Why We Must Fulfill the Great Commission

In our modern world filled with distractions and competing priorities, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We live in evil days where countless things vie for our attention, pulling us away from God's purposes. This is why we must be intentional about redeeming our time - making the most of every moment for God's glory.

What Does It Mean to Redeem the Time?

Redeeming the time means doing things that edify us, build up the church, and advance God's kingdom. It means starting each day with prayer, asking God to help us make the most of our time for His glory. When we begin our mornings this way, God will lead and guide our paths toward what is right, pure, and good.

This isn't about adding religious activities to our schedule. It's about focusing our minds on things that are pure, honest, true, lovely, and of good report, as Philippians instructs us. The world constantly tries to steal our minds through various forms of media, entertainment, and distractions that lead us toward impure thoughts and fleshly desires.

Understanding Christ's Mandate

The Great Commission isn't a suggestion - it's a mandate, an authoritative command from Jesus Christ. God doesn't operate in suggestion mode; He operates in command mode. He means what He says and says what He means.

After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days teaching His disciples about the kingdom of God, expounding how all Scripture points to Him. Then He gave them this powerful mandate: "All authority has been given unto me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you."

Why the Gospel Message Is Difficult

We often think of the gospel as "good news" and imagine it as soft and comforting. But the gospel is actually a very difficult, hard message. It's good news because it offers salvation, but it requires repentance - and people don't want to change.

Jesus told Isaiah that preaching the gospel would harden hearts, close ears, and shut eyes. It would turn families against each other. A man's enemies would be those of his own household. This is the reality of the gospel message - it demands a response, and not everyone will respond positively.

The Church's Need for Self-Examination

Before we can present the pure gospel to the world, we must examine ourselves. The book of Isaiah speaks powerfully to the modern church, showing us that judgment begins at the house of the Lord.

God's Indictment of His People

In Isaiah chapter 1, God presents a courtroom drama where He is the judge and His people are in the dock. Heaven and earth serve as the jury. God's indictment is severe: "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me."

God compares His people unfavorably to oxen and donkeys, saying these animals know their master and where their food comes from, but His people don't recognize Him. He calls them "a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers."

Religious Hypocrisy

The people were still coming to the temple, offering sacrifices, and maintaining religious practices. But God says, "I have had enough of burnt offerings... When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts?"

God doesn't want empty religious rituals. He wants obedience. "To obey is better than sacrifice," as Scripture tells us. You can prophesy in Jesus' name, cast out demons, and do many wonderful works, but if you won't obey Him, He will say, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."

The Call to Genuine Repentance

Despite His harsh words, God's heart breaks for His people. In the midst of judgment, He offers hope: "Come now, let us reason together... Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool."

This is the gospel message: We have broken God's law and sinned, but God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Urgency of Our Mission

There are still  people groups that haven't been reached with the gospel. There's only one way to heaven - through faith in Jesus Christ. Not through being a faithful Muslim, Hindu, or through good works. Jesus told Nicodemus, a very religious man, "You must be born again."

The gospel calls people to "flee from the wrath to come." There's a day of judgment coming when Jesus returns. Those who have been born again will receive glorified bodies prepared for heaven. Those who have done wickedly will receive bodies prepared for eternal judgment.

Life Application

This week, commit to examining your own life before God. Start each morning by praying, "Thank you, Father, for this day. Help me make the most of my time for your glory." Look honestly at areas where you might be living in religious hypocrisy - maintaining Christian appearances while harboring disobedience in your heart.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I truly living out what I claim to believe, or am I just going through religious motions?
• What areas of my life need genuine repentance and change?
• How can I better represent Christ to those around me who need to hear the gospel?
• Am I willing to share the difficult truths of the gospel, not just the comfortable parts?

Remember, we cannot effectively share the gospel with the world until we've allowed it to transform our own hearts. The church must stand in stark contrast to the world as light does against darkness, not by becoming like the world to win it, but by being genuinely transformed by God's grace and truth.