RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-10-21	Is The Great Commission For Every Christian?
		Mat 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mar 16:15  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Jesus gave us the Great Commission. In it came the command for all peoples of the earth to be reached with the good news. Who was Jesus speaking to? Was the Great Commission given only to the original apostles, Or to the church at large, or to individual believers? What would it mean if the Great Commission was specifically for the church at large? This becomes circular reasoning because the same question can be asked of individual Christians. That is, which individuals within the church at large will reach out to the lost? The church at large is made up of individuals. Does this mean going directly or supporting the cause through others going? There is nothing practical in believing the Great Commission is given to the church at large. On the flip side should we take this as a personal commission from Jesus given to every individual believer? If we say “Yes” then we have to ask does Jesus mean every single believer should be a missionary to the nations? Clearly the answer from the Bible is no. In Romans 15:24 Paul is recruiting people from Rome not to go with him to Spain, but to support him as he goes. Rom 15:24  whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. Paul knows those he is writing to in Rome have jobs and a network of relationships. He is not calling them to leave. So it is clear that God does not expect every individual believer to become a foreign missionary. Peter instructs all believers to declare the praises of Christ in your network of relationships (1Pe.2:9). 1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; The New Testament does not teach that every believer should be a cross-cultural missionary of Christ. The words of Jesus, “Go make disciples of all nations” are addressed to the 11 apostles (Mt.28:16). But the clue that Jesus intends the command to not be only for the 11 is that the support for the command is the promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” So the task will last, Christ will be with us, till the end of the age. And the 11 certainly have died off a long time ago. Every generation of believers have to ask, “Who picks up the mantle in the following centuries?” It is not enough to say every individual believer or the church at large. This is not enough, because neither helps decide who is going to do it. Who is going to go risking their lives to reach the lost? Every individual does not do it, and the church at large does not do it. Specific believers do it. Hopefully they will be supported by other individuals and by local churches. It is individual believers who take the gospel of Christ to cross cultures around the world. Where do these individual believers come from? Who are they? Joh 10:15  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Jesus shed His blood for the sheep to gather other folds besides this Jewish fold. They are scattered abroad (Jn.11:52). They are to be gathered in. Jesus said they will listen to My voice. How will they listen to His voice? They will hear His voice through human voices that make known the truth of Jesus. Jesus prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (Jn.17:20) Wherever the word of the apostles is echoed through the mouths of believers of Jesus people come to faith. So the question remains, “How will the peoples of the world be reached?” It will be by means of believers opening their mouths and telling the good news. Who are these cross-cultural emissaries? God appoints from among His children those He calls His frontier emissaries. The Great Commission is to be loved and supported by all who loves what Jesus loves. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

23304 E Wellesley Ave. Otis Orchards, WA 99027 Church Office: 509.926.9552 Church Cell: 509.342.9145 Pastor Cell: 509.828.8843 tomelseroad@gmail.com