This week’s Pastor’s pen gives an overview of what is involved in “fulfilling the Great Commission.”

Our ultimate purpose or goal (why we do something) is the glory of God. All goals work toward the fulfillment of glorifying God—that must rule everything we do. We glorify God as we compassionately, sacrificially, and faithfully obey Christ’s commands.

We obey Christ’s commands because he has universal authority. Because Jesus has this authority we have no right to change, modify, ignore, or do something different than what he commands. Also, we need Jesus’ universal authority because we are in a spiritual conflict, wrestling with Satan who hinders the work of the gospel, striving to deliver souls from his dark kingdom, and lacking any authority of our own to do this.

The specific activity of the Great Commission is to make disciples. A disciple is one who believes Christ, obeys Christ, and bears fruit for Christ. We make disciples by bringing sinners face-to-face with the gospel message, calling for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, baptizing and adding believers to the church, and teaching believers to obey the Christian faith in the context of a local church. We must make disciples where we live and to the ends of the earth.

The Great Commission is ultimately fulfilled when churches are existing, equipping, exercising, and extending. Thus, the goal of the Great Commission is not merely to see people saved, but churches that are growing and reproducing.

We can and must faithfully fulfill Christ’s command until he returns, and regardless of the circumstances we have the promise of Christ’s presence with us. He will never leave nor forsake us, no matter how difficult it gets. As we strive to make followers of Christ from followers of Satan, we can persevere in the conflict because of Christ’s presence. Furthermore, we must resist the temptation to modify our mission for whatever reason, as such will not glorify God and forgets Christ’s continued presence.

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