Make Disciples – The Heart of the Great Commission
I WANT YOU TO BEGIN READING WITH ME IN ROMANS ONE VERSE 14, AND HERE YOU’RE GOING TO FIND THE HEARTBEAT OF THE APOSTLE PAUL. BEYOND THE SHADOW OF ANY DOUBT OR PERADVENTURE, THE GREATEST MISSIONARY WHO EVER LIVED WAS PAUL. AND IN THIS SCRIPTURE THAT I’M ABOUT TO READ, YOU’RE GOING TO FIND A CAMEO, A GLIMPSE INTO THE VERY HEART OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
YOU’RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT, EH, MOLDED HIM, WHAT MADE HIM, WHAT MOTIVATED HIM, WHAT EMPOWERED HIM, WHAT ENRICHED HIM, WHAT DROVE HIM, WHAT MADE HIM THE MIGHTY, MIGHTY MISSIONARY THAT HE WAS. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THESE, THIS SCRIPTURE, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID, “FOR I AM DEBTOR, BOTH TO THE GREEKS AND TO THE BARBARIANS, BOTH TO THE WISE AND TO THE UNWISE.
SO AS MUCH AS IN ME IS, I AM READY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOU THAT ARE AT ROME ALSO, FOR I’M NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.” NOW, THERE’S NO ONE HERE TODAY WHO NAMES THE NAME OF CHRIST WHO’S NOT INVOLVED IN WHAT I’M ABOUT TO SAY. EVERY ONE OF US IS TO BE A PART OF THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE OR WE’RE GUILTY OF HIGH TREASON AGAINST HEAVEN’S KING.
HUDSON TAYLOR SAID, “THE GREAT COMMISSION IS NOT AN OPTION TO BE CONSIDERED, IT IS A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED.” IF YOU’RE NOT A PART OF THE GREAT COMMISSION ARMY, YOU HAVE A CLENCHED FIST IN THE FACE OF YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF. YOU ARE A REBEL AGAINST HEAVEN. REMEMBER AGAIN WHAT HUDSON TAYLOR SAID ABOUT THE GREAT COMMISSION. “NOT AN OPTION TO BE CONSIDERED, IT IS A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED.
” NOW, LOOK AT THE SCRIPTURE THAT I READ TO YOU, AND YOU’RE GOING TO FIND THREE THINGS HERE WHERE THE APOSTLE PAUL PREFACES THEM WITH THIS STATEMENT, “I AM.” NOTICE IN VERSE 14, “I AM DEBTOR.” NOTICE IN VERSE 15, “I AM READY.” NOTICE IN VERSE 16, “I AM NOT ASHAMED.” AND THOSE THREE PHRASES DEAL WITH THREE GREAT PARTS OF THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE. ONE DEALS WITH THE MISSIONARY OBLIGATION, THE OTHER DEALS WITH THE MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITY, AND THE LAST DEALS WITH MISSIONARY OPPOSITION. AND I WANT YOU TO SEE THIS.
