Jesus’ last command to His disciples—before ascending into Heaven some 40 days after His victorious resurrection from the grave—were: “You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to preach the Gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ near the southernmost point of South America—literally the ends of the earth.
The Holy Spirit moved mightily during the two-night Esperanza Ushuaia Festival, as hundreds of people in the capacity-filled auditorium and overflow area repented of their sins and professed Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
During my evangelistic visit to this Argentinian city, often called the “End of the World” and just 650 miles away from the frozen continent of Antarctica, I thought about the beginnings of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s (BGEA) global mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
It all came about because my father took Christ literally when He said in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
By the time my father joined our Lord in Heaven eight years ago, he had preached the Gospel to more people in person than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through the internet, radio, television, video and film.
Last month, during the Esperanza Lima Festival, I preached on the western coast of central South America in the capital city of Peru, originally called the City of Kings.
The power of the Holy Spirit was once again undeniable in this desert region at the foot of the Andes Mountains, as thousands of people made their way to the front of the staging area from across the massive National Stadium of Peru in response to the Gospel invitation to profess Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and King of kings.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we read about Jesus’ encounter with His disciples in Galilee following His resurrection from the grave. And what He had to say then remains the marching orders for BGEA, now in its third generation. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).
After conquering sin and the grave, our Lord and Savior quickly and emphatically declares, in no uncertain terms, that His mission for His disciples then—and His followers now—is to take the Gospel to every nation on the globe until He returns to rapture His Bride, the church.
Since 1989, it has been my joy and privilege to proclaim that same Gospel message at more than 345 outreaches in 50 U.S. states and three U.S. territories, and in more than 55 countries. Last year alone, by God’s grace and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, I was blessed to preach to over 430,000 people in Ethiopia. I shared the Gospel in London and Belgium, and held a two-day Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina. And this year, I’ve shared the Good News in Siem Reap, Cambodia; Ushuaia, Argentina; and Lima, Peru. Lord willing, I will preach the Gospel later this year in Madrid, Spain; and Manchester, England.
Meanwhile, my son Will is scheduled to proclaim the soul-saving message of Jesus Christ—the Way, the Truth and the Life—in Japan, Korea, Canada and Brazil.
I am compelled to share the truth of God’s love, compassion and mercy for sinners because I’ve experienced it myself. Ever since I repented of my sins and surrendered my life to Christ more than 50 years ago, I’ve never been able to ignore or escape the personal responsibility for answering the Apostle Paul’s soul-searching questions in the Book of Romans.
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-15).
BGEA takes the Gospel to the ends of the earth—empowered by your faithful prayers and intercession for those eternally lost without Christ—because God’s Kingdom transcends nations—past, present and future. His Word is clear: “For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). The future of all nations is equally clear: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You” (Psalm 22:27).
Conversely, “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve You shall perish; and those nations shall be utterly ruined” (Isaiah 60:12). This is because, as God says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
Finally, God will be exalted among the nations in Heaven as well. John envisioned “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb …” (Revelation 7:9).
As Bible-obeying Christians, we have the privilege and responsibility to share the Good News of the Gospel as we go about our daily lives. Faithful Christ-followers embrace Jesus’ command, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Last words often have a profound impact on listeners, especially when they come from loved ones. Jesus displayed the ultimate act of love by shedding His blood on a cross and defeating death so that sinners may be forgiven and eternally reconciled with a holy and righteous God. How then, can we not obey Jesus’ final command to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth?
