The Great Commission

A Burden for the Harvest

It's good to see every single person in here. We're going to go through a very short but very significant part of scripture. If you've been following us during the word fast, you've seen that we are slowly getting into a very critical part. I love what God has been doing specifically within this fast.

We started with what is a very bold title: "The Believer's Authority." The moment you hear that, you begin to think that all of us are going to come up with superpowers — that we will come out of the fast doing all manner of different things for the kingdom. And although we will, it seems like the direction of travel for the Lord specifically concerning this fast has been to really work on our inner man, to deal with us internally.

At no point can God commission a man externally if he has not first mastered the internal man, if he has not mastered the flesh.

So much of what has been spoken about over the last couple of weeks has been to remind us of the necessity of mastery of our souls before we focus on giving, before we focus on anything else.

A Story from the Prison

Today was a really good day, but this morning I've been left very burdened. Kanan and Minister joined me at the prison. Minister Ebs led us in a time of worship and started off with "I'm Coming Back to the Heart of Worship." The moment I heard the way he began to sing it, I realized that God was going to do a deep work in the room.

It became very reflective — a very deep, very heavy room, very early on. The men were brought to their own thoughts, and then by the leading of the Lord I began to speak on Leviticus 6, about a fire in the altar never going out. And it left me burdened.

Why Discipleship Is Needed

Although the gospel was preached, I realized even more why discipleship is needed. In the church setting, leaving people to their own thoughts and leaving people convicted is exactly what you want. In a prison setting, it's sometimes not what you want. Because if you leave them in their thoughts for too long, things begin to happen, and they make decisions that they don't want to make.

I got home after the service and I was really in my head a lot. I spoke to the Lord about why I was feeling like that, and I realized more so why the harvest needs to be housed. It's one thing to take a man through the gospel, to bring them to the conviction of the gospel, but it felt cruel to leave them in a space where they had heard the word of God without placing them in a system that will continue in that discipleship.

These brothers with me will tell you the room was silent. At the end I asked for prayer requests. They gave me a few, and they all left very quietly, very solemnly. Although it's exactly what we needed at the time, I said, "I'm not going to be here for the next two weeks. What's going to happen for them tomorrow? What's going to happen for them Tuesday?"

One of the men shared an exhortation on the parable of the sower and spoke on the importance of the sowing of God's word — how when the word of God comes, sometimes it can be plucked away because of situations and circumstances. And I prayed, "God, if they get tested on account of the words that they've heard, please give them strength to stand."

The Great Commission — Matthew 28

We understand that we're in a harvest season. How many of us believe that?

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "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, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." — Matthew 28:16–20

Contextually, Jesus Christ was about to leave the earth. He had walked with his apostles for these few years. They had seen a lot, encountered a lot, tried a lot, asked a lot. And now they were in a space where responsibility was about to be given to them.

Jesus understood the weight of the season. He not only commissioned them, but — as you read in Luke 24 — he also told them to wait for the Spirit of the living God, who would come to give them power, to make the delegation of authority effective, giving them strength to go out and do even more things than Jesus Christ did.

Then he commanded them:

• Go forth into the world
• Be witnesses
• Make disciples of all nations, beginning in Israel
• Teach them to follow his commandments

This is a very important commandment for us as believers. We have been given an enduring call to action, one that is very significant for this time.

The Kingdom, Not a Political Restoration

Even in Acts 1, when the disciples heard that all authority had been given to Christ, they still thought that Jesus had come to be a political Messiah who would restore Israel. They asked him, "Is it at this time? Are you coming to restore Israel? Are you coming to dispose of the kingdom of darkness?"

But Jesus began to teach them that no — the authority that has been given to me is for you to be a witness. That means we have a responsibility now as believers to be able to communicate the gospel.

The Harvest Must Be Housed

Then the master told his servant, "Go out to all the roads and to the country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full." — Luke 14:23

If you understand the Great Commission, you'll understand there is also a follow-up. For those who have received the gospel, there is now a responsibility on all of us as believers to ensure that the house of God is full. Not a Paniym City Church — but that the house of God is full.

