Sermon Illustration: All Inclusive

Recently, my wife and I had an incredible opportunity to get away for a week at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico. We had never been able to do this before, so we were excited, but cautious. People told us how wonderful it was, but in the back our minds said to ourselves, “that sounds too good to be true.”

Well let me tell you – everything we heard was TRUE.

All-inclusive means – ALL INCLUSIVE!

All access – all the time – to the beach.

All access – all the time – to the pool.

All access – all the time – to the lounge chairs.

All access – all the time – to the lounge chairs with umbrellas.

All access – all the time – to snacks.

All access – all the time – to restaurants.

All access – all the time – to drinks.

All access – all the time – to room service.

AND THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR ANY OF IT!

Once you paid the fee to get there, DONE.

Don’t feel like getting up to get a drink? Someone would come around and ask what they could bring you!

Hungry 30 minutes after breakfast? Go get a snack!

Hungry in the middle of the night? Call room service!

The glass bottle Diet Cokes and the Pringles and Peanut M & M’s in your room? No fee at check out! Yours to eat! And they replenish the next day!

Want two entrees on the menu? Order both!!

All access. All the time.

You know why? So that we could RELAX. That’s right. All-inclusive means everything is taken care of so we don’t have to worry or do a thing. We simply were able to rest, relax, and be replenished. All-inclusive was there so we could do ONE THING: relax.

Have you ever noticed all all-inclusiveness of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)?

All Authority (“All authority has been given to me. . . “)

All Places (“As you are going. . . “)

All People (“all nations”)

All Gospel (“in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”)

All Commands (“teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you”)

All the Time (“with you always”)

Jesus promises ALL of these things and gives us ALL of these directives. Why? So we would not be confused about the ONE THING we are supposed to be doing: Making Disciples of Jesus.

The Great Commission is all-inclusive so we would be propelled forward, without ANY confusion, with what our one job is: make disciples.

You and I have everything we need to do the one thing we are called to do. Are you doing your ONE JOB?