Bible Study Seattle

The Great Commission probably has a funny ring to a salesman. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

How many times have you heard someone say, “If I hadn’t preached the message to uncle Bob before he died, he would never have heard the gospel message?” How many believe that God would not give the full gospel message to a person and then condemn them eternally for unbelief? We need to get over ourselves and realize that God is bigger than our need to ‘save’ someone. We are merely called to share the gospel message out of a pure heart. We are not responsible for the response.

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Does this say that the gospel must be preached to the whole world and then Jesus will come back? This is what many believe. Actually Jesus will come back before all have heard the gospel. In fact, Jesus’ return is all about completing the Great Commission to the world:

“They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9

““Jacob will not be ashamed now, nor will his face turn pale now;
But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst,
They will sanctify My name;
Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,
And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in mind will know the truth,
And those who criticize will accept instruction.” Isaiah 29:22-24

“I will lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will turn darkness into light before them
And uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 42:16

“For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.” Jeremiah 31:33-34

“For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14

The Great Commission will be completed with or without us. Everyone will be raised back from the dead to accomplish this. Everyone will know about the Messiah and experience life as God intended.