World Impact!

World Impact!

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 KJV

The Context:

We call this particular passage 'The Great Commission', as it is the final assignment Jesus laid out before he left to go back to his Father. He had spent three and a half years with these people, telling them about His kingdom, the coming glory and the role of the Holy Spirit in that which was ahead. He left them in no doubt what was ahead, particularly that even though he would be killed, he would rise up from the dead. All that he had predicted, including Peter's denial of him, Judas' betrayal and all the other disciples abandoning him had all come true. Could their doubt of the truth about his promised resurrection be excused, as they had never seen anything like that before?

In walking with God, nothing about Him is predictable or boring. It takes grace to accept him as He has revealed himself and faith to walk with him on a daily basis. Things will happen that will try and shake the very core of my walk with God, but if I truly know who I have come to believe, I have all I need to end well. The disciples were afraid, and so they doubted everyone who came to tell them that Jesus has risen from the dead. He rebuked them for their unbelief, even though they had walked and worked with him for more than three years. Am I stuck on titles, time and intangibles such as people's opinions of me, or am I all about what God wants of and from me?

The Message:

Jesus rebuked his disciples for their unbelief, despite all the experiences they had shared with him. Just there and then, he gave them the assignment in today's extract. You have to wonder at the timing and place for the message. Could it be that Jesus wants me to know that because I have experienced Him, it is my responsibility to share that experience with the world? How will the world know what it is missing if there is no difference in the lives of those who seek to impact it? How do I preach a message with my life if it is no different from the lives that need to be reached with the life of God?

It is my responsibility to take of that which I have seen, heard and experienced, and share it with the world. I note that Jesus did not address this to the crowd; none was there at this time. This was all about witnesses; those who had walked with him, heard him teach, and had believed in his name. It wasn't for people known to be churchgoers, but for the people who had become the true church of Christ. Am I one of such people? As I open my mouth to speak, are my words reported speech of the product of an encounter with the person of Jesus?

The assignment is to GO, not stay in one place and be content with the normal, the usual and the expected. The world is the audience that has to hear the gospel of Jesus. It is a universal message, one for all ages and men. Hell does not discriminate; the devil is not a racist or a pacifist; his work is to steal, kill and destroy, and he will do so for as long as there are lives to destroy. The reason Jesus was manifested was to destroy the works of the devil. Am I making this Jesus known in and through my life? I may not be able to travel across physical borders, but my words, actions and relationships can speak of my connection to Jesus. When men hear me speak or watch my actions, is Jesus shining out so brightly or has sin, self or Satan been able to darken the windows of my life so that nothing shines through?

The Response:

It is about Jesus from start to finish. The gospel is the good news of Jesus: how he was born, how he lived, why he died, his resurrection, ascension to heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit as our help in these times. All of these events hold eternal lessons for us who are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit in us bears testimony to Jesus, and He is proof that he is true. The One who sends out will not abandon His messengers, or leave them to flounder and mess up. If he sends out, he will accompany. If he births and ordains, he will sustain. If he is involved, he will stick to the end. It is called a CO-MISSION, which is an effective partnership between the Master and the Messenger, with the Message about the Master the focus. No one and nothing else matters. He will not abandon; He will not leave His own alone; He will not let me walk and work without help. If He is involved, success is guaranteed. I do not need to know the full story or how it will all end; mine is to preach. He will work out the results. His time of favour is here.