fulfilling the great commission - final paper

Fulfilling the Great Commission 1

Fulfilling the Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

Romy Nos

Ohio Christian University

Ministry Capstone - MA6801

Professor L. Olson

March 21, 2013


Personal Credo

Simply stated, I believe that the primary purpose of our lives as Christians is to know

Christ and to make Him known. I believe that knowing Him involves more than just an

intellectual assent of the Lordship of Christ which even the demons affirm, but instead involves a

belief in who He is as revealed in the Holy Scriptures which includes, of utmost importance, a

full trust in Him alone for our Salvation through His finished and complete atonement work on

the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. It is through this avenue of faith that I understand that

it’s by His grace we are saved, a free gift, not based on any of our works lest anyone should

boast and that in this walk of faith and trust, we realize we are His and created for good works on

this earth (based off Ephesians 2:8-10).

In light of this understanding, I interpret this to mean that our good works are the “fruit”

(or results) and not the “root” (or source and reason) of our salvation and reveals a key purpose

for life as intended by our Creator. I believe that it is by abiding in Christ through obedience to

Him, that we grow towards maturity and “perfection” (or completion for His purposes) and are

conformed to His Image.

In first knowing God and trusting in His Plan for Salvation, as stewards of His manifold

grace to us, I then believe we are called to make Him known through obedience to The Great

Commission where Jesus spoke to His disciples: “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, teaching

them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19).


Philosophy of Ministry

In formulating my Philosophy of Ministry, I will state that it is based off my Christian

worldview and personal credo that the primary purpose of our lives as Christians is to know

Christ and to make Him known. Along with my personal credo, my Philosophy of Ministry

draws particular inspiration from Christ’s Great Commission given to His disciples in Matthew

28:19 regarding the task of making disciples.

It is in obedience to the fulfillment of the Great Commission as believers in Jesus Christ

in our everyday lives that I believe to be our primary effort, indeed purpose as good stewards of

His manifold grace and our “reasonable service” that comes out of our relationship with Christ

through the power and persuasion of the Indwelt Holy Spirit. In agreement with Dr. Joe Brown,

Professor at Ohio Christian University, I believe that too often the emphasis of well-meaning

Churches and missionaries on the Great Commission passage is on the word “Go,” which entails

leaving the comforts of home and familiarity to pursue an outside or foreign mission field. As

noble and selfless as this seems, I don’t believe this emphasis takes precedence over the words

“make disciples.”

This I believe is in line with the latter verse of Acts 1:8 where Jesus exhorts the believers:

“…you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of

the earth.” We are called to make disciples wherever we are, in our “going” to the ends of the

earth, and in our staying to minister domestically in our local “Jerusalems” and neighboring

“Judeas” and “Samarias.” The “all nations” portion of the Great Commission passage ensures

that the Gospel is to be preached to everyone, and that no ethnicity ought to be a barrier in


revealing God’s love for them as candidates of His free gift of Salvation and call to maturity

through discipleship.

I believe that Christ’s Commission to make disciples encompasses three main pursuits for

the Christian that are done in a myriad of ways through the gifting and leading of the Holy Spirit.

It is to Win, Build and Send. I believe that upon salvation, each of us become members of the

Body of Christ which encompasses the Church and that we become a kingdom of priests (1 Peter

2:9-10) commissioned to represent and live for Him through the power of the Holy Spirit that

indwells us. Each one of us as believers are in addition, gifted by the Holy Spirit to fulfill a

particular and necessary function for the overall edification and expansion of the Body of Christ:

the Church in the world.

In accordance to the passage of 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, I believe we each will be rewarded

appropriately for the work we’ve done to build upon the “buildings” (other believers) through the

process of making disciples which include the use of the gifts: prophecy, teaching, exhortation,

giving, leadership, mercy/compassion, intercession, hospitality, helps/service, and anything else

done in the name/authority of Jesus Christ for the benefit of others. It is through these, that our

obedience to the Commission of making disciples through our submission to Christ and the

power of the Holy Spirit, that enables us to participate in the glorious work of winning people to

Christ, building them up into the knowledge and maturity of Him, and sending them

(commissioning them) out to do the same - impacting others for eternity through and for Christ.


