Re: Verse reading–Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20 (day four)
In the book, Spiritual Warfare and Missions by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer, it is pointed out that in Matthew 28:18-20, God’s Word is a command. A command is not optional. If we were to say to our children, “would you help with dishes?”…we would not really be asking a question that allows for an option for obedience. We would be giving a polite command with every expectation of obedience. One of Satan’s tactics, to delay or deter the advancement of God’s Word across the nations, is to convince the church that obedience to this command is optional. Rankin and Stetzer warn that Satan diverts our attention from our original mission and focuses us on programs and projects that keep us from taking the Gospel to the nations. If we begin to speak in terms of volunteering for missions, we have lost our focus. We are commanded…we don’t volunteer!
