The Great Commission – Remembering Why We Are Here

The Church is called to be missional. I believe this with every fibre in me. As a Bible believing Christ follower I must believe this.  Matthew 28:19 gives us the Great Commission.  "19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (NIV).  Jesus told us to go into the world. I want to stop there for a while. We are to go into the world. This means meeting people where they are. We are sometimes still so caught up in the idea that people will come to us. We used to see people who weren't in relationship with Christ fill the back pews in our church buildings. But this isn't the case anymore (in most cases). We believe that we should just pray and the Holy Spirit will bring unbelievers back in to our churches. But is that all we are called to do? We give many reasons why "outsiders" don't come anymore. "There's no time for the moving of the Spirit anymore." "The Pastor doesn't preach the same anymore." "People aren't interested in God anymore." Maybe there is truth to these reasons in your church, I don't know. But whatever the "reason" why unbelievers don't come to church anymore, whether its because the Pastor doesn’t do somersaults over the pulpit anymore or that they don’t care about “god things” anymore, the fact is they don't.

So what is our logical response to this supposed to be? Prayer is absolutely the starting point and the foundation for all we do--but there has to be more for us to do.?. God says we must go. This is what we are ALL called to do. The Church should be missional. James makes this very clear in James 2:14-18 when he says;

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (NIV)

Faith--or let's say for argument sake, prayer without works (action) is dead. God has called us to go.  I think social justice is a big part of going.  We have to be careful not to think that God’s vision for missions stops at overseas missions or even home missions.  Mission work can take place at your neighbours home as much as in the deepest darkest jungles of Africa.  

But just as prayer isn't the end, neither is "going." There is a reason we go. To make disciples through sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What is a disciple?

Quote

Disciple Definition | Definition of Disciple at Dictionary.com
a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower.

We are to be pupils or students of Jesus Christ.  How do we do that?  Through the reading and study of His word as well as time spent communicating with Him.   So, we are to make disciples (students) of Jesus Christ.  I believe this means leading people to the place where they accept Jesus Christ as their saviour.  This has to be the crux of what we do as Bible believing Jesus followers. 

Jesus came into the world to save that which was lost.  Paul states in 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (NIV).  Also, John 3:17 says “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (NIV). Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost (NIV)."

So, Jesus came to save sinners.  God wants us to be people of action.  He also wants us to care about the aids victim, the slave, the homeless, the hungry, the abused.  He wants us to show true compassion for them.  There cannot be true compassion without action.  But I believe that the biggest desire for God is that the sacrifice of His Son not be forgotten.  Remember the famous verse of scripture that I already touched on.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, NIV).” 

Yes, the Church should absolutely be missional, but we cannot forget that the reason Jesus ever came to earth was to draw all men unto himself.  People must be met where they are and we must help in tangible ways.  But most of all, we must pray that God would allow us the opportunity to share about his saving grace.  This is what he has called us to do.