.
06:59I like that.
07:01And then the fifth one on the front, it says, loss of moral values and faith in God leading
07:05to many people being trapped in a hopeless and meaningless existence.
07:12Uncertainty.
07:13The one above it says spiritual warfare.
07:16I was at a conference with some of our workers recently, covering the Arab world.
07:23And they said, what we're finding at the moment is that we're facing more than the normal share
07:28of issues.
07:30We've never known so many issues.
07:34Satan does not like what's happening.
07:36But Arabs are not just in the Arab world.
07:43There are Arabs here in the UK on our doorstep.
07:46There are about six and a half million Arabs across Europe.
07:49Here, they reckon there's about 350,000 Arab Muslims in the UK.
07:57That was the census from, what was that, four years ago now.
08:02They reckon it's a little bit more than that, but there you go.
08:07So let's tell you a little bit more about what's happening.
08:10One of our core values is this, we work in teams.
08:14So wherever you're going to find pioneers workers, they're working in teams.
08:19This is what one of our team leaders said.
08:20She said, this morning, I sat in the living room with a group of people of different ages
08:25and backgrounds, listening to a talk from scripture.
08:28The only thing that this group has in common is that we have moved here from our home countries
08:34to serve the Lord.
08:37Without this, we may never have met.
08:40Because of this, we are community.
08:45Family.
08:46We have been brought together with one faith.
08:49This is a beautiful and humbling part of the life I live.
08:52I get to be part of this and be encouraged by such amazing people.
08:56All of them have left everything they know to be here.
09:00And I am so immensely proud of the way they approach both the good and the hard things.
09:06I am looking forward to the next season as the new people settle in and relationships deepen.
09:14So wherever you've got our guys, they're working in teams, as I say.
09:18They're in a similar location.
09:19In some places, they're doing the same sort of thing together.
09:24In other places, they may be on one team, but they're all involved in different sorts of ministry.
09:30Thinking in my head, I think of one where you've got some of them who are doing,
09:35who've got running a language business.
09:38Others are running a, what's she doing?
09:44An exporting business.
09:46And they've also got a sports ministry there as well.
09:48So, you know, in different places, they might all be doing one thing,
09:50or they might be doing lots of different things.
09:52But what they do provide as a team, they provide support for each other,
09:57accountability for each other, encouragement, friendship, and babysitters.
10:05Let's move on.
10:08Oh, actually, before I do that, I'll just tell you this.
10:10About our organisation worldwide, we've got 3,000 workers in more than 460 teams
10:18serving on six continents in 101 countries, but sent by 86 different countries.
10:30How exciting is that?
10:33The noise when we get together, well, even if it's a regional conference, is quite phenomenal, as you can imagine.
10:40So, if we had uncertainty, what else do we do?
10:47Unreached people groups, it says there.
10:52If I had space, I'd put unreached people groups and places.
10:56Unreached places.
10:58A couple of years ago, our leaders were meeting together,
11:02and they sensed a call from the Lord to trust him to double the number of unreached people groups
11:11that we're reaching over the next 10 years.
11:16Reaching unreached people groups has always been one of our core values, so it's nothing new.
11:21But it was as though they felt that the Lord was nudging them, reminding them that, you know, reaching unreached people groups.
11:29The question is, what is an unreached people group?
11:34Well, according to the Joshua Project, there are 17,000 people groups worldwide.
11:42And 7,000 of them are unreached.
11:46An unreached people group, this is a simple definition.
11:49It's a group of people that lack enough followers of Jesus,
11:54and they lack the resources to be able to evangelize their own people.
12:02So, you can have a tribe in the middle of, say, Africa,
12:06where there is no established church, where there are no known believers,
12:11and so that's an unreached people group.
12:14Or even if they've got 20 believers,
12:17that's an unreached people group.
12:23So, that's our goal, to reach the unreached people groups.
12:28The unreached, the forgotten people groups.
12:33Let's take one team.
12:35They're working amongst a group of people.
12:37I'll call them the Mimi.
12:38That's not their real name, but they're called the Mimi.
12:40They are in Central Africa, well, a little bit north of Central Africa.
12:43They are unreached, and they are unengaged,
12:47which basically means that not only are there no known believers amongst them,
12:52there's nobody actually working, trying to reach them.
12:57We've got some workers who are now trying to engage them.
13:02This couple are the first Westerners in their town for more than five years.
13:11It's a two-day drive from the capital.
13:14You know, they are remote.
13:17And this two-day drive, that would mean 24 hours driving time.
13:21In this particular town, there are 20,000 people.
13:26And 4,000 of them come from this people group called the Mimi.
13:30But it's the best place to reach them.
13:33It's very close to the Mimi heartland.
13:37In the town, the Mimi people, they're shopkeepers.
13:40And outside of the town, they're nearly all subsistence farmers,
13:46which basically means that they grow enough to be able to survive
13:51and perhaps enough for local requirements.
13:55A few of them have very small flocks.
13:59The language is undeveloped.
14:02That means there's no written grammar.
14:04However, there are only a few stories from the Bible
14:08that have been translated into the Mimi language.
14:12The workers, they're beginning to start learning the language.
14:21They're aware of one believer.
14:26There are a few churches in the town.
14:30It's exciting.
14:30The however is that they speak a different language
14:34because the churches were founded by people
14:38from the southern part of the country
14:39who speak a different language.
14:43You know, they are unreached.
14:46And that is where our people are.
14:48I could tell you more.
14:50I won't.
14:52But then I'll bring you to London.
14:55Ever been there?
14:58London.
14:58And in London, yes, we've got a team.
15:02And we've got teams on other places throughout Europe,
15:05throughout the UK as well.
15:06But in London and places like London,
15:09there are lots of representatives
15:10from a lot of unreached people groups, aren't there?
15:17And they've relocated to London and other places
15:20for any number of reasons.
