The Great Commission is the mandate of God to Christians to spread the Gospel to every person. Jesus spoke the words of the Great Commission to his disciples just before He ascended into heaven. Matthew 28:19-20 may be the best summary of this mandate:
“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the ends of the world.”
This command, I believe, also applies to every local church. While not every person is called of God to be a missionary, each person must take part in the Great Commission (i.e. evangelism and discipleship) in some way, either locally or internationally.
Jesus said in Acts 1:8 “…and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Most likely, if you are reading this blog you are not a missionary to a foreign land. That is fine, as long as God has not shown you that He wants you to do that. However, if you are a Christian you ought to be a missionary to your community.
Lest you think I am overly pious, I do not believe that sharing your faith in Jesus is always, or ever, an easy thing to do. I have a very difficult time talking to people about Jesus, mostly because I’m afraid I will turn people off by telling them they need to be forgiven for their sins. I’ve had to repeatedly claim Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth…” For me, I know that when I am too worried about my reputation to open my mouth and tell someone that Jesus died for them I am, in effect, ashamed of the gospel.
I do not necessarily advocate walking up to a stranger and confronting them with their sin, though, in the past the Holy Spirit has led me to talk to complete strangers. Rather, the best means I have discovered for giving the gospel is by building relationships. Go places where you can meet people with whom you can become friends. Look up play groups or hobby groups in your area. Become friends with women and pray for the right opportunity to talk about spiritual things.
Try involving your children in telling others about Jesus. The vast majority of Christians make decisions to accept Christ before the age of 14. Let your child be a witness who can bring his friends to Jesus.
Get involved with the outreach and discipleship ministries in your church. If you are timid about going out and inviting people to church, get involved teaching new believers about the Bible.
The Great Commission is of paramount importance in the life of the Christian because it is a command of Jesus. Let’s all do our part.
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