What is a Great Commission Church?

The term “Great Commission” and its associated theology and philosophy of ministry is derived from Matthew 28:18-20, which reads, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

God’s heartbeat is for souls.  So following the resurrection Of Jesus, and after spending time with them, He went back to Heaven to be with His Father and to prepare a place for all His followers.  But right before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave a commission to His disciples.  This “commission” was a command that gave them authority to proclaim His message of peace and reconciliation with God to the whole world.  

Therefore, when Jesus gave the church the mandate to “…make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19), He was entrusting His disciples with the very essence of the Father’s heart. 

So, the first disciples were to make more disciples from all nations.  This is an ongoing mission. Since the first disciples are now gone and they did not make disciples of all nations, they have left us with work to do.  It is work that the whole Church should be doing. 

Jesus did not charge only certain people with His Great Commission.  He charged all of His disciples, the Church, to fulfill the Great Commission.  Are we going to be obedient to Jesus and make disciples of all nations, going to them, sharing our faith and baptizing new believers, and teaching them everything Jesus commanded us to obey?  

Are we going to do that?

Will Jesus find us faithful in fulfilling His Great Commission to the Church?  The missions experience can be one of total fulfillment of God’s calling.  The foreign field brings challenges for the missionary unique to each people group and location.  The more prepared and supported the missionary is, the more fruitful the experience will be.  As we are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission, the mandate to finish the task is upon every believer.

Together, we serve to win the lost in every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.  

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  (Matthew 24:14)

Be sure to check out our new website and explore the ways we reach out to the lost and hurting in the world.  Go Here!

What Does It Really Mean To Seek God?

Our world seeks so many things, peace, health, prosperity, longevity, a life-long-mate, education, popularity, and purpose; the list is long.  Regardless of what we seek, if we are sincere in seeking, it requires time, sacrifice, patience and endurance.  The scientist and researchers that are seeking a cure for cancer spend a life time of hard sacrificial labor to try to discover a cure for this dreaded disease. One thing is sure, a cure will not be discovered by a causal and half-hearted scientist.

Many famous personalities of the past were seekers, willing to invest everything to meet the challenge and to conquer the goal. One such seeker was the well-known author, C.S. Lewis.  He came to faith in Christ through a search for truth that journeyed through the twists, turns, and dead ends of a long, thirty-year maze characterized by varying worldviews, ideas, and religions.  This quest involved both his intellect, which sought logical, sound answers to the questions of life, and his heart, which longed for something to fill the lonely void within.  The Bible challenges every person to be a meticulous seeker (not casual) and to seek the Lord.  In fact, there is no place for causal seekers when it comes to pursuing God. “…he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6b)

The Bible has a lot to say about seeking.  It begins with the priority of seeking as found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Previous to this passage Jesus talked about not being anxious for clothing, food or even the length of one’s life.  If the believer would seek Him first, the rest would fall into place.

Then there is the persistence of seeking, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7)

Finally, there is the range of seeking. In Deuteronomy 4:29 God reminds His people, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Now the question, “What does it “really” mean to seek God?”  Taking in consideration the above, I am sure that I have never experienced, to any real depth, what it truly means to seek the Lord.  Yes, I read my Bible, pray and go to church, all those Christian things, but is that truly seeking the Lord?

In fact, if any nation wishes to find healing for their land, the church must rediscover or maybe better said, discover what it really means to “…seek my face.”  The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that He will be found, and when He is found, there is great reward.  God himself is our greatest reward.  And when we have Him, we have everything. Therefore, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always!” (Psalm 105:4)

God seeks relationship with those who don’t yet know Him, and He seeks a deeper union with those who do.  As we seek Him, we can be confident that He is earnestly seeking us as well.

Be sure to check out our new website and explore the ways we reach out to the lost and hurting in the world.  Go Here!

Lift Up Your Eyes

“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” (John 4:35b)

When I first learned to drive, my dad gave me some great advice: “Never lose sight of the bigger picture.” He trained me to constantly monitor what was happening on my left and right, in my rear-view mirror, and as far down the road as I could see.

Over the years, I’ve realized that Dad's words apply not just to driving a car, but to other areas of life as well. In fact, I hear his words replayed in my mind almost every time I make a decision.  The Lord Jesus had similar advice when he spoke to his disciples about their role in the world.

“Lift up your eyes!” He told them. (See John 4:35; Matthew 9:37)  In other words, one of the first priorities and disciplines for every follower of Christ is to cultivate a global perspective.

When I sometimes jogged through our community, I'd catch myself looking down at the street in front of me.  I kept reminding myself to lift my chin and take in my surroundings. It's a far more inspiring view.  Life is too short to spend it gazing at the pavement.  Many believers, to their own loss, don’t take time to appreciate the grand sweep of God’s redemptive plan in the Scriptures and how God has uniquely prepared them to participate.

When we lift our eyes, Jesus points out, our hearts will be touched by the immensity of the harvest task, the scarcity of workers and the spiritual readiness of many to embrace the good news.

“Never lose sight of the bigger picture.” Through the years, Dad's advice has protected me from danger and distraction.  Furthermore, each time I lift my eyes, I am changed.  I see things I didn't see before.  The picture gets clearer and my life takes on more meaning.  My passion to connect “those who know” with “those who don’t” grows.

How about you?  Have you lifted your eyes lately?


Be sure to check out our new website and explore the ways we reach out to the lost and hurting in the world.  Go Here!