15:21So, the teams that we've got working in places like London,
15:27they're not just working amongst one unreached people group.
15:33They're working in an unreached place,
15:37in an unreached location,
15:39with multiple people groups.
15:42That's all part of this,
15:44what we're calling the Deeper Waters project.
15:46Unreached people groups and unreached places.
15:55Uncertainty.
15:56Unreached people groups.
15:58Number three.
16:00Oops.
16:01Got one step on.
16:02Unprecedented harvest.
16:04This is what we like to hear, isn't it?
16:07God is at work.
16:10The goal of our workers is church planting,
16:14but it won't be to plant a church like this.
16:17What you'll find in our areas,
16:19you'll find lots of little people groups together,
16:21lots of little groups together,
16:23who meet perhaps in secret.
16:25We were praying earlier about those
16:27who have been persecuted for their faith.
16:32Let's tell you one story.
16:34Let's tell you a couple of stories.
16:36We've got a school in one area.
16:43It's Greg and Rauder are involved there.
16:46And they had a religion class recently,
16:49and they challenged their high school students
16:52to answer this question.
16:54What is the purpose of your life?
16:58These are young people in a school in the Arab world.
17:02The purpose of my life is to serve the Lord.
17:04God made me and others to worship the Lord.
17:07He made me to serve him and show him to others
17:10so that they can do the same thing.
17:12My purpose is to follow Jesus and to be like him.
17:15My purpose is to show everyone
17:17that he is the way and the truth.
17:20You might be the only person a Bible will ever read.
17:24Wrong way around.
17:25Did you notice I got it wrong?
17:26You might be the only person a Bible will ever read.
17:29You might be the only Bible a person will ever read.
17:33So you must show them that Jesus is love and kindness.
17:41God is at work, even in schools in the Arab world.
17:47Edward and Lucy, their work is in North Africa.
17:50They celebrated Christmas with a local believer.
17:56And he is one of the only local believers in their city.
18:01Edward's been meeting with him,
18:02discipling him over the last 12 months.
18:05And this is what he says.
18:07He's been an encouragement to us.
18:10Please pray for him to also be encouraged.
18:12He lives among a couple of hundred thousand North Africans
18:15in this particular place.
18:18And he doesn't know any other local believers.
18:24Can you imagine that?
18:27He's experienced a lot of rejection for his faith.
18:31Despite this, he continues to share his faith.
18:36And we praise God for that.
18:40One other quick one.
18:42Jerry, he's in North Africa, again in North Africa.
18:45And he's got a language teacher.
18:48This is what he says.
18:49The Lord provided a guy who's become a really close friend.
18:53Initially, he was living in the capital,
18:54but has since decided to move to our city.
18:57And that makes it easier,
18:58because it also allows for hanging out outside,
19:01outside of language time.
19:03So this has been a real answer to prayer.
19:05And he's a good teacher.
19:06I really enjoy spending time with him,
19:08and we have that sort of connection too.
19:10About a month ago, we had a lesson.
19:12And after the lesson, he just sort of randomly said,
19:16You know, I want to tell you about a dream I had last night.
19:21So he shared with me that he had a dream
19:23in which Jesus appeared to him
19:26and told him that he needed to be born again.
19:30I was extremely excited.
19:31I tried to act normal.
19:35I tried to act normal.
19:37I know this worker well.
19:40As if I was very used to hearing stuff like this.
19:43I definitely am not.
19:45But I thought, this is amazing.
19:47And then he asked me off the back of that,
19:48Would I read the Bible with him?
19:50So now we've got stuck into John's Gospel together.
19:54And he actually prayed for the first time just last week.
19:58It's just incredible to see this guy desire to know Jesus.
20:02It's purely the Lord's doing.
20:07God is at work.
20:13But it doesn't just happen.
20:15Because we've got a part to play as well.
20:17One of the exciting things that happened
20:27as a result of COVID,
20:31would you believe it?
20:33We introduced a monthly Zoom prayer evening.
20:37Janie comes along.
20:39And it's honestly one of the highlights of the month.
20:43We meet every second Monday of the month,
20:45which means we've got one tomorrow.
20:47If you want to know more, have a word with me later.
20:52One of our workers,
20:54just at one of our recent meetings, said this.
20:56Nothing of significance happens without prayer.
21:01So without prayer,
21:02none of the stories that I've shared would have happened.
21:06God could do it, yes.
21:10But there's always prayer behind it.
21:13Another worker said this.
21:14Prayer is hard at times.
21:15We're noticing more than ever these days
21:18that the unseen work of prayer
21:20is starting to bear fruit
21:22that can be seen.
21:26And sometimes I'm asked a question.
21:31Chris, you say,
21:32how can I pray for the Arab world?
21:35My first answer always goes straight back to Scripture.
21:38Ask the Lord of the harvest
21:41to send out workers into his harvest field.
21:44The fields are white.
21:46The fields are white.
21:50And sometimes if I've got time,
21:51I'll say,
21:52here's a second one.
21:54Pray for Mohammed.
21:56It's the most popular name in the world.
21:59So when you pray for Mohammed,
22:02you are praying for a lot of people.
22:10Give.
22:12That's obviously another one.
22:13And we thank you so much for your gifts.
22:17Or even go.
22:18We have short-term opportunities as well.
22:21Have a word with me.
22:27God is at work in the Arab world.
22:33Let's open up Scripture.
22:41I'll find it
22:42and then I'll tell you which page we're on.
22:44One of my old pastors always used to say,
22:47and when you've found it,
22:48look up and smile.
22:50So we're in
22:51page 1150.
23:02Anybody looking up and smiling?
23:08Matthew writes this
23:09from verse 16.
23:10Then
23:12the eleven disciples
23:14went away into Galilee
23:16to the mountain
23:17which Jesus had appointed for them.