One thing I want to make explicitly clear: the harvest must be housed. If we are to prepare for a harvest, you and I must live our lives in a way that is ready to look after the souls that God is going to bring. You and I must live in a way that is right — not in the eyes of men, but in the eyes of God.

The harvest isn't coming in to look at one or two people. The harvest is coming into a kingdom. Everyone shout "kingdom!"

What Is the Kingdom?

If the kingdom is the domain of the king — the expression of the culture, ideas, and desires of the king — then every citizen that dwells in that domain should reflect that.

We're not just talking about the fivefold gifts. We're not just talking about the pastors. We're not just talking about leaders. We're talking about believers.

• Are you a believer? Then the responsibility of soul-winning is on you.
• Are you a believer? Then the responsibility of discipleship is also on you.

One of the reasons why I believe we don't see the fullness of the harvest is because the church isn't always ready to receive the harvest. So now there is a maturity required of every single one of us. It doesn't mean we bypass how we feel, or bypass emotions, or bypass life — but we are to prepare. Everyone shout "prepare!"

Are You Actually Prepared?

How many of you are actually prepared? I'm burdened this morning because I realize that people are still living their lives haphazardly. People are still living anyhow. They haven't yet understood the times and the seasons we find ourselves in.

They believe that to be chosen by God means that a man has to give you a title. You're waiting for the affirmation from a man when you have been commissioned by God for an assignment. There are systems and protocols — we understand that. But the protocol of the kingdom is that you are to go out to the world and preach the gospel. That is a commission. It's a non-negotiable standard.

Internal Work and External Work

We have an internal work and an external work.

The external work is to go forth and preach the gospel undiluted. Let men know that by themselves they will lead themselves to decay, they will lead themselves to death. The heart of a man is sinful in all its ways. Without God we would be absolutely nothing. It is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we stand here — not by our own righteousness, but by the righteousness of Christ.

But when you receive the life of God, when you receive the salvation of Jesus Christ, there is now a responsibility on you to ensure that when people come in, they are discipled — and discipled well. It goes beyond your personality type.

Gather the Harvest

There is a season, and the season is now. I'm slowly realizing, and I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying this very loudly: gather the harvest. Gather it.

You have gone and you are going to receive of a harvest that you haven't sown. — cf. John 4

In our society right now are people who are ready, people who are willing. It's not that we were the ones that preached the gospel to them — other people did the plowing. But now it is the season for us to gather the harvest.

Tell your neighbor: gather the harvest. It's a kingdom responsibility. Don't think that you came to church just to warm up seats.

Light in a Dark World

I see the magnitude of what's happening in our society. I hear about things in the news in London. People can't even enjoy the sun anymore, because the moment you want to meet with your friends to have a party, someone comes in with knives and guns. This is the state of the world we are in.

But you are called as light. We see darkness, but you are called as light.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. — Matthew 5:14

Those aren't just verses. They are supposed to be the revelation of your life. What does it mean for light to step into darkness? What happens when light steps into a dark room? Darkness is expelled. Until we see darkness removed from our society, from our community, I'm telling you — nobody can rest.

Burning Bush and the Call to Compel

This weekend I've been pondering, liaising with some of the teams, and praying about Burning Bush the conference. I said to God, "However we're going to do it..." — and I'm going to give this instruction to everybody — we're not just waiting for leaders. We are going to go into the area. We are going to evangelize.

At that conference, we need to see at least a quarter or half of the room being unbelievers. When the altar call comes, there need to be people hearing the gospel for the first time in that room.

That means you will have to — the Bible says anankazo them — force them, compel them into the house of God. However you're going to do it.

If it means that, like Jesus Christ who was on his way somewhere and the Bible says he had to go through Samaria — if it means that on my way to work I have to go past Clapham Junction, if I have to go past an area that I wouldn't usually go to just so I can meet someone, just so I can tell them about the gospel — God, disrupt my week.

