Keith Green's Final Message

Following is a condensed version of Keith Green's last message before his death at the age of 28. Along with 2 of his children, he lost his life in a tragic plane crash. He loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength and might and God had given him a heart for the world.

Why should you go to the mission field?
1. Because Jesus has told you to go. "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15) Jesus made it clear exactly what His disciples were to do--they were to spread His teachings in His name, preaching salvation unto the ends of the earth. If you are a believer, then you must consider yourself a disciple of Jesus--no less called and chosen than the very first 12 apostles. Every believer is called to spread the Good News about Jesus to those who have not yet heard. We must go because our great General has commanded us to go.

2. You should go because the need is so great. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest." (Matt. 9:37-38) Today the need is the greatest it has ever been in the history of mankind.

3. You should go because so few Christians are obeying the call, making the need even greater! "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ...how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:17, 14)

4. You should go because God gives special anointing and grace to those who leave their own land, people, and culture to do God's will and spread the Gospel.
"And the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country and from your relatives, and from your father's house...and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall also be a blessing; and I will bless those that bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" (Gen. 12:1-3)
From Noah to Abraham, from Moses to Jonah, from Daniel to Paul, God has always given special blessing to those who, leaving the comforts of home and relatives, cross the boundaries of their little worlds to bring God's message and blessing to the nations.

5. You should go because America (and some other western nations) is literally drenched with the Gospel, while most other countries and cultures of the world do not have any continual, relevant witness at all. "And thus I aspired to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation; but as it is written, 'They that had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.'" (Rom. 15:20-21)
We here in America have Christian witness and ministry all around us, from churches on nearly every corner to Christian radio and TV. From bumperstickers and billboards to Christian bookstores. This is not all a bad thing though--much of it is good, winning many souls to Jesus but is it God's will for there to be so much Gospel preaching and literature available here, while there is comparatively little or even none in many places outside this country? Is it God's fault that so few on other continents are hearing the Gospel--or is it the church's?

6. You should go because, as Oswald J. Smithe said, "No one has the right to hear the Gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once." "But if our Gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost: in whome the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (II Cor. 4:3-4)
Jesus wants every creature to hear the Gospel. There needs to be a spreading out of the soldiers of God, to fight the enemy where his greatest strongholds are--"where Christ is not already named"!

7. You should go because the time is short. More and more countries are closing their doors to missionaries and the Gospel, and we must go now. "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day: night is coming, when no man can work." (John 9:4)
Many countries, where missionaries used to be welcome, are being closed to them entering. Though it is true that many Christians can still go to be subtle witnesses as doctors, teachers, engineers, etc., the Gospel can no longer be openly preached in many lands. We need to sense the urgency of this hour, and obey God by reaching out to those lost in the darkness "while it is still day."

8. You should go because the Holy Spirit is speaking to Christian leadership all over the world that it is God's desire for there to be a great final missionary thrust with the Gospel before the end of the age. It is His desire that every people should have the Gospel preached to them, and that the Gospel should be published in every nation and in every language. And unless YOU get involved personally, there is no hope of that ever happening in our generation! "...And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to th remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." (Matt. 24:14) "The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)
Do you believe God wants everyone to be saved? Then why are we so timid about getting involved in this great thrust to bring the Gospel to all the nations?

next post will be "The Most Commonly Heard Excuses"