THE GREAT COMMISSION IS NOT OPTIONAL
Some Christians treat the Great Commission like it’s optional. That’s a mistake.
That decision robs them of the chance to experience all that Jesus has promised. He said he came to give us a full, abundant life.
We miss out on that life when we focus on ourselves and ignore the deepest needs of those around us. But that’s what comes most naturally when we are primarily influenced by a culture that is me-centric. The obsession with my happiness, my joy, my career, my vacation, and my retirement causes us to miss the very things we are searching for.
What most of think about and give out lives to is way too small. That’s why we’re bored and ask questions like, “What am I missing?” and “What’s my purpose?”
People today are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on self-help books and seminars, on counselors and life coaches, all in an attempt to answer the question: What’s my purpose?
Jesus has already answered that question. Your life’s purpose is to love God, love people, and make disciples.
If you are a Christian, you are more than a volunteer.
Can you imagine choosing twelve people to lead a movement with the mission of changing the entire world, and then getting one last thing to say to them? Me neither! That’s why Jesus carefully chose his final words to his disciples. He knew he had to make the moment count. Thankfully, the disciples recorded the great commission Jesus gave to his followers that day:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 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)
This commandment is not for some Christians; it’s Jesus’ marching orders for all Christians. Christians everywhere, for all time, have been commissioned and sent by Jesus to make disciples. What an honor! Jesus has entrusted his mission to us.
More than that, He has invited us to be a new kind of human. The kind of people who passionately live out the great commandment to love God and love people. The kind of people who carry with us the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples of all nations.
The Great Commission is not something you volunteer for when it’s convenient. It’s not something you wait to do until you have extra energy or time. It’s not something you do for a few hours every once in a while. That’s volunteerism.
Jesus’ final words to his disciples offers us a way of life. It’s part of who we are. And it’s not optional if we are going to experience the kind of vibrant relationship with God that He intends.
Jesus gave his all for us and invites us to do the same for others. Saying yes is more than a commitment to volunteer. It’s a decision to do whatever it takes.
A Soldier. An Athlete. A Farmer.
It sounds like the start of a bad joke. “A soldier, an athlete, and a farmer walk into a bar,” but it’s not. The Apostle Paul provides these three metaphors to help us understand the full life commitment we should have for sharing the gospel.
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.(2 Timothy 2:3-7)
A few verses later Paul gives more insight into the reason why we should live as soldiers, athletes, and farmers.
So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. (2 Timothy 2:10)
“Willing to endure anything” is a high bar.
Paul says we give everything and endure anything to help people experience the salvation that comes when they put their faith in Jesus. And to help us think through that full-life, full-time, full-intensity commitment, he gives three metaphors.
Soldiers are so dedicated they leave their homes and families and go to war, risking their lives. Why? For their nation. For the freedom of their people. Paul is urging us to consider whether we have that level of commitment, boldness, and courage.
What’s crazy is that soldiers do that for ... a country. We are called to do that for ... the (eternal and infinitely more important) Kingdom of God. Jesus is worth our complete dedication. His Kingdom is so much greater than any kingdom of this world. What we do for him will last forever. We’re not fighting for people’s freedoms in this life but for their eternal freedom.
A professional athlete is also all-in with his or her work. Most professional athletes spend at least five to six hours a day training, practicing, and preparing. Then they spend additional time running and lifting weights. They go to sleep and wake up thinking about their sport.
Someday, I am going to stand before God for a review of my life. He will remind me that he gave me one mission: to make disciples. He also might remind me of Paul’s words in 2 Timothy and how athletes' lives revolve around winning a game, how they spend 5 or 6 hours or more per day to do it. Then he’ll ask me, "Did your life revolve around winning the lost? Did you go to sleep and wake up thinking about them? Did you do whatever it took?” What is my answer going to be? “Well, God, I didn’t realize I was supposed to take it that seriously. I mean, I knew Jesus told me to give my life to it, but ... I had a lot of other things going on. I was pretty busy. I ... watched a lot of TV and YouTube and TikTok videos. And ... I was on Instagram a lot.”
Farmers’ entire lives revolve around farming. They generally get up around 4:00 every morning and work 14-15 hours a day. Why? The harvest. It may be harvesting milk from their cows each day or harvesting a crop of corn or wheat when the time is right. It’s all for the harvest. They are obsessed with the harvest.
So was Jesus ...
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”(Matthew 9:35-38)
Jesus spent his time “preaching the good news of the kingdom.”
When he saw people without God, his heart hurt for them. And his response? He told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful” – meaning there are so many people who are ready to hear about Jesus and put their faith in him. But, Jesus says, “the workers are few” – meaning there are not many people who are ready to share about Jesus and help people put their faith in him. So, Jesus says, pray, and ask God “to send out workers into his harvest field.”
And today, we get the incredible honor of being the answer to Jesus’ prayer.
Questions…
1. How might Jesus be calling you to reorient your time, money, and relationships so the Great Commission can become the key priority in your life that Jesus intended?
2. Who are the names of several friends and family you believe God is sending you to?
3. How did the commitment of someone else to “make disciples” enable you to become a follower of Jesus? How might you express gratitude for them?
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*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know. And please share this post with others who could benefit. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. To receive weekly emails, subscribe at www.bradjenkins.me.