All the Great Commission
Like many of you, I believe we are in the midst of a great evangelistic revival. It is happening on college campuses. It is happening in many of our churches. We must capitalize on this opportunity. Many churches see this and are preaching and teaching on making disciples. And obviously the main text used is the Great Commission from the very end of Matthew. Having spent a lifetime teaching, preaching, and trying to live out this passage, I have found it helpful to remember a few points of emphasis.
This is not a foreign mission text. It is appropriate to use it that way and focus on “go” as the main point. But it is helpful to remember this emphasis may be more about going out into the world in which you live and making disciples.
This is not a baptism text. Certainly, one becomes a disciple by being baptized (dying with Christ and being raised to new life) into Jesus. But that is not the point of this text. Nor is this a passage about what to teach new Christians as they become real disciples (though I tend to emphasize the great commands with new believers: love God, love people, make disciples, the greatest command, the great commission). Baptism and teaching are not the main point. The main point is to go make disciples.
So here are the things we have been sure to remember in teaching our people what this passage means for our church:
All authority. Jesus is telling you what to do with your life. This is your mission. Not feeding the hungry. Not social justice. We may do those things – and many more – because we follow Jesus, but they are not our mission. Jesus has all authority over our church and our lives. And he made that point right before telling us to make disciples.
All nations. It would be expected that as you make disciples in your world, your church would look more and more like the community around you. Most of our churches do not. Some even do church plants for those who do not look like them. Or who don’t have the same cultural norms. Become a church of all.
All the time with Jesus. We are not doing this alone. The Holy Spirit is at work. Jesus promised to be with us right to the end. So when you are sharing your story, teaching the good news, inviting someone to worship… Jesus is right there with you.
Just a few things I remind myself. And that I remind my community of faith.
Go all-in on making disciples.
