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BAPTISM:
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HOW
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Traditional
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Christian
Mahjongg
Story
(something to think about)
THE WORLD-WIDE COMMISSION
Mark 16:15 And He said unto them, go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
People do not like commandments, but yet it is a great relief and
strength to come back to one, and answer all questions
with ‘He bids me!’ Now, these words of our Lord open up the whole
subject of the Universality of Christianity.
I. The divine audacity of Christianity.
Take the scene. A mere handful of men, whether ‘the twelve’ or ‘the
five hundred brethren’ is not important. How they
must have drawn back when they heard the sweeping command, ‘Go ye into all the world’!
It is like the apparent
absurdity of Christ’s quiet word: ‘They need not depart;
give ye them to eat,’ when the only visible supply of food was
‘five loaves and two small fishes.’On that occasion, and in this final
commandment they had to take Christ’s presence
into account. ‘I
am with you.’ Notice the obviously world-wide extent of Christ’s
claim of dominion. He had come into
the world, to begin with, that ‘the world through Him might be saved.’ ‘If any man thirst, let
him come.’ The parables
of the kingdom of heaven are planned on the same grand scale. ‘I will draw all men
unto Me.’ It cannot be disputed
that Jesus ‘lived and moved and had His being’ in this vision of
universal dominion. Here emerges the great contrast of
Christianity with Judaism. Judaism was intolerant, as all one God
faiths must be, and sure of future universality, but it
was not converting people — not a missionary faith and still is not
today. It is exclusive and unprogressive still.
Christianity is alone in calmly setting forth a universal dominion, and
in seeking it by the Word alone. ‘Put up thy
sword into its sheath.’
II. The foundations of this bold claim.
Christ’s sole and singular relation to the whole race. There are
profound truths embodied in this relation.
(a) There is implied the adequacy of Christ for all. He is for all,
because He is the only and all-sufficient Saviour. By
His death He offered satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.
‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the
earth, for I am God, and there is none else.’
(b) The divine purpose of mercy for all. ‘God will have all men to be
saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth.’
(c) The adaptation of the Gospel message to all. It deals with all men
as on one level. It addresses universal humanity. It
speaks the same language to all sorts of men, to all classes of
society, and in all ages. Christianity is not limited to a
select group of people. Consequently it introduces a new notion of the
unity of humanity, and knows nothing of
privileged classes. Note the history of Christianity in its relation to
slavery, and to inferior and down-trodden races.
Christianity has no belief in the existence of ‘hopeless outcasts,’ but
proclaims and glories in the possibility of winning
any and all to the love which makes godlike. There is one Saviour, and
so there is only one Gospel for ‘all the world.’
III. Its vindication in facts.
The history of the spreading of the Gospel at first is significant.
Think of the varieties of civilization it approached and
absorbed. See how it overcame the bonds of climate and language. How
unlike the Europe of today is to the Europe of
Paul’s time! In this twentieth century Christianity does not present
the marks of an expiring superstition. Note, further,
that the history of missions vindicates the world-wide claim of the
Gospel. Think of the great number of converts in the
first fifty years of gospel preaching. The Roman empire was
Christianised in three centuries! Recall the innumerable
testimonies; like the absolute abandonment of idols in the South Sea
Islands, the weakening of caste in India, the
romance of missions in Central Africa. The character, too, of modern
converts is as good as was that of Paul’s. The
gospel in this century produces everywhere fruits like those which it
brought forth in Asia and Europe in the first
century. The success has been in every field. None has been abandoned
as hopeless. Christianity has constantly
appealed to all classes of society. Not just many ‘rich,’ but some in
every age, class and land.
IV. The practical duty.
‘Go ye and preach.’
The matter is literally left in our hands. Jesus has returned to the
throne. Before departing He made
the distinct command. There it is, and it is ageless in its
application, — ‘Preach!’ that
is the one gospel weapon. Tell of
the name and the work of God manifest in the flesh. First evangelise,
then disciple the nations. Bring to Christ,
then build up in Christ. There are no other orders. Let there be
boundless trust in the divine gospel, and it will vindicate
itself in every mission-field. Let us think of Christ and the Church.
Our anticipations of success should be world-wide
in their sweep. Just like when they light the festival lamps around the
dome of St. Peter’s, there is first a twinkling spot
here and another there, and gradually they multiply until they outline
the whole in an unbroken ring of light, so one by
one men will enter the kingdom, till at last every knee shall bow, and
every
tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. He shall reign from shore to shore,
With unlimited sway.’
May God bless all of you and may you be a blessing to many many others.