GO YE INTO THE WORLD 2000 YEARS LATER

All scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

After the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He ascended into the heavens to the Father. He then secured a forty day leave from heaven to return to the earth, even though He had said ‘It is finished,’ to set some things in order. He could not have done all this if what He was coming to do with His disciples was not of utmost importance. He left heaven, returned to the earth and showed Himself alive to His disciples. And for a space of  forty days, He was telling them things concerning the kingdom of God and how the kingdom of God should from Jerusalem spread even to the remotest part of the earth by their preaching. And Jesus concluded by telling them not to leave Jerusalem but wait to receive the promise of the Father of which He had been telling them. The summary of His meeting with the disciples was that they should not be so concerned with their personal restoration which was the restoration of their nation (though this was also part of God’s will), but their concern should be about how the gospel would be spread.

The disciples, prior to this time, just like almost every Christian today, had only been concerned about their own personal restoration by God; they had no interest in the spread of the gospel. Because of this, the Lord had to return after His resurrection to tell the disciples what should be their major focus which was evangelism and also prepare them to receive what would make them truly His witnesses. And Jesus says in Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Heaven and earth may change but the word of the Lord remains the same. Time does not make it less effective nor does its meaning change over time. The words the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples while on earth apply to us today just as it did to them. Those words were not only for them but also for those who will believe on Jesus Christ through their witness. Matthew 28:9-20 says

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

(Emphasis added).

The Lord Jesus straitly charged the disciples to ensure they teach all those who will believe on Him through their preaching to observe all He had commanded them. Not only that, but that this should continue even to the end of the age. If Jesus had injunctively said to them in Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,” so is He telling you today. The command has not changed. And there has been no better time for the gospel to be preached than now. The time is shorter now than it was in the days of the apostles. The world is speedily running its course to an end. The world is perishing and gross darkness is covering it. Wickedness and iniquity are on the increase. The need to witness Jesus now cannot be overemphasized. He is the only way out of this darkness into light, the only way out of this death into everlasting life. He is the only way to the Father. Without Him, the people will remain and perish in darkness. And the Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Lord is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance,” and the only way for them not to perish is to present them Jesus. John 3:16 says

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

When you do not preach the gospel, you are not only disobeying the great commandment of Jesus which He took His time to tell the disciples and that it should also be passed down to you, you are also not fulfilling His will by allowing souls to perish. There is no other way for God to save the world aside through you. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

What a great ministry God has committed into your hands by saving your soul. Just as God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, so is He now in you to continue reconciling the world to Himself. And there is no stopping until the whole world is reconciled to Him. Just as He anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and power, and was going around doing good, healing all that were oppressed by the devil because God was with Him, so does He want you to be concerned about receiving the Holy Spirit for empowerment to be His true witness today because He is with you, for this purpose, and yea, even to the end of the age.  

Also, not preaching the gospel is delaying the coming of the Lord. He is not slow concerning His promise that He will come but He is patient, waiting for you to preach the gospel and bring many to repentance as He has no interest in the death of the wicked. Hasten His coming by going out to preach. Do His will and obey His command today.