Fulfilling the Great Commission

Fulfilling the Great Commission By Jeff Gray We’ve often heard the phrase “the Great Commission.” In fact, many of us know it by heart. It was Jesus’s last instruction to the disciples: “Go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It is found in Matthew 28, verses 18-20. And similar final charges appear in the gospels of Mark, Luke, and even John, as well as at the start of The Acts of the Apostles. Whew! That’s a lot. A big challenge. And very few of us have done it, or at least in the way it sounds as if it should be done. I haven’t quit my job, sold all I own, and moved to some remote country in an impoverished area of the world to do good things in His name every day. I’m still right here. And so are you… feeling that “Great Commission guilt.” I’ve been thinking about it this week after the wife of a husband-wife missionary team in Madagascar came to speak at my home church in Raleigh last Sunday. It sure sounds like they are doing what Jesus asked, and I’m not doing enough… But I think the common understanding of the Great Commission is far too narrow. I think we are doing better than we might think we are. What if Jesus’s command isn’t exclusive to fulltime missionaries, and ordained ministers and other church leaders, and doesn’t require a fulltime commitment. I’m not saying we should be let off the hook, I’m saying we can be more intentional about disciple-making and adhere to its call. As written in the original of these Gospels, “go” doesn’t mean “go overseas.” The Greek word used in Matthew means “proceed with intention.” It means to move forward with intention in daily life and missionary work; to make disciples by helping people become devoted followers of Jesus; to welcome new members in the name of the Trinity; and to teach new believers to obey everything Jesus commanded. We as a church have many, many outreach programs where we “go,” and we as members of the church do many things in our daily lives where we follow Jesus’s command. So, what about this make disciples thing? Well, we do it almost every day, and certainly weekly. We make disciples through our teachings. More than just making converts, we as Presbyterians in the reformed tradition teach others to teach others. That is what Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, informal Bible studies, and youth group discussions are all about. It is what solid preaching in a Sunday worship service is about, too. We remind and we encourage. How else do we do these things? Through our good deeds, through unity in the church, through parenting, through praying, and through giving. The Great Commission should not be a guilt-inducing calling reserved only for the few. We just need to continue to be purposeful in our actions.