Many in the Church
today are unaware of what the Great Commission means. It is the instructions
given by our resurrected Savior to spread the teachings of God’s Word all over
the world to evangelize, baptize and plant churches.
Most churches
don’t make mention of evangelism and world missions anymore. Yet, it is the
fundamental teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Church’s existence is to win the lost to Christ.
In the West we’re not only neglecting the vision of world evangelism but we’re
also threatening our own existence. Today, we want to discuss how every
believer has a part in fulfilling the Great Commission.
In 1983, I was
freshly out of college. I went to visit a little country called Nepal. There, I
fell in love with the people. The children were extremely poor and barefooted;
it was one of the coldest and poorest countries in the world. It was the only
Hindu kingdom and there was severe persecution by the Monarchy. I had just
graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce but I couldn’t resist helping
the locals in spite of danger, challenges and persecution. What started out as
a simple service to the people in the name of our Lord turned into a life time
of fulfilling the Great Commission. After twenty seven years, I’m still hooked
on to world missions.
I don’t expect
everyone to have a career in the ministry like me. However, the Bible teaches that every believer ought to be a part of
sending or going to evangelize the world. Jesus never commissioned us to
warm the church pews but He commanded us to preach the Gospel to the whole
world. North America and Europe are not the whole world! Those of us who live here have an obligation to collaborate with our
brothers and sisters in Asia and other unreached nations.
Every once in a
while I meet people who ask, “Brother
Sandy, what’s wrong with winning souls in America and evangelizing our
neighborhood?” My reply, “I see
nothing wrong in that.” But here’s what God told us to do. Imagine a large
estate owner went away to a far country. Before he left, he assembled all his
servants and said, “I’m going away for a
little while but while I’m gone, I want you to cultivate the whole estate.” They
all agreed and the landowner goes off to a distant land. After many years when
he returns he finds most of the land is filled with weeds and unprepared land.
As he nears his mansion he finds the garden looking prettier and grass looks
lush. He’s got a smile on his face but there’s also a frown. He’s confused! He
calls one of his servants and expresses his pleasure for the rich garden. He
goes closer to his house and it gets even more beautiful. Finally, he can’t
stand it anymore and he asks one of his servants, “This is all so beautiful but what happened to the rest of the estate?”
The servant asks, “Master, don’t you like
the flowers, the lawn and the landscape around your house?” Then says the
owner, “Yes, I like it very much but I
told you to cultivate the whole estate and not just a corner of it!”
Friend, this is
the plight of world missions today. We have twenty four hours TV, radio,
churches in every corner and this is all good. Nothing should be taken away
from the blessings we have in the West. However,
if we call ourselves Christians, we also have an obligation to share the Gospel
with two thirds in Asia who have never heard the name of Jesus. The Church
at large is asleep to the Macedonian Call.
We’re satisfied with our multi-million dollars buildings, fancy choir and polished
church pews but what about the lost billions? Christ cannot come until the
whole “estate” is “cultivated.” I’m asking you today, “What is your part? Will you pray? Will go?
Will you send? Will you share with others?” I know you’re as eager to reach
the lost as God is. I’d love to connect you to the missions field. We’d love to
represent you. Let’s go into all the world and preach the Gospel and then shall
the end come. Great Commission is not an
option; it’s His last command!
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” (Matthew 28:18-20
ESV).
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