How do pastors carry on the Great Commission today?

In this video, Rob Ventura describes the role of pastors in fulfilling the Great Commission as it was understood by the apostles in the early church. According to Acts 2, the apostles began to teach disciples all things that Jesus commanded. This role of teaching the Word of God has continued in the local church to this day. Pastors, like the apostles, are responsible for teaching the whole counsel of God, not just parts of it, as they carry out the Great Commission.

Pastors, as elders ordained in the church, play an essential role in teaching the Word of God and guiding Christians in their spiritual journey. Ventura emphasizes that all 10 commandments are crucial to the Christian faith as they provide guidance to Christians. He mentions how the law of God serves as a guide for Christians, helping them understand how to love God, what pleases Him, and what doesn't. This love for God's law is a defining characteristic of Reformed Christians.

Psalm 119:97 (NKJV): 'Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.'

We are to teach disciples, Jesus said, all things that I've commanded. It's interesting how we see in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 2, how the apostles understood the Great Commission. They didn't start a parachurch, actually a church was started. And those early disciples continued what? Under the apostolic instruction.

So the Great Commission is fulfilled in the local church. So they understand that teaching them all things that I've commanded you, and lo I'm with you always even to the consummation of the age. Well how do we do that? Well the church is birthed and They have Pentecost and the disciples are teaching the Word of God. And we continue to teach the Word of God as pastors.

Now that the apostolate is closed the apostles planted churches and they ordained elders in every city. So elders now do that work of carrying on the Great Commission? Well, we teach the word of God. We believe in the whole counsel of God. All of God's word is for us, and we say with David of old, with reference to the law, oh, how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day long.

So as Christians, we are not just New Testament Christians, we are full-bodied Christians, full-orb Christians, all the Word of God. In fact, of course, we know in the New Testament times, it was really the Old Testament they were teaching out of, because the New Testament is still being written. So the commandments are for us, and all ten commandments, might I say, not just nine of them. And we work through them and we love the law of God. The law of God becomes a guide for the Christian.

It's a help and a sanctification. Of course it's not the law that sanctifies him, it's the Holy Spirit, but the law becomes the guard rails to say, look, I ought not to lie, I ought not to steal, I ought not to do this and this. So Calvin speaks about the three-fold use of the law, I won't get into all that now, but one of the uses is, of course for society, of course for evangelism, but it's for the Christian, to help him to know really how to love God and what pleases God and what doesn't please God. So as Reformed Christians, of course, as you know brother, we are not antinomians. We love the law of God because we love God who gave his law.