great commission
The Great Commission Starts With Go – Part 2
The Great Commission Starts With Go
The Great Commission refers to the instructions given by Jesus to His disciples after His resurrection, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (28:18-20). You could also include Matthew 4:19. In these passage, Jesus commands His followers to go and be “fishers of men”, and to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey His commandments.
The Great Commission emphasizes the global scope of God’s desire and mission. Calling all believers to spread the message of the Gospel, disciple new believers, and establish communities of faith worldwide. It is seen as a foundational mandate for evangelism and mission work, urging believers to share the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus with all people and cultures.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
In Part 1 of The Great Commission Starts With Go we began to look at what God’s Word says about the Great Commission. We saw that the word “Go” in Matthew 28:19 really means “as you are going” in your daily life. It can occasionally mean to go to another place or a far away country on a mission trip. But for most people it means as you are going in your daily life. It suggests a lifestyle of loving people enough to tell them about Jesus and helping them to know Him personally.
Now we will continue to look at the “go” in the Great Commission. We will also study the 2 parts of fulfilling Jesus’ commands in the Great Commission.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
Your Mission Field Is Where You Are Going… Now
God has you where you are at for a reason and a purpose. You are in the city and place that God wants you in, for a reason. You are working at the place where God wants you at right now, for a reason. Or you go to the school where God wants you at, for a reason.
Many Christians wait until they go on a mission trip to “do” the Great Commission. Or they participate in an outreach type of church event once or twice a year. The Great Commission is meant to be a lifestyle of loving others, and helping them to know Jesus Christ.
Wherever you are, and wherever you go in your daily life, that is where your mission field is. That is where God wants you to actively participate with Him in fulfilling His mission and the Great Commission. The Great Commission starts with go. As you are going about in your daily life. You do not need to go to Africa or other far away places to fulfill the Great Commission. Unless God clearly leads you to another place or to be in full time ministry or missions, where you are now is where God wants to use you.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
The meaning of the original word translated “go” in the English language means “as you are going”. You are to reach out and share the Good News of forgiveness of sin and salvation through Jesus Christ with others. As you are going in your daily life. As you are at work, or at school. And as you are at the mall, or at a restaurant, or at the bank. Or when you are with family, or with friends. Or as you are talking to neighbors, or with people you just meet.
The word meaning “as you are going” also implies a lifestyle of being obedient and faithful to Jesus. And obedient to His commands to reach out and share the Gospel with others. And to make disciples.
It does not mean to “do” evangelism occasionally. Or to have an occasional outreach event 2 or 3 times each year. Jesus command “Go” means to have an obedient lifestyle of personal devotion to Jesus. And to continually reach out to others in God’s love and with the Gospel.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
The Great Commission & God’s Mission Has 2 Parts
All believers and followers of Christ are to obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 4:19 and Matthew 28:18-20. Not just certain ones. Since we are all to obey the Great Commission and participate in God’s kingdom work and mission, then we need to clearly understand what it is.
There are 2 parts that we need to do in order to fulfill the Great Commission and God’s mission for us. Think of the Great Commission being like a coin. Just as their are 2 sides of a coin, there are 2 sides or parts of the Great Commission.
The First Part Of The Great Commission
The first part of the Great Commission starts with “Go”. The first part of the Great Commission is Jesus’ command in Matthew 4:19. “Follow Me and I will make you “fishers of men”.” A fisher of men is a follower of Jesus that faithfully shares the Good News of Jesus Christ with others as he/she goes about his/her daily life.
You do not need to be in full time ministry to be a faithful fisher of men. And you do not need to go to seminary in order to be equipped to be a fisher of men and fulfill the Great Commission. And you do not need to go to Africa or other far away places, unless the Lord leads you to do so.
Jesus is commanding all of His disciple, His followers, to faithfully and obediently tell others about Jesus and the gift of salvation. As you are going in your daily life. Wherever you are. And wherever you go in your daily life, you are to be a faithful disciple and witness for Jesus.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
The 2nd Part of The Great Commission
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commands us to “Go and make disciples of all nations…”.
Go and make disciples of all nations … Making disciples is the focus and command. There are 2 parts of God’s mission – 1st is for all of us to obey Jesus and share the Gospel (be “fishers of men”). We need to reach lost people before we can help them to grow and make them into faithful & fruitful disciples. Jesus tells us generally how to do this next…
How To Make Disciples
There are 2 strategies that Jesus mentions in the Great Commission verses in Matthew 28. The Great Commission starts with go. First, go and baptize people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is symbolic of their dying to self and receiving Christ as their Lord & Savior. And to living a new life in Him. Baptism is important because Jesus wants them to do it, and it is a public display of their commitment to Christ. It is about helping the new believer to understand that he/she is making a lifelong commitment to trust and follow and obey Jesus.
Second, teaching them to obey everything Jesus taught and commanded us. New Christians are like spiritual babies, and need love and encouragement and help to grow spiritually in their walk with Jesus. They are also vulnerable to being led astray and falling away from Jesus. We need to teach them God’s word and all that Jesus commanded. This includes teaching new believers that they need to be faithful “fishers of men”.
Discipleship is loving them and investing our time and efforts and resources into their lives. And investing in their spiritual growth. Bible study classes, discipleship Bible studies, small groups or life groups in homes are all integral in helping to make disciples. But so are one-on-one relationships with faithful and mature believers. You can invest your time in a person or two by loving them and helping them to grow. You do not need to be a Bible teacher or a pastor to do this.
The Great Commission Starts With Go
Go And Fulfill Jesus’ Command To Reach The Lost & Make Disciples
How can you and your church fulfill the Great Commission ? First focus on reaching people for Jesus and making disciples in your community. Where you and your church are right now is where your mission field is.
Then pray and seek God. Seek to see if God is leading you or your church to reach out further into the region around where you are. Or to other parts of your country. Or perhaps God wants to lead you and your church to other countries in the world.
We can personally testify that God’s plans and vision is far larger than our own. He has a plan for you and your church, and He wants to use you in a way that is far above and beyond your imagination. You need to pray and seek Him and His will. And you need to be passionately devoted to Jesus, and be ready to go and do whatever He leads you to do.
Pursuing Intimacy With God
Pursuing Intimacy With God is committed to helping you with the most important thing in your life… your intimacy with God , your fellowship with Him, and your partnership with God in His Kingdom work & mission.
There is much more information on Intimacy With God, Prayer, Praise & Worship, Hearing God’s Voice,… and hundreds of great Biblical truths and promises in the Pursuing Intimacy With God Bible studies.
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Other Links
Religion vs Relationship With God
Faith Is Vital to Intimacy With God
Part 2 – Faith Is Vital To Intimacy With God
Faith Is Vital To Intimacy With God Part 3
Praise God: To Place A High Value On Him
Hear God’s Voice: Vital To Have Intimacy With God
What Is God’s Call For Your Life ?
The Kind of Christian & Church God Wants
Paul’s Passion & Commitment To Jesus
Paul’s Passion to Preach The Gospel
Inspirational Bible Verses & Quotes
Inspirational Bible Verses & Quotes Part 2
The Lord’s Prayer – Prayer In The Bible
Jesus’ Teaching On Prayer In Luke 11
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