Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:4; Mark 16:20
Christ died for the sins of all men in every generation. His death for the old and young is a vicarious, pardoning, soul-saving one, but not all men have heard and known that Christ died and rose again for their justification.
After His resurrection, He declared, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” and gave part of that power and authority to every Christian with a commission to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The fulfilment of this commission demands dispersal of Christians to every part of the world with the gospel. When the early Christians stayed put, God allowed persecution to disperse them to Judea, Samaria and other places. Dispersal of believers, willing or circumstantial, for the purpose of accomplishing the great commission is God’s will. The commission the Lord has given to every Christian is unchangeable and unchallengeable; it requires unquestioning commitment and unconditional consecration. Christ calls people first to (1) come and see but it is immediately followed by the instruction to go and seek; (2) come and rest but go and reap; (3) come to me but go for me; (4) come and drink but go and declare; (5) come and dine but go and disciple; (6) come and receive but go and relieve; (7) come and take up the cross but go and teach the way of the cross. Having experienced the grace of God, you have a God-given responsibility to both live a godly lifestyle and preach the gospel to others so they also can be saved. Christ’s unfailing power and presence guarantee fruitfulness on the field of evangelism.
1. The Announcement And Anointing For Our Commission
Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:47,48; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:21,22; Acts 4:31,33; Matthew 24:11-14.
? ? Christ announces His power, programme and presence for our commission. No power can confront, cancel or conquer Christ’s power with which believers preach the gospel. The declaration of His omnipotence confers on us the highest authority and ability to do exploits for our Lord. Our call and commission to win men to the King of the greatest Kingdom is the highest work we can ever get involved with. Christ’s command, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”, reveals His programme. The believer who is not going out to preach the gospel to sinners, who is not winning souls into the Kingdom is not yet in the programme of God. Priority needs to be given to this work of evangelism which must begin in our community and nation. We must preach the good news to sinners around us, because they do not know that Jesus has died to save them from sin.
The programme involves baptising those who are converted through repentance and faith in Christ and continues with “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. The purpose of teaching biblical truths to converts is for them to obey God and live a godly lifestyle. When we go in His power to carry out His programme, Christ’s promised presence goes with us: “and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” No matter the challenge or problem on the field of evangelism, His presence will help us overcome those obstacles and the work will be done. The believer should preach the same gospel message that transformed his life. Christ’s command is “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”. He should declare to sinners that God hates sin and will judge unrepentant sinners; that He loves sinners and judged Christ for their sins; and that He would cancel their punishment if they repent and receive Christ as Saviour. The work of evangelism among all nations should commence but not end in our community. Thus, we should not remain in our comfort zones but be ready to explore and exploit new, unreached evangelism fields.
? The Lord empowers us to be fruitful in soul-winning. “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God”. The anointing God grants the soul-winner generates boldness and wisdom to win souls into the Kingdom. With the rise and spread of false prophets to all nations of the world, believers need to wake up from their lukewarm spiritual state and be committed to fulfilling the great commission.
2. The Appointment And Approach Of The Christian
John 15:3-5,7,8,16; Acts 9:15,20; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Acts 20:20; 8:5-8,26-29.
? ?God desires that every believer be fruitful in evangelism. Fruitfulness in evangelism glorifies Him. This is His purpose for appointing us. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” God has His own programme for all His ministers, and appoints and puts them in different places which He wants them to serve. Paul, the apostle was “a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel”. It is God who chooses us to serve in different capacities in His vineyard.
The approach believers are to adopt is to preach the gospel “publickly, and from house to house”. Believers must organise mass evangelism campaigns and preach in the public. But this must be complemented with personal, person-to-person evangelism. Philip’s public gospel crusade in the city of Samaria was successful but that did not replace personal evangelism as “the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” in a desert place. And he did not return to Samaria, “But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.”
3. The Assurance And Assistance Of Christ
Matthew 28:20; 1:23; Jeremiah 1:8,9,17-19; Acts 18:9-11.
Christ gives us the assurance of His presence, saying, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”. His name, Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’ also confirms this truth. As you obey and go out to preach the gospel, “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD ”. He will put His words in our mouths and no opposition to the gospel will prevail against us. The assurance and assistance of Christ’s presence protects us from harm and enables us to continue to preach the gospel. After he was commissioned, Paul did not stay put but went to different places to preach the gospel with the assurance of Christ’s presence and assistance, and he was fruitful. Filled with the same assurance, we must be willing to leave our comfort zones and go to preach the gospel wherever the Lord sends us.
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