“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “ALL AUTHORITY (exousia: the power to rule) has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. GO therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES (mathēteuō: progressively learning the Word of God) of all the nations, BAPTIZING THEM in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM to observe ALL THINGS that I have commanded you; and lo, I AM WITH YOU always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
One of the most critical issue facing the mission of the Church today is the LACK OF CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING of what Jesus has ASKED US TO DO in the above verses, often referred to as the GREAT COMMISSION. Answering the critical question of what the central missionary task is, will determine what progress can be made.
According to George Barna’s research, a whopping 51% of all church goers say they have NEVER HEARD of the Great Commission and only 17% can correctly identify the passage and its meaning. This is appalling! Even more troubling is that this ignorance is growing with each successive generation of believers. Only 10% of millennial believers have heard of the Great Commission.
As Jesus followers, our true identity is as bearers of Christ’s mission TO DISCIPLE ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH. Of course, there is a catch; this assumes that the pastors themselves understand what this passage means. “And this gospel of the kingdom WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD as a witness to ALL THE NATIONS, and then THE END WILL COME.” (Matthew 24:14)
“COME and HEAR, let me tell you what JESUS HAS DONE FOR ME.” (Psalms 66:16) Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and TELL THEM how much the Lord HAS DONE FOR YOU, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham