We need to see the commission of the gospel. Preaching the gospel is the greatest commission in the Bible, and it is the Lord’s greatest charge to us. This charge is found in three portions of the New Testament: the last chapter of Matthew, the last chapter of Mark, and the last chapter of Luke. According to these three portions, after the Lord Jesus resurrected, He left us with a commission. This commission was His final charge. Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation.” We need to proclaim the gospel not only to all the nations but also to all the creation. Luke 24:47 says, “That repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” These three verses show that preaching the gospel is the Lord’s commission to us.
After a person is saved, he does not need to be encouraged to preach the gospel, because there is a spontaneous desire within him to preach the gospel to others. When he preaches the gospel, he is full of joy. Preaching the gospel revives us. We are burning within when we preach the gospel to people. The presence of opinions and disputes in the church is proof that the church has lost the burden of the gospel. The best way to eliminate opinions is to preach the gospel. When we preach the gospel, we are in one accord. Preaching the gospel is truly the Lord’s commission. The Lord lives in us because He wants us to preach the gospel to others. Every believer has a desire to lead others to salvation and has the spirit of the gospel within him. Preaching the gospel is the Lord’s commission to us.
Paul said, “I am debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish” (Rom. 1:14). The debt that Paul owed was the debt of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians he said, “If I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. If I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a stewardship” (9:16-17). This shows that we bear responsibility for the gospel.
This applied to Paul, and it also applies to every believer. Whenever a believer draws near to the Lord, he has the sense that he owes people the gospel, that he is a debtor of the gospel. Even though he is not hired, he bears responsibility and feels that he has the debt to preach the gospel. He also feels that it is an offense to the Lord if he does not preach the gospel and that the Lord will judge him for not preaching the gospel. If we have a heart for the Lord, we will sense the distress of not preaching the gospel. However, if we are willing to preach the gospel, we will receive a reward from the Lord. Therefore, we not only need to receive a commission from the Lord, but we also need to take care of the inner feeling of responsibility. Preaching the gospel is our responsibility.
We also need to endeavor in the gospel (1 Cor. 9:19-22; Rom. 1:15-16). Paul said to his younger co-worker Timothy, “Proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). It is wrong for us to say that it is not convenient to preach the gospel or that it is not the right time. It is also wrong for us to excuse ourselves and say that we are too busy. Paul said that we need to preach the gospel in season and out of season.
In order to preach the gospel, we must have the power of the gospel, which comes through prayer (Acts 6:4). If we want to preach the gospel in a fresh, living, effectual, and powerful way, we must pray thoroughly. We need to pray until we are saved. Sometimes we are not saved when we go to preach the gospel. If we are thin-skinned, we need to pray in order to be saved from our shyness and bashfulness when we want to preach the gospel. When we preach the gospel in this way, we experience salvation. For example, we may want to preach the gospel, but we still love the world and are not completely separated from it. Unless we are delivered from the world, it will be difficult for us to preach the gospel with authority. Hence, we need to pray until we are saved from the world. Here is another example. Friction is unavoidable between family members. Sometimes there is friction with our parents or with our children or with our spouse. Such friction makes us unhappy and causes us to blame others. How can we preach the gospel in this condition? We need to pray until the Lord saves us from our anger and from blaming others.
Here is yet another example. Suppose a student, who has so much homework that he needs to study during the day and at night, receives a burden to preach the gospel. If he does not pray himself out of his studies, he will be powerless when he preaches the gospel. He will be like a deflated tire. This does not mean that the students who want to preach the gospel should neglect their studies. They need to study diligently, but when they go to preach the gospel, they need to pray and be saved from their studies. Only then can they preach the gospel with power.
Since we are very weak and fragile, even a piece of clothing can occupy us. A sister may feel that she needs to wear something presentable when she goes to preach the gospel. But the more she considers her clothing, the more her spirit sinks. It may be that her children are naughty and soil her dress. In this situation the sister needs to pray herself out of being occupied with her clothing. In order to preach the gospel, we need to be crazy and not care for or be concerned with anything else.
In conclusion, we must pray before we preach the gospel. We need to first pray for our deliverance, not for the salvation of others. We are able to save others when we pray until we are clear and transparent. If our condition is not that of a saved person, how can we save others? In order to preach the gospel, we must not be usurped by any person or thing. We can release others only when we are released. We must not be occupied by any person or thing. Therefore, we need to pray much so that we may be delivered from any form of pre-occupation. When we are released, we will be able to release others.
When we preach the gospel, we should also pray for people’s salvation. However, we first need to pray until we are released. Then we need to pray to receive power. We need to pray for the economical Spirit to fill us and be with us. We should pray, “Lord, today I apply the economical Spirit that You have poured out upon Your Body. Clothe me with Yourself as a mantle. I am going out to speak today. Open the heart of those whom I speak to, and demolish the stronghold of Satan within them while I am speaking.” We need this kind of prayer. It is better to have thorough prayer before we preach the gospel.