FROM THE TOP
LELAND ACKER chreporter@mediactr.com
Go! And as you are going, teach! Those were the words Christ gave to His first church before He ascended up to Heaven.

For the past couple of weeks, we have been discussing "going." "Going" is important. It teaches us that churches should be on the move ministering the Gospel, not lamenting that people aren't coming in to be ministered to.

However, one can get involved with "going" and still miss the point. Unless we "teach," we still have not fulfilled the Great Commission.

When Jesus said "teach all nations," the word he used for "teach" was a Greek word which means "to disciple."

"To disciple" means to guide someone to be a follower of Jesus Christ. So Jesus was saying "Go, and guide people of all ethnicities (nations) to become followers of me."

Christ wants people to learn about Him. (Matthew 11:29). He wants people to know He exists and rewards those who diligently seek after Him (Hebrews 11:6).

He wants people to know He created all things (John 1:1-3), and that mankind is created in His image (Genesis 1:27).

He wants all people to know that no one measures up to His standard. No one measures up to His holiness. No one is righteous. No one understands Him and no one seeks Him (Romans 3:9-10, 23).

He wants all people to know that despite our sin and insistence on doing things our way, He still loves us and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (John 3:16, Luke 24:46-47, Romans 3:24-25, 5:6-9, 6:23, Isaiah 53:10-11).

He wants all people to know that salvation comes by repentance and faith (Luke 24:47, Ephesians 2:8- 9, Acts 2:38, Luke 13:3, 5, John 3:16-18, Mark 1:15).

He wants all people to know that His desire is for all people to follow Him. To follow Him means to follow His teachings and obey His commandments.

The only way for all people to know these things is if we teach them. Romans 10:14 says "How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"

The Ethiopian eunich in Acts 8 was trying to make sense of Isaiah 53, when Philip asked him if he understood what he read. The eunich replied "How can I, except some man should guide me?" Go, TEACH!

Next week, we'll evaluate your church's responsibility to you.