discipleship
The Greatest Teaching In The Bible
What is the greatest teaching in the Bible? If I had to boil it all down to a single principle, what would it be?
Some say The Great Commission means to preach the gospel and get people saved. But is that the whole picture? What is the Great Commission?
What Is The Great Commission, and What Does It Mean To Us Today?
Introduction
“The Great Commission” is a term that gets used a lot in Christian circles. I would guess that most practicing Christians have a general understanding that it refers to Jesus’s command to spread His message across the world, or “get people saved”…but is that the whole picture? What is the Great Commission, really?
The Great Commission explained
The texts in Scripture that we called “The Great Commission” are found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24. In these passages we find Jesus emboldening and assigning His disciples with purpose, vision, and zeal. Those that heard these words with their own ears had witnessed miracles; physical, mental, and spiritual. They watched as broken hearts were mended and worried minds set at ease. They experienced the Kingdom. The Kingdom was Jesus’s main talking point. Bringing Heaven to Earth. Creating pockets of paradise in the midst of this broken world.
Preaching “the gospel” means preaching the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Often we misunderstand it to mean simply getting people to accept Jesus as savior, but it’s so much more than that. The Great Commission is the lifelong calling to create space for Heaven on Earth wherever you go.
In Heaven, the King is on the throne. Part of the Great Commission is inviting people to place Jesus on the throne of their hearts.
In Heaven, the King is Lord of all. Part of the Great Commission is instructing people to lay their lives at Jesus’ feet, allowing Him to be supreme.
In Heaven, there is no disunity. Part of the Great Commission is demonstrating Christlike humility, forgiveness, and patience.
In Heaven, no darkness dwells. Part of the Great Commission is exposing and extinguishing the works of evil.
In Heaven, mercy and justice mingle in perfect balance together. Part of the Great Commission is expressing compassion and making things right.
The Great Commission is not only about the conversion of souls. It is also the formation of a new life, built upon new values, goals, and loyalties. To make a disciple is to introduce someone to the King and also His Kingdom.
This is why I am a missionary. Yes, eternity is real, and the soul’s eternal destination is an important conversation to have. But when we correctly understand what Jesus meant by “the Kingdom”, we quickly see that eternity was not His primary concern. Being a part of Youth With A Mission gives me a platform to make disciples of the King and His Kingdom on this side of eternity.
What does the Great Commission mean to us today?
As a believer living in today’s society, the Great Commission means the same thing it always has. Of course, we need to translate the gospel of the Kingdom into language that our modern audience can understand and relate to…but the objective hasn’t changed. Introduce people to Jesus, walk them into His Kingdom, and teach them to live in the ways, principles, and values of Heaven.
How YWAM takes part in the Great Commission
YWAM’s core value is to Know God and Make Him Known. As a result, every YWAM course and YWAM school is centered around the Great Commission. If you come to a YWAM Discipleship Training School, you will be given time to KNOW GOD and the tools to MAKE GOD KNOWN. These are the building blocks of living a life on a mission! A YWAM DTS is an ideal place to begin to uncover your role in fulfilling the Great Commission. And the only YWAM DTS requirements are a high school diploma and a heart that is ready to say “HERE AM I, SEND ME!”
Conclusion
The truth is every Christian is called to be a missionary. Not everyone is meant to go to distant nations and learn different languages…most are called to be missionaries in their own towns, in their schools and in jobs. Remember, fulfilling the Great Commission looks like making space for Heaven to invade Earth. You can do that everywhere you go! But if you want more, if you’re thirsty to see the nations transformed, and you’re ready to go wherever Jesus would send you… do a DTS with YWAM Asheville!