"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen." (Matthew 29:18-20)

Every Christian who reads his Bible knows the Great Commission.

Everyone who knows the Great Commission knows that the Lord Jesus wants all His followers to go and preach the Gospel to all men, make disciples of them, and teach them all that He taught in the Word of God.

Still, many Christians fail to understand a few important things about the Great Commission.

Here are some of the things we should know about this all-consuming mandate that should occupy our minds, hearts, lips, and schedules.

1) It's given to all

Every Christian knows that God wants His followers to go and preach the Gospel, but many think that the preaching part is simply left to those who are "called" to fulltime ministry, or those who are gifted with the gift of preaching.

Wrong.

The Lord Jesus gave this command first to a group of rag-tag followers, most of whom weren't educated. Many of them, like Peter, were fishermen who didn't spend their time reading books and encyclopedias; they spent their time fishing and mending their nets.

Still, the Lord gave the command to them. Why? It's because they believed in Him and followed Him.

Anybody who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ should know that He wants all of us to go and preach the Gospel and make disciples, teaching them what He taught in the Word.

2) It's our purpose in life

Another thing that many of us don't understand is that preaching the Gospel and making disciples is NOT a church event or project.

It's a lifelong commitment that ought to be the purpose of our lives.

• Christian businessmen should know that God gave them their businesses to further advance His Kingdom.
• Christian musicians and other Christians with a stage ought to take advantage of the stage and their popularity to bring the Gospel to all.
• Christians in fulltime ministry ought to know that God has called them to serve Him fulltime in the preaching of the Gospel and the equipping of the saints to do the work of ministry, not on chasing after their "ministry dreams."

Every Christian should consider the Great Commission their primary purpose and goal for living, doing it at every opportunity: at home, at work or school, with friends, and with others.

3) It's what will fulfill us

Lastly, we ought to know that fulfilling the Great Commission is what will fulfill us.

At the end of our lives, when we face God, we will give an account to Him for how we lived our lives on earth.

And since we are Christians, God will surely hold us to account for how we treated His one and only begotten Son.

Did we believe in Him? If yes, then did we follow Him? If we say we follow Him, did we really do what He told us to do?

Did we fulfill the Great Commission?

In closing

Friends, the Great Commission is more than just a command. With just a few sentences the Lord Jesus gave us something we should treasure:

• Authority to do His will
• An assignment entrusted to His followers
• A concrete direction for our lives
• A promise to be with us as we do His will

Let's go and do His will, dear friends.