The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-06-18
THE TASK COMMITTED TO THE
DISCIPLES

D1GSEI LES
LESSON TEXT-Matthew 28:162O: MARI
l6:l4-2O; Luke 24:49-53
GOLDEN TEXT-Go We into all the world
and preach the gospel TO every creature
Mark 1918.
Witnesses of the resurrection
that privilege of the disciples car
ried with it the responsibility of de-
claring the good news of completed
redemption to all the nations of the
earth. In doing so they were des-
tined to meet opposition and unbe-
lief, to feel WEAKNESS and to know
Encouragement. So the Lord, be-
fore leaving this world for His pres
ent ministry at the Fathers right
hand MARK 1913; Heb. 7:25), pre-
pared them by giving them a divine
commission, which they accepted
and acted upon with the assurance
Of His power and blessing. The les
son is summarized in the words,
Go ye" (Matt. 28;19); They went
forth" MARK 1920; And He
blessed them" duke 24:50).
l. GO Ye" (Matt. 28:l6-2O).
God plans are never small plans.
World evangelization, nothing less,
was the goal He had in mind, and
to which Christ commissioned this
little group of humble folk who were
His disciples. 1t was not only a
great commission, but a daring one.
Back Of such marching orders
there must be authority and power
and Christ had them ". 18)-all
power and all authority. No need
to measure or compare, for His is
the ultimate and complete authority.
This is the One who said, Come
unto me-; then, Follow me, and
l will make you fishers of men," and
who now says, Go" If we heed
one command, should we not abso-
lutely obey the others?
The message is His message, the
gospel mark 1919. 1t is the only
message! The witnesses of Christ
are not called to educate and civilize
the heather without winning them to
Christ. To do so is only to prepare
stronger and more skillful enc
mics Of all that we count holy.
But great program means moth
ing if it is not carried out; a great
commission is only words unless it
is accepted and obeyed. We read
Of the disciples that
II. "They Went Forth" MARK Is:
1920.
The call and command are given
in this passage. The power is made
clear and somewhat in detail, but
the significant thing is that they
actually went forth to preach.
The response of these early Chris
tians was immediate and enthusi-
astic, Would that such a spirit had
characterized the church through all
the generations since then, for if it
had, the commission would long
since have been carried out. DR..
R. A. Torrey has estimated that if
everyone in a church of 1000 were
to win one soul year, and each
convert win one soul each year, the
world would be evangelical in less
than IS years.
But while on the whole the church
has failed there have been valiant
souls all down through it's history
who have given themselves to the
business of soul-Winning. With them,
as with these of the first century,
the secret is ever The Lord work.
ing with them" We read that as
He was leaving this earth and His
disciples, He lifted up His hands
III. And He Blessed Them"
duke 24:49-53).
God has always honored those who
in faith have obeyed His command.
The whole history of missionary en-
deavor bears eloquent testimony to
that fact.
Sometimes we marvel at the sue
cess Of great movement, such as
that founded by John Wesley The
answer is that God found a man, or
little group of men or women, will
ing to take Him at His word and
step out in earnest purpose to obey
Him. For forty years John Wesley
carried on his mission of canvass
ing for Christ as a parliamentary
candidate canvasses for votes in his
constituency in the strenuous three
weeks before an election Gar
nold's Commentary Little wonder
that with the blessing of Christ upon
his work brings JOY to many even
to this day.
Note that the disciples who had
been made sad and respondent by
their parting with Christ at Cal
vary now went away in JOY The
joy Of the Lord is the strength of
the Christian worker. 1t gives
him abundant grace and power in
the hour of need and makes him a
fruitful servant.