The Great Commission is no Option

Not an Option

The Great Commission is NOT an option – it is a COMMAND. It is time for the church to reach outside its own comfort zone. It is time for us, (WE are the church – the Bride of Christ), to take our responsibility seriously. It is no longer OK for anyone to ‘let someone else do it’. It is time for YOU to do it; it is time for ME to do it. The Great Commission will not fulfil itself – it is our Saviour’s instruction and commandment to ALL of us.

I find it amazing that anyone having been through that joyous moment of salvation can afterwards say of sharing their faith, “That’s not my job. Get someone else to do it.” There is, to me, an acid test of anyone’s salvation experience. I have yet to meet any person who claims to have been saved who cannot remember almost every detail of that experience. For me it was December 2^nd 1962 at 11.00a.m. in an old Elim Church in East Finchley, North London, under the pastorship of Johnny & Carol Cooper. My wife’s time and date were Sept 1^st 1982 at 13.15p.m. in Crowley, Texas.

So what is it with so many people who just cannot or will not either admit their faith or share it? It does strike me that although many may have had a real salvation experience, the subsequent teaching and discipling they have received simply has not either correctly brought or has simply been totally ineffective.

When is the church going to preach as Jesus called on us to preach? When is the church going to even think about fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus commanded? When will the church start doing its job again - preaching the Gospel and making disciples?

What will the Church do when revival blows into town; when the Ruach of God blows all our cobwebs and plans and schedules away? What will the Church do when attendances double, treble, or go through the roof?? Seriously – apart from panic, what will the Church do then?

Many will simply collapse under the strain and the losses could be astronomical. Some, however, will ride it out saying, “Just send them in Lord. With Your help, we will manage.”

It is only when our attitude meets our prayers, and our actions begin to match those same prayers that God will give us more than a passing glance when it comes to being part of revival rather than being a mere spectator. It is only by our own hearts being right with God that we will begin to understand His heart for revival and get a real burden for the lost. Then we may just be more willing to share our faith with complete strangers. Then we may just begin to put the Great Commission into action – with faith to match our expectations.

The Great Commission really isn’t any kind of option for us. It really is a very serious command with which we have been charged. It’s about time to face up to our responsibilities and start doing the Lord’s work as specified by Him – not “the Lord’s work” as specified by our own programs and plans.