The Great Commission or The Great Suggestion

Matthew 28:18-20 is a verse that demands our attention and obedience. "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.'" It has been correctly noted that this is the Great Commission not the great suggestion. The Great Commission is predicated upon Christ having all authority. The imperative is ‘make disciples.’ We have to ‘go’ to do this. Why are we the church so slow to get this? How have we missed such a clear command? What difference would it have made to this point in world history has the church taken this command seriously?

6,754 Unreached People Groups (2% or less know Jesus); 3,784 of those are not only unreached, they are unengaged (No one is making disciples among them). Don’t just see numbers. See people. Many people are included in these people groups. The tragic fact is that unless these people come to faith in Christ they will be eternally lost. May we pray for God to call and for the called to obey? May we be willing to go ourselves? May we give of our financial resources so that those called may go? As the Unfinished Task Clock will show, more than 3 billion people in our world today have not had an adequate opportunity to hear the gospel. Remember, it is not the Great Suggestion.

Pastor Chuck