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The final words recorded in the book of Matthew include vital instructions from the Lord Jesus Christ to His followers. Commonly known as “The Great Commission,” these three verses contain Jesus’ emphatic statement concerning what those who follow Him are to do after He leaves.
First, Jesus reminds them that regardless of how insignificant or weak they may perceive themselves to be, they will be able to accomplish what He has commissioned them to do because of His omnipotent power (Matthew 28:18). He also assures them that He will be with them in every situation and circumstance (Matthew 28:20). Packaged in between is the simple, yet crucial, core command for His soon-to-be Church. It begins with “GO!”
“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)
The crux of the message here is simple and compelling. Jesus is sending believers into the world wherever they may be to witness of Him, teach what He taught, and thus make disciples. Regardless of what else we do, whether in life or in ministry, we are to follow these instructions and the process begins with evangelism.
The fact is, we who’ve been saved and forgiven have been left here on earth for a reason. Not to quote that ‘great’ Hollywood theologian, Dan Ackroyd but YES, we’re on a mission from God! That mission is to see the lost saved. If we aren’t taking part in Jesus’ plan or if we resist His stated mission perhaps we should just pray that God take us now!
When we consider the last words Matthew records Jesus as saying, we’d do well to analyze our level of obedience concerning what He instructed us to do just before He physically left. It’s somber to think that at the Bema judgment in Heaven every believer will give an account of the things he or she did whether good or bad (in obedience or not) while here on earth (2 Corinthian 5:10).
Believers should Evangelize out of Love
Paul wrote in Colossians 1:12-14, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
We've been given the free gift of salvation, and having been rescued from much, we’re expected to act on the Master’s commands. Romans 3:23 proclaims that every human has sinned and Romans 6:23 warns that the wages of sin is everlasting death. In short, Jesus’ great commission to us is monumental in scope with a shelf life lasting throughout the Church age. Until the last person is reached or we go home to Heaven, our corporate and individual mission is simply to preach, teach, witness, and proclaim the message of Jesus!
Because someone (or perhaps many ‘someones’) cared enough and were obedient in sharing the Gospel message with us, we were able (with God's help and His sovereign hand leading the way) to receive the message. With God, the Holy Spirit, bringing conviction and drawing us, we were then ready to accept and possess what we could never acquire on our own: eternal salvation through Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice for us. The salvation of every soul that comes to Christ is a by-product of the proclamation of the Gospel. The retelling of the triumphant story of redemption through Jesus’ blood sacrifice on the Cross is the ultimate act of Love and love should be the motivating factor for Believers.
If we care about our loved ones, friends, and others that God has given us opportunity to meet and know in this life, we should take interest in where they are going to spend eternity. To make Him known as we tell the “old, old story” is our part in God’s rescue plan.
“Do I have to do it? It makes me feel uncomfortable.”
It’s been said that the number one reason that Christians don’t witness to the lost is that we are afraid of what others will think of us! But really shouldn’t we consider how our failure to act is viewed in Heaven? God knows our hearts and motivations when we resist or ignore Jesus’ direct command to go and make disciples - even though He’s guaranteed us His help, power, and presence in the process?
I've often told audiences that sharing salvation with others is not optional and doing so may force us out of our comfort zone. But the fact is that we weren’t sent here just to have a nice, safe Christian life or to merely sit in Church on Sundays and never activate our faith with action.
The Word of God boldly proclaims that WE CAN DO ALL THINGS with His help (Philippians 4:13)! Wouldn’t this particularly be the case if the Lord specifically instructed us to accomplish a unique and very important task?
We are to be walking, talking, living reflections of what happens when Christ changes a broken life and witnessing with our lives is what takes place when that occurs. I’m not talking about being religious or “holier than thou” or unhinged without common sense. But we should consider how we can be active with the gospel message and its truths wherever we are. That’s what “going into all the world” is all about.
People sometimes say “but I'm not trained” or “isn't it for those with theological degrees to do that kind of work?” To them, my answer is always, “if your name is written in the Lamb's book of Life, then you are a person called to share your faith.” Falling back on statements like “evangelism's not my ministry” will never hold up as an excuse when we get to Heaven. We are ALL called!
Starting Points
Wondering where to start? Here are some tried and true ideas to help us kick start personal evangelism.
- Apologetics
Apologetics is to reflect what the Bible states, especially from an eternal perspective. A part of being a witness is to accurately answer questions and that’s the heart of apologetics.
1 Peter 3:15 states, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
In this verse we find one of eight occasions where the word apologia (ἀπολογία Greek) is used in the New Testament. It means to give a reasoned defense or answer for beliefs or faith.
- Bible Prophecy
You probably don’t want to start the conversation with a topic like the Antichrist or the Mark of the Beast but bringing in a prophetic perspective may prove helpful when witnessing.
Remind the person you are conversing with (without purposely scaring them) that Christ could come at any moment (i.e. the doctrine of eminency). Also, though for many it may seem like a very long time away, each of our lives have an expiration date and we don’t know when our last breath will be. That’s a thought they may remember later that could possibly lead them to investigate eternity more.
- Do you know Him?
Another way to commence an evangelistic conversation is by asking “Do you know that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord?” Often, just the way a person answers this question indicates what your next line of conversation with them needs to be. Many people here in the West have received some Christian teaching and may know something about Jesus. If the person you are witnessing to responds but doesn’t answer your question, it's probably good to point out that their knowledge about Jesus (whether right or wrong) is not what you are asking. The question is, do they know Him personally?
- Include your own Testimony
Perhaps the best tool we have in honestly and successfully evangelizing the lost is to bring our personal story into the conversation. Depending on the time that’s available to you, giving your testimony may be the most powerful witness of all. Plus, it’s something that no one can argue against because it’s your personal story.
I highly suggest that you outline for yourself how to present your story in 30 seconds, in 3 minutes, or in 30 minutes, always including the point where you surrendered your life and confessed your need for forgiveness inviting Jesus to take control.
Let me remind you of something I said earlier. Sharing the Gospel is the ultimate act of Love. It may sound scary and intimidating if you’re not accustomed to doing it but the Gospel in our context here (i.e. Jesus came to earth, died for our sins, rose from the grave, and is coming back soon) is the most important thing we can ever proclaim. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes (Romans 1:16) and the Lord left it’s proclamation in our hands to declare.
Preparation and prayer is our responsibility in the period leading up to presenting the Gospel to the lost. Ask the Holy Spirit to take control of you and your words and then just be willing to step up (and step out of the boat) when the time is right. I’m always amazed in the manner God leads and prompts during times of witnessing. I know you’ll be amazed as well. But get ready. Be prepared “in season and out” as Paul instructs Timothy (2 Timothy 4:2) for some opportunities only come around once.
Remember, God knows our frailties and insufficiencies. Don’t focus on perfection during these times of witnessing but with love, grace and courage concentrate on the eternal destiny of others as you resolve to carry out the command we often ignore which is: GO!
Amen!
You may learn more by listening to or reading the personal testimonies of others. To read or download Eric Barger's testimony visit: https://ericbarger.com/rock.html.
You can access this article on our website at: https://ericbarger.com/the.command.we.often.ignore.htm
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