The Mission Is Fueled by Love

This is the mission of God. It's not fulfilled by obligation. Territories are waiting. Souls are waiting. But if we are to be the conduit, if we are to be the laborers to lay hold of this harvest, you're going to need love.

This is one of those times where the sight of food even irritates you. I understand — probably 0.01% — why in John 4, after Jesus Christ met the woman by the well, the apostles came and asked him whether he wanted something to eat. And Jesus responded that he was feasting on something they did not yet know.

I realize what burden can drive a man to do — to forsake everything the flesh will want, so that you only exist to see the will of God revealed.

I think about Burning Bush. I think about the United Kingdom. I think about Felton. I think about my own soul. These are all territories. And I'm saying:

God, can the gospel take center stage again? Will I be the kind of person that won't just pray the prayer, but will be the reason why the gospel remains center stage once again?

It wasn't enough for Jesus Christ to just tell them to pray to the Lord of the harvest — he then commissioned them to be the laborers. Please understand: by reason of you praying, you are the laborer.

Awaken to the Urgency

There is an assignment — a critical one, both external and internal. But in order for you to be effective in that work, you're going to need to master your own soul. You need to allow the Spirit of God to do such a work in your heart that everything about your old man never revives again. Nothing.

Many of us are disciples, but we're sleeping. We have not awoken to the reality of times and seasons. We haven't discerned what is critical for this time. We are eagerly living our lives to see the fulfillment of our own plans, our own agendas, the things we dream and hope for. But there is a bigger goal at hand. There is a bigger task at hand.

My job today is very simple: we are to awaken ourselves to the urgency of God's word in this season. There are souls that are desperately in need of the gospel. But the gospel won't be preached if you keep praying. The gospel will be preached when you step outside and go speak to someone about it.

And it is not just the preaching of the gospel — we must also prepare God's house for the influx of souls when they do come in.

Ask your neighbor: Are you willing to sacrifice for that responsibility?

The Priority Was the Gospel

It's interesting that when Jesus speaks of the authority given to him, the very first thing he says is: "Because all authority has been given to me, go out and make disciples of all nations."

It wasn't:

• "All authority has been given to me, go out and demonstrate."
• "Go out and heal the sick."

The priority was the preaching of the gospel.

The Internal Kingdom Before the External

There is an establishment of the kingdom that must occur in this time. Right now I'm beginning to understand even more that there is an internal kingdom that is being established before the external one is established later.

The internal kingdom is that Christ must be established in the hearts of men before we see the manifestation of the external kingdom. Many of us are waiting for the manifestation of the external kingdom while missing the fulfillment of the assignment that must occur in the hearts of people.

How many of us understand that you can hear all of this, but if not for the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you, all of this will be in vain? It is not just about hearing and getting animated, or leading from a place of passion and emotion. It's leading from a place of conviction that only the Holy Spirit can give.

Jesus Christ gave the instruction to the apostles, but he told them, "Although I've given you the instruction, wait for the Spirit of God. Wait for him, for there is a power that he's going to give unto you."

A Kingdom Without Barriers

This kingdom we are inviting people into is a kingdom without barriers. All people can come in. We need to understand the urgency of this.

This is not about what you can do for your own life or what God can do for you. A prayer point for God to transform your soul, to transform your life, is so that you can be a vessel unto salvation — so you can bring people to the fullness of relationship with Jesus.

Not by reason of compulsion, nor by reason of instruction, but by reason of love. If not for love, I'm telling you, none of this that we do will be fruitful.

Don't Just Hear — Do

Don't be the people who continually hear that this time is of urgency about the gospel, but yet don't do what is necessary. The Bible is very true when it says we will give an account of everything we've spoken and everything we've heard. There is a responsibility.

I strongly believe today is a very specific day where God is going to deposit:

• Boldness unlike anyone has ever seen before
• Confidence unlike anyone has ever seen before

There are some people who have been asking for boldness to preach the gospel even in the high street, on the buses, on the trains. I believe today is going to be a day when you receive a power unlike you have ever seen before.