Ministry Project

As believers commissioned through the authority of Jesus Christ to therefore go and

make disciples as it is stated in the Matthew 28:18-19 passage, one of the primary challenges

facing church congregations big and small, as well as ministry and missionary organizations

supported by those who value reaching others for Christ is how to effectively fulfill the Great

Commission. In acknowledging that this problem may be larger than what the scope of this paper

and ministry project can seek to resolve, our focus will be narrowed towards specific examples

and methods revealed through Scripture, as well as practical applications with attempts to

measure future progress by defining successful discipleship as what it means for one to reach “a

unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the

stature of the fullness of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:13).

In his daily In Touch Ministries devotional, Dr. Charles Stanley (2009) describes what a

“whole person” looks like in his teaching entitled The Fullness of God in You:

A "whole person" is generally satisfied with life. He feels loved and is able to love others in return. Difficulties and hardships don't devastate him, because he is able to go through them with confidence in God. He isn't a complainer or someone who is quick to blame others. A positive attitude guards his mind since he knows that the Lord will work everything out for good (3-13-13).

Though this description is somewhat helpful in clarifying further some character aspects of what

a mature believer who has progressed in his discipleship looks like, determining how fulfilling

the Great Commission of making disciples to reach this stage in their maturity is the task at hand.

A key principle towards fulfilling the purposes of Christ, which of course includes the

Great Commission, is for believers to realize they are gifted and empowered to provide a unique


and necessary edifying service to others by determining and fulfilling their specific roles within

the Body of Christ which is the Church. In his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes:

For as we have many members in one body but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:4-8).

This same theme is echoed by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 with regards to the roles designed to:

Equip the saints for the work of ministry, edify the body of Christ which are other believers, and

bring them into the maturity, indeed “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” which

results in their achieving spiritual discernment so as not to be “tossed to and fro and carried

about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men” and doing their share of the work of

edification which causes growth in Christ.

In his article entitled Discipleship and Spirituality from a Christian Perspective, Thomas

Frederick (2008) notes some common elements across Christian spiritual traditions with regards

to discipleship. These include an action orientation where Christian beliefs are practiced in one’s

daily, common existence; a call to discipleship where individual Christians are expected to

follow Christ’s example of ministry; and to experience life together within Christian

Community. He further observes that “In this sense, spirituality from a Christian perspective is

intimately connected with discipleship” and that “Discipleship, from a Christian perspective, is

concerned with living an authentic Christian existence” (p.556).

With regards to the sharing of the Gospel aspect of “making disciples” which is how

often times Evangelical believers interpret the primary focus of the Great Commission: seeing

unbelievers saved/converted; it is quite rare, particularly in our western cultural context, that I


believe we pursue a genuinely pioneering effort with regards to sharing the Gospel with someone

who either hasn’t heard of Jesus Christ or at least the claims of Christianity however misplaced

or misinterpreted from others. Often times we are building upon what others have already

started from before whether that’s from family, friends, prior church interactions, or even

through media outlets such as radio, television and the internet. In these moments, as we are

sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, we can further point them to the truth and lead them in their next

step of their faith journey wherever they are on that spectrum whether that be warming up to the

idea that there even is a God and that He loves them, or by encouraging a wayward believer

towards a renewed obedience to Christ’s commands, or even to being the final mouth piece in

the “faith comes through hearing, and that by the Word of God” principle leading someone into a

saving relationship with Christ!

Truly fulfilling the Great Commission of making disciples mustn’t be satisfied to just

stop at bringing someone to saving faith in spite of the extreme high priority this gets, on the list

of most important ministry activities one can be participating in, through the eyes of many

evangelicals. In fact, as the Scriptures attests in Hebrews 5:12-6:3 regarding the peril of not

progressing in the faith and being content with staying “immature Christians,” having a genuine

faith in Christ for salvation marks the beginning of one’s spiritual journey which is the “Chief

Cornerstone” of our belief, but it is important to develop through active obedience to “all things

Christ has commanded” which is critical to a believer’s growth into the fullness of Christ.

The Apostle Paul, in combating an exalted view of our ability to save souls by our own

efforts and personal prowess, clarifies this misguided “carnal” view by speaking on his humble

awareness of roles within this task of discipleship through an agrarian analogy of planting and

watering:


Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).

It is however, important to note that Paul doesn’t dismiss the value of our obedience and

cooperation with the Holy Spirit towards discipleship efforts in ourselves or others by his follow

up building analogy passage on the need to exercise wisdom regarding how we are to “build

upon” the foundational faith in Christ through activities and discipleship efforts that have lasting

value, which are indeed rewarded accordingly. No effort done for and through Christ is futile.

