Now we turn our thoughts to Easter and reaching others for Christ. Reaching others is our mandate given to us by none other than

Jesus himself in what we call the Great Commission!

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Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with

you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28.18-20

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The mandate is clear. We understand it very well! I think we even do a really good job of reaching others with the gospel. I do however want

to share with you a new concept where sharing the gospel. It may not be new to you, but it is new to me. I don’t think I have ever run across

this before, and if I did it certainly didn’t register with me as it has in recent weeks.

It comes from the Apostle Paul and a phrase he used more than once, and a concept he shared numerous times in his writings in the New Testament.

 

To the Colossians, Paul said, “I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit,

so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.” Colossians 1.25

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Then, to the Romans Paul said, “For I will not presume to speak of anything [g]except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting

in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem

and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15.18-19

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What does Paul mean, “to fully preach the gospel?” It could mean that he desired to preach the whole gospel and preach it accurately, but

it can also mean that it was Paul’s desire to preach the gospel to everyone God intended him to preach to the day he called Paul to be a

minister of the gospel! He didn’t want to leave anyone out or to miss any opportunity given him! 

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He said it differently when he said in Philippians, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that

I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3.12

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As a church, we want to have the same desire! We want to accomplish everything that God intended for us to accomplish when he led the

men and women of this community to establish this church many years ago! 

As individuals, the goal is the same! How are you doing with preaching the gospel in your circle of family, friends, and acquaintances? Are

you fully preaching the gospel, or barely preaching the gospel at all?​ God gives us opportunities to share with others and when he does

we need to take that opportunity! 

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Yesterday, one of our members was approached by a person in a store in Jackson, and the person asked her to pray for her because she

didn’t feel like God was hearing her prayers. Not only did our church member pray for her, but she invited her to church, and last night that

person was in attendance in one of our adult Bible studies! (2/18)

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We want to take every opportunity given to us to proclaim the gospel! We don’t want to miss any opportunities! We want to fully make the

word of God known! 

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In Christ

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jlk