Matthew 28:18-20

“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,
baptizing 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.

Before His crucifixion, Christ had told His
disciples that after His resurrection, He would go
to Galilee. At the sepulcher, the angel directed
the women to announce the resurrection of
Christ to His disciples and summon them to
meet Him in Galilee. Jesus Himself afterwards
appeared to them and repeated this instruction.

The eleven - Judas Iscariot now dead -
afterwards accordingly reported to the appointed
place and with them probably the five hundred
brethren of First Corinthians 15:6 . The address
that Jesus gave to this congregation is the Great
Commission. How important are is the Great
Commission to You? Your answers to the
following questions will determine your extent of
commitment to the Commission.
In the words Christ addressed to them we have:
How do you treat God who is the source of the
Commission? What is His position in your life?

Does he worth your obeying and taking His
commission seriously? Who is God to you?
When you hear of authority, what comes into
your mind? Why did God need to prefix the
Commission with “All authority in heaven and on
earth is given to Me”?

Are you a disciple? Who is a disciple? Christ
gave His Commission to His disciples; are you
the type of disciple that answers the Master,
“Not so Lord”?

The Commission begins with a specific
Command –”Go”- Who? Where? When? Does your
obedience require a why?

The second part of the Commission is
“Therefore” flowing from what? Of course “all
authority...” Does this make any impression on
you? Does it conjure in you the possibility of
opposition and your need for the authority?

“Make disciples” – How do you make disciples?
– By teaching, baptising and indoctrinating. A
disciple should be like the master. How
knowledgeable are you of these things? Do you
know what to teach? Of course every teacher
must first be taught. What do you know of the
Christian doctrine? Of the word of God? Of
Christ? Of God Himself? How much of you is
possessed of the Holy Spirit?
What does Baptism mean to you? What is
Trinity? Why did Jesus command that the
converts must be baptized and in the name of
the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit? – The unity
of the God-head is symbolic of the unity of the
Church. Can we safely baptize disciples into
most of our Churches today in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The persons to be baptised are to be taught;
what do we teach them and who teaches them?
The doctrine of men, the Church or God? You
who stand to teach, do you really know what you
are teaching?

The Universal Gospel – Do we really believe this?
Have we streamlined the publication of the
Gospel? Some should be told; others have been
condemned already. Are we afraid of heaven
being overcrowded and over populated? Are we
limited by our racial or ethnic considerations?

For example – How many of us think of the
thousands of sentries from the North who guard
our gates as a possible mission field or even the
Arab beggars who populate our streets?

Do you believe Jesus when He said “Lo, I AM
with you always, even to the end of the age”? If
Christ is in this room; would it influence your
attitude? If Jesus is a member of the Church
congregation which you belong, will it make a
difference in your attendance, devotion and
service? If Jesus were in Nigeria and living in
Lagos, would it make a difference in your
attitude to others? To your witnessing activity?

To your work in office and other aspects of your
life? If your answer to any of these questions is
“yes”, it means that you do not believe that He is
always with you.

What is the work of the Church today? Maybe
we can read the great Commission again along
with Matthew 5:13-16 : “You are the salt of the
earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall
it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but
to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by
men. “You are the light of the world. A city that
is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they
light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in
the house. Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven”.

Does the Great Commission worth being
committed to? If your answer is “yes”; then here
is a very frank and direct question. “What is your
commitment; partial, total or non-existent? Do
you believe He is always with you? Would you
want to begin today? Before you say “yes”;
remember, the road will be rough, rugged and full
of hardships including rejection, humiliation and
even death. Are you ready for all that?
“Yes, all who would desire to live righteously in
Christ shall suffer persecution.” They called Me
(Christ) Beelzebub; - they would call you worse
names.

Are you still ready to go ahead to commit
yourself today to the Great Commission? You
will never regret your decision for God Himself is
with you.
God bless you all. Let us pray.

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