“Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said, ‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing’” (Malphurs, Chapter 6). The hard part is finding out what is the “main thing.” Jesus began His teaching us how to pray by saying “Hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2). I understand “hallowed” to be the understanding that God’s name – Jesus Christ – and the gospel should be heard by all peoples; He is worthy to be worshiped. The desired goal of a true believer is for His name to be confessed as Lord and Master by everyone that He has given life, and it is inferred through the “Great Commission” that this happens through proclamation of the gospel message. God desires and deserves worship. Our goal as Christians is for Him to be worshiped by everyone that has breath. Jesus’ command of the “Great Commission” makes this the highest priority. Therefore, my mission statement that I have personally produced is as follows: “To do everything we can to advance the Kingdom of God by making the Great Commission our daily mission.” Thankfully, Jesus repeated the “Great Commission” when speaking to the Disciples, and five versions of it are offered in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-49, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8. For sake of space, I cannot place these verses or references individually onto this paper, so I will only speak of them in essence as I briefly communicate my vision in the following paragraphs.
When the Creator of the universe – the One who has given us life – repeats something, in this case the Great Commission, a true believer who is born again needs to obey the One he calls Master or else his or her relationship to God will be hindered. “Go,” “Go,” “…should be preached,” “…I also send you,” “You shall be…” All are commands that require an action by the hearer. We each to need be doing what is directed, and, as each day is a gift from God, we have work to do as instructed each and every day; one part of that work is preaching “the gospel” and “that repentance and remission of sins” is expected from God. Today, that work is typically called “evangelism.” The gospel message to be included is that “it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,” because it allows one to understand that His work is the only work that “takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) and not any work on our part “lest any man boast” (Eph. 2:9). Salvation is offered to each and every person regardless of race: Jesus says to fulfill the commission “into all the world,” “of all nations,” “to all of mankind,” “unto the ends of the earth.” Upon personal salvation, we are to publically immerse true believers in water to picture the death, burial, and resurrection.
We are told to “make disciples” and “teach them,” implying that believers are also disciples themselves, and that inward growth upon receiving Jesus as Master is commanded. Each day we are to grow more into Christ-likeness than the previous day by learning “to observe all things” that Jesus has commanded. Since the Bible is also His Word, observing and doing “all things” He has commanded is not merely limited to Jesus’ own words in the Gospels or even the New Testament alone but is by reading and studying the Bible as the Word of God daily (2 Tim. 2:15), as well as serving others, fellowshipping, praying together; As the list goes on and on, all of these activities produce worship. We do not do things alone or without any help by our God. He is with each of us “always” and forever as we are “endued with power from on high;” He gives us “power when the Holy Spirit” comes to indwell us when we are saved by the “promise” of Jesus Christ of whom “all power and authority… in Heaven and on earth” resides forever. Amen.
Works Cited
The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.
Malphurs, Aubrey. The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting: A Guide for Starting Any Kind of Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011. Kindle file.
When the Creator of the universe – the One who has given us life – repeats something, in this case the Great Commission, a true believer who is born again needs to obey the One he calls Master or else his or her relationship to God will be hindered. “Go,” “Go,” “…should be preached,” “…I also send you,” “You shall be…” All are commands that require an action by the hearer. We each to need be doing what is directed, and, as each day is a gift from God, we have work to do as instructed each and every day; one part of that work is preaching “the gospel” and “that repentance and remission of sins” is expected from God. Today, that work is typically called “evangelism.” The gospel message to be included is that “it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,” because it allows one to understand that His work is the only work that “takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) and not any work on our part “lest any man boast” (Eph. 2:9). Salvation is offered to each and every person regardless of race: Jesus says to fulfill the commission “into all the world,” “of all nations,” “to all of mankind,” “unto the ends of the earth.” Upon personal salvation, we are to publically immerse true believers in water to picture the death, burial, and resurrection.
We are told to “make disciples” and “teach them,” implying that believers are also disciples themselves, and that inward growth upon receiving Jesus as Master is commanded. Each day we are to grow more into Christ-likeness than the previous day by learning “to observe all things” that Jesus has commanded. Since the Bible is also His Word, observing and doing “all things” He has commanded is not merely limited to Jesus’ own words in the Gospels or even the New Testament alone but is by reading and studying the Bible as the Word of God daily (2 Tim. 2:15), as well as serving others, fellowshipping, praying together; As the list goes on and on, all of these activities produce worship. We do not do things alone or without any help by our God. He is with each of us “always” and forever as we are “endued with power from on high;” He gives us “power when the Holy Spirit” comes to indwell us when we are saved by the “promise” of Jesus Christ of whom “all power and authority… in Heaven and on earth” resides forever. Amen.
Works Cited
The Holy Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.
Malphurs, Aubrey. The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting: A Guide for Starting Any Kind of Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011. Kindle file.