Charles Stanley (2009) comments on this very principle in his commentary on the

passage found in John 4:34-38 of sowing and reaping:

We also have the opportunity and privilege--every single day--of sowing seeds into the lives of others, such as our friends, co-workers, children, grandchildren, or even strangers. God takes what you plant and adds to it. He leads others to sow further seed or "water" the ground. Little by little, truth gets cultivated in their lives. God sees all the little things you do; He's interested in more than just "big" things. The fruit of His Spirit--such as kindness, patience, and self-control--often manifests itself in quiet ways that others may never give you credit for. But such spiritual seeds accomplish powerful work in His kingdom (3-1-13).

Succinctly stated, as we as believers do our part in obedience to the Great Commission, we can

then leave the results to God and trust that He will do His part in fostering kingdom growth both

in our lives and others through this discipleship process.

In his article entitled Discipleship Training of Children and Youth, author Dean

Hunneshagen (2002) asserts that Discipleship involves four “turnings.” They consist of 1)

turning to Christ; 2) turning to the Christian message and ethic; 3) turning to a Christian

congregation; and 4) turning to the world in love and mission (p. 191). He further asserts that:

Mature discipleship does not emerge until all four “turnings” have occurred. The turnings, however may take place in any order. It is through the agency of the church, in particular the local congregation, that these turnings are elicited. That they begin in childhood and the teen


years is of vital importance. That they be nurtured and sustained for a lifetime is the goal (p.192).

As systematic and process oriented as this may seem, Hunneshagen would be quick to

acknowledge that though churches can provide the environment and foundation blocks for

equipping disciples to make wise and faithful choices, while setting the stage for the “turnings”

to occur that lead to mature discipleship; they cannot make the turnings happen. In agreement

with Paul’s assessment of his role along with Apollos’s as workers, only God working within

and through the disciple-in-training, can accomplish this type of “growth.”

One simple 3 word model used by Great Commission Ministries, the church/ministry

organization that I am a member of, towards fulfilling the Great Commission is: “Win, Build,

Send.” In this discipleship model, people are “won” to Christ through some type of evangelistic

avenue whether that through preaching, teaching, relational outreach, service, bible studies, and

various other methods. Once someone is “saved” they are encouraged to make public profession

of their faith through baptism as an act of obedience to Christ and are then “built” by learning to

obey Christ’s teachings through church attendance and involvement, small groups, accountability

groups, mentoring, teaching, encouragement to determine and serve through their spiritual

gifting, as well as other avenues. Lastly, one is then commissioned and “sent” out to their

families, communities, work places, and even to the remotest parts of the world to minister to

influence and reach others for Christ. As we’ll see in some Scriptural examples, this same model

is executed over a great length of time or transpired quite rapidly and in some cases through

immediate succession.

In the “Win” aspect of this model, we see the critical role of preaching as an essential

means in spreading the Gospel from this excerpt passage in Romans:


How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? ... So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:14-17).

Thankfully, for many who’ve heard the call to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, the preaching

of the Gospel of Salvation wasn’t limited to the confines of a church building. Indeed, many

would have never bothered even stepping a foot in a church had it not been for faithful believers

filled with the Lord’s passion to seek and save the lost and took seriously Christ’s Great

Commission to go and make disciples.

In his book entitled Just Walk Across the Room, Pastor Bill Hybels (2006) attempts to

encourage believers to get over their fears and aversion to evangelism through simple steps to

point people to faith. In recounting a story where he realized a renewed passion to pursue people

for Christ, he writes on what was shared with him by one of his professors at seminary:

“True followers of Christ who really get it right,” he said, “give themselves to people. Most importantly, they give themselves to pointing people to faith in Christ. That is the highest and best use of a human life – to have it serve as a signpost that points people toward God. If you really believe in the redeeming and transforming power of God’s presence in a person’s life, then the single greatest gift you can give someone is an explanation of how to be rightly connected to him” (p. 29).

In seeking to reach as many as possible for Christ, the Apostle Paul shares of his evangelism

strategy in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 which states, “…I have made myself a servant to all, that I

might win the more….. to the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to

all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” In light of Paul’s approach, Hybels

suggests we watch for ways to build bridges instead of walls by practicing commonality (p.86).

As we develop friendships with others by taking a genuine interest in them, we discover their

passions and their stories, and through surrendering our own agendas to Christ, we discern

appropriate next steps with the people that God allows for us to come across.


One of the great Scriptural portraits of this principle is seen in Jesus ignoring social

customs and barriers to interact with a Samaritan woman at a well. In expressing genuine care

for her then revealing to the woman her real need for Living Water found only in Christ, he had

so greatly impacted her that this verse depicted the immediate fruit of her testimony: And many

of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified,

“He told me all that I ever did” (John 4:39).

