Great Commission

Have you ever read John Piper’s book, “Don’t waste your life”? If you are one of the few who have not, you should. In the opening pages he shares a sad, stirring story, of a retired couple. John Piper writes, “I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader’s Digest: A couple ‘took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler(boat), play softball and collect shells. . . .’ Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: ‘Look, Lord. See my shells.’ That is a tragedy…

God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.”

Most people, especially young Christian people, slip by in life without a passion for God. That’s not to say they don’t have passion, but mostly, that passion is for worldly things like, music, movies, television, friends, family, sex, food, studies, computers, cars, bikes etc, and sadly spend their lives on insignificant pastimes, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying to avoid sin. To often we get caught up in a life that counts for nothing and end up wasting our lives. If you are born again (a true Christian who has repented of their sins and embraced Christ in faith) and believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, then our lives have to make an impact for the glory of God. Do you live and die boasting in the cross of Christ and make the glory of God your singular passion?

Jesus said to His disciples in John 4:34 “…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.” In this passage, after a long day with Jesus, the disciples leave him at a well, to go find some dinner in the city of Samaria. When they arrive back with the food, Jesus says “No thanks, I am full. I’ve been eating. My food is to do the will of my Father and to accomplish his work. I just spent the last half hour talking to a Samaritan woman about her need for salvation. And I’ll tell you, brothers, I am full.

Jesus Christ had wrestled with the soul of a prostitute and brought her to saving faith in Himself, that was such an exalting joy to Him that He could say it’s like food and drink. My weariness is gone. My thirst is gone. My hunger is gone. I’m satisfied. My food is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work.” What did He feast on? The will of God. Our Lords’ passion was to make the glory of God real in the lives of people he met – yes, even prostitutes. To reconcile people to His Heavenly Father through his sacrificial work he would perform for them on the cross of Calvary.

All through the gospel of John, Jesus says, “For I came down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” John 6:38. In John 8:29 “And He that sent Me is with Me, the Father hath not left Me alone for I do always those things that please Him.” In John 10:18, He says, “I’m laying down My life of Myself, I have the power to lay it down, and take it up, this commandment have I received of My Father.” Then He climaxes it in John 17:4 when He is on the cross and says to the Father, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.”

You know what occupied the whole life of Jesus Christ? The will of God. God’s will in His life. And you know, He’s a great example to us of what our lives should be, isn’t He? Our lives should be the will of God, constantly never ending, always doing the will of God.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven for the last time he left his disciples a command which we call the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

What do you feast on? When last did you share the gospel with somebody? When last did you share with an unbeliever about the wonderful saving work that Jesus has accomplished in your life? Is it wonderful to you? Do you cherish and love the gospel? Are you thankful for what Christ has done in your life, or does music, movies, television, friends, family, sex, food, studies, computers, cars, bikes etc, take the first position in your life? Would you rather talk about these things, than Jesus Christ? Are you ashamed of the gospel and of Jesus?

Let me finish with a true story about Mahatma Gandhi, from his book, “My experiments with Truth”. He says, while in South Africa, “I came in contact with another Christian family. At their suggestion I attended the Wesleyan Church every Sunday. For these days I also had their standing invitation to dinner. The church did not make a favourable impression on me. The sermons seemed to me uninspiring. The congregation did not strike me as being particularly religious. They were not an assembly of devout souls, they appeared rather to be worldly –minded people, going to church for recreation and in conformity to custom. Here at times, I would involuntarily doze. I was ashamed, but some of my neighbours, who were in no better case, lightened the shame. I could not go on like this, and soon gave up attending the service.”

What a shame. What a tragedy. What a difference it would have made if the Mahatma went to a church full of passion for Christ instead of a nominal church. Suppose someone from that church had taken the time to share the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ to Mahatma Gandhi, can you imagine what an impact that would have had on India, for the glory of God?

We need to ask the hard questions – how many of our own churches in India are full of “un-devouted souls and worldly minded people”? How many of us go to church for recreation and because of custom or tradition? How many so-called ‘Christians’ have no passion for God or little interest in pursuing His will for their lives? How many of us are simply religious and have no relationship with Jesus? How many of us church going Christians will stand before our creator at the judgement seat of God after our life on this earth and say “Look, Lord. See my shells”, or “Look, Lord at my DVD collection”, or “Look, Lord at how much RAM my computer has”?

Hebrews 9:27 tells us “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 “..whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”. We have one life to live, let us not waste it. Let us make much of Christ in every sphere of our life. Let our food be to do the will of God our father. Let us use every opportunity we have to share the wonderful Saviour, who died for our sins, (that we should have paid for) so we could enjoy eternal life in heaven with Him-our resurrected Lord. Let us live to hear Jesus say ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.”

