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The COVID-19 and the Great Commission

by Onyekachukwu Ukeje  
3/26/2020 / World Affairs

In the past I wondered how ideas, philosophies or groups which did not have or seem to have public acceptance still managed to grow and in some cases take over. I got to understand that while they faced rejection, resistance and outright bans they secretly, or under the radar, kept spreading on a one-to-one basis at least. Given just enough time they are everywhere or may even have taken over.

I believe the coronavirus, COVID-19, experience is a reminder of such and a call to the basics. Not that such phenomenon has not been existing but this one has such global implications as to enforce a shutdown or lockdown in many quarters. It is a return or call to the basics as people may now find more time with family an experience missed as people had been busy pursuing ends and leaving the most important things behind, despite the social distancing recommended, or maybe better put as physical distancing as a dear leader recommended since we should not cease to care for one another.

It is also a call to the recognition that things may not always be achieved in the way(s) we might have been used to. It may have or end up opening eyes to realize there are new or other ways of doing things and that they can actually afford to do without some things and yet be accomplished. And a call to the basics of the Great Commission by Christ Jesus is in no way left out in this experience.

You know King Jesus commanded his disciples to go make disciples of all nations, not some nations, (that is to teach the nations, and those who accept the message of the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God, understanding that the way into this kingdom is by faith in the Christ Jesus as the Son of God and in His death on the cross for our sake and in His resurrection, deciding to pattern their lives after Christ, become His disciples). Baptizing them into Christ is the next, which is the work of the Holy Spirit when they make that confession of faith and get saved, which is depicted in the ordinance of water baptism we understand Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:16-20). And here is where I am headed: "teaching them to obey everything (not some things) I have commanded you."

Today the command of the Great Commission is for us as well who believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. But the basics we are being called to is the how of achieving the main goal of the Great Commission and invariably the goals of the Great Commission.

The spread of the Coronavirus, COVID-19, brings to memory the pattern Jesus left for His disciples for winning the world to Himself. It is the fact that when one soul is won, when one disciple is made, a disciple being one who has made up his/her mind to pattern their life according to the teachings of another, attention like such you will give to a new born child is given such one till he/she is rooted in faith in Christ Jesus and is able to lead others in the way of Christ he/she has been led. This is an assignment and strategy not limited to church or para-church organizations but is an assignment and strategy every believer in Christ Jesus must identify with. Truly if you are led by the Spirit of God you will identify with it without it being taught as a lesson or topic, because this is how the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you concerning the Great Commission.

When one has been raised deeply rooted in Christ he/she can be trusted to go raise others to be deeply rooted in Christ and to teach them to do the same while he/she continues to do so with others. Initially it may seem like not much progress is being made but given time the growth can be seen to be geometric or even exponential as the case may be and in time a host of people deeply rooted in Christ are allover the place and heaven being populated, this being done according to each one's ability of the number he/she can afford to give adequate attention to - be it one at a time or two at a time or three or four or more but it must be according to one's ability. The Holy Spirit who oversees this knows each one's ability and knows how to assign people to each and cause them to meet and relate. It could be as friends, as colleagues, as family members, as neighbors, but such as the environment allows for being with the one(s) you are to impact.

This strategy does not negate ministering to the masses or crowds but it ensures leaders who will care for and groom the masses who turn to Christ to be deeply rooted in Him. This is even the reason for church or fellowship, where at least two are gathered in His name, to produce people deeply rooted in Christ and encouraging one another unto the Day as we see it approaching.

To be sincere with you, assuming an average of four people are raised every six months by each deeply rooted in Christ believer using this strategy, in the first thirty six months starting with one deeply rooted in Christ believer only about 4096 deeply rooted in Christ believers are raised while the initial Christian may have personally raised only 24 deeply rooted in Christ believers. By the sixtieth month it would have been about 1048576 deeply rooted in Christ believers raised while the initial Christian would have personally raised only 40 deeply rooted in Christ believers assuming none fell by the wayside or died. Sounds familiar?. But the goal is deeply rooted in Christ. So the strategy is minister to the crowd, or masses, as many as believe and are brought to you to care for give them adequate attention in teaching them to obey Christ's command, setting up structures and infrastructure where necessary to get that done. Jesus ministered to the masses. But the key is in those you can constantly be with who can observe your life. Moses said to the Israelites: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7(NIV).

Extend this strategy to a little above 16 years and you would have won a number probably greater than the current world population. We understand people will make their decisions but with God all things are possible. When the world truly sees our light, our Christ-likeness, when they have an encounter with the love of Jesus through us, through such a great cloud of deeply rooted in Christ believers, will that not increase the likelihood of having disciples from every tribe and tongue? God bless you, Christian, as you commit to and align to this strategy of evangelism laid down by Christ for us. To this end I recommend the book The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman and other books by him. I also encourage you to share this with every believer in Christ Jesus you know, translating where necessary and possible.

And about the virus, "they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they didn't love their lives so much as to shrink from death." - Revelations 12:11. The word of their testimony I believe to be the word of God to them. God bless you.

?Onyekachukwu Ukeje is an itinerant preacher based in Enugu, Nigeria and can be followed on www.facebook.com/onyekachukwukejep and on www.twitter.com/onyiukeje and his channel subscribed on www.youtube.com/onyekachukwuukeje

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