Jesus' command to go into all the world baptizing remains strongly intact. All are called to be buried in baptism into the Son of God in order for sins to be washed out and the Holy Spirit to be moved in.
The seeker of God will find utmost blessing in making a heart-felt move to be immersed into Jesus. New birth strikes the old heart of one who felt he or she was merely living a rote life of meaningless repetition. To be baptized into Jesus is to get to start life over!
The church is correct in noting the strength of this New Testament teaching which is immensely vital. Wonderfully, many are giving their lives to Jesus day and night throughout the world. They have for centuries and the move continues.
Yet, a baptism blind spot has innocently arisen among us. I was blinded by it for I had begun to believe that the end goal for all I knew was for them to be baptized. If baptized then we are home free. Because of that view, I would not reach to others if I could not see baptism as the result.
If I could not see how to connect with an individual in order to eventually baptize them, I wouldn't begin. This is the blind spot. Ours is the job of sowing the seed and watering it. God will give the increase. He might let me get to be a part of the baptismal excitement and He may not.
The blind spot was short-sheeting my kingdom efforts for I didn't have the vision of the multitudinous thousands throughout the lands that would be God-partners in the process of saving souls. Furthermore, I found myself focused solely on baptism with very little need to develop a relationship (myself or my students) with Jesus.
Baptism had become a god. It was my hero and the numbers were my game. The problem with this is several. For now let it suffice to say that my skewed vision was profoundly limited because I wanted that person in the water and if I couldn't see the process fulfilled, I didn't start.
I didn't start. This is the blind spot. This is disastrous.
Today is different. I feel just as convicted that God calls all to be buried in Jesus' name. And I also believe that scattering seed while trusting others to water and my watering seed that others have sown counts...major!!
God's kingdom is obsessed with extensive reach far beyond the end of my arm. If there were 2000 baptized over night--and the number does matter for it represents a person meeting God--it is very likely some of you and I had crossed their paths along the way to have either planted or watered.
This is not to cause indifference of our mission; but rather enhance it. It should, however, awaken us to the fact that what God has going on in this world of winning souls is not restricted to what one can tabulate or report. The Apostle Paul said he couldn't rightly recall who all he had baptized; yet because of the Spirit of God in him hundreds of thousands continue to be reached.
So it is with you and me. Keep on baptizing the lost into Christ. And avoid the blind spot that would cause you to believe that God is limited by your meager personal reach.
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