ICS Daily Devotions
First Step of the Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus gave this Great Commission just before His ascension to heaven. His last concern was for the lost, and Jesus’ last commission should be every believer’s first concern in life. Jesus is asking every one of us to go to our neighbours, colleagues, relatives and friends to share the good news of the Gospel. He is compelling us in our hearts to be His spokespersons!
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are indeed few. Therefore, God is asking us to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to the field. He is asking us to respond to His call to go and share the Gospel.
Currently, someone is dying of COVID-19 every few seconds, and the numbers are rising by the day. When we know the heart of God, the key question we as Chris-tians should ask is “has the person pronounced dead had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and call on the name of Jesus to be saved?”. Wouldn’t this be Jesus’ greatest concern—the spirit of the person? Therefore, there is this urgency, and it should be viewed as the top priority of the church to have the Gospel made known to those around us. If there is the one thing that we can do when the church is closed, it’s the sharing of the Gospel with those around us.
While we might not know anyone who has contracted COVID-19, we do know peo-ple who are living in hopelessness, those who are suffering from chronic disease, business failure, isolation, depression, and joblessness. While it is not true that Christianity is meant for those who are weak, it is in their weakness that men realise their minuteness, weakness and inability. When people have come to the end of themselves, their hearts are more open to God. It is in their weakness and experi-ences that they realise that there is more to life than just their business, job or achievements. It is a time of visitation when God comes to their lives.
The great mobilisation is found in these verses when He sent forth the entire church to go out and reach the lost through this Great Commission. Every believer without exception is entrusted with the Gospel and commissioned to preach and to teach it. Jesus did not call us to be a believer but a disciple for Him. He has entrusted us with a ministry to disciple new believers, but first and foremost, we need to share the Gospel with the lost.
Sermon Series: It’s Urgent and a Top Priority
