Marching Orders
(Matthew 28: 18-20)
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Introduction:
When Jesus had finished his earthly ministry and was about to return to His place at the right hand of the Father, He commissioned His disciples and His New Church with the words of our text. We call them, “The Great Commission.” I think that when we begin to understand these verses, we begin to understand what the Church is to be doing. Here, if you will, are marching our orders, (our command to stand in the gap!) I want to point out four truths that are evident about this text.
1. These words are imperative.
I don’t believe Jesus stood there that day and looked off over yonder somewhere and said “well, if you folks can get around to it, you may want to make a few more disciples while you are waiting for My return.” You see, those were His very last words before He went away, His last will and testament. I believe He looked them strait in eye, eyeball to eyeball so to speak, and said, “While you wait for My return, I want you to tell the lost world about me, make disciples. I believe the number one priority of the Church is to tell people about Jesus. The number two priority of the Church is to tell more people about Jesus. I believe, you’ve guessed it; the number three priority of the Church is to tell the whole world about Jesus. I can’t think of any other reason Christ would have left His bride, The Church, in the world to suffer the things we have had to suffer, other than to win this world to Him.
I am alarmed when I read that it took forty-seven, Southern Baptist one year, to win one soul to Jesus. In ’98, ten thousand of our Southern Baptist Churches did not have one baptism. These are old statistics. Someone said, “we have turned the great commission into the great omission.” I think its time rethink our priorities. The late, great Dr. Vance Havner said “a lot of the activities in Churches are about as useless as rearranging the deck furniture on the Titanic. Listen, folks ‘if it’s fruitless, it’s useless. Any program in our Churches that does not ultimately, underline ultimately point people to Jesus. and make disciples of them, needs to be reevaluated.
2. Not only are they imperative, the words are personal
The text says, “Therefore, (you) go and (you) make disciples of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19) Those who remember their Greek better than I, say these words can read,” as you are going.” Wait Jesse are you suggesting that we all go be missionaries. Well, I think we all should be willing if that’s God’s plan for us. Can I say something to you? Until we are willing go next door with the Gospel. We are not ready to go into all the world.
Parents, that home which God has placed you in charge of, that’s your world. You are to make disciples of all your children. Folks, that place where you work, those places where you shop and do business, those friends you hang out with, that’s your world. As you go into your world, you are to make disciples.
3. These words are empowered.
I have made the statement; “I believe I could preach to ten thousand people.” Crowds don’t bother me as long as I have a good solid oak pulpit between them and me. It’s these one-on-one relationships with people that I don’t know that intimate me. I go trying to talk to a stranger, and stumble all over myself. Every time the Spirit tells me to give a personal witness, the devil says, “now, Jesse you know they are not going to understand you, you’re just going make big mess.” I used to go out on soul winning visitation with a pastor and pray we couldn’t find anyone home. Don’t laugh, some you do also, and you don’t even have speech problem.
One of the highlights of our ministry was our work with the Caldwell County Prison Unit, in Hudson N.C. We would go about once a quarter, and I preached to the inmates, and we would experience good fellowship with the men who have become Christians since their incarceration, and hopefully we help them grow spiritually. I would often tell them; I was the only crook in there that got to leave after chapel. They seemed to love my humor.
But I never let well enough alone. I began asking about going on the yard. It seemed like the thing to do. Well, word came that we had been granted permission to go in the yard before our services on Sunday night. We went on the yard, for the second time, on a cold Sunday afternoon in early January. The first person I encountered was a Muslim who had come to hear me preach that morning. I looked around for another worker to help me, but they were all busy talking with other inmates. So, I said Lord You are going have to help me and I began to dialogue with the old boy. I don’t believe my speech has ever been plainer or have ever been more confident about what I believe. I shared things that I didn’t know I knew. I didn’t win him to Christ, but I got him thinking. Jesus promised that if we go do this, He’ll go with us. He’ll give the courage, the boldness, and all that we need to do the job. I tell you this command is empowered
4. Last, but not least, these words are impending or urgent.
I cannot read these words without their jumping from the page a sense of urgency. I believe Jesus is saying you go, and you go now. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35b) If this was so then, how much more so is it now? I know enough about farming to know that if farmers don’t get out and reap the harvest when it’s ready, they lose the crop. I think we are just about to lose the crop.
All the Biblical scholars that I listen to or read after believe that we are living in the very last moments of history. For whatever it’s worth, so do I. Someone has said that the clock of eternity is striking midnight and it has already struck eleven times. When Christ vacates the mercy seat to return to earth, there will no longer be any hope for those who are without Him. The Bible teaches that they will be doomed and damned to a devil’s hell not made for human consumption. Read your Bible, it was created for the devil and his crowd. Hell is an awful place. If I could pull back the curtains of this awful place and we could look in for ten seconds, every one of us would show up for soul winning visitation
Whether Christ comes tomorrow or tarries a thousand years, when people slip out into eternity, for them Christ has already come. I am sorry; I can’t find in this Bible anything about a purgatory or a second chance. I wish I could. Every day precious souls slip out into eternity without Christ, and we argue about what color to carpet the sanctuary or paint the nursery. God forgive us and help us. Let’s make the main thing the main thing.
Conclusion;
How long has it been since you gave a personal verbal witness? Well! I witness by the way I live. I witness as I preach or teach. Good! You should. However, I believe, each of us are required to share the Gospel, one on one, with those we meet as we are going into all the world. I want to commit to you and my church to give a personal verbal witness within the next two weeks.
JUST ONE! From Evangelist Ken Helser
I believe that the devil hates soul winning as much or more than any other activity that a Christian can be engaged in! WHY?
If a man, or woman, goes out and win one soul to Christ, brings him or her in and trains him or her to win souls, the second month there are two to go out! And suppose that these two wins one each, takes a month to train them, then there are 4 going out! At six months there are 32 going out, and at 12 months there would be 2,048 going out! The following are the numbers for 12 months, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1,024, and 2,048. Is this not what Matthew 28: 18-20 tells us to do?
Suppose that 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000 Christians would accept this and start today, what would happen in a year?
Maybe 2,048,000, or more would be going out and winning 1, JUST ONE each, to the Lord so that the next month, 4,096,000 would be going out to win, JUST ONE!
Now, if you get very still, and listen, you will hear a voice saying: this is ridiculous, it can't work today, it won't work in our day, it would work at another time and another place...but not now and not here.... whose voice do you think that it is.
Lord, help us that are SAVED to remember those who are not!
Preacher Ken, Evangelist2USA@aol.com
