The Great Commission

Introduction

We have been examining various different things that God would have on a list for us to do in our lives. Ben Spoke of ‘Loving like Jesus’ Wayne spoke the other week of being planted firmly in the Local Church so that your life will flourish. I’m sure that this list could go on for a lot more weeks if we really wanted to make it. But today I will be speaking of the last one for this series.

As we sat in our pastors meeting one Monday morning, we began to talk this series through. Wayne gave a few thoughts, Ben a few more but my mind turned to the one that I would like to share on this morning. You see, I think that things that mattered to Jesus throughout his life and ministry were people. To be absolutely clear, our relationships with others are vital. John the Apostle says that you can’t say that you love God and hate your brother without being found out to be a liar! But there is a relationship with our Creator that must surely take precedence even if only marginally. (Think here of the greatest commandment and the second which is like it) We can’t really begin to love others until we have experienced the Love of God. It is also very true that we can’t truly love God if we don’t love or care for others.

What is the greatest concern that we should have for others? Surely, it has to be their eternal destiny! It is absolutely true that it is loving to provide for the Physical needs of other people. In fact, James says in the Bible that caring for Widows and orphans is true religion.

It is also really important to pray that God will lift people’s burdens, pray that he would heal them of sickness but if we live like Jesus only matters for this life, then we are really short changing ourselves because there is an eternity that is there for all to be part of. Let me say Loud, and Let me say it clear “Forever is a very Long Time’ and it sure does make the 70 – 80 years that we might have on this earth look really short.

Text

I believe, that Jesus revealed how important people’s eternal destiny is because, it is the last thing that he spoke of before he returned to the Father. We call this the Great Commission. Let me read it for you….

-1615 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

· Jesus last command really needs to be our First priority.

· When we come to church, we can do so many things as a church. We worship! That is important. We hear God’s word preached to us so that we can live our lives better for Jesus! That is important (and all the preachers said “Amen”) We get to give our tithes and offerings. Well that’s important to many of you and for others you are still walking that journey. God sure wants us to be generous because he is generous with us. Church for others might be a place where you can serve. Well truly, there would be no church services without all you wonderful people who volunteer. Church is about fellowship! Well as important as that one is, we’ll have perfect fellowship in heaven.

· No the most important thing must be about the only thing that lasts forever. It must be about helping others get to know God.

Why would God want us to bring other people to know him?

1. He died for all people just like he died for you and me!

Heaven is a real place and the reward is eternal.

2. Hell is also a real place and that eternity is also forever. Let me say, I think Hell is such a bad place that I do not wish even my worst enemy to God there. This is exactly How God feels about it. That is why Christ Died in our place to rescue us from there.

3. You might not believe in Hell. I can only respond that Jesus sure did. He knows that he made it for the Devil and his demons. He left Heaven behind so that we might leave Hell behind! He gave up heaven for a time so that we might gain Heaven for eternity! Why wouldn’t we want to help our loved ones to know about such a loving God.

4. There is Joy in heaven when sinners repent! If you want to know that you are bring a smile to the Face of God! Introduce people to Jesus!

5. We share in God’s Joy as we share God’s love with others. I want to tell you about 2 people that I have led to the Lord. One in Hospital, just a little over a month ago now. I had heard of a man who was in hospital given only weeks or months to live. I visited him and as we talked, I asked him if he would like to receive God’s forgiveness and receive eternal life! He said yes, we prayed but I was not too sure how genuine this prayer was. A little over a week and a half later, I called and arranged to visit him at home where he now was. All was good, he was welcoming of the visit and I was to visit him a 1 pm the next day. He called me about 11am the next morning, so ill and being taken to hospital. He believed that he would go there to die. I can only say that I could hear the terror in his voice. Frank Lowry and I turned up at the hospital to visit this man who has lived far away from the way that god has wanted him to. We prayed and the peace of God came upon him. It hasn’t left him to this day. He may still die! We’ve prayed that God might let him live but either way, his eternity is safe in God’s hands.

6. I received a text just a little over a week ago from a mate, Ronnie. He was actually my best man at my wedding. Ronnie and I became friends as we worked together when I was 18. Let me show you the text that he sent.

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Ronnie and I worked alongside each other. He would ask me questions about God. Ronnie had not grown up going to church in fact Ronnie was on first name basis with most the police in our area of town. One day he came along to church, God was working on him there is no doubt. How cool to be part of what God is doing in bring someone to Christ. Ronnie responded at the end of the service and prayed asking God to forgive him. You see Ronnie was going through a desperate time and now he was calling on God. The Bible says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!”

Ronnie showed the genuineness of his response to God. Within a week, he was taking all the items that he had stolen previously to the police station and handing them in. The police were very surprised, so surprised that they chose not to press any charges against him. He had a number of times when he struggled with a number of issues in these first weeks and months but with my help and the help of our boss also, he never stopped following Jesus. I know that on that final day, I will see my friend in heaven, and I have such joy knowing that I had a little part to play in his being there. God played the major role!

Conclusion

In the words of Ps Jack Haynes of Penrith in NSW. God’s last command, needs to be our first priority. Church, we can Pray and worship. We can run programs for youth and kids. We can pray for the sick, give all our money to the poor! All these things are great! Fellowship is wonderful with our fellow Christians, but it will be even better when we fellowship in heaven. Worship times are awesome but heaven will be even better! There will be no sickness in heaven. But unless we bring others to Christ, there will be no people in Heaven!

Altar Call