These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” — Luke 10:2
Recently I received word of a church in a rural area in our state that decided to close it doors after many years of serving as a lighthouse to their community. As a pastor, I take such an action personally, even though I have no contact with that particular church or it’s denomination. As a Christian, however, I considered them to be a part of the body of Christ and because of that I have two questions to ask, “What went wrong?” and “Who or what will fill the void?” I can answer the first one but only God knows the answer to the last.
Statistics vary but it is estimated that four to five thousand churches close their doors every year in America. There are lots of reasons, of course, but Number One is that they no longer carry out the Great Commission, so they don’t win souls to Christ. No new converts, no baptisms, no disciples and eventually the church dies along with its members as they age.
I have been a pastor for more than forty years. In the process I have started churches, led existing churches, mentored new believers and pastors, shared the gospel on the mission field, taught non-Jews in Israel, worked for a well-known parachurch ministry to prisons and have started several new ministries, including one as a chaplain to auto racers. Zoom. Zoom.
I have started large prayer groups for believers, including pastors, and promoted city-wide prayer gatherings. I have taught the essentials of discipleship, the necessity of prayer and introduced believers to the power of the Holy Spirit and written teaching manuals for each.
But if there’s one thing I have learned that stands out above everything else we could possibly do as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ while we are here on the earth, is that we must proclaim, teach, preach and share the Gospel, wherever we are and wherever we go to every person who will listen.
When we do that, churches will grow. When we don’t churches will die. It’s just a matter of time. There are no exemptions or exceptions to this calling. It is not the sole domain of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). It doesn’t make any difference whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, professional or blue collar, sophisticated or just an average Joe, a new believer or old salt, married or single, retired or just beginning your career. If you are a true believer, God’s calling on your life is to spread the good news about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-11).
I offer proof of this by directing you to the Gospels and the book of Acts where it is recorded that after the resurrection of Jesus, he met with his followers during the forty days he remained on the earth to share the greatest concern on his heart. He did it at least five times, in five different settings, at five different locations, and gave them five different incremental instructions about their new mission of service as the church.
Methodically, one-by-one, Jesus relayed to them the essence of what the church calls the Great Commission. Although those words are never mentioned in Scripture, Jesus gave his disciples mandates to take the truth of what he had accomplished on the cross to every generation, everywhere on the face of the earth and to make disciples who would do the same.
The Great Commission passages are the parting words of Jesus about the pressing matter on his heart of spreading the Good News to the nations. This is something the disciples were to inaugurate. It was something they were to be doing after he departed and they were to pass it along to others. These directions were the most important things on our Savior’s heart before he ascended into heaven. All of them had to do with the role of the church in every generation and the followers of Jesus to preach the gospel and to win souls to the kingdom of God. He invested that task to all who claimed his Lordship.
Here are the five statements:
1. Then on the eve of his ascension, while on the road to Emmaus with two of the disciples who later would make their way back to Jerusalem, he gave them these words which would become their message, “that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations” (Luke 24:44-49). Notice the emphasis on proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sin to all nations.
2. On the evening of resurrection day in Jerusalem, Jesus said, “as the Father has sent me, I also send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22). Notice the emphasis on the Holy Spirit and sending.
3. Eight days later, also in Jerusalem, Jesus told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation . . . and signs will accompany those who have believed” (Mark 16:15-17). Notice the emphasis on going into all the world and preaching the gospel.
4. The fourth time was one to two weeks later on a mountaintop in Galilee where Jesus gave this command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Notice the emphasis on making disciples of all nations and teaching.
5. The last meeting was immediately before his ascension at the Mount of Olives, which his disciples would witness, when he gave them his farewell mission statement, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Notice the emphasis on the power of the Holy Spirit to witness.
Every true believer and every church that exists is commissioned to follow in the footsteps of the first disciples. We have been given our instructions. How are you and your church doing? My friends, the one that just closed it’s doors (and seventy-five other churches this past week in America) failed the test. People desperately need Christ. Pray for the harvest and pray for the churches. Maranatha!
Before you go, listen to this beautiful worship song by New Mexico’s very own Karen Lafferty that will remind us of our first priority in this life. Enjoy.
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To help us walk closer with God and to know Him better.
