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Why Should You Make the Great Commission Personal? Part 1 of 2
- June 24, 2023
- Posted by: Marcel Sanchez
- Category: Building Teams and Developing Leaders Spiritual Life
As a follower of Jesus, what does it mean for you to make The Great Commission personal?
Is there a way for you to integrate your faith into your work or should you keep them separate from one another?
Should business professionals learn how to share their faith in Christ in creative ways that honor God and serve others or remain totally silent about their faith as they work?
Continuing where we left off from our last article, today I would like to give you three points to consider as you seek to live out your faith in today’s marketplace.
1. Witness: Tell everyone everywhere about Jesus
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
As a reminder, The Great Commission is God’s strategy and plan to reach people for Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
In Christ, you are His witness. What believers fear the most is often what we seek to avoid. Witnessing for Christ is no exception. The fear of “What will they ask?” or “How will they respond?” keeps many followers of Christ in a silent chair. A witness is one who gives their personal testimony in the presence of others. They don’t have to dress weird, raise their voice, or act a certain way. All they have to do is tell people what they heard, what they observed, and how they felt in the process.
Making The Great Commission Personal means that you personally get involved in the process of being a witness for Jesus Christ at your place of work, with people you meet on the road, those in your community, and with your family and friends.
As witnesses of Christ, you have a story of redemption to share. This is the only story of God’s power for the salvation of all peoples (Romans 1:16-17). This is no ordinary story. You need to share this story both locally and globally.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17, NKJV)
You’re responsible to reach your community, but you’re also responsible to reach your world with the message of the cross.
You have a responsibility both online and offline to tell others about Jesus (Acts 10:42). You’re not alone in this task.
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42, NIV)
The Holy Spirit is with you. He empowers you as you speak about Jesus to others (Acts 1:8).
You can help people find answers to common questions.
How can I know God?
How do I pray to God?
How can I be more generous with God?
How can I start a relationship with Jesus Christ?
How can I grow in my Christian faith?
How can I make spiritual progress?
How can I serve people like Jesus?
How can I serve my local church family with my gifts, talents, and experiences?
How can I impact my community for Christ?
What would Jesus do in this situation?
What are the basics of the Christian faith?
How can my marriage follow God’s Word?
How can I teach my children about the Bible?
Today, who in your circle of influence at work needs to hear you speak about what Jesus did for them?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
You are called to obey the Great Commission as you practice the Great Commandment.
2. Make Disciples: Equip followers of Christ to train others
Going on mission with God involves training believers locally and globally to reproduce the life of Jesus in others. It’s the idea of training believers to maturity in Christ who can train more believers to maturity in Christ. At it’s core, it’s life-on-life training; it’s relational discipleship. Jesus trained his disciples in the context of relational discipleship. This is how you and I can maximize our time in equipping others to mature in their faith.
The disciples followed Jesus everywhere. He personally taught them how to win people to faith in Christ and make disciples along their travels (Matthew 4:19). Consider the following questions carefully.
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19, NASB)
Who are the three most obvious people for you to train in their spiritual walk with Christ?
Type the name of three people in the notes section of your phone. Start praying for them today.
What would be the ideal Bible study or materials to use for each person listed?
Who else could you help grow to maturity in Christ?
Finally, how can you begin to prepare those you’ve already trained to start equipping others to grow in their faith?
This is the heart of spiritual multiplication. It’s not reserved for professional religious leaders alone, it is the way God intended every follower of Christ to live. You and I and every believer is responsible for equipping yourself and equipping others to maturity in Christ.
And here’s the best part. God wants to use every personal experience you’ve gained, every sin you’ve struggled to conquer, and every challenge you’ve faced to encourage others to mature in their Christian faith.
You can be you in this process. You won’t be perfect at it, but you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be yourself and continue to grow in your love for Christ and obedience to His Word.
The key is to start with one person and pour everything you have and all that you’ve learned into your training process. Be fully present and engaged. Be honest about your struggles and spiritually challenges. Be real about your character failures and temptations.
And as you continue to invest your life in helping others grow in their faith, you will grow your faith in the process.
3. Baptize: Help people publicly identify with Jesus and His church
What we believe about ourselves has enormous implications for our lives. When people believe something about themselves that is not true, they live in deception. When we believe lies, what we feel becomes a distorted view of reality.
As equippers, we have to help people learn the truth about God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Gospel, and so much more. But let’s not forget one important point. We have to help people practice and obey what they’re learning.
In Christ, you are an equipper.
In Matthew 28:18-20, when Jesus said, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” he was referring to obedience through identification with Christ and his church. Believers are members of one body in Christ (Romans 12:4-8).
We identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ through water baptism. We identify with his body, the church, as we unite to a local church as an active member. The local church is where we discover and use our spiritual gifts. It’s where we mature through healthy spiritual relationships.
So part of fulfilling the Great Commission involves helping people identify with Christ’s church through obedience by leading them to water baptism, joining the local church, building healthy spiritual relationships, discovering their gifts, and serving the local church with their gifts, talents, and skills.
The Holy Spirit is the one that does the work in the hearts of those that you equip and train. Your job is to continue modeling what it looks like to love God, love others, and follow God’s Word.
When you make the Great Commission personal, God can do great things through your life in extraordinary ways, far beyond what you can imagine.
Are you looking for resources to grow spiritually, relationally, and professionally?
My goal is to help you grow in the areas that matter most in life. If you would like to explore some of my print resources, you can find all of my recent books at my Amazon Author Page. You can click on the following link for more information: Click Here to Visit My Amazon Author Webpage
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