Introduction: Matt. 28:16-20. When Jesus spoke these words, he was speaking to eleven men. What did they think? "Impossible, no way, can’t be done." What if Jesus said these words to you? What would you say? "Are you talking to me Lord?" The truth is, these words are addressed and committed to us (2 Tim. 2:2).

I. Does "Go" mean me? Let’s ask Jonah.

    A. Jonah 1:2, The Lord commanded Jonah to "Go."

    B. Jonah thought he could hide from his responsibility to go: Jonah 1:10.

    C. The Lord provided Jonah some gentle persuasion in the form of a Whale: Jonah 1:17. Not until Jonah admitted his responsibility did the Lord release him (Jonah 2).

    D. The Lord repeated His command to "Go" and this time Jonah went as instructed (Jonah 3:2). Do we have to be told twice in order for us to "Go?"

II. Most Christians admit that "Go" means themselves. Yet, few act as if there is any personal application.

    A. There are two goals in going.

        1. "Teach and baptize," (Matt. 28:19).

        2. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." (Matt. 28:20).

        3. Therefore, Christians must teach both Christians and Non-Christians.

    B. "Go" means as you go or while going. Vines’ says, "to go on one’s way, to proceed from one place to another." Therefore we could render Matt. 28:19 as "As you go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations."

    C. Perhaps we sing "Bring Them In" with the wrong understanding. We must go in order to bring them. The Lord will bring them in if we go and get them.

III. Christians have the potential of doing greater works than Christ (John 14:12).

    A. This is hard to understand. How can this be since:

        1. "the servant is not greater than his master."

        2. Jesus’ suffering was the greatest ever suffered.

        3. Jesus’ love was the greatest ever shared.

        4. Jesus’ blood was the greatest price ever paid.

    B. This is not difficult to understand when we notice that this great commission was given to only eleven men. Did they, by themselves, teach everyone in the known world at that time? Or is the saying true, "anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but no one can count the apples in a seed." Jesus sent the eleven out to bear greater fruit.

IV. Wisdom: Proverbs 11:30

    A. Man has been striving for wisdom it seems since the world began. We go to Universities to gain this wisdom. We spend thousands of dollars to acquire wisdom. Yet the Lord says, if you want to be wise, win souls!

    B. The early new testament Christians were wise. They understood the meaning of "Go" (Acts 8:4). Even under persecution they went preaching!

    C. Paul was wise, Acts 20:20. Paul shows it is profitable to share the gospel publicly and privately.

    D. The Apostles were wise, Acts 5:42. Is there a lesson in this verse for us?

    E. Unfortunately, too many Christians are like cats: they love to eat fish but would never put a paw in water to catch one (Col. 4:5).

V. The harvest is now:

    A. John 4:35-38: Would a wise farmer plant his field and then not harvest it at the appropriate time? That is what we do when we make no effort to teach others. Souls are lost waiting for someone to teach them. Christians can’t wait for future months because the harvest is now. To wait is to let the fruit to perish.

    B. Matt. 9:37-38; Luke 10:2: Unfortunately, the laborers are few. Souls are going to perish. The question is, are souls going to be lost because we won’t harvest (John 9:4;).

    C. Time is short! James 4:14: We have no guarantee of tomorrow (Heb. 3:13).

Conclusion: Have you asked your neighbor for a study? How about your friends? If you need a good outline of scriptures to use in a study, I have an excellent outline available for the asking. We all meet people on a daily basis, there are few reasons why we shouldn’t be out harvesting the fields for our Lord.