The Great Commission Defended- Part 1
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:18-20 ESV)
Jesus’s instructions to his followers, shortly before his ascension, changed the face of this planet.
The apostles spread far and wide, preaching the forgiveness of sins through repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit blessed their work and the Church grew, and grew, and grew. Persecution couldn’t restrain the divine saving power of God. One apostle- Paul- was beaten, stoned, lashed (5 times), shipwrecked (3 times) and mercilessly attacked by robbers, soldiers, gentiles and Jews; and yet he continued spreading the Gospel.
How do you feel about evangelism, Christian?
Does it fill your heart with dread and cause your limbs to ache like punch bags? Are you too tired to tell others of Jesus? Are you too weary- too ill?
I can sympathise. Similar reactions tend to strike my heart when I read Matthew chapter 28. More often than not, when an opportunity arises to share my faith, I try to avoid it or convince myself that no real opportunity actually had existed.
Our saviour, however, when tired and weary, went to the well in Samaria and spoke words of ‘living water’ to the despised lady who was there. Through his tired evangelism, a whole town came out to hear his message!
Why should we be concerned about the salvation of souls?
Here are 5 good reasons why we should be concerned about the salvation of real people, right here, right now.
1. Because the Lord certainly is:
“The Lord… not wishing that any person should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3v9
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1v15
“He saw a great crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Mark 6v34
“God our saviour who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2v4
2. Because of the severity of sin and the seriousness of the punishment:
“I will visit their sins upon them.” Exodus 32v34
“The haughty looks of man shall be bought low, and the lofty pride of man shall be humbled” Isaiah 2v11
“Truly I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5v26
“I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Matthew 12v36
“Every plant that my heavenly father has not planted will be rooted up.” Matthew 15v13
“He will render to each one according to his works…there will be wrath and fury.” Romans 2v6/8
“For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” Romans 1v18
In the light of the serious results of sin, the compassion Jesus shows towards the “sheep without a shepherd” becomes even more poignant (even to our fallen and sin-clouded minds).
3. God commands us to:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” Matthew 28v 19
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Romans 10v14
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Luke 10v2
4. Evangelism brings glory to God’s name. This is the highest calling of mankind:
“our God may make you worthy of his calling…so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you…”
1 Thessalonians 1v11
“In him we have obtained an inheritance… so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1v12
“In love he predestined us… to the praise of his glorious grace…” Ephesians 1v4-5
What can possibly bring more praise to God’s name than publicising what he has done to save his people from eternal condemnation?! Right at the beginning of Jesus’ time on earth, at his birth, angels sang praises to Jesus:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”
Biblical examples of people rejoicing in God’s redemption include:
- Moses and Miriam (singing)
- Stephen (telling the account of Israel leaving Egypt)
- David (the entire book of Psalms!)
5. Anyone who was a committed Christian in the Bible was serious about evangelism:
- Peter and the disciples at Pentecost and also in front of the authorities (Acts 2/4)
- The early church prayed for boldness to continue public preaching despite persecution (Acts 4)
- Philip preached to the Samaritans and also the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8)
- Saul, when converted, jumps straight into Jewish-aimed evangelism (Acts 9)
- The early Hellenistic believers (Acts 11)
- The Roman Christians, having seen Paul arrested, became bold in their preaching of the gospel (Phil 1v14)
- Paul- previously Saul- moves on and speaks to many gentiles (Most of the NT)
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