“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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.”
Matthew 28:18-20
In Matthew 28 Jesus made an amazing declaration to all believers along with what is known as the ‘Great Commission’. What could be more exciting than a heavenly mission that was given to us by the Lord Jesus Himself, with a promise of the authority and power we need to fulfill it? Unfortunately, today, the ‘Great Commission’ has often been diluted to something more of a great suggestion. The fact is, Jesus never suggested it but commanded it, and any command of Jesus should be taken seriously if we desire to fulfill his perfect will on earth today!
The difference between a command and a suggestion is genuinely significant. A suggestion would imply that Jesus’ primary mandate for us is open to careful consideration. But the truth is if we entertain consideration, this can lead us to a place of hesitation, which has the power to produce immobilization.
Could it be that we need to recapture the truth of Jesus’ words again in Matthew 28 and truly see the ‘Great Commission’ with fresh eyes? Could our lack of spiritual fruitfulness in our lives be the result of our hesitation and fear? When God called Peter in Acts 10 to take the Gospel to the Gentile nations, this was a pivotal moment for the early church. In the midst of his critics, Peter responded to the call because the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Do not hesitate to go.” Right there in a place of comfort, God commanded Peter to go and not hesitate, and Jesus calls us to do the same today!
Jesus reminded us of all the authority that He has in heaven and on earth, and we should never fear responding to the call with eagerness and confidence that God is truly with us. Jesus never instructed us to just fill buildings with people, but His desire is that we would go and make disciples of all nations! To ‘go’ is to leave your place of comfort, and to ‘make’ is to create and develop others that can effectively do the same.
As we rediscover the true mandate of heaven, we will make new room for the Holy Spirit to reignite a burning passion for the lost like never before. If we take the words of Jesus as a direct command instead of a consideration, we might see the results of a harvest of souls in the nations of the world.
Romans 10:14-15 says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Your feet are your primary vehicle, and you must, therefore, decide to take a step of faith! When Apostle Paul listed the armor of God in Ephesians 6, he described many things that protect us from the enemy. When speaking of our feet he instructed us to stand firm, with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel. Let us no longer hesitate and be ready to go with a message that can change the world for the glory of God!