“When I left England, my hope of India’s conversion was very strong; but amongst so many obstacles, it would die, unless upheld by God. Well, I have God, and His Word is true. Though the superstitions of the heathen were a thousand times stronger than they are, and the example of the Europeans a thousand times worse; though I were deserted by all and persecuted by all, yet my faith, fixed on the sure Word, would rise above all obstructions and overcome every trial. God’s cause will triumph.” ― William Carey

One of these obstacles to the gospel, that Carey mentions must no doubt be the sin of lying. Erik Raymond from The Gospel Coalition wrote “Gossip is the RPG that blasts holes in the fabric of the church”. This last week we have again been at the receiving end of this RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). Anti-Christian journalists had maliciously and intentionally smeared Emmanuel Gaikwad’s (Kolhapur Bible Church) name in a Mumbai newspaper in an attempt to sell more copies. Emmanuel, who is a director of AGAPE Total Medicare (an NGO helping HIV infected and effected persons), was directly accused by the media of trafficking children and indirectly accused of abusing them.

Lies and gossip are not new threats that the church has had to face, but they are still just as damning and destructive if our hearts and eyes are not “fixed on the sure Word”. Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” I am convinced that the end goal of all lies is to make us afraid and to doubt and waver in our faith. Living in fear looks very much like believing lies. Fear can paralyse us, make us useless and cause us to sin, just like it did to Gideon hiding away in a winepress. What we believe inevitably is what we will act on. Our belief always affects our behaviour.

Roughly 2460 years ago Nehemiah faced the same strategy of Satan. The infamous Sanballat and Tobiah were spreading malicious gossip and lies in an attempt to stop the work of the Lord. Their threats against the Israelites to stop building the walls of Jerusalem backfired and instead motivated the children of God to work harder and faster. Nehemiah’s wise counsel to the Jews was simply “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome”. In spite of their threats, the good work had advanced. The enemy had tried mockery; and failed. Attempted force; but learned to their dismay, that the Israelites were ready to resist unto blood to complete the work of the Lord. So when these strategies failed, Sanballat and Tobiah turned to deception, lies and even gossip. The enemies of God called Nehemiah to a meeting in a village with intentions of killing him. But Nehemiah recognised the deceptive plot and answered them in this manner, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

After four further invitations were denied, Sanballat sent an open letter to Nehemiah. Nehemiah 6 verse 5, tells us specifically this was an “open” letter. Official letters were normally sealed so the public could not read the contents. Obviously, Sanballat wanted people to read this letter while enroute, so that gossip would spread. This was the beginning of the smear campaign. Not much has changed in our modern age with “open letters” that are posted on facebook and other social media, with the same intentions and in Emmanuel’s case, an article that is posted in an e-paper. New technology, same strategy of Satan.

Sanballat’s intentions where to create fear and distrust among the Jews as all gossip and lies are designed to do. His accusations against Nehemiah were clearly false and malicious, accusing one of the godliest men alive at that time, of selfish ambition and rebellion. Nehemiah’s response is recorded in verse 8, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” We don’t have to imagine where some journalists get their information from!

The enemies of Nehemiah continued their malicious course. After realising they could not entice him to the village, they now hire a corrupt, false prophet to offer Nehemiah safety in the walls of the temple, so they can kill him in the sanctuary of Jehovah (so much could be said about that!). Nehemiah’s God given wisdom, teaches us an inspired lesson in verse 13 “For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin…”(cf. v14; v19).

Nehemiah makes the connection between lies, fear and sin. Fear causes us to behave in such a way, we forget the promises of God and rather than trusting His character, we sin. The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. I think the chief end of Satan is to cause us to sin by being fearful because of his lies. The apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:7-8 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord…but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.” Paul explains the serious threat that fear is to the gospel itself.

Nehemiah refused to believe the lies that Satan was propagating and believed the promises of God. Instead of being fearful he became fruitful in his work for the Lord. Our job is not to build physical walls, but to be involved in the Great Commission by building the kingdom of God. Lies, and gossip are tools the devil uses to make us afraid so that we will “come down from the walls” and hinder the work of “making disciples”.

As one commentator said “shame is the child of doubt as well as the child of fear!” Fear will always keep us hiding away in the darkness of winepresses instead of shining our lights on a hill for the world to see the glory of God. Let’s never forget that Christ is not just a teacher, but the Saviour! How will lost sinners come to the Saviour unless someone tells them about Him? Our fears cripple us and shame us, as we live with regrets of not taking opportunities God has given us to share Christ with others at school, at work or home. But more than that, they rob God of all the glory that He deserves. Think about the last time you were too afraid to share the gospel of He who took you out of darkness into His marvellous light. If we believe lies and fear man and what they will think of us for declaring the praises of the living God, we hinder the work of the gospel!

As William Carey reminds us, we have God, and His Word is true. Satan does not care what we believe as long as it is not the Truth. Let’s resolve to fear God, worship Him alone who is Truth, and to not believe the lies of the devil and sin against God. Let’s not be distracted from the task the Lord has given us, by believing lies. As John Piper says “Don’t Waste Your Life!” For the sake of the gospel, let us “fix on the sure Word, rise above all obstructions and overcome every trial. God’s cause [Great Commission] will triumph.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

What is Your Passion?

Lies, Fear & the Great Commission.