JESUS IS UNARGUABLY THE CAPTAIN
Jesus is unarguably the Captain of our band. He has given us an important task to do—the task of winning souls. When He was leaving the earth, the only assignment He handed over to us was to go and preach the gospel to the entire world. Listen to Him:
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18–20)
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:15–18)
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46–47)
The uniform testimony of Scripture shows that we are called to become fishers of men. “Follow me,” the Master says, “and I will make you fishers of men.” The command of the Captain, as shown above did not indicate that the Great Commission is meant for a particular dispensation, for He says, “even unto the end of the world.” According to Him, the gospel of the kingdom should be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). What the Captain gave is a command. A command, especially from a military commander, is not meant to be admired or deliberated upon, but to be obeyed.
COMMENDABLE OBEDIENCE
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16:19–20)
They did not have money, yet they went forth. Their message was unpopular to the Jews, yet they went forth. People accused them of stealing the body of Christ and making a false claim about His resurrection, yet they went forth. The Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Council of Elders saw their claim as a threat and a plot to bring the blood of Jesus upon their heads, yet they went forth.
They had no church building or auditorium, yet they went forth. They were threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and warned not to preach in His name, yet they went forth. They laboured so hard that within the shortest time, multitudes were harvested into the fold. Even the enemy could not deny their effort, testifying that they were “they that turned the world upside down” for their Captain.
COMPROMISING COALITION
Another area where the enemy secretly tried to scuttle the Great Commission was by luring the disciples into compromise. The Captain had earlier specified the scope of the commission:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The Master’s plan was that gospel work should be carried out concurrently in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. But the devil seemed to whisper, “If these Spirit-filled believers remain unstoppable in Jerusalem, let us at least slow them down so this thing does not spread fast. Let them be content with their exploits in Jerusalem.”
Like the pre-Babel people who formed a coalition not to replenish the earth contrary to God’s will, the disciples stayed put in Jerusalem. Thanks to the timely intervention of the Captain, who allowed persecution to disperse them like seed—otherwise they might never have scattered abroad.
This same distraction confronts the church today. Many ministers feel “called” only if their headquarters is in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, or other mega-cities. Even when development authorities demolish their buildings, as if to scatter them to the unreached fields, they refuse to go. Instead, they confuse men with multiple signposts of different churches cramped into one small building, accompanied by blaring noise, worldly music, and endless competitions. But is this in line with the scope of the Master, especially in a nation where 70% of the populace lives in rural areas?
The Great Commission has been reduced to a “research project” where each church gives its own definition. Conflicting distractions—often rooted in the wrong foundations laid by key leaders—have weakened our obedience.
MODERN DISTRACTIONS
The message then lists some of the distractions today:
- The distraction of Apostle Peter the Intercontinental Fisher – turning ministry into business for personal gain rather than soul-winning.
- The distraction of Weaning our Samuel – abandoning the harvest field for personal comfort and excuses.
- The distraction of departing John Mark and Demas – ministers who once burned with zeal but now chase titles, wealth, and worldly relevance.
- The distraction of internal wrangling – petty quarrels among leaders replacing mission focus.
- The distraction of the “I go sir” group – false reports and fabricated testimonies of outreach, deceiving supporters, while the unreached remain untouched.
- The distraction of polluted tongues and hearts – preachers whose lives contradict their message, weakening the gospel’s credibility.
FINAL CHARGE
Jesus, the Captain of our band, has given us only one task: to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We are debtors to anyone who has not heard or believed. The only basis of our evaluation will be the number of souls we win—not the politics we play, not the buildings we build, not the allowances we enjoy.
Man of God, can you sit back and weigh yourself? Think of your salary, your allowances, your free accommodation, and yet, for a whole year, can you point to a soul truly saved through you? Remember, I am not speaking of those snatched from other churches but of genuine conversions.
God is calling us today: let us examine our ways. The Master will soon come to ask us to give an account of our stewardship.
This is the message of the Lord to His Church today.
—Bro. Emmanuel
