"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).
The words of Jesus here are a sovereign prediction, a commandment, and a purpose statement. They are a prediction because Jesus is Lord of all and if he says this will happen, then it certainly will. We can count on the truth that this gospel will go fourth throughout the whole world, though at times it seems unlikely.
The worlds of Jesus are a commandment, because we are to be his instruments, taking the gospel to the world. This, of course begins in our homes, churches, and communities. it swells into the develeopment of strategic initiatives to reach the lost around the world, even in far away places, even so-called closed places.
The words of Jesus are a purpose statement because they point toward the end of all things. The end is really a beginning because it means the New Heaven and the New Earth. The old, broken, sinful order of things is swept away and Jesus will make all things new. What a glorious end to live for.
All this means we ought to confidently share the gospel. We ought to do so in our families, our communities, and the world!