23:21And when they saw him,
23:24and when they saw him,
23:27they worshipped him.
23:29But
23:29some
23:30doubted.
23:34And Jesus
23:35came
23:35and spoke to them,
23:37saying,
23:38all authority
23:40has been given to me
23:41in heaven
23:42and on earth.
23:44Go,
23:45therefore,
23:46and make disciples
23:47of all the nations,
23:50baptizing them
23:51in the name of the Father
23:52and of the Son
23:54and of the Holy Spirit,
23:56teaching them
23:58to observe
23:59all things
24:00that I have commanded you.
24:03And lo,
24:04I am with you
24:05always,
24:06even
24:07to the end
24:09of the age.
24:14That's our scripture.
24:16A few years ago,
24:18there was a survey
24:19conducted online.
24:22And more than
24:232,000
24:24Christians,
24:24oops,
24:25more than 2,000
24:26Christians
24:27across the UK
24:28will ask them
24:29questions.
24:30One of the questions
24:31asked them this,
24:32how familiar
24:33are you
24:34with the Great Commission?
24:37The result
24:38was that
24:38of those
24:39who were asked
24:40who said
24:40that they were
24:41active Christians,
24:43more than 40%
24:46said that they
24:47were not
24:47at all
24:48familiar
24:49with the Great Commission.
24:52In a similar survey
24:54a few years earlier,
24:5651%
24:57of American
24:57churchgoers
24:58said that they
25:00had never heard
25:01of the Great Commission.
25:04Do those figures
25:05surprise you?
25:10Yes?
25:11No?
25:15Do those figures
25:17disappoint you?
25:19Yes.
25:19For me,
25:22I was not
25:23surprised,
25:25but I was
25:25very disappointed.
25:28I went
25:28online.
25:30We always do
25:31that when we
25:31want to ask
25:32questions now,
25:33don't we?
25:33I went online.
25:34I went to Google,
25:35the first port of call,
25:37and I searched
25:38the Great Commission
25:39online.
25:40The first entry
25:41was from
25:41Bible Gateway.
25:42I think it's
25:42probably skewed
25:43by my search record,
25:44isn't it?
25:46And that went
25:47straight to the
25:47passage that we've
25:48just read.
25:49And the second
25:50entry was from
25:51Wikipedia,
25:52that brilliant
25:53online
25:53psychopedia
25:54sometimes.
25:56And this is
25:57what it says.
25:58In Christianity,
25:59the Great Commission
26:00is the instruction
26:01of the resurrected
26:02Jesus Christ
26:03to his disciples
26:04to spread the
26:05gospel to all
26:06the nations
26:06of the world.
26:07The Great Commission
26:08is outlined in
26:09Matthew 28,
26:1116 to 20,
26:12which we just
26:12read,
26:13where on a
26:13mountain in
26:14Galilee,
26:15Jesus calls
26:16on his followers
26:16to make
26:17disciples of
26:17and baptize
26:18all nations
26:19in the name
26:20of the Father,
26:20the Son,
26:21and the Holy
26:21Spirit.
26:23And I can't
26:24disagree with
26:25a word of
26:25that.
26:26Although,
26:28did you note
26:29it said
26:29instruction
26:30rather than
26:32command?
26:36Now,
26:36the phrase
26:37the Great
26:37Commission
26:38itself does
26:39not appear
26:39in Scripture,
26:40but it is
26:42a biblical
26:43principle,
26:44it is a
26:44biblical
26:45mandate
26:45that,
26:47as we've
26:48just discovered,
26:49some Christians
26:50are not
26:51familiar with.
26:54That's a shame.
26:56To me,
26:56as an
26:57unashamed
26:57evangelical,
26:58it's at the
26:59heart of the
27:00gospel.
27:01This command,
27:03not a suggestion,
27:04not merely an
27:05instruction,
27:06a command
27:07to go
27:08and make
27:09disciples.
27:10It's our
27:11mandate.
27:12And what's
27:12a mandate?
27:12It's an
27:13official
27:13order,
27:15if you like,
27:15from on
27:16high.
27:18Many years
27:19ago,
27:19way back in
27:19the last
27:20century,
27:20when I was
27:21a student,
27:22I had
27:22dark hair
27:23then.
27:26One day,
27:26I was taken
27:27by a friend
27:28to a
27:28UCCF
27:29training event.
27:31For me,
27:32this day
27:33was hugely
27:34significant.
27:34It probably
27:35changed my
27:35life.
27:36For my
27:37friend,
27:38he can't
27:39remember it.
27:41I can.
27:41And what
27:44I can
27:44remember about
27:45that day
27:45is the
27:46main speaker,
27:49I can
27:49remember him
27:50sitting on
27:51a desk,
27:52kicking his
27:53legs backwards
27:53and forwards,
27:55sharing what
27:55God was doing
27:56in the world
27:57through his
27:58people.
28:00People who
28:01were fulfilling
28:02what it says
28:03in Matthew's
28:03gospel,
28:04fulfilling the
28:05great commission.
28:06It was on
28:07that day,
28:08umpteen years
28:09ago,
28:09that God
28:09lit a passion
28:10for mission
28:10in my heart.
28:12I learned
28:13that day
28:14that God
28:14was at
28:14work in
28:15the world.
28:16He always
28:17has been
28:17and he
28:19still is
28:19and he
28:20uses people
28:21like us
28:22whom he
28:23calls to
28:24go and
28:25to make
28:25disciples
28:26of all
28:27nations.
28:29He does
28:29not have
28:30another
28:31redemptive
28:32plan.
28:32and that
28:35great commission
28:36remains
28:37today.
28:39Mission
28:39is a
28:40central
28:40theme
28:41in
28:41God's
28:41word.
28:44Steve
28:44Richardson,
28:45who is the
28:45president of
28:46Pioneers
28:47USA,
28:47wrote this.
