The Great Commission Is Not a Suggestion
By Rick Warren
“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 (NIV)
The whole world needs Jesus.
Jesus said this very clearly over and over, and in Matthew 28:18-20 he gave his followers the Great Commission: “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” (NIV).
What is your assignment? “Go.”
This is not a suggestion! It’s not optional. If you are a child of God, God expects you to go.
What’s the task? Go and make disciples. A disciple is someone who does the five things we were put on earth to do: know and love God, grow to spiritual maturity, serve God through ministry, share the Good News, and worship God with all your heart.
Under whose authority? It’s not some government or political movement. It’s Jesus.
What is your responsibility? Are you supposed to go and make disciples of some nations? No. All nations. Does that include nations that are outright hostile to believers? Yes. Countries where there is political turmoil? Yes. There is no nation that is off-limits.
What does it mean for you? If the whole world needs Jesus, then you must share the Good News. If you knew the cure for Alzheimer’s, AIDS, or cancer, it would be inexcusable to not share it.
But you have something even better than a cure for a disease. You know the cure for the human heart and the deepest needs of mankind. They need a Savior. They need forgiveness. They need their past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in heaven. You can’t hold it back. You have to share it!
John 3:17 says, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (NIV).
I want to be like Jesus. I want you to be like Jesus. It’s important that we stop getting too caught up in the culture and trying to find ways to get ahead in life. Let’s get busy sharing the Good News.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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