Jesus said “Go and preach the Good News to every one”. Yes? But how?  He gave no hint of any practical method. We have no Divine blue-print for evangelism, only His command to go into all the world.  He leaves it to our reasonableness and judgement, obviously.  God is like that, putting into our hands the organising of affairs on the earthly level. He grants the wisdom.

For method, Paul the apostle said “I have become all things to all men that by all possible means I might save some” 1 Cor. 9:22.
 
For our CfaN Gospel campaigns we pray for wisdom and we sit down to discuss ways and means. God has always honoured our investment of money, time and sacrifice, leading us in a ‘constant procession of triumph’.

The Great Commission can’t be reduced to routine but is for hearts and souls burning with Holy Spirit desire. The days of this year, 2009, stretch before us like a road on which new conditions and situations await us. But we will meet them and advance by the power of God.

The all-domiant subject – the Gospel
Our message is of supreme and aforementioned importance, first to the destiny of every human person and also to the nations. How a nation relates to Christ makes that nation what it is, for better or for worse. The Gospel is a live issue across the world today. Despite trumpeted claims of other religions, the growth curve of Christianity is steeper than any other, and does not depend on force or additions by family birth. The Pentecostal-Charismatic group alone in 100 years has sprung up and become almost half the size again of the entire Christian community world wide in 1900.   

The dawn of the present millennium was anticipated as auspicious and epoch-making.  Surely, January 1, 2000 (2001) would have special significance, a drama moment, or perhaps even Christ’s Second Advent? His coming and the signs of it became a subject of vast interest despite Jesus’ warning about calendar watching.

“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority but you will be my witnesses.”  Acts 1:7.

He reminded them – and us – that each of us have a calling and purpose as long as we are on this earth.  We, like Paul, “are put in charge of the Gospel.”

At the last and most crucial hour of His presence here on earth, Christ spent it reminding us of our appointment as His witnesses. That is not a ten year evangelistic splurge, but runs from the day of Pentecost until Jesus comes again. That is the period, and “NOW is the day of salvation.” We occupy the same ‘now’ as the first disciples and apostles.

The direction for 2009
New Age had promised the bliss of the Age of Aquarius, with the world run by benign Venusians. That failed prognostication is conveniently forgotten.  But the Gospel will at last lighten all earth’s shores. The 19th century prayer warriors believed for it, and a generation of our fearless forefathers began that ‘Task impossible.’ Some of them took with them their own coffins, knowing their life of witness would be brief. Today world evangelism is within the measures of possible achievement. We have faith of fulfilling our assignment. Onward! That is our Captain’s order the year 2009. That is God’s agenda. What is ours?

But, all on our own? Really would the Lord give us the job, leave us to find out how, throw us in at the deep end and expect us just to get on with it – no more interest what we do? That is not the Jesus I know.  He had words of concern and so had the apostolic pioneer and leader of all foreign mission, Paul. Let us have a closer look at his ministry.

”Who will go for us”?
The great chapter of 2 Corinthians 6 is there for us all like the open door of heaven where we hear the call “Who will go for us?” That one Bible passage carries more love passion than all the novels ever written, the heart-cry of Paul, one precious mortal, who conquered self and rose to godlikeness. Ready to die if necessary he never faltered till the end of the job. The same job is passed to us today, thankfully in a world far less dangerous and much changed for the very reason that men and women like him made the name of Jesus known.

“In all things approving ourselves as  the ministers of God, in much patience,  afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labours, watchings, fastings.” (2 Cor. 6:4-5)

Then comes the evident wonderful grace of God imbuing his words with such unassuming meekness:  
“By pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness”. What character!

Then the secret of it all in verse 7, the strength and ability we also can know to tread in the apostolic footsteps, a secret about which there is nothing secretive – wide open to us, the Word of God:
“By the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, the armour of righteousness.”

But then Paul describes in verses 8-10 the reactions both good and ill in that idolatrous Roman age, the outcome of his travels and ceaseless witness.  It is an astonishing account. The whole world of books and human adventure has nothing comparable.
“By honour and dishonour, evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true,  unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, chastened and not killed, sorrowful yet always rejoicing  as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things”.

But read it for yourself - I have shortened it by not quoting the linking words.  Read it out aloud and tears may come. In all the histories ever written the Gospel alone could find a man able to confess such things.  All the annals of heroism in battle have no such a chapter.

Many have said that Paul went only as directed by the Holy Spirit which is why God was with Him wherever He went. The account of his pioneer missions runs from Acts 13 to his arrest in chapter 21.  Paul’s conviction of the Divine will burns in every chapter and even during the whole period of his arrest and in Rome.  To Him it was no sideline to set forth Christ in the whole world, the world that was known at that time. “I am free and belong to no man. I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible.” (1 Cor. 9:19)

Here is his preserved account. References to his travel guidance begin with his ordination setting out from Antioch by prophetic release. But he already knew the work to which God had called him, Acts 13:1-3.  The nine chapters of his travels describe his quite Herculean odyssey for several years. Some eighteen or twenty cities only are named where Paul preached but mostly Paul is described as going through whole areas, such as in Acts 15:41 “He went through Syria and Cilicia”, or ‘from place to place”. Details of countless towns and his experiences in cities or villages in the area are not named.

He would always go where there was a synagogue. It meant daily decisions, maybe hundreds.  But during all those years there are no more than six possible instances of directions given him from God.  He was guided. Maybe Paul sought God but it never says so. Paul carried the full credit and responsibility for whatever he did.

God’s will for us is already known
Some do nothing but wait for a call to start. We are all personally responsible for whatever we do. It is never an excuse to say “God told me.”  If we say “God told me” it had better be, but God will not accept any blame when things go wrong. We are judged whether we are instructed by the devil, man or God.  God never makes Himself responsible.
In Paul’s letters as he travelled it is clear that he worked at his own discretion considering circumstances and opportunities. In the New Testament letters he makes no allusion or reference to his seeking God for explicit instructions about what to do or where to go. Paul was driven by the passion of Christ.

The Lordship of Christ is not a dictatorship. Our service is love not servitude. His ‘acceptable will’ is known, our sanctification, to love one another and similar Biblical and spiritual conditions. Precise instructions in practical affairs are given but only when God has a rare and diverting purpose.  One instance is the account of Peter being directed by the Holy Spirit to Caesarea to preach to non-Jews. It was not an incidental event.  He did not have such experiences every day.  It was part of Divine revelation and was epoch making in the economy of God.

Psalm 32:9 exhorts us “Be not like the horse or the mule which have no understanding and must be controlled by bit and bridle.” God guides our lives, oh yes He does. The knowledge of His will is not exclusive for the elite, those who can battle through to Him. He looks after us for “as many as are led by the Spirit of God are His” (Romans 8:14).
We do not always hear an audible voice and angelic hands rarely grip ours.  But we do not lack wisdom – or need not. A horse has no wisdom to guide it and needs a pull on the reins to steer him.  We are not horses.

What will push us?
The Lord makes our ways His tests on our own worthiness.  By what are we motivated?  Personal advantage? There are many good and righteous inspirations that stimulate love. Perhaps the greatest is to obey the call of Christ - “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”. That is God’s work also.  It is privileged. Do it and enter into a joy unknown on land or sea. We even make heaven happier.

The Gospel re-evaluates life. The Cross is God’s tool to re-shape our purpose and meanings.

The Gospel is like that.  We embrace it and it embraces us, clings to us with magnetic power, leads us, takes us where love alone would ever go, to do what love alone would ever think of doing, what He who is love wants done, if he can find somebody to do it.  Can He?  

Let this year become a year of victory for the Gospel!