“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
God did not change His mind, for He still wanted Jonah to preach the same message. He did not say, “Why didn’t you obey my command in the first place?” No, God gave Jonah another chance to serve Him.
PRINCIPLE:
The commission to reach others for the Lord is at the heart of God’s purpose for our existence here on earth.
APPLICATION:
The Great Commission is the climax to the gospels. Jesus considered it His supreme mandate (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15; Ac 1:8; Jn 20:21). The only command (imperative) in the Great Commission is “make disciples.” The Great Commission involves more than evangelism; it also involves discipleship. The decision to receive Christ is the first step.
Mt 28:18-20, 18“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 ‘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, 20 “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.”
Jesus also gives three supplemental commands: “Go,” “baptize,” and “teach.” The “go” is the first step. This is why Jonah needed commissioning. “Baptizing” is the initial incorporation into the local church. “Teaching” helps people to mature in Christ.
