The Great Commission

Elder R. Y. Blalock

March 1952

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.Amen." ~ Matt. 28:18-20

This is the greatest command ever given to man. In it is the power of life and death to the human race. In it is the One who has the keys of death and hell. Back of it is the One who has conquered death, hell, and the grave, and unto whom is given all power in heaven and in earth.

I. To Whom Was This Command Given?

   1. It was not given to individual disciples as such, for they would not live unto the end of the world. It had to be an institution of people whom He would be with all along the way those who believed in Him and joined that institution as it goes on down through the ages to the end of the world.
   2. That institution He called "My church" (Matt. 16:18). It was a congregation of called out, baptized believers in Christ, united in Him to associate in faith and in fellowship, self perpetuating by the Holy Spirit dwelling in them to lead and guide them to the end of the world. To this church as institution He gave the commission. As like begets like, each church coming from that church Christ instituted, having the "one Lord, one faith, one baptism", is a church of Jesus Christ, and that commission is for that church today as it was for the old Jerusalem church Jesus organized and spoke to on the mountain just before ascending to glory.
   3. He said,"The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18). He also said, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16,17). Then in Ephesians 2:22 Paul tells the church of Ephesus, "Ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." This shows the dwelling place of the Spirit, where He abides forever. He came into the church on Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. We see from these scriptures that Jesus, in the person of the Holy Spirit, was to abide in His church forever.
   4. His word given to the church. In His dedication prayer, just after He had instituted the Lord's Supper in His church, He says, "For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them." (John 17:8) The in verse 14 He says, "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

II. The Holy Spirit Conducts the Mission Work in the Churches.

   We see from the Scriptures just given that the church is the dwelling place of the Spirit. He conducts His work from there, which is:
   1. First to "reprove the world of sin" (John 16:8). He says, "all have sinned." "There is none that doeth good, no not one." "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hat not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
   2. He is then to reprove the world of "righteousness" tell them the right thing to do to be saved from their lost, sinful condition. He says in the Word, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then again, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
   3. Then of "judgment" to come "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." ( 2 Cor. 5:10) So we see in this commandment the issues of life and death offered to the world.

III. The Holy Spirit is to Guide and Direct the Method or Plan of Work.

   1. Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13); not a part of the truth and leave some for our sanctified common sense. He, the writer of the Bible, was the Holy Spirit, and He gave all the truth. So He says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." ( 2 Tim. 3:16,17) It is evident from this that God has given in His Word how to carry out His great commission. It is not left to man's wisdom. It is given in His Word by precept and example.
   2. In calling and sending out missionaries we have a plain example in Acts 13:1-4: (1)The Holy Spirit calling the missionaries; (2) The Holy Spirit directing the church what to do; (3) The church doing it; (4) We then have the Holy Spirit directing the missionaries where to go, Acts 16:6-9; (5) The missionaries report to the church sending them out. Acts 14:26,27. This is the Holy Spirit's direction of mission work, which churches should follow. For churches to leave it to a board or committee to direct the work is to be derelict of duty. Missionaries that do not follow these plain scriptures disregard the Holy Spirit's leadership.
   3. The Holy Spirit has made it plain in the Word of God that the churches should: (1) "Provide things honest in the sight of all men," Rom. 12:17. Then Paul in directing the Corinth church as to her gifts to the poor of the Jerusalem saints says, "Providing for honest things not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." 2 Cor. 8:21. This cuts out a Central Association Treasurer, to whom churches send money, who does not give a public report of what each gives, and for what purpose, and to whom sent. (2) Then the Holy Spirit has plainly stated, "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." Rom. 13:7. Boards, Conventions, Associations, with central treasurers who give credit to conventions or associations for the gifts of the churches, are failing to give honor to whom honor is due the church that gave the money. This dishonors the Bride of Christ, honoring institutions of men and is displeasing to God. (3) When Jesus Christ organized His church on the mountain (Luke 6:12,13) and then preached that great sermon in Matthew 5,6,, and 7, He said to the church, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:14-16) This was spoken to His church, but men organize Conventions and Associations and lead the churches to put their light under their bushel thus hiding their light from the world, dishonoring God in place of glorifying Him in His churches. O sinful man! Is it not high time God's people were getting back to the churches and to letting the Holy Spirit direct the mission work from His dwelling place? God said to His church "Go", and not to a Convention or Association. Men are dying without the gospel the world over, and many are crying, "Come over and help us," while Christian people organize conventions, associations, fellowships, BYPU's, etc., etc., all dead weights and hindrances in many respects and side track and cover up the work of the churches of Jesus Christ.

In 1942, when our boys were having a life and death struggle with their enemies on Bataan in the Philippines, they plead for us to come over and help them. Men all along the Pacific Coast volunteered and rushed to the ports to go. Strong men sat down and wept because they could not go. We did not have the vessels, guns and ammunition. We were unprepared, and had to let them die without help. How is it with God's churches? Millions are dying in other countries without the Gospel, and they are crying, "Come over and help us, or we die." Jesus says to His churches, "Go." Are we prepared, and willing to go? Have we not some young men that will volunteer and say, "Here am I, send me"? Will they have to sit down and weep because the churches are not prepared or ready to send? I do not know how to close this message; I feel like sitting down and weeping, because of this lost world, and our churches that fail to tell the story of Jesus and His love.

"Over the ocean waves, far, far away,
Where the poor heathen live waiting for day:
Groping in ignorance, dark as the night,
No Blessed teacher to guide them aright.
'Pity us, pity us,' oh hear them cry;
'Pity us, pity us, or we must die.'"
(Reprinted from "The Forerunner"
an Independent Baptist paper, $1.00 per year,
Russell Springs, Kentucky.) &
As printed in
The Western Baptist
Elder R. Y. Blalock
March 1952
VOL. VII ~ NO. 3

Bible Missionary Baptist Church
108th and East Burnside
Portland, Oregom

Tom Blalock
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