Same Mission, Different Assignments

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

This passage of Scripture is also known as the Great Commission. It is a “commission” given to the disciples before Jesus ascended back to heaven. Now some can argue that because it was told to the disciples, that it doesn’t apply to us. But this passage is the very definition as to why each of us are here on this earth.

We are ALL given the same mission – to proclaim the name of Christ to the ends of the earth. In fact, in Acts 1:6-9 it says…

“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 

We don’t know when Christ is coming back. But what we do know is that we are to be His witnesses locally (Jerusalem), regionally (Judea), nationally (Samaria), and to the ends of the earth. We are to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. All the same mission.

But we ALL have different assignments. God has commissioned EACH of us, to a specific role here in His Kingdom. There is not one, no, not even one, with the same assignment as YOU. Imagine that? God created YOU, to reach a certain people. Whether locally or to the ends of the earth. God has specifically equipped YOU, to carry out the mission He has commanded us to live out. How are you doing that? How are you doing with that?

Is your life lived for the next thing you want to purchase? The next vacation? The next latest and greatest? The next “better” of this? Our sole purpose on this earth is to give glory to God as we live out the great commission. Love God and love others. Does your life reflect this? Or are you trying to steal someone else’s assignment? Or are you trying to be like something else, like your neighbor, who has what you want? Trust me, that ain’t gonna get you very far. In fact it’ll get you nowhere. And even more so, it is a slap in the face to God, saying that what He created you for isn’t what you see worth living out.

You have a purpose. A specific assignment. And one day we will have to give an account for how we lived out our assignment here on this earth. Does that scare you? Spur you on? Encourage you? What gets in the way of your assignment? Envy? Bigger and better?

We don’t know how long we have on this earth, and like it says in Acts, we don’t know when Christ is coming again. It’s not for us to know. Let that encourage us to wake up each morning, ready for our assignment. Ready for what God has called us to – to live out His mission for our lives with our specific assignment in hand.

Don’t delay. It’s never too late to start now. Live out your God-given gifts through the assignment He has given YOU.