To the End of the Age

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 299, To the End of the Age.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20.

These are practically the last words of Jesus before He ascends, as recorded in Matthew. And they don't come from just any teacher. They come from the risen Christ — who has just defeated death, who has, in His own words, "all authority in heaven and on earth." When someone like that speaks, we pay attention.

Notice the verb: go. Not "wait until you feel ready." Not "whenever you have more time." This is an active, urgent command that sets the disciples in motion. Making disciples isn't a project for people with time to spare — it is the mission that defines the direction of the whole church, generation after generation.

And look at the scope: "all nations." Jesus isn't speaking about one people, one culture, one language. He is breaking through every border human beings have ever built — ethnic, geographic, social. The gospel was made to cross all of it. No nation falls outside the reach of this command.

But notice that making disciples doesn't stop at someone's conversion. Jesus spells it out: baptizing them, and teaching them to observe everything He commanded. It's not just leading someone to say "yes" once. It's baptism — a new identity, marked in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And it's ongoing teaching, day after day, so that person genuinely grows and obeys. Discipling is a long-term commitment, not a one-time event.

And I know, hearing all this, the mission can feel too big. All nations? Teach everything Jesus commanded? Who am I for this? And that is exactly where the final sentence comes in, the most important one of all: "I am with you always, to the end of the age." The mission is too big for any of us alone — it is. But the promise attached to it is bigger still. This isn't a task you complete by your own strength. It is Christ Himself walking alongside you, every day, to the very end.

So today, I want to challenge you with something simple and concrete. Reach out to one person — a family member, a coworker, a neighbor — and share with them one real truth from the gospel. It doesn't have to be a sermon. It can be a sentence, a short conversation, an invitation to pray together. Take the first step of discipling them. You are not alone in this — He is with you.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.