3 ways to fulfill the Great Commission in our everyday lives
What is the Great Commission?
After Jesus brought salvation to the world by shedding His blood on the cross, He gave a command to all believers to go and spread the gospel to all nations.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples 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.
This Great Commission is a mandate for all believers and should be treated as such. Many times people can confuse a conviction with a mandate, but they are not the same thing.
“A conviction is something we would die for in order to PROTECT it, but a mandate is something we would die for in order to ADVANCE it.”
— Larry Stockstill, “The Surge”
In Pastor Larry Stockstill’s book, The Surge, he describes a mandate as “an aggressive, no-compromise, no-failure-tolerated approach to a task [that] has greater motivating power than a conviction." However, believers often consider the mandate of the Great Commission as a mere suggestion. This leads to a lack of evangelizing, baptizing, and multiplying the Kingdom in the daily lives of believers.
Why is that?
Why is it that so many who hold the key to salvation, the very message that could save someone from an eternity in hell, and give them eternal life and a relationship with a loving Father, choose not to share it with others?
Could it be that we see the Great Commission as something only overseas missions can accomplish? Could it be that it can seem daunting to participate in? Could it be that we do not recognize the urgency of this command? Could it be that we are so distracted with our own lives or are “too busy” to listen when the Holy Spirit prompts us to share?
There are many reasons why believers may not be fully committed. We should all take the time to ask the Lord to reveal what is stopping us from obeying this command and ask Him to give us a passion for sharing the Good News.
Regardless of what the reason is, we must take practical steps in our daily lives to help accomplish this mandate.
So what are some ways that believers can fulfill the Great Commission in their everyday lives?
1. Be led by the Spirit
First and foremost, we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit. He is the one that gives us the power to do what the Bible says and guides us into all truth (John 15:26).
We must be sensitive to what He tells us to do and quick to obey it. We must willingly allow Him to disrupt our daily routine and step out with boldness and faith as we follow Him. We must understand that whatever God guides us to do, the Holy Spirit is the one that equips us to do it. It is easy to get caught up in fears of being inadequate, not knowing what to say, or not feeling as though we have the courage to do as God commands, but when God tells us to do something He always provides us with what we need to accomplish it.
We may not physically see these provisions, but we must walk in faith believing that they are there. We, as believers, get to be vessels for the Holy Spirit to work through us to accomplish the will of God. The same Holy Spirit that was with Jesus’ disciples and Jesus Himself is in us today! We have access to that power, truth, and guidance which we need to use in order to fulfill the Great Commission (John 16:7-15).
2. Build relationships and share the Good News with your sphere of influence
Many times Christians can consciously and subconsciously see the fulfilling of the Great Commission as an overseas endeavor while forgetting that there are many lives in their own nation that are lost. Yes, global missions are an extremely important part of fulfilling the Great Commission as Jesus said to make disciples of ALL nations, but we must remember that “ALL” includes our own.
The simplest and quickest way for us to start participating in the fulfillment of this mandate is by impacting the lives of the people we are closest to, both in proximity and in relation. We have an amazing opportunity to build a reputation of strong character and integrity in the eyes of those around us, and from that, build deep relationships with the people in our community.
In Matthew, it says that we are the salt and light of the World and through our reputation, we can bring Glory to God,
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Through our example of a life lived for Christ we can show the life-changing truth of the Gospel at work in our own lives. God has us where we are for a purpose and we must be faithful to fulfill his commands in all situations, both here and abroad.
3. Give
Financial giving is a great way to participate in the Great Commission. Through giving, we have the ability to partner with other believers to make an even bigger and more global impact for the Kingdom. It enables us to empower missionaries and ministries in the advancement of the Gospel and to spread our reach further than we could on our own. Even though we may not be the direct messenger, the Bible tells us that we get to be a receiver of the righteousness that is born from our support.
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
How amazing is that? Even when we cannot physically be somewhere to spread the Gospel, we can still play a part in the saving and changing of lives. We may not always feel as though we have much to give, but God loves a giving heart no matter what the amount. If we have the desire to give, God can provide the means for us to do it.
Whether that is one dollar or one million dollars, God can use any amount to accomplish His will. Through our giving, we can be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission and spreading the gospel with more people than we ever could on our own.
When we take action through allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily lives, pursue sharing the Good News with our community, and support missions, we are able to make an impact for the kingdom in our everyday lives.
God graciously allows us the chance to partner with Him, let's not let anything stop us from taking part in this incredible opportunity!
What missions Strategy Is Most Effective in fulfilling the Great Commission?
Jesus was very clear in instructing his disciples to build his Church. The Church is the global body of Christ-followers comprised of small, local communities of Christian believers.
Scripture supports and research proves that the most effective way to reach people with the Gospel and disciple them into becoming lifelong followers of Jesus is to start a local community of believers for them to be a part of.
This is called planting a church. Who plants churches? Men and women who feel God is calling them to pastor a group of believers.
If you want to help fulfill the Great Commission, supporting a pastor to plant a new church is the most important missions investment you can make.
That is what we at Surge do. We give a local pastor that has been well-trained the funds they need to launch a new church in countries all over the world.
If you are interested in fulfilling the Great Commission and joining the global church planting movement, consider helping a Surge pastor reach their funding goal!
