WHAT DOES THE GREAT COMMISSION MEAN TO US TODAY

WHAT DOES THE GREAT COMMISSION MEAN TO US TODAY

In a world of hustle and bustle and no one having time for each other when most people only think of themselves and their family how does this leave the Church with respect to the final words of Christ before he went back into heaven

Matthew 28:16–20 AV

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:14–20 AV

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 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. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Here Jesus in both of our scriptures is exhorting us to

Go into all the world and preach the gospel

lets just split this verse up a wee bite so we can get a understanding of what Jesus wants us to do.

1 GO

2 INTO ALL THE WORLD

3 AND PREACH THE GOSPEL

Before we look at these three i want to see who jesus was talking to and weather this has any bearing upon us today.

in our reading we see that Jesus was on the mountain with his dieciples just before he went up to heaven

Many people have taken the words of someone who was going away or dieing to be of great inportannce.

Here jesus was passing a message onto his dieciples that would be key to the christian message being passed on to generations to come.

here jesus was telling his diciples to go and tell this was different to the many time he had told people whom he had healed to tell no one.

Luke 8:56 AV

And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

jarus daughter.

Mark 7:36 AV

And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

deaf and dum speak

Mark 9:8 AV

And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

christs transfiguration.

was this a case of reverse phycology or did jesus not want people to know at that time

or was it that Jesus only wanted the truth to be told without exaggeration and man without the Holy spirit would be more pron to exaggetate what Jesus had done

Its True that without the Holy Spirit nothing in our lives cane be done and we know this because the HolY Spirit is amoungst us.

but while jesus was walking upon earth the Holy spirit was only living in the life of Jesus.

the effect that the Holy spirit had during the time that Jesus was upon earth was that which came through the life of Jesus.

Jesus had gathered these 12 men and the holy spirit was changing there lives as Jesus taught them as an external power.

just as a teacher teaches us a subject something new that we have never learned before until we have learned it we are unable to teach any one else.

But the Holy spirit when he come to live in our lives he becomes our comforter and he teaches us all things not from a external teacher but from the internal creative spirit that created the whole universe

Ezekiel 36:16–38 AV

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

although ezekiel was talking about the people of Isreal you can also see ourselves in this reading.

we have to be clean to allow the Holy spirit to come in.

so why was Jesus at this point telling his disciples to now go and tell.

He knew that he was going away but he was going to send the Holy spirit

John 14:16 AV

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Luke 24:49 AV

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Here we see the promise that was given to the diciples

Acts 1:7–8 AV

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 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.

i am going to make a sterteling statement here and some might not like it.

If you don’t have the power for service then you don’t have the power of the Holy spirit!

The power of the Holy spirit the Baptism in the Holy spirit gives you the power for service.

He is the one that teaches you from within

The Holy spirit is the best bible teacher you will ever know

John 16:13–15 AV

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

direct from the father by the spirt to you with no interference.

this is how God wants us to be a life connected to him by the holy spirit.

then we will have a disire for the lost of this world.