The Great Commission is worldly-known for Christians as the instruction to help non-believers be led to the Lord.
The results of the most known verse from Matthew 28 says “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” has created multiple charities, mission trips, and organizations that work with Christian missionaries. This is to contribute to showing the Lord’s love for the different hopeless and lost nations.
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 28:19-20
What is the Great Commission? The Great Commission is the command from Jesus Christ after His resurrection for His disciples to spread the Gospel to all nations.
The Book of Matthew
In the Bible, The Great Commission is written in the books of Mark, Matthew, Luke. and John. They’re known as the synoptic gospels and are located in the New Testament. Each book has its own perspective on Christ’s death, resurrection, and the Great Commission.
Significance
Mark explains the narrative of Jesus Christ (The Son of God) and His crucifixion and resurrection. The book of Matthew is proving evidently that Jesus Christ is the Messiah to the Jews. For, He is the one and only and He loves his children multiplied by infinity.
Matthew also expresses how Christ was the sacrifice for humanity’s sins. This is crucial for all of Christianity because these books describe how Christ’s love exemplifies redemption.
The importance is the blessing of how much abundant importance it is to teach others that salvation and eternal life is found in the Lord alone. Christ is known as the spotless lamb (back in this era, a believer sheds an animal’s blood and repents for the forgiveness of their sins). Jesus is perfect and spotless. He never sinned and even though He was tempted to disobey His father, He never did. So, when He was mocked, stabbed, and brutally tortured, Christ took responsibility for all of humanity’s sins.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:2
Roles of Missionaries
Missionaries are Christians who build friendships and serve with a passionate, loving, and inspired heart in a cross-cultured environment. A missionary helps make disciples because they show others who the Lord is and what His truth is through teaching Biblical precepts. This is while modeling and guiding others toward living righteously as followers of Christ.
A disciple is also someone who doesn’t fall into the norm of this secular world. They are made to stand out and not be ashamed or afraid when someone calls them out on their faith. When society makes someone try to mold into their expectations, it causes pressure, pain, and a lot of self-doubts. When following the Lord, a disciple authentically stays away from converting into those titles and stands on their two firm feet walking in their path of faith.
…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy: 2:2-3
Here are 3 roles of missionaries:
1. Going
The first command of the plan is to “go” to the nations. It is a command for the church to cross physical, cultural, and spiritual barriers in order to be present with every people group. When a missionary is called to the mission field they are involved in a new language, translation, education from a cross-cultural perspective. They learn to communicate with culturally different people and learn how to have a conversation with them. Not only do these missionaries build relationships, but they also get the opportunity to share their testimony and tell non-believers about the Lord and His truth.
2. Evangelizing
The second command of the plan is, to “baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the crowning moment of the process of evangelism. His command to “baptize” means that humanity is to proclaim the Gospel to the nations. This command of God’s Master Plan explains how the trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) highlights that the three persons of God are all involved in creating disciples for the Great Commission.
3. Teaching
The command is to teach others who are baptized to look at all the other commands from the Lord. These commands include serving, teaching, preaching, fellowship, preparing, and mentoring other disciples. The main ambition for Christians consists of having leaders and mentors who can teach and pour wisdom into other believers and be sent out to proclaim the gospel. Teaching Scripture to other Christians is a huge step to leading a group of people into their faith and to understand the one truth, that the Lord is the only one and loving supernatural God.
How You Can Help
Missionary work is not just from doctrines and church leadership. Missionaries are all followers of Christ. The definition of Missionary work is sending out Christian believers internationally to bring and proclaim the Gospel to the lost nations. So here is the main question, if you are called to missions, how can you help? Where do you get started?
Missions Trips
Missions trips occur internationally but you need to consider what services you are most passionate about before you choose where your destination is. What types of trips are there? Below is a list explaining the different categories and a description of what their services entail.
Method
Missions trips are led by church organizers who have worked with the travelers in a youth group or similar setting for a long enough period of time to prepare for the trip. Fundraisers often furnish much of the budget, but the travelers themselves may be required to pay their own way to the trip’s destination. The group travels together by air or bus to a community in need, usually engaging in manual labor, classroom teaching or health clinic duties once they arrive. Volunteers stay in modest conditions with the locals (usually in neighborhood churches and community centers) so as to immerse themselves in the lives of those they are serving.
Purpose
Church mission trips are motivated by the social justice teachings of Jesus Christ, who preached a gospel of grace and humble service. Those Christians who most heartily embrace the commandment to love their neighbors take an active role in demonstrating that love through volunteer aid for the less fortunate. Poverty, injustice, racism, and lack of opportunity are seen as issues that must be addressed with compassion and the application of the New Testament Gospel. Most mission trips aim to establish lasting ties with the destination communities.
Organizations
There many different charities and organizations that are out there to help proclaim the gospel to other nations. Here a few categories to describe the types of services that some missionaries do to help out a community in need.
Construction
A majority of countries in poverty are in desperate need of construction. This type of mission trip insists on a group of missionaries congregating and creating a project to build that would help out the community they are serving in. This type of mission trip is mainly located in Eastern Europe and Africa.
