Your Role In The Great Commission
Mark 16:15, NLT: And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone’’.
A scripture that is likely familiar to many Christians, the Great Commission is found in the Gospels and is the command Jesus gave to His disciples before ascending to heaven following His resurrection. It is a command to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
What is this Good News?
The Good News, also referred to as the gospel, is a message of the grace and love of God for mankind. God created us, and we are therefore accountable to Him. A problem between God and man occurred through man’s rebellion by sinning against God, starting from Adam and to each of us presently. God provided the solution in Himself through Jesus, who paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place on the cross.
The message of the Good News frees us from God’s righteous judgement caused by our sins against Him. We are saved from eternal punishment if we confess and repent of our sins and believe in our hearts that by putting our trust in Jesus, we are saved.
Romans 10:13, NLT: For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Through Jesus, we are given the gift of salvation and reconciled to God. It is not a result of any work or good deed we have done, but simply by the grace and mercy of God, we can receive this gift if we choose to accept it.
Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
With this underserved incredible gift, we pass from death to life. We can look forward to spending eternity with God, our Father and enjoying His presence forevermore.
John 5:24, NLT: I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
According to scripture, whether or not someone chooses to accept Jesus during their lives on earth will determine their eternal outcome. Given the eternal consequences of this, why wouldn’t we strive to spread this Good News?
I often ask myself this question: why am I not doing more to fulfil the clear command Jesus gave to proclaim His Good News to everyone?
I believe for many people, myself included, it is due to a fear of man. The fear of being rejected or ridiculed is often more than enough to stop us from sharing our faith with others.
This is also a form of pride, as our fear is often sourced from not wanting to be judged for our faith. The reality is this fear and pride means we are choosing to fear man over God. It hinders us from proclaiming our faith and furthering the Good News.
Proverbs 29:25, GNT: It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.
We can defeat these fears by looking to God’s Word, which empowers us with the strength we need to overcome such feelings and choosing instead to obey God. We are safe when we trust God and remember what He has already done for us.
We should use our love for God and others to counter the fear of man. We must continuously make a decision; will we please man or God? Scripture shows we cannot do both: Galatians 1:10, ESV: For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
The Great Commission ultimately involves caring about the eternal destination of those around us. Our love for God and others should be our driving factor. With God’s strength, we should not let the fear of man stop us from carrying out what we are commanded to fulfil.
Through the Bible, we see God use man to carry out His plans. Despite the flawed nature of mankind, God is patient towards us and wants us to be part of His executed plan to save us from ourselves. God desires for all to reach repentance and has provided us with the opportunity to accept His gift of salvation.
2 Peter 3:9, ESV: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
A large portion of the New Testament scriptures are accounts of Paul, who openly declares himself a servant of Christ. Paul demonstrates in words and actions a clear determination to preach the gospel. We can look to Paul as an illustration and encouragement of the importance of the Great Commission.
Throughout the New Testament, we see many accounts of Paul’s active role as a preacher of the gospel. Paul had a passion and a burning desire to be a witness for Jesus, who revealed Himself to Paul while he was persecuting Christians. Paul expresses this burden through his actions, making his life purpose all about proclaiming the gospel, so much so that he did not consider his life worth anything else. As Paul says in Acts 20:24, ESV: But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
The sincerity of these words from Paul was evident throughout his ministry. While carrying out this duty Paul experienced enormous persecution, eventually resulting in his death.
Another scripture from Paul I’m often challenged with is 1 Corinthians 9:16, ESV: For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Paul here declares his responsibility to preach the gospel; in fact, it’s “Woe” to him if he doesn’t. To have a heart genuinely concerned for the eternity of others must be a constant prayer on our part. Not allowing the fear of man to hinder us from sharing this Good News, we must receive the burden placed on our hearts to be a witness of the gospel as disciples of Jesus.
Paul’s ministry, as outlined in the New Testament, demonstrates his dedication to being a witness for Jesus. Being a witness simply means sharing what we’ve seen, testifying of the grace we’ve received from God and being able to answer why we believe Jesus is our Lord and Saviour.
This testimony should not be kept to ourselves but should be openly declared. Knowing what God has done for us, we should desire to spread this testimony to others. As Paul conveys in Romans 1:16, NKJV: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Looking at Paul as an example, we can see the importance placed on the Great Commission as followers of Jesus. This is not a question of if we are commanded. Perhaps it is a question of how God individually calls us to fulfil this command.
While Paul is an example of what it means to be a witness for Jesus, we will not all engage in the same roles and have the same callings that Paul was burdened with and demonstrated throughout his ministry.
Fulfilling the Great Commission can look different individually. Not everyone may fulfil this by becoming a street preacher, leaving their country, or becoming a full-time missionary. The harvest is plentiful wherever we are, whether in our own country, town, community, amongst family, friends and workplaces. There will always be people around us we can witness to. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in carrying out your role in the Great Commission and to receive wisdom to know where seeds of the gospel need to be planted, watered and harvested.
The common factor is we are all called to the Great Commission and should strive to make sharing the Good News of Jesus a central part of our Christian lives. It should become part of our lifestyle, wherever we go and whoever we interact with, to be prepared to be a witness for Jesus. We must pray continuously for wisdom to know who God wants us to witness to and when and how is the appropriate way to do so.
We can start by becoming familiar with the message of the Good News. Do not be an unprepared witness, and know why you believe Jesus is your Lord and Saviour. Through scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, be prepared to talk about and defend your faith in wisdom and gentleness.
1 Peter 3:15, ESV: but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
Carrying out the Great Commission is an action of love and care for lost souls who need Jesus. As ambassadors of Christ, it should become second nature to share our faith and love for Jesus and testify of what He has done for us.
May we be led by the Holy Spirit and continuously pray for wisdom and courage to proclaim the Good News of Jesus boldly and have a heart genuinely concerned for the eternity of others.
If you’ve received the gift of salvation, it is likely a result of God using a fellow neighbour in some form to reach you. So let us in turn desire to be used by God and fulfil the command of His Great Commission.
Romans 10:13-15, NLT: For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Receiving the gift of eternal life
If you have not yet received Jesus into your life, I want to present you with an opportunity to do so. As outlined in this article, the bible reveals we have all sinned against God and are subject to His righteous judgement. The Good News is God has already paid the penalty for us through Jesus when He died on the cross and freed us from this judgement. You must realise you cannot save yourself and confess and repent before God. Trust that Jesus has done enough for You to be cleansed of all your sins.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus we have all been granted the opportunity to receive His gift of eternal life. I urge you to ask Jesus into your life, acknowledge you are a sinner and that you need Him and be willing to accept Him into your life as Lord and Saviour.
Romans 10:9, NIV: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
