Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things which I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Have you noticed the world? It is out there all around us. Most of what we see is separated from God; separated from his love, from his anointing and from his goodness. What will it take to reach the world, bring transformation and establish God’s kingdom on the earth where there will be no more suffering, corruption or injustice? Does God need to do anything more? Remember, God so loved the world, he cared about its condition so much, that he sent his only Son, Jesus, that is, he sent his very best to redeem mankind. And Jesus finished the work he came to do, which was to:
- Show us the Father
- Teach us how to live
- Demonstrate to us how to use his anointing
- Suffer the penalty for our sins
After completing these tasks, then Jesus turned over the work of reaching the world to us, his disciples. Now it is up to those who follow him, you and I, to finish his work. Thus, our lives here on this earth should not be consumed with enjoying ourselves with what the world has to offer. Remember John told us in 1 John,
Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever. 1John 2:15-17
There will be plenty of time in the ages to come to sit back and take it easy and enjoying ourselves but for now, we have a mission to accomplish. People are suffering from sickness, poverty, injustice, ignorance and oppression. Because of the sinfulness of mankind, we can not liberate ourselves from these conditions; government can not solve these problems that are due to mankind’s sinfulness. Such attempts only lead to oppression. What is needed to change our world is a transformation of the heart of each individual through the new birth that comes through receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. And this is what we call the Gospel, the good news.
Yet the news has not gotten out to everyone. Millions have never heard. And millions of others who have heard and received Christ as their savior still suffer and toil not knowing who and what they are in Christ and the benefits that belong to them. It is because so many have a religion and not a relationship, a relationship with the Lord Jesus. But this condition is starting to change.
God is our source for reaching the world with the message of the Gospel. Remember Jesus told us,
Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33
Our Father is ready to provide our support when we make following and establishing his kingdom the first priority in our lives.
In this age there are great opportunities for the ones who are walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, for the ones who pay attention to his voice, who are always looking for opportunities to produce fruit. The fruit I speak of are those good deeds, those selfless acts of love that benefit others and brings glory to Christ. Such activities capture the world’s attention and convey the message of God’ love. These deeds open doors for us to share with those who do not know God; to tell them what he has done and what good things he has waiting for them.