Mission trips that have construction include building, painting, drilling, digging, etc. It is a lot of manual labor, but it also is a great way to help the mission field that you are on. Digging a well for a country that needs clean water, revamping an old school that is falling apart, or building a type of shelter for a family, are just a few ways that these types of mission trips help save and change lives of others.
Teaching/Child Care
Most of the countries around the world that open their borders to missionaries allow teaching and/or childcare opportunities. These opportunities could be anything from teaching in a school to helping out at an orphanage facility. In some of the schools, you might even have the opportunity to write your own lesson plans. Pouring your time in the younger generation is very important and impactful on a missions field.
Being able to give these kids an education and having the opportunity to share God’s love, could transform their lives. Keep in mind, you will need to learn the basics of their language while teaching. Some people mainly do this type of mission trip from 3-6 months to help build relationships with the students.
Medical
If you are a doctor, nurse, or studying to become either one, then you might want to consider a medical mission trip. These journeys are a great way to gain practical experience, medical skills, and create a difference in someone’s life. These trips take place all over the world including South America, Haiti, and Africa.
When going on a mission field in the necessity for aid, these Christians provide vaccines, medicines, and other medical sources to help a community become more healthy. While spending time on the mission field and building relationships, they also have an opportunity to share the gospel with their patients.
When going on a mission field in the necessity for aid, these Christians provide vaccines, medicines, and other medical sources to help a community become more healthy. While spending time on the mission field and building relationships, they also have an opportunity to share the gospel with their patients.
Conservation
South and Central America have been recognizing the significance of beaches, rain forests, and mountain areas. New national parks and conservation acts have allowed these countries to open their doors to volunteers. If you enjoy ecotourism, nature, and conservation, then you might consider traveling to Central or South America to help save the planet.
These missionaries travel across the world to help plant trees, animals, etc. If you have the heart for saving, cleaning and loving the planet and everything alive in it, then conservation missions are for you!
These are just a few pointers on how you can help. If you are interested in reading more about missionary work, read our blog on What is Missionary Work & What Do Missionaries Do?
The Master Plan
Why is missions important and what is so important about Jesus telling His disciples to share the gospel?
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
What Is God’s Main Goal?
In the book of Matthew, the Bible clearly states that once the Good News has been proclaimed throughout the whole world, that is when He will return and bring his believers to Heaven with Him.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
The Meaning of God’s Master Plan
God wants to fill the earth with His character. In other words, it is God’s plan to fill the earth with characteristics such as love, faithfulness, and grace as the waters cover the sea. The Lord’s master plan is to reveal His character and glory through all of humanity.
The meaning of his main ambitious accomplishment is humanity living in harmony, unity, and love of other people and for all humans to be submissive to His authority and obey what He says to do.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk 2:14
God’s Master Plan in 7 Steps
Throughout the Bible, seven has always been a significant number. The Lord created the universe in seven days, and the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. Seven is a significant number to the Lord in the Old and New Testament and is the number of completion or perfection. During the Old and New Testament, God’s plan has always involved seven festivals. Here are the comparison and contrasts of the old testament turning into the new, after Christ became the new covenant.
Old Testament Steps
- Passover
- Days of Unleavened Bread
- Pentecost
- Feast of Trumpets
- Day of Atonement
- Feast of Tabernacles
- Last Great Day
Before Christ died for all of humanity’s sins, they had to live by the old covenant. During this time, Christians had to sacrifice a goat to repent to the Lord for their sins and be forgiven that way. Before Christ’s atonement on the cross for our sins, God had them do many different types of Christian practices for His forgiveness.
New Testament Steps
- Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection
- Christians duty to repent their sins
- Followers of Christ receiving the Holy Spirit
- The time of war and plagues with Jesus’s second coming.
- Satan at the beginning of the Millennium (and the world becoming one with God)
- The Millennium- Earth being ruled by Christ
- White Throne Judgment- For others to hear the truth of God and accept salvation.
After Christ rose from the dead, He became the mediator between humanity and the Father. Jesus is the reason that we today do not have to do the more traditional practices that believers had to do before Him. Instead of sacrificing an animal, Christians today don’t have to sacrifice because of Christ’s sacrifice for us.
God’s Master Plan For Today
Here is the guide to give you the seven steps for the modern-day. These explain how both covenants, from two different time eras, have created this list below.
- Mentioning sacrifice
- Repenting for their sins
- The importance of the Holy Spirit
- Celebration of Christ coming back
- God is more powerful than Satan
- Jesus is the superior of all else
- Others accepting the ‘feast,’ their faith and salvation
As you see, the ultimate goal and master plan of the Lord is for every individual human being to know about His love and accept His salvation. His desire is to not see His children live in oppression, and He wants to liberate them from their sins and wrong-doings.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
He loves each and every one of us as His children, and like the loving Father that He is, He longs to protect us. The Great Commission is the mission to fulfill His plan so all hear of His Good News. It is to spread and proclaim the Gospel to all nations and show them that the Lord is the one and only truth.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21