Soul Winners for Jesus

A guest post by Chad Ramsey.

Image from Canva.

Just before Jesus ascended into the heavens, He charged His followers with the responsibility of preaching the gospel to all nations. According to Matthew’s account of the Great Commission, Jesus said:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Great Commission thus instructs followers of Christ to be evangelistic.

The Great Commission Requires “Going.”

Rather than sitting and waiting for lost souls to come to us, the Great Commission instructs us to go to them. Jesus, of course, did not ask His followers to do something that He was unwilling to do. Regarding His activity, Scripture asserts:

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Additionally, the Great Commission describes the scope of our efforts—our work is to be done in all nations. Mark’s account of the Great Commission states:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

This directive is inclusive of both foreign and domestic fields. Churches would do well to also recognize Jesus’s instructions to His disciples in Acts 1:8:

“and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Although there are certainly souls at the “end of the earth” who need to hear the gospel, we must not neglect opportunities to teach those close at hand. Efforts to evangelize must begin in one’s own sphere of influence and then move gradually outward. Friends and family members should be at the top of the soul winner’s prospect list.

The Great Commission Requires “Teaching.”

Importantly, the Great Commission cannot be fulfilled without offering instruction. Not only are we to go to all nations but also make disciples where we go. This requires teaching.

Obviously, some teaching must be done prior to gospel obedience. Mark’s account of the commission states:

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Individuals must be taught what to do to be saved (cf. Acts 2:36-38). After they obey the gospel, however, they must receive additional instruction regarding the commands of Christ (Matthew 28:20).

The soul winner must be concerned with both the initial explanation of the gospel and with the continual teaching of those who obey it.

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Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.

Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.