Discipling a Nation

Call to Prayer

Title: Discipling a Nation

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 08.11.2022

“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 that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

As we approach the end of the ages, the need for the Gospel to spread to every nation is evident. When He had just a few men, the nations was the extent of reach He gave them. Now that we have more hands for the job, the mandate of the Gospel remains the same: all nations. However, we must know what those few disciples knew that made their ministry so effective.

Within a few years after His death and resurrection, the Gospel had spread to the ends of the earth, causing great shifts in societies. It was recounted in one of the places that “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed (Acts 19:20)”. This was in the time when there was no mass media, and their means of transportation were primitive. The secret to this success of the early Church was revealed by Apostle Paul in Romans 1:5, where he said “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name“. From His speech, they gained the obedience of all nations because of the “grace and apostleship” they received.

Grace and Apostleship are another way of saying “Power and Authority” given to one to fulfill a specific mission. The early Church was entrusted with this, and it led to their effectiveness. Again, this wasn’t just a New Testament thing, it was also what God’s ministers in the Old Testament needed for effectiveness. God said to Moses about Joshua in Numbers 27:20: “You shall put some of your authority and honor on him, so that all the congregation of the Israelites will obey him.” We see the obedience of Israel to Moses and Joshua was because of the authority they were entrusted with.

Now, how do we access the power and authority from God that made the ministry of His ministers in both the old and new Testaments effective? The key is spending time with God and service. It was said of Jesus that “… He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach ( Mark 3:14 KJV). And before He sent them forth, He gave them power and authority (Luke 10:19). He only gave those that were with Him. Again, Joshua received authority from Moses, and not from God directly (Number 27:20). One thing we know of Joshua was that he was an assistant to Moses (Num. 11:23). This was also the case of Elisha, who served Elijah and received a double portion of the anointing (2 Kings 2:9).

As we spend time with Him and humble ourselves to serve those He sends, we are entrusted with grace and apostleship. This is what we need to disciple the nations.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask God to help each member of the body of Christ to spend quality time with Him and to humble ourselves to serve so we can be empowered by Him for His work.