When the Great Commission becomes the Great Omission
We long to be productive leaders in ministry. But what is it that we are producing? Sometimes we go about achieving good results at the expense of the best result. What do I mean by that?
The Great Commission
We generate members in our churches, enlist workers for ministry areas, raise up leaders. We do these good things often at the expense of the best thing – making disciples. Jesus told us that disciple-making was the number one thing on his heart for his followers to be about doing. “Go and make disciples of all nations . . . “ Matthew 28:19).
The “all nations” are all unbelievers, both far away and close at hand. Disciple-making always begins before someone is truly a follower of Christ. Thus, the question for those of us in ministry will always be, “what are we making? And how well are we making it?”
A disciple is a person who has surrendered herself to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In doing so they commence a journey that makes them into life-long learners of Jesus. From Jesus, they learn how best to love God and others, to mirror the life of God to a watching world. And, like Jesus, they know themselves to be sent to those around them who have yet to come to know him.
The Great Omission
Jesus’s instructions in the Great Commission are clear, but do we obey?
- 61% of Christians haven’t shared their faith in the last 6 months.
- 98% of Christians do not witness to nonbelievers weekly
- 95% of Christians have never led another person to God
The Bible tells us in James 4:17, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Yet for many, the Great Commission has become the Great Omission. Research has shown that 95 percent of Christians have never led another person to Christ.
It is a ‘great omission’ if we look at this text as though it were an option suggested rather than a command to be obeyed.
The full concept of going into the world and making disciples is to share your faith, lead people to Christ, and then, to the best of your ability, help them mature spiritually.
Obeying The Command
The Great Commission is not the “great suggestion.” It is the marching orders of the church, given by our Commander-in-Chief. But what exactly is it that the Lord has commanded us to do? It is far easier to obey a command if we understand clearly what the order is.
We are to “go.” And as we go, we are to make disciples. We are to baptize. We are to teach. Anything less is disobedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Francis Chan uses a great analogy of asking his daughter to clean her room.
Committing To the Great Commission
Every Christian is commanded to be involved in helping to reach the world for Christ. Each of us has an important, God-given role to play in helping to fulfill the Great Commission.
How are you influencing others to become followers of Jesus?
Jesus didn’t give Christians an impossible mission. Sharing the gospel becomes a lot easier when you have a clear example of God’s presence and impact on our daily lives. I’ve developed a six-week evangelism course called MyLife-Workshop to help you share Gospel and invite others to explore what the gospel is all about.
It will be by our commitment to the Great Commission that others will know about God and find salvation.
Would you be willing to make the following prayer commitment to the Lord?
“Dear God, help me to remember that I am to be a Great Commission Christian. Remind me that, in Your strength and by Your grace, I am to do whatever it takes to reach the lost with the transforming power of the Gospel of Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”