As part of our Bible study last night we discussed the passage in Matthew 28 known as the Great Commission. Most Christians have heard this verse "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...." It is almost always called the Great Commission as it is seen as Christ's summary of what His believers are to invest their lives in. But as we pondered this verse I asked the guys the following questions.
"Which activity more closely fulfills the Great Commission? Personal one on one evangelism or singing in the praise band or choir? What about discipling the new convert or studying for your final exams in medical school? Or how about protesting abortion or participating in a staff meeting to help your hospital deliver more honest, accurate, and compassionate care?"
One of the guys said, "This sounds like a trick question to me." All of the guys laughed and concurred having grown wise to my ways of asking questions.
And I answered in the following way. "It is a trick question. Many Christians tend to (erroneously) think that fulfilling the Great Commission is done in only spiritual activities - namely, evangelism, missions, discipleship, and prayer. But it seems to me that God's command to Adam to go, multiply, and subdue the earth remains part of the Great Commission. When you think of the Great Commission only in terms of new converts, you miss one of the key words Jesus used is His commission. We are called to make disciples of "nations." This includes not only helping lost persons, but lost cultures, to become changed by the redemptive love of God. If our work in fulfilling the Great Commission does not impact the culture in which we live, then we haven't fulfilled the Great Commission."
And, I really do believe this. I have to. Otherwise it means that only a very small handful of Christians are involved in God's plans for the world - ie, only the pastors, elders, and missionaries are doing the important work of the Great Commission. And this is just bad theology (in my humble opinion). Participating in the work that God has given us to do, doing it to the best of our ability, when done for His glory, is being part of the Great Commission.
So, dear reader, if you are waking up, reading this before you go off to work today - whether at the bank, the school, the hospital, the office, the roads, wherever, be encouraged that if you do these things for God's glory, you are participating in fulfilling the Great Commission.
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