The "Great Commission"

Regarding the “Great Commission” much emphases is put on the going but little on the making of disciples while they are gone. Making disciples does not mean to make converts. The “Great Commission” is more than the going it is about making disciples of Christ. It is not about evangelizing to make converts of religious institutions! Religion has done a lot of going in an effort to evangelize, but has done little to make disciples of Christ who in turn make disciples of Christ, who in turn make disciples of Christ...etc.

Many of us have a fuddled understanding of what the “Great Commission” of Jesus Christ is because of the intoxication of religious persuasion. We are coerced to believe by just proclaiming the gospel to the masses, using tools like radio, television, internet, witnessing, publications and going to the mission field, and support that endeavor with finances, because we are not able to go, we will have obeyed the “Great Commission”.

The “Great Commission” is not fulfilled by just a verbalization of the gospel, it includes making disciples so the gospel can be effectively demonstrated to everyone by disciples of Christ living the gospel reality.

How is the “Great Commission” to be accomplished? We have to look at the ministry of Jesus: He is the our example. We are instructed to follow His example. That is how He taught His disciples...by His example...and we are to teach everything to each generation of disciples He taught His original disciples.

Jesus believes in the principle of multiplication as the only effective strategy to reach the world. God does not want us to stop at making converts; He wants disciples.
The only way the Great Commission of Mark 16 can be done is by using the method of Matthew 28.

Matthew 28 details the procedure we must follow on how to successfully proclaim the Gospel to every one.

Was Jesus of Nazareth in a hurry to reach the world? It certainly did not seem like it. Many times Jesus shunned crowds to spend time with His few disciples. Why? Jesus was interested in quality, not quantity, because if we take the time to make disciples of Him they will in turn make disciples of Him!

Are you supposed to go into all the world? Of course not. The first disciples did not, and you probably will not either. However, you can do it through those you reach if you train them to make disciples and they also to make disciples and as these disciples go about their business they will make disciples, eventually there will be disciples across the world making disciples.

Looking at the Great Commission primarily as "going to preach" has caused most people to ignore it because they think they cannot go to all the world, so they have fulfilled it by giving of their money.

Actually the passage in Mark correctly translated is, "As you go..." It does not tell you to go somewhere else, just to tell the Good News as you go.

As you go about your life, allow Jesus to work His works through you. And concentrate on making other disciples by allowing Him to do the same. That is Jesus' Commission to us!

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