It's been "signed, sealed and sent" to each one of us followers of Jesus Christ. Did ya know it? A Great Commission to each of us in general, but specially, individually, wrapped in particular, to each recipient. The apostle Paul accepted, and broke the seal on his, which divulged God's will for the purpose and plan He had for Paul to execute His commission for Paul's mission.
God's will caused Christ Jesus to send Paul, as an"apostle," meaning "sent one". Paul can appreciate that very fact because if it had not been God and Jesus orchestrating that in his life, how would Paul have managed!? How would he have withstood all he did?
If you read the book of Acts and also see the snippets of his life gleaned from throughout his many New Testament writings, you'll see it was an arduous mission. A Great Commission that stretched and pulled him to his limits and beyond -- almost more than he could bear. Yet, Paul willingly, gladly, was equal to such challenge because it was God's will and Christ Jesus who had sent him. This he greatly appreciated and I'm sure the feeling was reciprocated and when Paul "got Home" to glory he heard, "Well, done, good and faithful servant".
Apostle.
Sent one.
Great Commission.
Three words that go together and mean so much. It's best to delineate that third one, what theologians and congregants mean by it. It was first delivered in the last moments before Jesus ascended back to Heaven, to the eleven apostles and others in the farewell send off on the Mount of Olives.
"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..." (Matthew 28:16-20 NIV).
This is the "Great Commission". The apostles took it very seriously, as did Paul; as did the other early Christians; as did countless others of God's servants in the millennia to follow, up until today. We each can likely think of a few of these individuals offhand. Is one of them you?
It's our Christian duty. The apostle Paul's was to the Gentiles and praise the Lord he was obedient to his special commission mission cuz, it filtered down to me and to you, today. No doubt most of us reading this are Gentiles.
One group of Gentiles Paul went to was in Ephesus. A gathering of converts sprouted up there and Paul later wrote to them. That's why we too have been blessed by the book of Ephesians.
There are folks who have done many good deeds in their lifetime and then only become "saints" after their deaths. However, those Paul wrote to were alive and kicking Ephesian saints. It says so in Ephesians 1:1 (ESV). Saints, because they belonged to Christ Jesus and had been commissioned every it as much as Paul had been . Paul termed them, "faithful in Christ Jesus". Does that chaacterize each of us too?
Then Paul blesses them with the grace and peace of the very One who sanctioned the apostles and Paul...
"...from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ".They too had been sent by God's will through Christ Jesus.
Does all this imply we have to leave all and go to a foreign land to work out this commission? I don't believe so. A believer-apostle could begin in their own home among their own children; or with neighbors; or colleagues in the office. Some like to call this the "secular world" but I'd suggest that the whole world, in whichever niche of it you are in, is your fulltime "sanctioned world" for you, in which to be God's witness; whether at home or abroad.
When Jesus found you in the first place, where were you? Start there. If you were a machinist or mechanic; start there. If you were a nurse, stay there -- those places have plenty of scope for your Great Commission mission. Sent by God's will "to stay", until the if and when He moves you on elsewhere.
Be holy as God is holy and by God's will and the authority invested in Christ Jesus Who commissions you to go make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey all God's commands as good disciples and apostles should. You are being "sent by God's will".
~ERC March 2021~
Based on Ephesians 1:1-2 (ESV).
Note: The book, The Law of the Leper by a G. C. Willis keeps coming to mind. It would be a great supplement (for anyone who would read it) in giving further impetus and encouragement for anyone who would break the seal on their particular version of the Great Commission mission. May we too be blessed with the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I ask it in Jesus Name.
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