IV. Calling and the Mission of the Gospel
From Following Christ to Bearing Witness to Him
Christians carry different responsibilities in different circumstances, yet the church has received a clear shared mission: to bear witness to Jesus Christ and make disciples of all nations.
After His resurrection, Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. He then instructed His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey His commands. He also promised to be with them always (Matthew 28:18–20).
This passage brings together Christ’s authority, the sending of His disciples, baptism and teaching, and the Lord’s presence. The church receives its mission from Him and needs to participate in accordance with the message and direction He has made known.
“From following Christ to bearing witness to Him” expresses how witness grows out of knowing and trusting the Lord. As disciples bear witness, they still need to follow Him, learn from Him, and receive His correction. Bearing witness to Christ and continuing to follow Him remain connected throughout a believer’s life.
1. The Mission of the Gospel Comes from Christ Rather Than the Church’s Desire to Expand
The Great Commission rests on the authority of the risen Christ. The disciples bear witness to the Lord who died and rose again, and proclaim the salvation He has accomplished. The church is accountable to Him and must remain faithful to the message He has entrusted to it.
Evangelism must therefore not be reduced to increasing attendance, enlarging an organisation, or raising its profile. When people hear the gospel, turn to Christ, and become part of the life of the church, we have reason to give thanks. This also brings responsibilities for teaching and pastoral care. Numbers alone, however, cannot establish that the mission has been carried out faithfully.
The church needs to examine whether its message clearly points to Christ. It also needs to care about whether people understand why they need salvation and receive help to begin knowing the Lord, learning His word, and sharing life with other believers.
Carrying out the mission of the gospel also requires careful attention to how it is communicated. We must not conceal what the gospel says about sin, repentance, and following Christ in order to gain a response. Nor may we offer assurances that Christ has not promised, leading people to believe that faith in Him necessarily brings health, wealth, or a life free of difficulty.
Christ’s authority gives the church courage to bear witness and calls it to remain humble and teachable. We can learn to communicate more clearly and improve our arrangements, while continually allowing His word to guide these efforts.
2. The Mission of the Gospel Includes Making Disciples as Well as Communicating a Message
The gospel has content that needs to be proclaimed clearly. In summarising the gospel he preached, Paul explained that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Christ’s death and resurrection are central to gospel witness.
The church proclaims this salvation and calls people to repent and trust in Christ. The gospel can transform people’s lives, but it must not be reduced to a method for improving relationships, finding meaning, or achieving success. People need to recognise their sin and to know the forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life that God gives in Christ.
Making disciples also includes baptism and ongoing teaching. Baptism is an explicit command entrusted to us by Christ. Teaching helps believers gradually understand and obey the Lord’s word and learn to follow Him in every part of life.
A person may begin to repent and believe at a particular moment, yet still need ongoing teaching, companionship, and pastoral care. When someone expresses a desire to believe in Christ, we need to take that seriously and respond with care. We must not assume from that expression alone that the person already understands the gospel. We need to keep listening to how they understand the gospel and to their questions, offering teaching and companionship to help them learn to trust Christ and obey His word in the life that follows.
Those who trust in Christ also need to participate in the shared life of the church, receiving teaching and pastoral care, learning to obey the Lord’s word, and growing alongside other believers. Teaching should help them know who Christ is and the salvation He has accomplished, understand His commands, and put what they learn into practice in specific relationships and choices.
The mission of the gospel therefore concerns both whether people hear the message and how they understand it, respond to it, and continue following the Lord in His grace.
3. The Mission of the Gospel Is Carried Out in Christ’s Presence
When Christ sent His disciples, He promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, excerpt). The disciples received both a mission and the Lord’s presence. The church can rely on this promise and continue bearing witness amid limitations and difficulties.
The Lord’s presence does not mean that every undertaking will quickly produce the expected results. The apostles experienced rejection, persecution, and hardship, and also needed prayer, consultation, and mutual support. The path of mission may involve sacrifice, yet Christ does not therefore abandon those who belong to Him.
Nor does this promise exempt the plans of individuals or groups from examination. We cannot assume that our methods, judgements, and arrangements must be correct simply because “the Lord is with us.” The promise of His presence encourages us to be more willing to remain faithful to His word, receive correction, and repent earnestly when we are wrong.
