Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Our greatest directive…Go and make disciples. There is nothing more important than this. The Gospel, the good news of Jesus, is something we are supposed to share, not keep to ourselves.

Each summer, I have about 3 weeks off. Normally, I spend two of the three weeks at two different camps. The first week is spent at Super Summer Evangelism Camp. I attended this camp as a student which led to meeting my husband there. We have served on the Exec Staff for this camp since 2016. Our job is to teach students to know and share the Gospel. This year, I had an added bonus of being asked to teach a rally session for the camp about the Holy Spirit’s role in evangelism. My friend and leader, Jason Richards, called me in March to ask me to consider doing this. I agreed without hesitation.

When you start LOOKING for the Holy Spirit, He shows up everywhere. He’s always there, but we often get so distracted by our own lives that we don’t stop to pay attention.

The great commission is a directive, but it holds a promise, too. He will be with us ALWAYS. He doesn’t send us to do this on our own. The Holy Spirit provides His power, His opportunities, and His words.

I ask you, as I asked the students that day:

What keeps you from sharing the Gospel? What’s your fear? Or hangup?

Is it fear?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

You are EMPOWERED by the King of kings!

Is it not knowing what to say?

“Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.

For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

Luke 12:11-12

The Holy Spirit will GIVE you what you should say.

Is it not knowing to whom or when to speak?

In Acts 8, we see that the Holy Spirit even creates the opportunities for you. In the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, the Lord told Him where to go and what to do.

26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.[d]) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:

He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,

so he does not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who will describe his generation?

For his life is taken from the earth.[e]

34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” [f] 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing.

The Lord has provided for everything that we could possibly need in order to be empowered to share the Gospel. He has gone before you. He is present with you, and He will continue to work once you’ve completed your task. We don’t have to rely on our own wisdom or strength to share the Gospel. We have the Holy Spirit, and He is everything we need.