Most every Christian has heard the term, “The Great Commission”.  The Lord Jesus gave it in Matthew 28:16-20 as His final instructions to His disciples outlining their life mission before returning to heaven, and it went like this:

Mat 28:16  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Mat 28:17  And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Now to me, that’s all pretty clear, no parables, no hidden agenda, no mystery, just a solid statement of facts of the authority He has, and He is telling the disciples what they were to do.  The disciples saw Jesus, and they worshipped Him. But the disturbing fact was that in verse 17 it said “some doubted”.  We know by earlier scripture that one of the disciples, whom we call “Doubting Thomas” was one of them.  But who were the other doubters?  I believe that statement has a double meaning: to include His “disciples” in THIS age. Could we possibly have doubters in this age among His “disciples”?  As it is written, “you shall know a tree by its fruits”.

When reading the Bible we see the accounts of the ministry work of some of the disciples, but not all of them are mentioned outside of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and there must be a reason why.  For example, Matthias who was chosen to take the place of Jude who betrayed Jesus, is not mentioned again, and it makes me wonder if he spent the rest of his life fulfilling the “Great Commission”, or if he just faded away.
Now, once we have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and have believed unto salvation, then surely we are become His disciples, right?  Remember when Peter gave his first sermon on the day of Pentecost?

Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

So we see the “Great Commission” did not end at the original disciples, but rather just BEGAN.  And it is necessary that it has continued on to this day, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. “ We know God has not stopped calling men to repent and be saved.   So how is it we are not seeing three thousand added to the Body of Christ at the preaching of a sermon today?

Sometimes people get all excited in the beginning, but they don’t stay the course.
Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mat 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

We know that most cats don’t like to have their fur rubbed the wrong way.  Well, I’m about to rub some the wrong way and TELL you why we aren’t seeing massive amounts of people saved in our churches today: we have neglected the “Great Commission”!  Until every “disciple” of Christ Jesus gets serious about why they were saved in the first place and gets to work doing what they were commissioned to do, people will continue to live and die without salvation.  And it isn’t the LORD’S fault, it’s OURS!

Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: “ He didn’t say SOME power, but ALL power is given to Him, and He immediately delegated power to His disciples to GO and TEACH ALL NATIONS.  How many are actually doing it?  Are YOU?  NO?  Why not?  Let me make an observation here:  most Christians are busy about building THEIR kingdom, not God’s.  Their prayer life is mostly about what they want God to do for them, rather than asking God “What do YOU want me to do?”

For example, I’ve talked to people who absolutely KNOW they are supposed to go out and preach the Gospel, but they have every excuse in the book why they can’t: “I have to work to support my family”, or “I have bills to pay”, or “I’m just not called to be a preacher”. I can list enough excuses to fill many pages, should I go on?  Or is it sufficient for me to say, if you really REALLY love the LORD, you will be driven by your love to do those things which please Him?  I remember reading the words of Jesus, Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

The Apostle Paul wrote the following apparently because of hearing the same excuses we hear today why people can’t seem to get off their duff and go do God’s work:
1Co 9:13  Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
1Co 9:14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
1Co 9:15  But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
1Co 9:16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
1Co 9:17  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
1Co 9:18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1Co 9:19  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
1Co 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Co 9:21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Co 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co 9:23  And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Indeed, we who are the present-day disciples of Christ Jesus ARE in a race, to win as many to the Kingdom of God as we can before the end of this age of grace.  One day, God will say, “ENOUGH”, and it will be over.  But until then, whether we think so or not, we ARE called to do the work of the Kingdom of God.  Our prayer time is not to be wasted praying, “Lord, gimme this, gimme that, Lord prosper me, make me rich, I need a new bass boat, I want a new car, and a new home.” Rather, our hearts should be broken because of the lost who know not the Lord Jesus as LORD and Savior.  Our hearts should be crying out to God to USE us as He wills, for we are no longer our own, but we have been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus.  But sadly, so many Christians are serving the “big 3”; Me, Myself, and I, instead of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit, we allow ourselves to be led by the desires of our flesh.  This life is but a fleeting breath when compared to eternity.  God has given us the awesome opportunity to be in His family, a treasure far exceeding any earthly treasure we could hope for, and far too valuable to be wasted.

Until we can get our eyes off of our own desires, and get our eyes on the task that Jesus assigned us, it will be business as usual in the churches, namely lifeless, having the “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”.  Powerless churches are the result of people who are not living in and by the Power of the Holy Spirit, who have their eyes on the wrong things. The “Great Commission” isn’t just for someone else; it’s for YOU, if you claim to be a disciple of Christ Jesus.  Have you been asking God for the Power of the Holy Spirit?  Then you must FIRST get busy doing His work, otherwise you don’t need His power.

All the power ever needed to do His work is available to any and all who will use it for His glory.  You don’t have to worry about your “PROVISION”, either, for it is already provided for all His workers.  God takes good care of His kids.

I WORK ON “COMMISSION”, YET I GET “WAGES”, “GIFTS”, AND “BENEFITS”  What are they?

Joh 4:36  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psa 103:2  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psa 103:6  The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

And if you are not presently a disciple of Christ Jesus, we need to talk, right NOW, because it’s too good for you to miss out on!  That’s why it’s called “The GREAT Commission”!