28:48The great
28:49commission
28:49is the
28:50most
28:50ambitious
28:51undertaking
28:52in the
28:53history of
28:53the world.
28:55It
28:55involves
28:56hundreds
28:56of
28:57millions
28:57of
28:57people
28:58and
28:59spans
28:59thousands
29:00of
29:00years.
29:02It
29:02encompasses
29:02a vast
29:03number
29:03of
29:04languages,
29:05cultures
29:05and
29:06locations.
29:07And
29:07God
29:08has
29:08entrusted
29:09a
29:09significant
29:10measure
29:11of
29:12this
29:12monumental
29:13task
29:13to
29:14weak-kneed
29:14men
29:15and
29:15women
29:15like
29:16you
29:16and
29:16me.
29:18At
29:18stake
29:19are the
29:20reputation
29:20of
29:20God
29:21and the
29:22eternal
29:22destiny
29:23of
29:23hundreds
29:24of
29:24millions
29:25of
29:26souls.
29:28That's
29:28exciting,
29:29isn't
29:29it?
29:31And
29:32at the
29:32same
29:33time,
29:33daunting.
29:36So
29:36let's
29:37have a
29:37look at
29:37these
29:37few
29:38short
29:38verses.
29:40In
29:40Matthew's
29:41Gospel.
29:42We start
29:45at verse
29:4516.
29:47Jesus
29:47has been
29:47crucified
29:48and has
29:48risen
29:49from the
29:49dead.
29:50And
29:50two
29:51weeks
29:51after
29:52that
29:52resurrection
29:53we
29:53find
29:53the
29:54eleven
29:54remaining
29:55disciples
29:55up in
29:55Galilee.
29:56That's
29:56what it
29:56says
29:56in
29:57scripture.
29:58Whereas
29:58an
29:58unspecified
29:59mountain
29:59doesn't
30:00tell us.
30:01But
30:01they,
30:02the
30:02disciples,
30:02are
30:02exactly
30:03where
30:03Jesus
30:03had
30:04told
30:04them
30:04to
30:04go.
30:05All
30:06eleven
30:06disciples
30:07without
30:07any
30:08argument
30:08seemingly
30:09so,
30:10just
30:10went.
30:11Look back
30:12to verse
30:12seven of
30:13this chapter
30:13and it
30:14tells us
30:15that the
30:15angel
30:16appeared,
30:17the one
30:17who appeared
30:18to the
30:18two angels
30:19after Jesus'
30:20resurrection
30:21said,
30:22he is
30:22going ahead
30:23of you
30:23to Galilee.
30:25There you
30:25will see
30:26him.
30:27Here they
30:27are in
30:27Galilee.
30:29So the
30:30disciples have
30:31gone where
30:31Jesus told
30:32them to
30:33go.
30:33And sure
30:33enough,
30:34in verse
30:34seventeen,
30:35just as
30:36the
30:36two
30:36Marys
30:36were
30:37told,
30:37they
30:37see
30:38Jesus.
30:40Their
30:40hopelessness
30:41after the
30:42crucifixion
30:43is replaced
30:44by adoration.
30:47And their
30:47first response
30:48is one
30:49of
30:49worship.
30:51Probably
30:52means they
30:53fell at
30:53his feet,
30:54they knelt
30:55before him,
30:56or they
30:57lay down
30:57before him.
30:58The text
30:58doesn't
30:59actually tell
30:59us.
31:00But it
31:01does tell
31:01us this,
31:02that not
31:02all of
31:03them
31:03worshipped
31:04as some
31:05doubted.
31:06I always
31:07feel sorry
31:07for Thomas.
31:10Known
31:10forever as
31:11doubting
31:12Thomas.
31:13And that's
31:13from John
31:14twenty.
31:16The text
31:16then says
31:17these words.
31:19Then
31:19Jesus
31:20came to
31:21them.
31:22Jesus
31:23came to
31:24them.
31:25He
31:25physically
31:26moved
31:27towards
31:27them.
31:29And he
31:29spoke to
31:30the
31:30disciples.
31:30These
31:31are
31:31incredible
31:32words.
31:32And remember
31:33they're
31:33the words
31:33of Jesus,
31:35the Son
31:35of God,
31:36the Saviour,
31:37the Messiah.
31:39And they
31:39are reported
31:40to us
31:41in verses
31:4218,
31:4319,
31:44and 20.
31:45This is
31:46what it
31:46says in
31:47the church
31:48version.
31:49All
31:50authority
31:51has been
31:51given to
31:52me in
31:52heaven and
31:53on earth.
31:55Go
31:55therefore
31:55and make
31:56disciples of
31:57all the
31:58nations,
31:58baptizing
31:59them in
31:59the name
31:59of the
32:00Father
32:00and of
32:00the Son
32:01and of
32:02the Holy
32:02Spirit,
32:03teaching
32:03them to
32:04observe all
32:05things that
32:05I have
32:05commanded
32:06you and
32:06lo,
32:07I'm with
32:08you always
32:08even to
32:10the end
32:10of the
32:11age.
32:12And if
32:12you were
32:12to take
32:13those words
32:13out of
32:13context,
32:15they sound
32:15absolute
32:16madness.
32:17One writer
32:18put it
32:18like this,
32:19one of the
32:20most lunatic
32:21commands
32:21of all
32:22time,
32:24until we
32:25look at
32:26the statement
32:26and the
32:27promise,
32:28and then
32:29it stops
32:29us in
32:30our
32:30tracks.
32:32It
32:33starts with
32:33Jesus
32:33claiming that
32:34he has
32:35all
32:35authority.
32:37Remember,
32:38this is
32:39someone who
32:39had been
32:40executed,
32:41who had
32:41been
32:41murdered,
32:42who had
32:42been strung
32:43up on a
32:43tree to
32:44die two
32:44weeks earlier.
