Finishing the Great Commission
The Great Commission is the Purpose of the Church 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. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Four Irrefutable Elements in the Great Commission A. A Life-Style for Every Christian. B. Includes Evangelism. C. Includes Building Christians All the Way to Maturity. D. Includes Reaching the Entire World.
The Great Commission is the Purpose of Canaan Church To glorify God by leading people to Christ and to maturity in Christ through Evangelism, Education, Edification, Exaltation, and Equipping them for the work of ministry. Towards Intentional Disciplemaking Cell Church
THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS MEANT TO BE FINISHED, NOT JUST SOMETHING WE WORK AT! I BELIEVE THIS FOR FOUR REASONS:
A. First, Jesus Commanded Us to Carry Out the Great Commission 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. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
B. Jesus Promised that the Great Commission Would be Finished Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15b In Matthew 24:14, Jesus said: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come.
C. The Apostles, Themselves, Set Out to Finish Both Fox s Book of Martyrs and The Voice of the Martyrs record the locations and the way the apostles died. The book, Jesus Freaks Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus records that these 12 men were so convinced that Jesus meant for them to finish the Great Commission that they actually drew lots to determine which areas of the world to go to and split up to finish the job!
D. Paul States that He Actually Did Finish in a Defined Area 1. There have been times in history, and in different geographical settings, in which it was (at that time) impossible to actually finish the Great Commission. 2. But, Paul, and others, did not use these issues as excuses to keep from doing all that they could to try to finish. Paul did finish laying the foundation for completing the Great Commission from Jerusalem all the way to the Adriatic Sea (see Romans 15:18-24).
D. Paul States that He Actually Did Finish in a Defined Area 3. Today, we have opportunities that Paul and others did not have. In unprecedented ways, all the world is accessible to us. We have mass communications, speedy travel, most languages are now known and in written form, most tribes have a Christian witness and we now have churches strategically located all over the world. Is there any reason we should not do all we can to try to finish it?
WHAT DOES FINISHING THE GREAT COMMISSION LOOK LIKE?
A Model of What Finishing Might Look Like * Saturate every neighbourhood with disciplemaking churches proximity to reach every person. * Every kind of person can feel welcome. * Conversion growth several times faster than population growth. * Every person has been personally invited to receive Christ. * Every willing convert is nurtured in an ongoing disciplemaking process.
Individual Commitment to Finishing the Great Commission A. Confess and Repent of our Partial Obedience. B. Refocus on the Product The Disciple. C. Become Pro-Active and Intentional. D. Never Settle for the Status Quo.
IS THE VISION OF FINISHING THE GREAT COMMISSION TOO BIG? Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.