When God sent His only begotten Son to this earth, His mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus fulfilled that mission when he went to the cross of Calvary and gave His life so mankind would have the opportunity of a home in Heaven when this life is over. One must never forget that just because Christ fulfilled His part of the mission, a child of God still has a lot of work to do to complete his part. Before Jesus went back to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He met with His disciples and gave them the charge of taking the Gospel of Christ into the entire world. Jesus said, “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 (Matthew 28:18-20). This passage of scripture teaches three things about the charge to save the lost; the command of the charge, the concern of the charge, and the care of the charge.
The command was given by One of authority, Jesus Christ. The command was to “Go ye therefore and teach...” This command was directed to those who had the capabilities to carry it out. The “ye” in this case was the apostles. Jesus had chosen them to carry the Gospel into the entire world (Acts 1:8). They would do this by teaching the soul saving message concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ (1 Cor.15:1-4). This is the only message that has the power to save the soul of man. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
The concern is the souls of men in a lost and dying world. “All nations” are included in this charge. Mankind will die a slow and miserable death without the Gospel of Christ. The end is not any better for the soul will be cast through the gates of hell in eternity. Paul wrote, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). When one does not obey the Gospel, he has no hope of heaven.
The care has been given to all Christians today. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...” The apostles were to teach those that obey the Gospel of Christ, the commandments they were to observe. One being “Go ye therefore and teach all nations...” Christians need to stand and face the charge that has been left in our care. Souls are continuing to pass into eternity unprepared to meet the God of Heaven. Some of these are our love ones. Jesus was willing to give His life for those He loved. How much are we willing to give for those we love (Mark 12:29-31). We cannot continue to leave it up to the preacher or someone whom we may think is more qualified to evangelize the world. The care of this charge is to EVERY CHRISTIAN.
How will mankind be saved without Christians going out with the message that saves? The Lord knows that all cannot go to the utter most parts of the world. But, there are men who will and we can support them prayerfully, and financially. Our own communities are part of the world and that is our own back yard. All Christians can start there. The command is to go and teach. The concern is for the lost souls of the world. The care of the charge has been left to us. Each child of God must come to the conclusion, “Go ye, means go me.”