32:46It didn't
32:46look as
32:47though he
32:47had any
32:48authority
32:48then,
32:48did it?
32:50But that
32:51was then.
32:52This is
32:53now.
32:53His
32:54death,
32:55his
32:55burial,
32:56his
32:56resurrection
32:57broke the
32:58power of
32:58sin and
32:59death forever
33:00in the
33:01lives of
33:01all who
33:02would believe
33:02on his
33:02name.
33:04And as
33:04a result
33:05of that,
33:05God gave
33:06him all
33:07authority in
33:09heaven and
33:09on earth.
33:11And in
33:12that great
33:13commission,
33:14Jesus
33:15passes that
33:16authority
33:17onto his
33:18disciples,
33:20us.
33:22We
33:22now have
33:23authority
33:23given to
33:24us by
33:25Jesus
33:25Christ.
33:26So
33:27reaching
33:27the
33:28nations,
33:29reaching
33:29people from
33:30all nations
33:31is passed
33:32on, is
33:33based on
33:34the authority
33:35of Jesus.
33:37And authority
33:38is defined
33:39like this,
33:40the power
33:40or the
33:41right to
33:42give orders,
33:43to make
33:44decisions,
33:45and to
33:45enforce
33:46obedience.
33:48Jesus
33:48has that
33:49right.
33:50faith.
33:52We'll
33:52look at
33:52the
33:52make
33:53disciples
33:53first,
33:54quickly.
33:56We may
33:57think that
33:57the key
33:58thing is
33:59for someone
33:59to make
34:00a profession
34:01of faith.
34:02Jesus is
34:03Lord,
34:04tick,
34:05salvation
34:05done,
34:06job done.
34:08But the
34:09text does
34:09not say
34:10make
34:11Christians.
34:12And the
34:16sad truth
34:16often is
34:17this,
34:17that a
34:18profession
34:18of faith
34:19is not
34:20followed by
34:20any deep
34:21discipleship
34:22or involvement
34:23in the
34:24church.
34:24In one
34:25door,
34:26out the
34:26other.
34:28Isn't
34:28that a
34:28shame?
34:29Isn't
34:29that true?
34:30So often.
34:32Coming to
34:33faith is just
34:34the beginning.
34:34There is a
34:35lifestyle of
34:35learning to
34:37grasp the
34:37commands of
34:38Jesus for
34:38his disciples.
34:39We are all
34:40works in
34:40progress.
34:41we haven't
34:42arrived.
34:43That's
34:44however long
34:45we have been
34:45a follower
34:46of Jesus.
34:46We're still
34:47a work in
34:47progress.
34:49And to be
34:50honest,
34:50discipleship
34:51can start
34:51even before
34:52you come
34:52to faith.
34:54We get
34:54to know
34:55the stories
34:55of Jesus,
34:57the stories
34:57of the
34:57Bible,
34:58and they
34:58can sometimes
34:59lead to
34:59faith.
35:01And our
35:01primary
35:02calling is
35:03to make
35:04disciples who
35:05make disciples
35:06who make
35:07disciples.
35:09And to
35:09make a
35:10disciple is
35:11to bring
35:11someone to
35:12learn from
35:12Jesus as
35:14their teacher.
35:17And Jesus
35:17made disciples
35:19by sharing
35:20his life
35:21with them.
35:23But the
35:23text doesn't
35:24just talk
35:25about making
35:25disciples,
35:26it talks
35:26about making
35:27disciples of
35:28all nations,
35:29and to the
35:29disciples,
35:30that would
35:30have meant,
35:31they would
35:31have understood
35:31that to
35:32mean people
35:33who weren't
35:33Jews.
35:35But Gentiles,
35:38someone who's
35:38not a Jew.
35:38for us in
35:402025, when
35:42we think of
35:43people from
35:43all nations,
35:44that not only
35:44means wherever
35:45they come
35:46from, it
35:47also means
35:48whatever their
35:49religion,
35:49whatever their
35:50gender,
35:51whatever their
35:51ethnicity,
35:52whatever their
35:53language,
35:53whatever their
35:54people group,
35:56whatever.
35:57All
35:58people.
35:58Darren's our
36:02regional leader
36:02for the
36:03Middle East.
36:04He told me
36:04this, that if
36:05someone comes
36:06to faith in
36:06Jesus in the
36:07Arabian Peninsula,
36:08they're saying
36:09this, I'm
36:10going to share
36:10the rest of
36:11my life with
36:12you.
36:14So our
36:15workers are
36:15then effectively
36:16inviting that
36:17person to
36:18join their
36:19family.
36:20Why?
36:21Because they
36:22will be thrown
36:22out by their
36:23own family.
36:25They will be
36:25persecuted by
36:26their own
36:26family.
36:27Darren says
36:29this, you
36:29can't just
36:30say I'll
36:30disciple you
36:31on Monday
36:31because there's
36:32no such thing
36:33as discipleship
36:33on Monday.
36:35In the
36:36church in the
36:36West, we
36:37think church
36:37is on
36:38Tuesday,
36:39church is on
36:39Tuesday,
36:40church is on
36:41Sunday,
36:42house group
36:42is on
36:43Tuesday,
36:44and so on,
36:44and the rest
36:45of my life
36:45may be no
36:46different to
36:47that of my
36:47neighbour.
36:48In the
36:49Arab world,
36:49it's completely
36:50different.
36:52It's life
36:52on life
36:53discipleship.
36:54So
36:55discipleship
36:56not only
36:57takes time,
36:59it is
36:59costly.
37:02And it's
37:03an incredible
37:04command of
37:04Jesus to
37:05bring all
37:05nations into
37:06discipleship,
37:07for we are
37:07all called
37:08to be
37:08disciples of
37:09Jesus.
