Global Sunday

The Great Commission

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.” Matthew 28:16 (NIV)

I wonder what the disciples talked about on their way to the mountain. They probably went over the events of the previous weeks and were wondering what was going to happen next. Then they waited.  It seems that part of the Christian life revolves around waiting. The Lord is never predictable. Then He spoke to them, but much later they realized that He had been speaking to posterity, to all His followers.

“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.’” Mathew 28:16-20 (NIV)

The primary directive here is to “make disciples of all nations.” I remember the first time I clearly saw the meaning of this phrase years ago under the teaching of Pastor Harry Larson. He explained that we tend to think of “nations” as geographical entities with political borders, but the Greek word here is “ethne” from which we get the English word “ethnic.” It means all people and cultures of the earth. For clarity, we now use “people groups” in Global Outreach. We are to “make disciples of all peoples.” Jesus was setting a super-goal. This disciple-making movement was for all His followers to accomplish. He did not tell them to make “converts”. In fact, He said nothing about the Gospel here. Their commission, and ours, is to bring a response of obedience, a global movement, and it will be completed someday.  They, and we, are not sent out to make sure that they agree with a set of spiritual laws. Real evangelism is not about pressing people to conform to a set of beliefs. It is teaching life obedience. The apostle Paul described it in Romans 1:5 as “the obedience of faith among all the peoples.”

So, what about us right here in our neighborhoods? We are to reach out and make disciples of our neighbors, family members, and friends. We are living in a unique period of history. The Lord is bringing to our neighborhoods people from many places around the world that are closed to the Gospel. Our church has a group called “Journey of Hope” that ministers to refugees. You can contact them and get involved. We can pray daily for the 70 cross-cultural workers sent out by our church across the globe. They are facing daily challenges that we can only imagine. We can give to our Global Outreach fund that makes it possible for those 70 global workers to remain abroad. Let us take some time to prayerfully consider how He wants us to get involved. Make no mistake about this: we are all commanded to obey and participate. What is your next step?

Isabel Hines
Global Outreach Council

by Anonymous