* Go

God will always have a people that He raises up to proclaim who He is to the world.  In Old Testament times God raised up a nation born of Abraham as the people through which He would reveal His plan of salvation to the world. After Israel rejected Jesus, God raised up a new group of people through which He would actively work in the world. That group is known as the Church or the body of Christ. The Church has a special position and purpose in God's plan for the world – the harvest field.  Jesus knew, understood and followed the vision. 

After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, He appeared several times to His followers. Each time, He presented an urgent challenge to them. That challenge was their responsibility to reach the entire world with the Gospel message. This mission, assigned to believers by Jesus has become known as the "Great Commission." It is the greatest commission or assignment ever given man. It is the responsibility to reach every living person with the good news which is Jesus Christ.

The following passages of scripture record the Great Commission as Jesus gave it to His followers.  Jesus told His followers, 

". . . As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." John 20:21-23

The Great Commission began with God. Over the years, after Adam and Eve messed it up in the Garden.  God always has a back-up plan; a ram in the bush.  He sent His only Son, Jesus to do what Adam and Eve failed to do. 

Everything God required of Jesus as a messenger, He also requires of us since we are sent "as" the Father sent Him. So, what was required of Jesus?

     *    He came to the world with a divine mission.

     *    He left all to come.

     *    He was willing to identify with fallen humanity.

     *    He was willing to suffer and die for the mission.

     *    He fulfilled His mission by both declaration and demonstration.

     *    He finished the work God sent Him to do.

 Known as the key to the Scriptures, Luke 24:45-49 reveals God's plan for the death and resurrection of Jesus. It calls for sharing the message of redemption to the nations of the world.  We are to share how:

 . . . it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: . . . repentance and remission of sins   

    is possible for all that believe.

It is not enough that Jesus died for the sins of men. Lost men are not automatically saved. We must share the Gospel with them and lead them to God. The penalty of sin is death.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23 

Because of sin, every man and woman is doomed to Hell. Only those who accept the Lord Jesus according to the word of God and receive forgiveness for sin will be saved.  God does not want one person to perish: 

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

 There is no question as to God's desire for everyone in the world to be saved:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.     Romans 10:13

 Whosoever is defined as anybody; no stipulations – the murderer, the thief, the liar and the cheater – anybody!  So we don’t pick and choose where we work the harvest; wherever God leads us in the field, that’s where we go.  Everybody needs to know of God and His plan for salvation:    

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  Romans 10:14 

 God wants everyone to be saved, but someone must tell them this good news! 

The command is to "go." 
The destination is "all the world." 
The Gospel is to be shared with every creature. 

Jesus promises to work with those who go by powerful demonstrations of miraculous signs. Some people seek signs in their ministry when they are not fulfilling the command to go and then they wonder why they have no power.   Did you catch that?  In other words, you don’t have to impress me; I’m already a believer!  Take your God-given power and do what God said – go!  Let the world, the harvest field, know that they too can have hope by the  powerful demonstration of God in your life!  

For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.   1 Corinthians 4:20

 Jesus, in speaking to the Sadducees, let them know that their very conversation was in error because not only did they lack knowledge of the scriptures, they did not know the power contained within it. 

 Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.   Matthew 22:29

 Apostle Paul said it like this:

 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  2 Timothy 3:5

The truth of the Gospel is two-fold.

√       First, it is the Word of God as revealed in the Holy Bible.

We must know the Scriptures, must study them, understand them, and apply them.

But the truth of the Gospel is more than the Scriptures. It is also the power of God. To know the power of God we must understand and apply power principles. The power of God must become a reality in our life through knowledge of His word and application.

The early church was born in a demonstration of the power of God, not through great public speakers or theological debate. Apostle Paul wrote:

And my speech, and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:4-5 

At one point, Jesus told the people who had gathered to hear him speak, 

. . . though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.  John 10:38

√       Secondly, God calls for a demonstration of His power as presented in His word. 

Apostle Paul recognized that. . .

 For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.   1 Corinthians 4:20

Jesus left believers with a great mission of reaching the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom. This task will not be accomplished by words alone. As in the early church, there also must be a demonstration of the power of God.

Many people know the Word of God but have not experienced the power of God. They do not really understand the power of the Gospel. Many ministers today are well educated. They preach with enticing words of man's wisdom, opinions and idealogies, but there is no demonstration of the Holy Spirit let alone, the power of God.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.   Mark 16:17-18 

If our faith is to stand in the power of God instead of the wisdom of man, we must experience the same flow of power as did the early church.  The Believers in the early church. . .

. . . went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following.  Mark 16:20

We often talk of working for God. We plan our ministry and ask God to bless it. But the Biblical method of effective ministry is the Lord working with us, confirming His Word with miraculous signs. 

We have to understand:

The world is not interested in what we have done for God.

When we constantly brag on those things that we have done in the name of Jesus, we are heaping honor and glory on ourselves when all glory belongs to God. 

What the world is attracted to is Jesus when they see visible
results of the power of the Gospel which has changed our life
and turned us into peculiar treasures.

In Christ, we are new creatures and the old sinful lifestyle is gone and people should see the beauty of holiness within us.  Isn’t that what the bible says?

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Our "living epistle" testimony should be, "those old sinful things I used to do, I don't do anymore."

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.  2 Corinthians 3:2-3 

The world – the harvest field – is attracted by the demonstration of spiritual power as the Lord works with us to confirm His Word with miraculous signs and wonders.

Everywhere we go,  people should see the glory of God; His approval upon us and know that we believe in the power of prayer and that God works on our behalf in seemingly impossible situations.  They see this because we don’t think, act or speak like the world.

Jesus has chosen and ordained us to go and bring forth spiritual fruit. 

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.   John 15:16

Jesus said "all power" was given to Him by God. Because of this, Jesus had authority to commission His followers to circle the harvest field with the Gospel.   

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  Matthew 28:18-20  

Note in this passage: 

→     Believers are the people Jesus is calling to the task. 
→     - "Ye" [all believers] are the messengers.            
→    The power of God is the motivation that enables the messenger to go forth. 
         - It’s the power of the Holy Spirit of God, not the power of man and his methods.
         - It’s the power of the Holy Spirit of God, not the power of man and his methods.

→    "Go" is the mandate given in this account of the Great Commission.

 

It is to be the priority of our life, not an option.

→     Teaching and discipling are the methods to be used. 

The purpose is to make disciples of all nations. This is the multiplication of the Gospel.

The people to be reached are "all nations." This is the magnitude or scope of the command. It includes the entire world.

 The one who is to go with us is Jesus. This is the manager of the program. He will guide and direct us through the Holy Spirit as we fulfill the Great Commission.

The precepts to be taught are the message. 

The message to GO and take to the world the Gospel of Jesus.

Biblical Studies