Tuesday, 22 April 2008
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The Great Commitment
NUCCF
Date: 9 April 2008 (Wednesday)
Speaker: Mr. Allan Yong
How many of you know why you are here in college?
Why are we here in college?(Picture is for illustrative purposes only)
Some would say...
...I’m here to be a student. 
...I’m here to complete my degree.
...I’m here to prepare myself to go to the States for my final year.If you believe in God, why do you think God had put you here? There must be a purpose that God had put you here.
How many of you here believe that you are here only to study?
I'm only here to study. Nothing else matters anymore...And how many of you here agree that you are here to evangelize?
I'm only a student. What much can I do to evangelize?Even if you don’t agree on the evangelizing part, the Bible still says so.
Matthew 28:19-20 à 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
When God sends you out to “make disciples of all nations”, what should you do?
It’s partly to fulfil this great commission.
There are only two great things that people say about in the Bible: the Great Commission, and the Great Commandment.
Great Commission
In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. It has become a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing mission work, evangelism, and baptism. It has been a primary basis for Christian missionary activity.
Send me, I will go...Some versions of the Great Commission appear in Matthew, Luke, John, and in Acts, which is the second part of Luke-Acts. Details vary from book to book. In Matthew, Jesus directs the disciples to baptize people of all nations in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinitarian formula. In Luke, Jesus tells the disciples to preach repentance and forgiveness, and promises that they will have divine power. In John, Jesus says the disciples will have the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive sins and to withhold forgiveness. In Acts, Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will inspire them. In Mark, Jesus never speaks with his disciples after his resurrection, since modern scholars agree that the original gospel of Mark ends at verse Mark 16:8 with the women leaving the tomb.
There is nothing greater than the Great Commission that could be shared with the non-Christians.
Great Commandment
Loving the Lord with all your heart is not just something spiritual. It is something emotional, physical, and mental as to how you must know Him.
You express God’s love by loving your neighbours as you love yourself.
Love Thy Neighbour...The Great Commitment
You would need to have a great commitment to the Great Commission and Great Commandment. When you have a great commitment to the Great Commission and Great Commandment, you will be a great Christian. When you are a great Christian, you can build a great church.
Why does Satan want to make us be lousy Christians?
Because you are a lousy Christian, he will have more business in hell. If there are more Christians around, then Satan would come to an end.
Satan has a great interest to make you a lousy Christian.
You are not just supposed to be a student- but also a Christian student. You’re not just a student who happens to be a Christian.
You are not just here to study. You are here to study and also to evangelize.
You are not just supposed to be a student- but also a Christian student.A church is not just a building. The people maketh it.
But the people should also go out and evangelize. Not just stay within the four walls of the building and remain in their comfort zone.
I'm happy as I am being in church. The outside world is a scary place to be in. People cuss a lot. And lots of people like to smoke and drink too. I'm scared......... When you talk about serving in the Christian Fellowship, it’s because you want to make the best out of the Great Commission and Great Commandment.
Don’t just say that you love God. Put your words into actions.
John 13:35 --> By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
People know that you love God not by the way you dress, but by the goodness and warmth emanating from you.
If your group is warm, people will be able to feel welcome. 
If there’s only cold reception, that will just make a person feel like a fish lost in a desert. So...
...be that warm and friendly individual in that sea of dreary coldness...If your group has got interesting activities and a good band, people can enjoy your gatherings and singing, even though they are not yet Christians.
But you can’t depend on entertainment alone. How long can you depend on entertainment to keep the crowd interested in you? This method does not last for long.
Entertainment and activities may be important, but the people must also be drawn to something- the love of God.
If the group has great teaching, then it will be worth their time to attend. During Bible study sessions, talk about issues that interest people (e.g.: evolution).
The group, teachings and activities have to be great in order to draw people to the Christian Fellowship.
The Great Commission is the spoken Word of God.
Mark 8:38 --> If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.
"If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you too when I judge you."Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Three servants received money from their master. Two of them invested the money whereas the third servant (the lazy servant) buried the money.
In the end, the lazy servant was judged by his master and cast out into the outer darkness. He wasn’t thrown into a lake of fire. In the darkness, there is no light and very cold (thus, the gnashing of teeth).
Before that, the lazy servant was in the light. Who represents the light? God Himself.
The lazy servant was supposed to be in the light. Only then could he be cast into the darkness. How can you cast darkness into darkness?
Unfaithful servants will be cast into the outer darkness. Where would you wan to be at the judgment seat? The Bible never mentioned any “in between” state apart from light and darkness.
God won’t rewards you based on how much you get, but how you effort you have put in to do something. At least, God could use your effort to bless other people.
This parable of Jesus teaches you to use the talent that God has given you. And you do have some things that you can do really well.
Make a list of the things you do well. Use those talents for God. You may discover that He has given you a new talent; one that you didn't even suspect that you had. Then find a way to use that talent for Him!
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." (quoted by John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States)
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