When we face rejection or slow progress, we can therefore remain faithful to the gospel we proclaim while carefully examining our methods, understanding people’s needs, and seeking more appropriate ways to participate.
Christ’s presence makes mission a path of walking with Him. We carry our responsibilities and continually receive His help. We serve wholeheartedly, yet need not bear the full weight of the outcomes alone.
4. The Mission of the Gospel Depends on the Holy Spirit Rather Than Human Ability Alone
Before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and would bear witness to Him to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Here, the power given by the Holy Spirit is closely connected with bearing witness to Christ.
Language skills, knowledge, training, organisation, and communication tools can all serve the mission of the gospel. Yet they cannot, on their own, bring people to recognise sin, trust in Christ, and receive new life. Paul explained that he planted and Apollos watered, but God brought growth in the believers’ lives (1 Corinthians 3:5–7).
Relying on the Holy Spirit also calls for careful preparation. We should work to understand Scripture, learn to communicate clearly, understand the language and circumstances of those we encounter, and respond honestly to their questions. Prayer and preparation support one another, helping us use our abilities and resources appropriately.
The church also needs to assess the fruit of its ministry carefully. The number of people who see its content, the enthusiasm at a gathering, or the intensity of people’s emotions cannot, by themselves, establish whether a ministry is faithful to the gospel or truly helps people know Christ. We need to examine whether what we proclaim is faithful to Christ and care about whether people are gradually understanding the truth, trusting the Lord, and learning to love and obey.
The Holy Spirit’s work makes us humble. We can proclaim clearly, patiently walk alongside people, and continue praying, but we cannot control their response of faith or attribute changes in their lives entirely to our own methods.
5. The Mission of the Gospel Is Expressed Through Both Words and the Witness of Our Lives
Peter urges believers to proclaim the excellence of the God who called them. He also calls them to live honourably among those around them, so that those who speak against them may see their good deeds and glorify God on the day of His visitation (1 Peter 2:9–12). Our spoken witness and the way we live need to be consistent with one another.
The gospel needs to be expressed clearly in words. Honesty, compassion, and justice can express love for others, yet these actions alone cannot explain why Christ died, what His resurrection means, or how people are to respond to His salvation.
The truth being proclaimed also needs to shape the life of the person proclaiming it. When words and actions are consistent, people can see more clearly the Lord to whom we bear witness. Believers still need His grace in their weakness and should face the realities of their own lives honestly. Section 5 will explore further how this witness becomes evident in ongoing relationships.
Explaining our faith to others also requires gentleness and respect. Peter urges believers to honour Christ as Lord in their hearts and always be ready to respond with gentleness and reverence when others ask about their hope (1 Peter 3:15). We can speak openly about what we believe while also listening patiently and taking the other person’s circumstances into account. We must avoid using advantages of position, relationships, or resources to pressure people into responding. Clear words and an honest life together help people know the Christ to whom we bear witness.
6. The Mission of the Gospel Begins Close to Home and Reaches All Nations
Acts 1:8 names Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. First of all, this presents the direction in which the apostles’ witness unfolded in history. It also helps the church recognise that gospel witness is to cross geographical, cultural, and social boundaries.
Today, families, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, and cities can all be places to bear witness to Christ. We can begin with the people we already encounter, taking care to build relationships, attend to their needs, and explain the hope we hold when suitable opportunities arise.
The church also needs to care about witness across cultures and get to know people whose languages, experiences, and ways of life differ from its own. Such participation requires learning and humility: making the effort to understand people’s circumstances, communicating the gospel clearly, and respecting their dignity.
We can care about both those close to home and those far away at the same time. The church need not wait until every local need has been met before taking part in mission across cultures. Nor does an individual need to understand Acts 1:8 as a series of geographical steps that must be completed in order.
Not every believer will travel far, but all can participate together according to their gifts, responsibilities, and circumstances through prayer, giving, hospitality, companionship, translation, and other practical service. These different forms of participation need to work together within the church.
Websites, social media, videos, and online gatherings can also help people encounter the gospel, receive teaching, and connect with other believers. These approaches still need to be combined with ongoing companionship and pastoral care, helping people take part in the shared life of the church.
The church receives its shared mission from Christ, and believers participate in different circumstances. We clearly proclaim His salvation and respond to His truth through the way we live. With His presence and the Holy Spirit’s help, we walk alongside people as they come to know, trust, and follow Him.