He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 NIV
These words came from the mouth of our Lord Jesus, just before he ascended to sit at the right hand of God. No more important direction could have been given before he parted.
Our mission as given was clear, to emulate Jesus and lead all people to know Him!
One of the first promises God made in the garden, after the first sin, was to send our Savior. It’s important for us to share this good news!
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NIV
God promised to send us a savior in answer to our sin!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NIV
Jesus was the living Gospel. He encouraged us to share the good news when he said the following.
“Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35 NIV
Paul devoted his entire ministry to preaching the Gospel – in response to the direct command from Christ!
Paul said:
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.” 2 Timothy 2:8-9 NIV
How important is it that we continue on this mission? Our salvation and the salvation of many future Christians depends on it.
Jesus died on the cross, then rose again to absolve us of our sin. That’s good news worth sharing!
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24 NIV
He shed his blood for our sin, and now awaits a time we can all be with him.
Share this good news with as many people as possible while you await his return!
Love one another.
Barnabas
Special thanks to Barnabas for this guest submission.