Picture the scene with me. Jesus has risen from the dead, validating His claim to be God in the flesh. He’s appeared to more than 500 people in the past 40 days (1 Corinthians 15:6) and now He’s gathered together His remaining disciples to give them their new assignment: something we call the Great Commission. “ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” He tells them. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Clearly, Jesus is turning the running of His kingdom on earth over to His disciples. But to say they felt unprepared for the task would be an gross understatement. I’m sure they wondered how on earth they would be able to convince people steeped in Judaism or pagan culture to abandon all they had ever known and put their trust in Jesus as their Messiah/Savior.

Two thousand years later, we’re still wondering the same thing. The challenges we face in overturning wrong ideas about God and convincing people to embrace a new life in Christ are just as daunting as what first century believers faced. Aside from special times of revival, we see few results from all the energy invested in evangelistic efforts. When we see the current stats about church growth—how many adults no longer attend church or even believe in a divine being—we can’t help but wonder if Bible-believers like us are a relic from the past.  

Our reaction to all these troubling trends is to turn inward for the reason. We figure we must be doing something wrong. Do we need better apologetic arguments… are the ones we’re using outdated or unappealing to this generation? Maybe it’s how we live … are we not doing enough for the poor? Are we somehow turning people off by our lifestyles or unwelcoming attitudes? Other times, when we’re in a different mood, we blame other things for our lack of popularity—the liberal media, Hollywood, a secular school system that’s stopped teaching the Bible to our kids, and so many competing options for people’s time and attention (like Sunday sports programs).

Even if we don’t verbalize it, we can’t help but wonder … If Jesus has ALL AUTHORITY, why isn’t it easier for us to gain a listening ear? Why does it feel like we’re always swimming upstream, exhausting ourselves in trying to win others to Him? Why are we buffeted about by so many contrary winds? And why do we face such fierce opposition to our message?

When Jesus commissioned His original crew of disciples, He knew what lay ahead. He never sugarcoated the challenges they would face; He never promised them a painless road ahead. He told them bluntly, on more than one occasion, “Everyone will hate you because of me” (Luke 21:17). In Matthew 10:24 He put it this way: “The student is not above the teacher … if the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!” Yet, He adds in the following verse, “do not be afraid of them.” It reminds me of what Moses told the Israelites as they prepared to go into the Promised Land. “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 20:1).

Because of the difficulty of their task, they were to keep their eyes trained on Jesus, not their fears, doubts, or circumstances. HE would carry them through by the power of His resurrection life in them. They didn’t have to worry about the process or the results of their work. HE would ensure the preservation of His kingdom in the world. “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

In western culture, we enjoy being in charge and coming up with brilliant strategies for getting a job done. We get great satisfaction from formulating game plans and putting them into practice, eagerly anticipating quick turnarounds and overnight successes. That works okay in the corporate world, but when we take on the role of representing Jesus, everything changes. We’re no longer in charge—we’re dependent upon His Spirit to move and change hearts. In 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul talks about the great opposition that he and his companions faced in the province of Asia. They were under such pressure they felt sure they would not be able to endure it. “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers” (vv. 9-10).

Maybe we’re at a place of discouragement in the advancement of the Church so we can rediscover our dependence upon the resurrection power of Jesus. Our responsibility is not to “fix the problem” through our ingenuity but to seek the Lord’s face in prayer. Often, our prayers are perfunctory and scheduled, while the early church prayed all day long for wisdom, deliverance, and victory over their spiritual enemies. The One who rose from the dead has the power we need to turn things around, but are we fervently seeking His help or relying on our own strength? Elisabeth Elliot wrote: “Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.”

This doesn’t mean we have NO role to play—besides seeking His will in prayer, we are called to teach, baptize, and boldly proclaim the Gospel. But our contribution to building His Kingdom will only be effective as we work under the power and inspiration of His Spirit, like Paul and the early church leaders did. Jesus doesn’t need megachurch programs or huge numbers of people to effect change. His followers have always been a small remnant among the huge crowds that follow other gods. But only He has all authority and power. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” (Colossians 1:17-18).     

In 1966 Time ran a cover story entitled “Is God dead?” Centuries before, in 1764, Voltaire boasted, “We are living in the twilight of Christianity.” In some places today, the Church may look like it’s on its way out, but as long as Jesus lives and reigns, the Church of the living God will live on. As G. K. Chesterton so aptly put it, “Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.”

Lord Jesus, would you strengthen us in the power of your Spirit so we may fulfill the Great Commission with joy and perseverance? Remind us to trust in you, not in ourselves, and to “not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Thank you for your promise to be with us to the end of the age. As King of kings and Lord of lords, we know you will be victorious, no matter what. To you be all the glory! Amen.