In Matthew 28: 16 – 20, Jesus outlines the Great
Commission.
16 Then the
eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to
go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus
came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 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, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.
For most Christians today, the
Great Commission represents a thing of the past, something that was fulfilled by those
great men and women in the early church.
In the book Our Last Great Hope: Awakening the Great Commission
by Pastor Ronnie Floyd, Pastor Floyd takes this modern perception and shatters
it, showing that the Great Commission is as relevant today as it was back in
the days of the apostles it was charged to.
He does this in chapter three, where he lays out the urgency of the
Great Commission in aspects ranging from the spiritual, to the physical, to the
personal.
While reading Our Last Great Hope: Awakening the Great
Commission, I was constantly impressed with Pastor Floyd’s passion for the
Great Commission, as well as his practical advice, both for individuals and
churches in helping to fulfill this call on our lives. Pastor Floyd maintains that this charge laid
on the apostles is laid on us as followers of Christ today and it is not just a
duty, but a command from Jesus to us. I
have to be blunt and admit that parts of this book took me by surprise as well
as provided an avenue of conviction. I
have not looked at the world in terms of living and dead as Pastor Floyd has
and does, but now I see that I need to.
The advice he gives in his book
is both practical and applicable in our lives.
Pastor Floyd starts off in chapter four with transforming your family,
then moving on to the immediate, local, state, country and world
communities. Showing the reader how to
use the resources they have available, Pastor Floyd encourages the reader to
prioritize, pray, position yourself for the future, place your trust in the
Lord and use your monetary resources to the best of your ability.
This is not a book for everyone;
let me warn you now. There are people
who will be offended as well as disagree, but I will tell you who I believe
should read this book: every living, breathing person who claims to be a
Christian. As the movie line goes: “I
see dead people all the time.” When you
finish this book so will you, but you will be further equipped to help them
come to life.
(Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the
publisher for review. I did not promise
nor was I expected to give a positive review of this book. The review is mine in its entirety and
reflects my opinion only. The disclaimer
is given in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255)
1 comment:
Our pastor did a sermon not long ago and taught the same aspect. I do not know if he read the same book or not. But looking at those around me as someone who is dead and condemned because of their unbelief really changed the way I witness. I try to do more everyday in some way. We too started in our home, and my little boy (5) will tell random people that Jesus loves them, and he tells kids in his Kindergarten class that he will pray for them. God has truly blessed us. And I hope that He will continue to do so. God Bless You!
http://boydweeklydevotional.blogspot.com
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