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)