Moving forth to the “Build” aspect of this discipleship model, it is important to remember

Paul’s admonishment that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1) and to be

on guard against the subtle pride that can creep into our lives as believers who receive

encouragement, training and experience that those outside the faith and even within, may not

have partaken in. In light of this admonition it is encouraging to note that if this “Build” aspect

of discipleship is truly Spirit led and driven, then the other two models: “Win” and “Send” will

almost certainly occur as believers, compelled by the love of Christ in their learning to obey and

experience the power of the Gospel in their lives, long to share this same divine agape love with

others and are glad to serve in their gifting, roles and functions to be sent to reach a world in

desperate need of a Savior. If in our “building” in discipleship we find ourselves getting “puffed

up” like the Pharisees of Christ’s day, hating evil but not willing to “win” and send or be sent to

reach others for Christ, then we do well to heed Christ’s warnings to the Church of Ephesus:

“Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:4-5).

In speaking on discipleship as a real participation in Christ, Professor Kent Brower

(2007) of Nazarene Theological College in his journal article entitled: ‘We are able’: Cross-


bearing Discipleship and the Way of the Lord in Mark; writes: “For Paul the crucial point is his

full identification with Christ and his participation in Christ. In that context, Paul believes that

his life and ministry are indeed directed towards active and full participation in God’s big

redemptive project” (p.198).

This discipleship building concept of active and full participation in God’s big

redemptive project concept is well reflected in the story of the early church growth at Antioch. I

would personally consider this model to be one of the purest prototypes of effective church

discipleship and Spirit led growth that is represented in the Scriptures. In Acts 11:19-30, we see

each role and gifting in the Body of Christ fully utilized to maximum effect. We see the “win”

principle in the preaching by the persecuted Jews to the Hellenists which then results in a large

number of them saved. Once news of these new believers reached the church in Jerusalem, they

“sent” out Barnabas to encourage them in their faith and the result was that many more people

were saved. Then Barnabas realized there was a good thing going there at Antioch and sought

out Paul to come in and “build” into their lives for a full year by teaching the disciples further.

Within this time frame, prophets came and gave the young church a vision of a great need that

would affect believers in Judea. This model then ends on this note: “Then the disciples, each

according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they

also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul”(Acts 11:29-30).

This model provides us with a Scriptural depiction of what a Church Body of believers

looks like towards becoming “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” It culminates

in the subsequent passage in Ephesians: “but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all

things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together


by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its

share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).

I’ve come to realize that “building” in discipleship is not only a life-long process for the

believer but is often tailored differently towards believers as they pass through various “seasons”

or life stations in their walks with Christ. That is to say, there is no “one size fits all”

discipleship model, though certain discipleship strategies are more effective towards people in

certain life station than others. For example, Paul preaches on principles of marriage, and the

differences of responsibilities of the married and unmarried. The “rules” change, so to speak,

with regards to what it means to be faithful in your calling. What is a faithful stewardship of

discipleship for a youth is a lot different than what it is for an adult. And what is a faithful

stewardship for a young married couple looks a lot different than what is considered faithful to

God’s calling as a married couple with kids. A good mentor who has experienced the various

life stations while glorifying God in each of them is an invaluable asset to believers in transition

while providing the mentor an opportunity and blessing to “build” into the life of a disciple.

In her article: Marriage as Discipleship, Professor Jane Strohl (2008) of Pacific Lutheran

Theological Seminary comments on Luther’s view of the discipleship challenges within the life

station of marriage:

Luther is very frank about the hard work of being married. There is no getting around the tedium of household life and the burdens of the family, or the exhausting challenge of balancing these responsibilities with those we carry in the world outside the home. But here lies true discipleship, which, like love, is not always flashy. There is something comforting and ennobling in this view that encourages those experiencing dark times in their marriages to hold on. Of course, there are no guarantees, but for Luther there is abundant hope as long as they remember what the forgiveness of sins is all about (p.141).