37:11And the
37:12first mark
37:12of a
37:13disciple is
37:14to love
37:15and to
37:16adore
37:16and to
37:18be in
37:18awe of
37:19Jesus,
37:20the Lord,
37:22Jesus,
37:23the Messiah.
37:23it's all
37:25about
37:26Jesus.
37:28Jesus,
37:29who is
37:29the hope
37:30of the
37:30nations.
37:32But how
37:33do we
37:33make
37:33disciples?
37:36By
37:36going.
37:38By
37:39going.
37:40In the
37:41Old Testament,
37:41there was a
37:41lot of
37:42come to
37:43Jerusalem,
37:44come to
37:45the temple,
37:45and I hope
37:46we do
37:46still ask
37:47people to
37:47come to
37:48church.
37:48There's a
37:49recent report
37:49that's just
37:50been published
37:50which suggests
37:51that 31%,
37:53that's nearly
37:53one in
37:54three people,
37:56if we say
37:57to them,
37:58please come
37:58to church
37:58with me,
37:59that they
37:59will come
38:00to church
38:00with us.
38:03It's a
38:03good thing
38:04to do.
38:07But Jesus
38:08wants us
38:08to go,
38:10to go to
38:11the people,
38:11to go to
38:12other nations,
38:13to cross
38:13borders,
38:14to cross
38:14ethnic
38:14boundaries,
38:15to cross
38:15generational
38:16barriers,
38:17to cross
38:17social barriers,
38:18to cross
38:19class barriers.
38:20To cross
38:21the street.
38:23The word
38:24go simply
38:25means to
38:25move from
38:26one place
38:26to another,
38:28to go
38:30into the
38:30world,
38:31wherever,
38:32to make
38:32disciples.
38:33It's an
38:34active word,
38:34there's nothing
38:35negative,
38:36nothing passive
38:37about going.
38:41On the
38:41Bible gateway
38:42side, I don't
38:42know whether
38:42you've been
38:43there, I
38:44love it,
38:44there are
38:44more than
38:4560 different
38:46English
38:46translations of
38:47scripture,
38:48and you can
38:49see all the
38:49translations of
38:50any given
38:51verse.
38:51Look up
38:52Matthew 28,
38:5319, and
38:54you find that
38:54most versions
38:55will include
38:56the word
38:57therefore.
39:04What does
39:04therefore mean?
39:05It means for
39:06that reason.
39:08So Jesus
39:09has all
39:10authority,
39:12and because
39:13of that,
39:15he commands
39:15us to go
39:16with his
39:18authority,
39:18authority,
39:19and make
39:20disciples of
39:20all nations.
39:22They're not
39:22just words he
39:23speaks randomly.
39:24He speaks
39:25them with
39:26that authority
39:27to the
39:27disciples,
39:28and this
39:29gave real
39:29boldness and
39:30confidence to
39:31them,
39:32knowing that
39:34God's plan
39:34will be
39:35fulfilled because
39:36of that
39:37authority.
39:38I'll tell you
39:39what, that
39:39also gives
39:40us as the
39:41church,
39:42authority,
39:43confidence,
39:44because we
39:45know Jesus
39:46is in
39:46control.
39:51The thought
39:51used to be
39:52that as far
39:53as mission
39:53is concerned,
39:54it was the
39:54West to
39:55the rest.
39:57So
39:58Christianity
39:58was not
39:59surprisingly
40:00seen as a
40:00Western
40:00religion.
40:02Now it's
40:03far more
40:03everywhere,
40:05it's everywhere.
40:07As I said
40:07earlier, we've
40:08got people from
40:0986 different
40:10countries,
40:11and that's
40:12going some.
40:14Therefore,
40:15go and
40:17make disciples
40:18of all
40:19nations.
40:19But it
40:19still doesn't
40:20stop there,
40:20does it?
40:23Next one is
40:23baptizing them.
40:25Baptizing them
40:26in the name of
40:27the Father and
40:27of the Son and
40:28of the Holy
40:29Spirit is a
40:29Trinitarian
40:30baptism.
40:32Three persons
40:33of the Trinity
40:33equally to be
40:34worshipped,
40:35loved,
40:36served in
40:37balance.
40:38And baptism
40:39is not
40:40unimportant.
40:41Take the
40:41Arab world,
40:42it's a real
40:43significance
40:44when a
40:45believer from
40:46a Muslim
40:46background goes
40:47through the
40:48waters of
40:48baptism.
40:49Let me tell
40:49you a story.
40:51When a
40:52worker is sent
40:52to the
40:53Arab world,
40:54one of the
40:55first things
40:55they want to
40:55do is to
40:56learn the
40:56language.
40:58Arabic,
40:59for starters,
41:00and then
41:00possibly a
41:01local language
41:02on top of
41:02that.
41:03So they
41:04need to
41:04live in
41:05the area
41:06in which
41:06they're
41:06going to
41:06work,
41:07because
41:07different
41:07areas of
41:09the Arab
41:09world,
41:09they will
41:10speak
41:10different
41:10Arabics,
41:11if you
41:11like.
41:14One
41:14couple has
41:15a language
41:15tutor.
41:15We'll
41:16call her
41:16Amina.
41:17I don't
41:17know if
41:18that's a
41:18real name,
41:19but it'll
41:19do for
41:19today.
41:21She has
41:22also helped
41:23others in
41:24the local
41:24team to
41:25learn Arabic.
41:27So she
41:27knew workers,
41:28and over
41:28time she
41:29became
41:29increasingly
41:30open to
41:31the good
41:31news of
41:32Jesus,
41:33getting to
41:33know the
41:34stories about
41:35him,
41:36being
41:37discipled
41:37before her
41:38conversion.
41:38Eventually
41:40she became
41:41a follower
41:41of Jesus,
41:42knowing the
41:43risks that
41:43were involved
41:44for her.
41:46And then
41:46she decided
41:47that she
41:47wanted to
41:48be
41:49baptised.
