The great commission? What does it mean to you?

I was reading an article by Francis Chan talking about the Church yesterday and it was quite profound. It was suggesting that many Christians treat Church like a social club on the weekends, go to Church to be entertained and listen to a good speaker. But in the real world Monday to Saturday or Sunday they don't make much of a difference in bringing Jesus Christ to people.

He was suggesting that Church has become part of the consumer age and isn't really tilted towards mission anymore. Most people have jobs and families to look after and if there is anything left for God it is winding down to a good church sermon on the weekends making sure their moral codes are checked and they stay good people.

If people were honest and declared how many new people they had disclosed Jesus to in the past months or month would it be a reality check with where the church is really at? What about 26-year-old American missionary John Chau who was killed by tribesmen on India’s extremely remote North Sentinel few weeks ago. He challenged us to love Jesus more than anything else this world has to offer...what are your thoughts on this? Chris

I don't proselytize openly to people. As in approaching a perfect stranger to ask them, "Have you heard of the good news that is Jesus Christ?"
I live in America and it is pretty much impossible in my current home town to miss knowing about Jesus Christ. We have billboards on the main highway that speak of him. And prior to this current Christmas season.
We of course have churches all over the place. Especially down town. The streets there are gorgeous. Decorated with lights, and the tree's are all lighted be they evergreen or otherwise.
A manger scene is in the center divider leading into the city.
The light poles have candy cane wrappings. And huge churches are within a 10 block radius surrounding the down town.
Impossible to miss the reason for this season.

What I do have are a couple of bumper stickers on my car. And a 3-D silver cross too.
When I was a kid mom use to dread those days when she'd look outside the picture window toward our big semi-circular drive and see a van pull up and ladies dressed in Sunday attire disembarking. They were JW's sent no doubt by her cousin to try to convert her yet again.
We'd not answer the door and stay very quiet in the confines of the living room. The sheer curtains across that big window allowed us to see the ladies return to their van while they imagined we were not at home since dad had the car and it easily appeared as such for lack of one in the drive.
I was very little but I remember those days.

When I inherited the house the little band many decades later appeared again. Different ladies, same mission. My husband answered the door and very politely told them we were Christians. He thanked them for coming and then softly closed the door as they all turned to leave. They have never returned.

Many times I'd have people at work approach me. It was an outdoor construction job and often enough I was the only female. Somehow, when I'd go to lunch and then sit at the tables the site boss had set up for us, some stranger walking past on the sidewalk would turn and ask if I knew Jesus. One even offered me a little red cover new testament with the Psalms.
Over a period of a couple of years at different sites this would happen. One day I asked a man after he had asked me if I knew Jesus. "Why would you presume a perfect stranger doesn't? Isn't it presumptuous to presume someone is damned on sight?"
I waited for an answer. He turned and left.

Today I think the great commission's methods have changed. If people wish to know Christ, at least in America, all they have to do is go to a search engine and seek his information out. Or, to a church, or their website, and go for a Sunday visit.

First and foremost though, as the Apostles demonstrated and Christ exemplified, I think the individual Christian is responsible for sharing the good news by how they live and interact with people. More often than not that's when we'll witness people asking us about Jesus. Only, by way of asking, as people have me, why are you so peaceful when all this is going on? (Something at work jumping off into all sorts of chaos). Or, every now and then someone will ask about those stickers on my car.

In my opinion, the best way to spread the good news is in the living of it. Those who are called to God will then have cause to ask what makes that Christian different. And it is then that we should have an answer.
It beats at least for me knocking on some strangers door after trespassing onto their property only to ask if they would answer to my satisfaction whether or not they're damned.

Me, I don't know. God has given me a host of talents and gifts to reach out to people with. Yet He refuses to let me use a single one. If I read Him right, I'm of the line of John the Baptist. I'll spend my life wandering the desert eating bugs until I have my one defining moment like baptizing the Christ, then be done away with for the pleasure of another. So what is it like to go forth and spread the Word? I really don't know, for the most part He won't let me.

Hi Lillywolf.. thanks for your reply and sharing about your life. I read through your article and many people think the way you think in America. Not just in America but also in Australia where I come from. I believe there are many different ways to reach out to people about Jesus Christ. And like you say just being a person of integrity and waiting for the right time to bring up your faith is one of the main ways people share about the lord.

However its not the only way and the other alternative isn't knocking on peoples doors and trespassing on their property like you suggested. I believe people can use that an an excuse to do less on the mission field. Others ways that come to mind are hospital ministries, feeding homeless people in a soup kitchen and visiting homeless people on the street. Even visiting the elderly in nursing homes and many other forms of ministry are available to people who don't want to "trespass and knock on doors " which I believe is an over exaggeration of alternative options. I myself reach out to homeless people and a variety of other people voluntarily and share the Gospel with them often. I believe like you say share when the right time comes however i also believe we need to make an effort and position ourselves in the community and pray for more opportunities because if we don't go the extra mile then over all we reach less. I know many American missionaries and Australian missionaries that have chosen to create their lives around mission. I know they don't trespass on people's property and bash down doors. Anyways it's a choice...Jesus will look past all the excuses and see how much interest we made on his saving grace. Blessings.

Hi Ricky...Thanks alot for your input. I hear that you believe God wont let you do this and that is that right? And you say you are like John the Baptist......

Firstly John the baptist was responsible for bringing many people in Israel back to God and he had disciples.

"He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
This can be found in Luke 1:16.
Simply put his whole life was in preparation to turn Israel back to God in preparation for the coming messiah. It wasn't just for a Jesus moment. Jesus wanted John to tackle the massive calling of turning the people back to God and preparing them for a new way. he had massive crowds listening to him and being baptised by him and his disciples.

In saying this we are not him with his calling however those that have mouths and arms and legs are to use them in bringing people in to the kingdom and helping others. The new testament is full of directions for those who love God to bring people to Christ and help the less fortunate. To have the ability and not use it is like God giving you a coin and instead of you making interest on it you bury it saying God expects to much of us. Even women in the Bible were helping Jesus and his ministry and supporting the disciples.

There is no where in the Bible where you will find God telling you not to share the good news....what he does want us to stop is sinning and practice doing what the new testament calls us to do. Which means we have to read it often and start trying to put it into action. This is a real demonstration of faith and this type of faith pleases God. Allow the word of God to transform your mind and pray for opportunities to reach out to people and help them with their problems and share the good news. Blessings.

Thank you Chris I'll take that as a word.

And I hear you, what you have said here isn't anything I haven't mulled over for the past 50 years. I know what God can do, I watched Him literally raise waves out of a still ocean to provide a witness to a third party. Yet, for every time He's interceded, there's a thousand others who just languish and drown. God has given me the ability to connect with strangers and see what lies beneath, and to deliver words of healing wisdom and knowledge - and 999 times out of 1,000 I get in a situation where someone needs just that - and I say how about it God what would you have me say - and you have never. seen. doors. close. so fast. All my life. I question God about that and He says what He's shown me is 'sealed up' for a special moment or time. God told Daniel, among a couple others, to seal up things for the future. But that doesn't help me when I interact with someone in a grocery aisle and sense something they should know, and and as I'm about to speak 999 times out of 1,000 someone steps in and interrupts the exchange... I get future intent but I don't get why that precludes current expression. But argue either way as much as you want, that's the way it's worked out for over 5 decades. God spent incredible amounts of time and energy to teach me the spiritual realm, and I've been as irrelevant a human being as you can find on the planet.

And thank you for seconding that outside of baptizing the Christ, John DID have a ministry. I have been arguing that one with God for some time now and getting nowhere with it. Thank you for the amen on my point.

And just anticipating the question, yes I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God sacrificed for the sins of us all. I've seen that very fact do literal mountains-into-the-sea miraculous things during my lifetime. I just can't accept that it has a batting record of .001. Yet that's the way it's always been. Frustrates the bejeebers out of me.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers

Good topic/thread.
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I was about to start thread with "exact"same title!
I just found this thread.
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I have been working with Christian leaders in "restricted countries"..many years
- One of things we are involved is sending "Christian literature" to them.
- Getting even "one copy" of Bible and Christian literature is very difficult.. in those countries.
- Not easy to understand for those who still have access for Christian literature..
especially in United States.

how does a Christian convert a Christian ? / how is a Christian baptism better than another Christian baptism ? / how does one Christian religion decide that another religion is not Christian / i heard it said that 50% of Christian believers do not attend services on sundays / is because TV stars are living in mansions , flying in private jets , making sunday services a hollywood production? / its nothing like PAULS philosophy of preaching to Christians / CHRISTS instruction to his apostles for teaching the GOOD NEWS should be noted / don't believe people have fallen away from JESUS THE CHRIST , people have fallen away from CORRUPT USE OF THE WORD

The only time I ever see a group of none believers listening to Christians in public are at Christmas time or when a Salvation Army Band performs. Most people like a well sung Carol or a stirring tune from a band. Any other time they avoid them. I only speak about my
faith when someone brings up the subject. I believe the Lord provides us with opportunities to reach out to people. Also the way we live should be a witness to those around us and prompt them to seek answers from us.

The Great Commission......

It is living in our vessels (body) as if we live in a great lighthouse firmly established on the Rock high on the cliff - in full view of all people and unmovable by the storms of life yet, so FULL of Light that the Light in us dispels the darkness of the World and warns weary travelers of the dangers.....the coming judgments and blessings..... sin is judged and forgiveness is available, repent for the return of Christ draws near.

Those that wreck at sea we venture out as missionaries to rescue them from death - the life preserver we offer them is Yeshua/Jesus Christ.

Upon shore we teach them and help them to learn and build their vessel to be a great lighthouse...

We are not the Light, we shine the Light of Life, dispelling the Darkness of Death. It is the Light that the weary travelers look for, NOT the lighthouse....they are in trouble and seek Light - the Truth, the Way and the Life - Yeshua/Jesus - the one and only Light that can save us from the darkness.

God have mercy on us all, forgive us and build us up into great lighthouses that He indwells, in the name of Yeshua/Jesus, amen..