But this is all to preach the gospel. I'm telling you, signs and wonders can be forgotten about for now. Everything is about salvation before anything else. We are to bring men to the fullness of God's work, to the fullness of the gospel.

Readying God's House

All of us are going to play a part in ensuring that God's house is equipped and ready to embrace the harvest.

I know what I'm seeing. I'm seeing mass groups of people flooding to the church but yet not being discipled. Why? Because the church hasn't been ready. Because the church has been speaking about all of this but not preparing.

What would it look like if a hundred people walked in as unbelievers today?

• Are we still going to bank on Pastor Leticia to do the work of discipleship?
• Are we going to bank on Tommy to do the work of discipleship?
• Or can you be the vessel that God uses to disciple someone?
• Can you be the vessel that God uses to reveal himself through?

I've said to God during this fast: "I want you to completely destroy the need that once lived. Completely. What you've done has been incredible, but from now, I need to walk in a greater glory. And that glory has to be a harvest of souls."

There is a desperation in my heart for people to know Jesus. Because we've seen what it looks like when people feed into their own thoughts. We know what it looks like when people cave into their own desires. We see what it looks like when people decide to live their lives according to their own standards. It is not practical, it is not spiritual, it is not relevant for their lives.

God, would you deposit in me the burden for soul-winning? I don't want to live my life caring about just my desires alone. Will you deposit in me the burden for soul-winning?

Release the Unforgiveness

As we were praying, I heard this very clearly: there are certain people where the limitation over your life is because you have chosen not to forgive.

As I asked the Holy Spirit why he brought that specifically — because it wasn't part of what I wanted to pray about — I was reminded of the fact that for the apostles to receive this commission:

• They were receiving a burden to go and serve the very people that killed their master.
• They were receiving a burden to go preach a message of love to people who lived hatred.
• They were receiving an assignment to go to a people that wounded them and wanted them dead — but through love they had to preach the gospel.

If there be any ounce of unforgiveness in your heart, bitterness in your heart, this is the time to let it go immediately. Repeat after me:

I renounce all hatred, all anger, all resentment, all revenge, all retaliation, all unforgiveness, all bitterness, in the name of Jesus.

They may have done what they've done. They may have said what they have said. But your position is to love, despite what it looks like. I know it's easier said than done, but today we say, "God, pluck out every unforgiveness in my heart. The Lord must do a work in me today. Today the limitation cannot be bitterness."

And God, if there is any way that I have caused offense in the lives of people, caused bitterness in the hearts of people — God, would you release me from that burden? Release it. It cannot be a snare to your soul.

Deal With Me Today

If we are to be vessels or conduits, we have to be far removed from any ounce of bitterness. Some of us — there are things that have happened, things we've had to go through, and it's been deeply painful. Sometimes it's us that has caused that, and sometimes we have been the victims of it.

Pray that all offense or bitterness is released from your heart. We have no time. Time is of the essence. In this period, God wants to do a work internally before he begins to exercise power and dominion externally.

For the things that we're yet to deal with, we say:

God, today deal with me. Expose me. Show me the things that are seeds I do not yet see. Show me the things that I unknowingly do.

As For Me and My House

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you're living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. — Joshua 24:15

As for me and my body, as for me and my soul, as for me and my life — I pledge allegiance in this moment to the Lord God Almighty.

• No part of me will see that serving the Lord is undesirable.
• My flesh will not master me.
• I will live to serve the Lord in my 30s, in my 40s, in my 50s, in my 60s, in my 70s, in my 80s, till the day that I die.

The testimony of my life is that he served the Lord, she served the Lord. She was faithful in her walk with God. He was faithful in his walk with God. He did not bow to the systems of this world. His flesh did not overcome him.

Your testimony will be that you stood.

Go out, spread the gospel undiluted, and let people know about Jesus Christ. Amen.