41:51Our
41:52workers will
41:52never,
41:53ever make
41:53that choice
41:54for them.
41:56They want
41:56to be
41:57baptised
41:57themselves.
41:57She's also
41:58keen to
41:59share the
41:59gospel with
42:00her roommates.
42:02She wants
42:02to be
42:03baptised.
42:03Note this,
42:04to the
42:04Muslim,
42:05baptism is
42:06one
42:07unmistakable
42:08sign that
42:09a convert
42:10has renounced
42:11his Islamic
42:11background,
42:12his Islamic
42:13faith to
42:13become a
42:14Christian.
42:15So the
42:16Muslim,
42:17baptism is
42:18apostasy,
42:20a total
42:20rejection of
42:22Islam.
42:24Jesus
42:25doesn't stop
42:25there with
42:26baptising them,
42:28teaching them
42:29to obey
42:29everything I
42:30have commanded
42:31you.
42:33The call
42:34of Jesus
42:34is to
42:35follow his
42:37teaching and
42:38to make
42:38disciples
42:39who make
42:40disciples.
42:41Mustafa,
42:42tell you
42:42another story.
42:43A young
42:44man from
42:45the Arab
42:45world,
42:46his uncle
42:47became the
42:47leader of
42:48the family
42:48when Mustafa's
42:49father died.
42:52Bit of
42:52background here.
42:53Mustafa's
42:54uncle was
42:56very,
42:57very Islamic.
42:59Mustafa's
43:00father was
43:02far more
43:03lenient.
43:04One of
43:05Mustafa's
43:06father's
43:06wives,
43:08Mustafa's
43:08own
43:08mother,
43:09was a
43:10Christian.
43:11And he,
43:12Mustafa's
43:13dad,
43:13allowed her
43:14to practice
43:15her Christian
43:15faith.
43:16See how
43:17lenient he
43:18was.
43:18He wouldn't
43:19allow anybody
43:19else in the
43:20family to
43:21practice it,
43:22though,
43:22even her
43:23sons.
43:26Now,
43:26when his
43:27father died,
43:28Mustafa knew
43:29there were
43:30going to be
43:30problems.
43:31So he
43:32left.
43:34He left
43:35the family.
43:37He started
43:37seeking Jesus,
43:39asking questions
43:40because he'd
43:40seen Jesus
43:41in his
43:41mother.
43:44He goes
43:45to a
43:45neighboring
43:45country.
43:47He studies
43:47the Bible
43:48with a
43:48Christian
43:49leader in
43:49this neighboring
43:50country.
43:51He's led
43:52to faith.
43:53He's
43:53baptized.
43:55He's
43:55discipled.
43:56He's telling
43:57people about
43:58Jesus.
43:59He's
43:59fulfilling
44:00the Great
44:00Commission.
44:03But his
44:05uncle hears
44:06what he's
44:06doing.
44:08This is
44:08uncle
44:09fundamentalist.
44:12And his
44:13uncle offers
44:14a reward on
44:15Facebook to
44:17hear about his
44:18nephew's
44:18whereabouts.
44:19It sounds
44:20relatively
44:20innocent so
44:21far.
44:23Mustafa's
44:23roommate sees
44:24this message
44:25on Facebook,
44:26contacts him,
44:27claims the
44:28reward.
44:29The uncle
44:30comes looking
44:31nicely,
44:33looking for
44:34his nephew,
44:36finds him,
44:37stabs him,
44:38wants to
44:40kill him,
44:41puts him
44:42in hospital.
44:46Didn't kill
44:47him,
44:47thankfully,
44:48praise God.
44:49Ever since
44:50that time,
44:51Mustafa has
44:51tried to
44:52stay one
44:52step ahead
44:53of his
44:54uncle.
44:54at the
44:56same time,
44:57continually
44:58being
44:58discipled,
44:59learning
45:00more about
45:00Jesus.
45:02At the
45:02same time,
45:03seeking to
45:04obey everything
45:04that he's
45:05hearing about
45:06Jesus,
45:07doing everything
45:08that Jesus
45:09has taught
45:10him.
45:12These are his
45:13words.
45:14What I have
45:15been through
45:16is nothing
45:17in comparison
45:18with what
45:19Jesus went
45:20through for
45:21us.
45:24If people
45:24are discipled
45:25to know
45:26and obey
45:27everything that
45:27Jesus commands
45:28us,
45:29then they,
45:31then we,
45:32are equipped
45:33to serve
45:34him.
45:34And that
45:35means us
45:36being prepared
45:37to face
45:39trials of
45:40many kinds
45:41and temptations,
45:43which takes
45:45us back to
45:46making disciples,
45:48making disciples.
45:50Final words
45:51of Jesus.
45:53We do not
45:54go alone.
45:56It says
45:56here,
45:58and lo,
45:59I am with
45:59you always.
46:01In the
46:02Passion
46:02translation,
46:03it says,
46:03never forget
46:05I am with
46:06you.
46:09We don't
46:10go alone.
46:12And there's
46:12a certainty
46:13about it.
46:14Jesus
46:15continues his
46:16life and
46:17ministry through
46:17each one
46:18of us and
46:20through his
46:20church.
46:22What a
46:23promise.
46:24What a
46:25wow moment.
46:27What do
46:28we do
46:28with a
46:30passage like
46:30this?
46:31Is it
46:32relevant to
46:33me?
46:33The
46:36Great
46:36Commission
46:36is a
46:37command.
46:39Commission
46:40just means
46:41instruction,
46:42command or
46:43role given
46:44to a
46:44person or
46:45group.
46:45It's an
46:45order.
46:46It's not
46:47a suggestion.
46:49And we
46:49have been
46:50commissioned.
46:52It's been
46:52entrusted to
46:53us to go.
46:55We have been
46:56commissioned by
46:56someone with
46:57authority.
