The Great Commission of Christ in Matthew 28. 16-20 is most often associated with a call to individual Christians to consider their call to go into the world as missionaries. Although it is certainly a text in which every disciple of Christ must meditate and apply, it seems that an essentially individualistic application of this commandment is more a product of our Western culture than a natural reading of the text.
According to verse 16, the eleven disciples were the first listeners of the commandment. The Apostles were more than people who sought to obey Christ’s teachings in private. These men were founders and leaders of the church who would be established and multiplied by their testimonies and the power of the Holy Ghost. It was understood that each member of the church would learn to obey all that the Lord commands, including the commandment to make disciples of all nations.
- It is a common joke that “mission Sundays” are reserved for weeks when service frequency is low.
- The hypothesis.
- It seems.
- Is that messages about nations are especially aimed at a subset of the congregation: men and women who are already predisposed to think or interact with strangers.
- It would make sense if (a) sympathy for people and cultures was the main motivation to reach nations with the gospel; and (b) the only way to obey Christ’s commandment was to leave the house and live elsewhere for the sake of the gospel.
However, neither of these options is true. The fundamental motivation for proclaiming the gospel and making disciples is not rooted in sociology; it is the immeasurable courage and glory of Christ that prompts us to spread the gospel message. the desire to see others who do not yet know him moved to worship will overflow.
Moreover, the application of the Great Commission is not only to go, but to pray to the Lord of the Mies for more workers (Luke 10. 2), to send them as the Church of Antioch did with Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13. 2-3). and to support missionaries as “collaborators of truth” (3 John 8). It is a collective effort involving all members of the body of Christ, so our goal is not to persuade everyone to become missionaries, but to help everyone in our congregations think and act with a global evangelization mindset.
Christ’s commandment was given to all churches
The mission of going and making disciples of all nations was given to the churches of all nations. The gospel continues to spread throughout the world, and as churches have multiplied and matured, they have also been involved in sending and supporting missionaries. churches around the world are deeply involved in international missions; it is not an exclusively Western initiative.
In light of this, there are two potential dangers to Western Church leaders. On the one hand, one may fall into the trap of believing, “If we don’t go, how are you going to listen?”The mission of spreading the gospel in All Languages, Tribes, and Nations can only be seen as a task for the churches of America, without considering our brothers and sisters around the world who work with us. The other danger is to believe: “There are so many others, so we are no longer necessary. “Yes, countries like South Korea and India send tens of thousands of missionaries, but that doesn’t mean we can abdicate our responsibility.
A few years ago, while in South America, I asked a Brazilian church misiologist and implanter to respect his opinion on the claim that the era of Western missions was over and that now was the time to “pass the witness. “His answer was kind, and sincere, “Have I ever heard this?” he said, “And my question is, “Why do you think the bat was yours at first?He’s right. The Great Commission does not belong to any specific time or region of the Church; on the contrary, all churches of all ages and places must fight together to make disciples of all nations. Our opportunity in light of these global trends is not only to send from our congregations, but also to partner with foreign churches to send, support, and serve missionaries among nations.
The purpose of missions is not to evangelize all peoples, but to make disciples who will keep all that Christ has commanded; the first can be done quickly by individuals, while the second takes time and requires the community. The commission requires the planting of churches.
Any missionary effort must be tied to the goal of generating local bodies of believers through the declaration and demonstration of the gospel. Mercy ministries are good and healthy, but they will remain stunted if hearts of stone are not made of flesh by the power of the Spirit of God through the Word of God. On the other hand, the ministry of the announcement is necessary, but intangible, without the application of the Word at the service of the needs felt by the community. The objective, therefore, is to see the emergence of communities of disciples who proclaim the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and manifest the fruit of the Spirit through love of neighbor.
If the role of each local church is to obey the Great Commission for the birth of new local churches locally and globally, where to begin?I suggest that we start from the same point as Christ’s disciples. We must consider the Lord’s commandments and seek the direction and power of the Holy Ghost as we move forward in faith. No matter the size, age, resources, or challenges of our church, we are not incapable, poor, or alone. Christ’s promise is for us today. He reigns over all things, earthly and heavenly, and is with us until the end of time, He will fulfill his mission.