The Great Omission

We, as believers, are to “Go into the world” with the gospel. Whether a pastor or a lay member, not one of us is exempt from the Lord’s command. There might be a bit of disagreement on what that “going into the world” looks like, whether that be formal, constructed, evangelistic programs or something more organic in nature; but that’s a discussion for a different day.

The fact is that we need to be much more intentional about how we live our Christian lives. God has deliberately placed us where we are for a specific purpose. Consider Acts 17:26:

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,”

This means God was, and is, very intentional about our lives. He placed us where we are. He placed us in our jobs, neighborhoods, schools, community groups, and coffee shops on purpose. Our lives are not random accidents, but rather, are purposely designed by a sovereign God.

That said, we need to be living gospel-centered lives in front of the audience that God has given us. We want to interact with those that God has “determined” we be around in hopes that they will see Christ in our lives, hear us speak of what He has done, and be drawn to Him. So we need to introduce ourselves and our Savior to those around us. And then we must continue to reintroduce them to Jesus and His gospel.

Our adherence to this command boils down to simple obedience. Matthew 28:18-20 says:

“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Living in obedience to the Lord will require us to live our lives as if on a mission, because, well, we’re on one. Or at least we’re supposed to be. The Great Commission is the foundation of the mission, and as believers, we’re called to obey His command and live accordingly. John 14 tells us that those who truly love God will obey Him. They’ll keep His commandments. There’s not much wiggle room here. If you love the Lord—if you truly love the Lord—you’ll obey Him.

Thankfully, God graciously provided His Spirit to us so that we can become more and more like Christ. It’s this sanctification, this progressive work of the Spirit, that enables us to obey Him appropriately. So as we seek to honor God and become more like Jesus, we need to see the importance of obeying His simple commands. Taking the gospel to the world is one of those commands.

Consider the words of Richard Baxter, as cited by I.D.E. Thomas’s A Puritan Golden Treasury:

“Oh, if you have the hearts of Christians or of men in you, let them yearn towards your poor ignorant, ungodly neighbours. Alas, there is but a step betwixt them and death and hell; many hundred diseases are waiting ready to seize on them, and if they die unregenerate, they are lost forever.

Have you hearts of rock, that cannot pity men in such a case as this? If you believe not the Word of God, and the danger of sinners, why are you Christians yourselves? If you do believe it, why do you not bestir yourself to the helping of others? Do you not care who is damned, so you be saved? If so, you have sufficient cause to pity yourselves, for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with grace. …

Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labour with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldst run and help them; and wilt thou not help them when their souls are almost at the fire of hell?”

By Matt Monge