We will briefly assess the “Send” aspect of our initial Discipleship model by providing a

few examples from the Scriptures. What we mean by “send” is that we as a church body

commission/authorize believers thus entrusting them to take the Gospel to others in much the

same way we as believers are commissioned by the authority of Christ to go and make disciples

of all nations. The Apostles in the Scriptures played a unique and specific role in establishing

the early church. The term which literally meant “sent ones” was designated to Jesus’s disciples

who received their commission to reach specific people groups as well as having an understood

authority as given directly by Christ having been with Him along with Paul who was

commissioned uniquely on the Damascus road apart from the Disciples. When we as a church

commission believers for specific outreach ministerial efforts, we express that we support and

empower them and believe they meet the qualifications for the task at hand as prayerfully

discerned by the Spirit. This theme is well reflected in the church “sending” of Paul and

Barnabas in this account in Acts: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit

said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then

having laid hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:2-3).

In the Gospel account of Luke, Jesus “commissions” the former demoniac: “Return to

your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and

proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him (Luke 8:39).

In the book of Acts in response to Ananias’s initial concern of Saul’s “credentials,” the Lord

responds, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings and the

children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). A few chapters later in Acts, we see that Saul (now the Apostle

Paul) begins his commission to the Gentiles in response to the rejection by the Jews which was

his first commission through this statement, “It was necessary that the word of God should be


spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,

behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).

As we see from these examples, the time frame after being “won” in Christ, and then

“built” in doctrine before being “sent” can be extensive as we know in Paul’s preparation period

prior to his commissioning, or it can be quick, as in the demoniac being sent to reach his own

people right after being delivered himself by Christ. As Scripture admonishes us to not be “hasty

in laying of hands” with regards to distributing leadership roles and even “commissioning”

believers for certain tasks, it is wise to prayerfully discern whether one has the character and

competency to fulfill a role responsibly after much deliberation and training, but in some cases,

to be led to encourage them right away in sending them to share the Gospel to their family and

friends, which any new or veteran believer with a testimony of Christ is qualified to do!

Conclusion

The vision and plan that I have currently is to fulfill my role in God’s Grand Redemptive

Story and to continually seek to know Him and make Him known through obedience of the Great

Commission. In understanding that I have a plan and vision from the Lord and that He

determines my steps frees me from agonizing over the details of how to exactly accomplish this

as a faithful steward in my continually transitioning life stations. Like Paul altering his ministry

outreach towards the Gentiles after the rejection by the Jews, I want to stay flexible, and open to

changes in my plans and whatever steps He leads me to take to fulfill His objectives. I don’t

want to be too rigid in my sticking to a path that I miss out on open doors of opportunities for

personal growth and outreach for the Lord.


Serving as a recruiter at Ohio Christian University and then being persuaded to pursue a

Master in Ministry program 2 years ago were definitely paths that I had not planned on going on

initially but have definitely been steps ordained by the Lord in which I have been so richly

blessed having experienced it. And not just me, but the hundreds of adult learners that I’ve been

blessed to recruit to be disciples, indeed learner followers of Christ in our undergraduate

programs, along with others that I’ve taught and counseled who have benefited from the

education I’ve been given through this program.

As of now, my heart’s passion and desire is to focus particularly on building into others,

indeed making disciples through counseling, encouragement and teaching which I believe are my

primary gifts. As much as I enjoyed and benefited from expanding my biblical knowledge of the

New and Old Testament and the history of our theology through the ages and the early church

fathers and Wesleyan theology, I feel that the counseling courses really helped me in

supplementing and refining my counseling passion and technique in ways that provided an even

greater blessing to those I ministered to and even helped me deal and wrestle through my own

personal struggles I was going through at the time. This refinement through the “baptism” of my

Master’s program education has allowed me to live out: “be diligent to present yourself

approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”

(2 Timothy 2:15).

What a measurable element of success looks like to me in my role as a counselor and

teacher at this point is by building into lives towards fitting the description: “becoming the

measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” I will know this is being accomplished as I see

my efforts multiplied in that those I pour into are then living out the motto: “Win, Build, Send.”


References

Brower, K. (2007). 'We are able': Cross-bearing Discipleship and the Way of the Lord in Mark. Horizons in Biblical Theology, 177-201.

Frederick, T. V. (2008). Discipleship and Spirituality from a Christian Perspective. Pastoral Psychology, 553-560.

Hunneshagen, D. (2002). Discipleship Training of Children and Youth. A Journal of Theology, 190-196.

Hybels, B. (2006). Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Stanley, C. (2009, March 1). Sowing Spiritual Seeds. In Touch Ministries.

Stanley, C. (2009, March 13). The Fullness of God in You. In Touch Ministries.

Strohl, J. (2008). Marriage as Discipleship: Luther's Praise of Married Life. A Journal of Theology, 136-142.

fulfilling the great commission - final paper

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