Jump Start # 3803
Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and present the gospel to all creation.”
Our verse today is commonly called “The Great Commission.” Our Lord was giving the apostles a plan and a purpose. Go preach. Go preach to everyone. Go preach everywhere. We call this the “Great Commission,” because it comes from the Lord. All that comes from the Lord is great. It is great because of the magnitude that it involves—the whole world. It is great because it includes all people. That would be Jewish and Gentile. That would be Roman and non-Roman. No one is left out and no one is excluded. It is great because it is built around the greatest message of all time, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.
Since those early apostles brethren have continued this commission. Brave preachers have carried luggage and family to far off places to preach the Gospel. The conditions were rough. The comforts few. The pay scarce. But for generations upon generations, preachers with a heart of gold, have taken that ancient message to people of different customs and languages. Heaven only knows the good that these noble servants have done. Today, congregations across the globe thrive because of brethren who have taken the gospel into the world. Natives were taught and now in so many places, congregations are following that N.T. pattern and raising up a generation that will follow the Lord.
I got to think about this recently, when my fellow preacher Jason, showed me a chart concerning some of the output here from this congregation. It was staggering to see. Just in 2025, the first three months of this year, our podcasts and videos have been listened and watched by people in 130 countries. Our podcasts have been listened to nearly 13,000 times just THIS YEAR. The videos, of our classes and sermons, have been watched nearly 6,000 times. Places like Australia, Kenya, Jordan, India, South Africa, the Philippines, Nigeria, Canada top the lists of most viewed or listened to. Now, that does not take into account these Jump Starts that are ready by 3,000-4,000 readers like you, worldwide.
From this, consider some thoughts:
First, there is still a need for physical presence in foreign lands, however, through technology many more can be reached faster and cheaper than sending someone. Imagine a church wanting to send a preacher to 130 countries in the first three months of this year. Impossible. Too expensive. Too hard to accomplish. Yet, through the tools available today, hundreds and thousands can be taught. Through Zoom, Bible studies can take place. Questions can be answered and material sent via email.
As I looked at the chart of the 130 countries reached this year, I wondered how many of our sermons and classes were being shared with others that we may never know. This opens the possibility for so many of us today. You might be a shepherd in a smaller congregation and you might think there is no way we can afford to send someone overseas. Yet, by posting sermons and classes on social media and making it easy to find, you may do more and reach further than had you sent one person overseas.
Second, we need business minded brethren who live in the world of technology to help the kingdom. Share ideas that would help spread the gospel in ways that are not being done today. Many shepherds are afraid of technology and wouldn’t touch social media with a ten foot pole. Some even boast that they have nothing to do with that. And, look what you are missing. To whom much is given, much is required, the Lord said in the gospel of Luke. What will the Lord say of us in these times, when we have sat on our hands and done very little.
Get a website for the congregation. Keep it fresh and make things easy to find. Post new material often. We are putting new things on our website EVERY DAY. Get your members to use the church’s website. Advertise it and get the word out about it. Realize as we have found, that some people will visit the website before they visit worship services. So pour some attention and money into what you are presenting on it. Through our website we have brought others to Christ.
Third, we need to get busy sharing the Gospel. While we think about across the world, we must not forget about across the street. And, as we think about across the street, we must not forget about across the world. Maintaining is a pleasant word for doing little or nothing.
Our goal is not to build our congregation, but to bring people to Christ. People from 130 countries have benefited from what this church produces. How many of those people will be a part of this congregation? Probably none. But, many will be in the kingdom. Kingdom builders must be our mindset. If we can get people to attend here, great. If not, point them to where they can be part of God’s family.
Just imagine if everyone that was on the various social media platforms would share things. How easy that is to do. Post a quote. Share a sermon. List up coming events. All the Christians, everywhere doing that, just imagine the good that could be done. Instead, we use social media to complain about politics and brag about our favorite sports teams. Go and preach.
Go and preach. Find every way to do that. Let’s get busy for the Lord.
130 Countries—that’s amazing.
Roger