His last command, our first concern


One of the last recorded commands of Jesus is found in Matthew 28:10-20:


  • “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


We call it the Great Commission or His Last Command.

 

It is this command that has compelled and motivated many missionaries to take the gospel to the ends of the world. Many missionaries are driven by a profound love for people and a desire to see others experience the same salvation and transformation they have found in Christ. This compassion often compels them to sacrifice their own comfort and security to reach those who have not heard the gospel. Many gave their lives for this course. 

 

They lived and died for this command. Nothing else mattered. 

 

“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered, it is a command to be obeyed.” ~ Hudson Taylor

 

Jesus' main purpose for coming to earth was to bring salvation to humanity and restore a broken relationship between God and people. 


  • Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost

His primary mission was to rescue humanity from sin and its consequences.

 

In spite of all the great work done by the missionaries, about 35% of the world has yet to hear the gospel for the first time. 

 

Now this mission has been given to the church, you and I.


  • Ephesians 3:10-11 - God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.


An if this last command of our Lord is to be fulfilled, we have to wake up from our slumber and do what is necessary. It’s enough of talking, discussing and praying about the Great Commission. Yes they are important but nothing really happens until we take action. – GO.

 

Isn’t this what God did in John 3:16. God loved the world so deeply that He sent His Son. The Father commanded the Son to GO, and in obedience, Jesus came to us.

 

In Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit was given so that we will GO and be witness to the rest of the world.  The early church headed the command. It became their first concern. They took the gospel to their then known world. They turned the world upside down. 

 

The command to GO was so compelling that Paul said:


  • 1 Corinthians 9:16 - "For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!


It’s our turn now to GO. That is why we are taking the gospel to the unreached places in the world. So that the ends of the world will hear the name of Jesus and the way to life eternal.

 

"Go for souls, and go for the worst" - William Booth

 

If all of us Christians took His last Command as our First Concern, the world will be evangelised in no time. GO 


  • Romans 10:14 - But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u
Read more

Fare-thee-well my friend, Rev James Ng - A tribute

Image
I t was with deep sadness that we bade farewell to another of God's General, Rev James Ng. But we don't grieve like the rest of the world because of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We will meet him soon at the Master's feet. To me , he was more than a friend. A true brother in Christ. He was one of the pillars of our Missions work in Asia. A true missionary, teacher, philantrophist and servant with a devoted passion for His Master.  I met James in 2010, when he attended the Haggai Area Seminar, held in RELC. He was introduced to me by our dear friend, Sis Doreen Lim and her husband Dr Lim. Thereafter we became good friends and he became acquainted with our mission work. He was a regular on many of those trips. He preached and taught the Word to many church planters and congregations. It was not easy for him, with all his medical conditions. There were times when we had to travel long hours on the road, up the mountains, down the valleys, cross rivers, and stay in uncomfor
Read more

25th Wedding Annivesary - Silver Jubilee

Image
11-1-11 - 25th Wedding Anniversary. Today my wife and I celebrate our Silver Jubilee, 25 years of being married together. How time flies. I look out of the window, the weather reminiscent of the day we got married. It was raining the whole day and so is today. How appropriate. Praise God for His faithfulness in our lives and for the blessings He has given us. Lam 3:22-23 - Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It has been a wonderful journey. Yes there were disagreements, quarrels, desperation and even "fights" but through it all, our love has grown stronger for the Lord , for the family, for the ministry and for one another. Jeya has been the magnet that holds our family together. Almost three months in a year I am out of country for ministry and kids busy in school. But she has always been the inventory holder that keeps reminding of the things that needs to be done an
Read more