But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
It is a saddening truth that the one thing God has given us to do is our single greatest failure. The Lord Jesus has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. The burden of the church must be to fulfill the Great Commission. May God stir our hearts to a new beginning of obedience to Him.
Five Parts Make the Whole
Perhaps the most familiar record God gave concerning the Great Commission is Matthew 28:18-20. However, the Great Commission is found not only in Matthew but also in Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.
As we look at these five accounts, we understand what is truly involved in this Great Commission. During the forty days between Christ’s resurrection and ascension, He gave the Great Commission. We will look at each of these references in the order in which they occurred.
Divine Authority Has Sent Us
John 20:19-21 seems to be the first time after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that He gave this Great Commission. Ten of Christ’s disciples were gathered in a room together when He appeared in their midst and said, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
Christ established a great truth here. The Great Commission does not begin with the need of man; it begins in the heart of God. God said, “Go for me.”
We have the authority to go. This authority is from God. When we go forth with the Gospel, we are going by His authority in obedience to His command.
Ye Are Witnesses
In Luke chapter 24, Christ appeared again to the disciples on the day of His resurrection. Read Luke 24:46-48. Christ said, “Ye are witnesses of these things.”
We often speak of the need to witness, but before we can witness, we must be witnesses. We are not able to witness to others until Christ is real in our lives. The noun must come before the verb. The work of God will be done through those who are “witnesses of these things.”
The Lord Jesus Is with Us as We Witness
In chronological order, the third time Christ gave the Great Commission is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. Notice that when Christ said, “Go,” He then said, “And lo, I am with you alway.”
The Lord Jesus let His followers know that they could not accomplish His work by the power of oratory, training, or seminars, but by His presence and power. As the disciples went in every direction, the Lord went with them. Christ said, “I will go with you.”
Miracles Take Place as We Proclaim the Gospel
Read Mark 16:15-18 and notice the expression, “And these signs shall follow them that believe.” Christ said these things on the day of His ascension. He revealed what would happen as we preach the Gospel. Marvelous miracles would take place. As we preach the Gospel today, we will see Christ miraculously change people’s lives.
There Is No Place to Stop
In Acts 1:6-8, we read Christ’s words just before He ascended to Heaven. He said that we are to be witnesses “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” There is no place on earth where we are not to take the Gospel. We must press on to all the world with the Gospel message. There is no place to stop until the trumpet sounds for Christ’s return.