46:58One writer put
46:59it this way,
47:00if I am
47:00his disciple,
47:01I'm
47:02commanded to
47:03go and
47:03make
47:03disciples of
47:04others.
47:05On the
47:06other hand,
47:06if I am
47:07not making
47:09disciples of
47:09others,
47:10then I'm
47:12not being
47:12the disciple
47:13God wants
47:13me to be.
47:17Matthew 28
47:18says to go
47:18and make
47:19disciples.
47:20For the
47:20first disciples,
47:21their task,
47:22their first
47:23task was to
47:23go back to
47:24Jerusalem,
47:24to wait
47:26for the
47:26gift of
47:26the Holy
47:27Spirit.
47:28And when
47:28he came,
47:29you had
47:30Pentecost.
47:31That's
47:31Acts 2.
47:33And then
47:34they go.
47:35And the
47:36world was
47:36changed.
47:37And tell
47:37you what,
47:38if those
47:40disciples had
47:41not gone,
47:43we would
47:44not be here
47:45today.
47:48God could
47:49choose to
47:50reach the
47:50world any
47:51way that he
47:51wanted to,
47:52but he
47:52chooses to
47:53do it
47:54through
47:54people like
47:55you and
47:56me.
47:56But we
47:57don't do
47:58it alone
47:58because it's
48:00God who
48:01is at
48:01work.
48:02He just
48:03works through
48:03us.
48:05What we
48:05want to do
48:06as pioneers
48:07is to
48:08discern where
48:09God is
48:09already at
48:10work and
48:11join him
48:12in coming
48:14into land.
48:15But you
48:16and me,
48:16if we're
48:16honest,
48:18we're
48:19fearful,
48:19aren't we?
48:20But the
48:21text tells
48:22us we've
48:23got his
48:23authority.
48:24And he's
48:25with us.
48:25The phrase
48:26fear not
48:27or do
48:29not be
48:29afraid is
48:31in scripture
48:31365 times
48:33in,
48:34that's one
48:35a day.
48:36That's
48:37encouraging and
48:38significant.
48:40We feel
48:41weak,
48:42vulnerable,
48:43fearful,
48:45isolated,
48:46inadequate.
48:48So do our
48:49workers in the
48:50Arab world.
48:50world.
48:51But they
48:52realize that
48:53it's in
48:53their weakness
48:54that God's
48:56strength is
48:57revealed.
48:59Close with
49:00the words of
49:00Les Isaac.
49:01He was the
49:02guy who
49:02founded
49:03Street Pastors.
49:05The website
49:06describes them
49:07as the church
49:08in action on
49:08the street.
49:09Les says
49:10these words,
49:10the biggest
49:11challenge today
49:12is Christians
49:13not having
49:14confidence in
49:14the gospel.
49:15They say
49:15I'm scared.
49:18I don't
49:18know if I
49:19know my
49:19Bible.
49:20What if
49:21they ask me
49:21a question
49:22I can't
49:22answer?
49:23And there
49:23is so much
49:24fear that
49:24Christians feel
49:25let me shut
49:27up and
49:28remain quiet
49:29and instead
49:29be an
49:30undercover
49:30agent
49:31licensed to
49:32do nothing.
49:33But the
49:34text tells
49:36us that we
49:36are licensed.
49:37We've got
49:38the authority
49:39of the
49:40creator of
49:40the universe
49:41and he
49:43goes with
49:44us.
49:45Jesus said
49:48therefore
49:49go and
49:51make disciples
49:52of all
49:52nations.
49:53Our mandate
49:54friends is
49:54to go.
49:56It could
49:56be to
49:57another
49:57nation.
49:58It could
49:59be to
49:59international
49:59students.
50:01It could
50:01be on a
50:02short term
50:02trip.
50:04It could
50:04be to
50:05our
50:05neighbour.
50:07What's
50:07stopping
50:07us?
50:09And if
50:10we can't
50:10go we
50:11still have
50:13a role
50:13to play.
50:15And that's
50:15to ask
50:16the Lord
50:16of the
50:17harvest to
50:17send out
50:18more workers
50:19into his
50:20harvest field
50:21and to
50:22pray for
50:22them while
50:23we're there.
50:24There is
50:25so much
50:25more that
50:26could be
50:26said.
50:27Just
50:28scratch the
50:29surface.
50:30We engage
50:31in global
50:32mission out
50:33of weakness
50:33and vulnerability
50:34but may
50:36we be
50:37willing to
50:38obey and
50:39trust God
50:40trust that
50:43he will
50:43do what
50:44only he
50:45can do
50:45in his
50:46way in
50:48his time.
50:49Amen.
50:50I do
51:03thank you
51:03very much
51:04Chris for
51:04that very
51:05clear
51:06exposition of
51:07the great
51:07commission.
51:09May we
51:09indeed go
51:10in the
51:10name of
51:10Jesus.
51:11And so
51:12Lord we
51:12do pray
51:12the Lord
51:13of the
51:13harvest to
51:14send out
51:14labourers
51:15into the
51:15harvest field.
51:17Pray for
51:17those who
51:18are despised
51:19and forsaken
51:20because they've
51:21chosen you
51:21especially in
51:23the Arab
51:23Muslim world.
51:25Pray Lord
51:25that you help
51:26them to stand
51:26in you and
51:28help us all
51:28Lord to put
51:29our trust in
51:30Jesus to
51:30follow you
51:31to do your
51:32will whatever
51:34it may cost
51:34us to make
51:36our lives
51:36available to
51:37you and
51:38follow you
51:38in all that
51:40you command
51:40us to do.
51:41May we be
51:42your disciples
51:43not just
51:44believers but
51:45disciples who
51:46learn from
51:47you.
51:47And teach
51:48others to
51:49learn also
51:49from you.
51:51We pray this
51:51in Jesus'
51:52name.
51:52Amen.