How Should September 11 Affect The Great Commission?

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

"Go therefore and make disciples…" These are our marching orders from our Commander-in-Chief. We are to go into all the world and preach the gospel. It is here that we see the power, purpose and promise of our Saviour. His power is seen in that He has all authority. His purpose is seen in that we are to proclaim His message. His promise is seen in that He will always be with us. Unfortunately, far too many believers have adopted a "let’s stay at home" approach to missions following the events of September 11, 2001. I’ve heard it over and over and over again, "There’s plenty of work to be done here." But how is the missions minded believer to respond to such statements?

Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations" (Matt. 24:14). He also said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This is the Word of the Lord!

Bill Cashion says, "Fear and caution should never dictate how we respond to the Great Commission. Never should circumstances, no matter how terrible, influence us to make our world smaller than the one Jesus died to save. Osama Bin Laden and al Qaida are not the first of their kind. Their sort has afflicted God’s people throughout history. Now is not the time to circle the wagons. To the contrary, now is the time to go forth in Jesus name!" THE GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED!