Embracing Our Call: The Great Commission for All

Devotional

Day 1: The Church as a Living Community

The church is not defined by its physical structure but by the people who embody the mission of Christ. This understanding shifts the focus from maintaining a building to nurturing a community of believers who live out their faith in everyday life. The essence of being the church is to be united in purpose and mission, making disciples as we go about our daily activities. This perspective encourages believers to see themselves as integral parts of the church's mission, actively participating in the work of God in the world. [00:46]

1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV): "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How can you contribute to nurturing your church community this week, beyond attending services?

Day 2: The Great Commission as a Personal Calling

The Great Commission is not just a command to go but a call to make disciples in our everyday interactions. It involves teaching, baptizing, and living out the teachings of Christ. This mission is for every believer, not just for pastors or missionaries. Understanding this personal calling encourages believers to integrate their faith into all aspects of life, seeing every interaction as an opportunity to share the love and teachings of Christ. [06:48]

Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: Identify one person in your daily life with whom you can share a teaching of Christ this week. How will you approach this opportunity?

Day 3: The Local Church's Role in Global Mission

The local church plays a vital role in supporting and sending missionaries, participating in the global mission of spreading the Gospel. This support reflects the early church's practice of sending out missionaries and is part of the church's DNA. By mobilizing resources and providing encouragement, the local church helps advance the Great Commission worldwide, demonstrating the interconnectedness of the global Christian community. [10:07]

Acts 13:2-3 (ESV): "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off."

Reflection: How can you support your church's mission efforts, either locally or globally, in a tangible way this month?

Day 4: Missionaries as Christ's Ambassadors

Missionaries like Julio and Susie Esquivel serve as ambassadors of Christ, taking the Gospel to unreached areas. Their work exemplifies the importance of cross-cultural missions and the church's role in supporting such endeavors. Missionaries remind us of the broader scope of the Great Commission and the need for dedicated individuals to carry the message of Christ to all corners of the world. [31:30]

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV): "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

Reflection: Consider how you can be an ambassador for Christ in your own community. What specific action can you take this week to represent Christ to those around you?

Day 5: Every Believer's Role in the Great Commission

The Great Commission is a shared mission for all believers, calling each one to be an ambassador of Christ. This involves sharing the message of reconciliation and embodying the love of Christ in our communities. Every believer is invited to actively participate in God's redemptive work, recognizing the privilege and responsibility of being part of this divine mission. [33:01]

Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV): "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can more fully embrace your role in the Great Commission? How will you take a step towards this today?

Sermon Summary

The essence of our gathering today is to delve into the profound truth that the church is not merely a building but the people of God, united in purpose and mission. We are exploring the concept of the Great Commission, a divine mandate given by Jesus Christ to all believers. This commission is not just a command but a calling to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Christ's teachings. It is a sacred duty that transcends time and culture, entrusted to every believer and every church.

The Great Commission, as outlined in Matthew 28:18-20, is a call to action for all of us. It is not merely about going to distant lands but about making disciples as we go about our daily lives. The command is to make disciples, and this involves baptizing and teaching, all of which support the primary mission. At Living Faith Bible Church, we emphasize developing mature believers who reflect the image of Christ, striving to make disciples who, in turn, make more disciples.

The local church plays a crucial role in this mission by mobilizing and supporting missionaries worldwide. From the early church in Antioch, which sent out Paul and Barnabas, to our present-day efforts, the church has been instrumental in spreading the Gospel. We currently support 15 missionaries, each working in diverse fields, from local ministries to global outreach, all advancing the Great Commission.

Today, we have the privilege of hearing from Julio and Susie Esquivel, missionaries in Brazil, who exemplify the spirit of the Great Commission. Their work is a testament to the power of the Gospel and the importance of supporting those who go out into the world to share it. However, the Great Commission is not just for missionaries; it is for all of us. We are all called to be Christ's ambassadors, representing Him wherever we are.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Paul reminds us that we are new creations in Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. We are called to be ambassadors, imploring others to be reconciled to God. This is our mission, our commission, and it is a privilege to participate in God's redemptive work in the world.

Key Takeaways

1. cultural missions and the church's role in supporting such endeavors. [31:30]
5. Every Believer's Role in the Great Commission: The Great Commission is for all believers. We are all called to be ambassadors of Christ, sharing the message of reconciliation and embodying the love of Christ in our communities. This is a shared mission that requires our active participation.

** [31:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:46] - We Are the Church
[01:31] - Understanding Commission
[02:24] - Story of the Changing Guard
[03:09] - The Great Commission Explained
[03:59] - Survey on the Great Commission
[05:12] - The Great Commission or Omission?
[06:48] - The Essence of the Great Commission
[10:07] - Role of the Local Church
[11:33] - Missionary Work and Support
[12:49] - First Missionary Journey
[31:30] - Special Role of Missionaries
[33:01] - Every Believer's Role
[34:37] - Closing Prayer and Commitment

Sermon Clips

1) "And I want to suggest to you that every believer has a great commission. And every church should do everything that they can as a church to support that great commission. What's the great commission? Some of us may be not sure today. And I understand that and I'm okay with that. And I'm here today to try and help you understand. What it is. In fact, if you're not sure, you're actually sadly in good company. A survey that was done back in 2018, and I'm not sure if it's any better today, I doubt it is, but by the Barna Group, they actually surveyed over a thousand church attenders. Not just average people, but church attenders, regular church attenders. And they asked them the question, Have you heard of the Great Commission? Commission. You know what the answers were? 51% said no. Haven't heard of it. If you're here today and you haven't heard of it, it's okay. I'm here today to share that with you and our missionaries are there to share the passion of what the Great Commission is." [03:59] (72 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "The Great Commission belongs to all believers. It's everyone here today who's a believer in Jesus Christ. What's the Great Commission? As we'll see just in a moment, it's to make disciples around them. And the local church should mobilize it around the world by the supporting and the sending of missionaries. So what's the Great Commission? Here's the Great Commission. It's found in Matthew 28, verses 18 through 20. Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20. There Jesus gave the Great Commission. And right before He ascended to glory, He gave this charge, this official order to His believers to carry out the orders. It was like the changing of the guard. And He said, I'm giving this to you. Now pass it on generation to generation." [06:48] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "The key command is make disciples. That's why at Living Faith Bible Church, we emphasize our mission as developing mature believers who reflect the image of Christ. Our desire is to make disciples who make disciples. And when we make disciples as we go about, we would be baptizing them, officially calling them to faith and in believers baptism to be baptized in the name of Jesus, in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them. All of those things, the baptizing, the teaching and the going support the main command to make disciples. And so we're called to make disciples. And so we see that the Great Commission belongs to all believers to make disciples around them. And the local church should mobilize that commission by sending missionaries worldwide as well." [08:00] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "Now, from the earliest days, the local church has been involved in this mobilizing, the sending and the supporting of missionaries. We see that pattern in the earliest church. We see it in a passage like Acts chapter 13. In Acts chapter 13, the very first missionaries were sent out early in the church. We read about that in Acts 13, where it says now in the church of Antioch, the church of Antioch would be in a place in modern day kind of Syria into Turkey in that area, that region of the world north of of Israel. And there was a church there that had been established through the scattering of the apostles. And it says in verse two, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them. And sent them off." [10:07] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "There is a myth that we sometimes hear, and maybe even repeat ourselves or believe, and it goes like this. The myth is this. The Great Commission is something only for pastors or missionaries. Now, I hope that you, in hearing the Great Commission, know that that's not true. But I want to say at one level, there is a special place in God's heart, and there should be a special place in ours for people that will go cross-cultural, that will truly go to the whole world and share the gospel of Jesus and make disciples. And we have special people and a family here today. So I sort of want to say, sort of, in the sense that we should honor them and respect them." [31:30] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "But I also want to clearly say, the Great Commission is not just for special people like them, although they play a special role in it. But ultimately, again, bring it back, the Great Commission is for all of us. And in fact, I'll end just with this passage from 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 17 through 21. And there the apostle Paul, reminds us of the Great Commission this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. All of this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ Jesus, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation, therefore, we are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." [33:01] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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