The Great Commission: Is it Optional?

Matthew 28:18-20, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: 
 

Today, the world is in much turmoil, uncertainty, and sin. Currently there are close to 7 billion people living upon the face of the earth. It has been reported that 1 billion of these people have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, there are five-thousand people groups or tribes that have yet to be evangelized with the message of the Gospel.  This reality must shake us and move us to action!

It is difficult for us in the U.S. to comprehend that there are people that have no clue about Jesus or who He is or what He has done to save them from sin. We live in a culture where we have the freedom to worship God, carry a Bible, and attend one of many churches in our community. This is not the case for the majority of the world.

The other reality is that there are many within our own neighborhoods, schools, and jobs that haven’t understood the reality of an eternal place called Hell.  Nor have they understood the reality of Jesus dying to save them from this place. This reality must shake us and move us to action!

I ask the question, is the Great Commission an option? My answer is absolutely not! Jesus commands us to go into the world and preach the Gospel. I believe that every born again believer in Jesus Christ has the responsibility to spread the message and live this commission to save the lost world.

Many Christians “feel” they weren’t called to the mission field so they have chosen to send money and support others to go and preach. But where in the Bible does it give us the option to go or not to go? Where in the Bible does it tell us that if we are uncomfortable spreading the Gospel or we don’t feel safe going to a foreign land that we can send money to someone else to do it for us?

I understand that there are individuals that have a distinct call from God to move to foreign lands to plant churches and spread the Gospel. But if we aren’t careful, we will stop short of the command by just sending money to our missionaries when we ourselves have been called to go as well. Please don’t misunderstand my heart. Yes, God places people in the Kingdom to support financially but we must not allow this to take the place of us “going” too. We all have responsibility to share the Good News.

Jesus has called us to “go”. For some, going is witnessing to our neighbors. For others, it’s reaching the homeless, widows, and orphans.  There are those that are called to go to cities, nations, schools, and specific targeted groups. We have all been called to go!

Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his heart in the famous “I have a dream” speech; I too have a dream.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will forsake this world and passionately follow Christ.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will see the Great Commission as a personal mandate.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will see the value of the “Treasure” and will sell out to obtain it.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will awaken to the reality that lost people are going to Hell.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will preach the Gospel to the lost.

·    I have a dream that all Christian believers will realize that we have been blessed to be a blessing to the unfortunate.

·    I have a dream that all American Christian believers will forsake the “American Dream” and pursue “God’s Dream” of every person having eternal life.

Jesus was all about His mission. His mission was to seek and save the lost. It is time that we as Christian believers reprioritize some things in our lives. Many seek after careers, possessions, fame, comfort, and money. I don’t believe these things are necessarily wrong. But where is the priority of spreading the message of Jesus Christ? Imagine if every believer in the world would share the Gospel to the lost today.

Many people struggle to find God’s will for their life. I can tell you what His will is for you… Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission).