The Great Commission: Sent to Make Disciples Everywhere

The Big Picture series frames a 30-day reading plan through key Bible passages to help understand the Bible’s overall story. Matthew 28 records the Great Commission, where Jesus, having all authority in heaven and on earth, issues a clear mission: go, make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the triune name, and teach them to obey everything commanded, with the promise of his presence to the end of the age. That commission connects with John’s account of being sent as the Father sent Jesus, and with the coming gift of the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to witness from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

The church’s mission appears both universal and particular. Universal in its mandate to take the gospel to all nations; particular in how that mandate looks different for each life season and context. Every follower receives a call to share the story of Jesus within daily spheres—work, school, family, neighborhood—while the church corporately supports full-time workers who carry the gospel work domestically and overseas. Practical avenues for congregational engagement include visiting information tables to learn about supported workers, using the prayer room to intercede and record prayers or notes to send to those workers, and participating financially and relationally to sustain long-term efforts.

The teaching emphasizes that God’s promise of presence is not theoretical: the Holy Spirit equips and empowers people to do the work of making disciples. The question shifts from whether God calls to whether each person will discern the specific way to go and have the courage to act. Practical next steps include daily prayer asking God to reveal individual callings, intentional decisions to engage locally, and concrete support for global workers through prayer, communication, and generosity. The presentation closes with a call to seek God’s guidance and to move in obedient faith as the church continues the unfinished mission Jesus entrusted to his followers.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The church exists to make disciples Discipleship is the church’s defining task, not an optional program. Making disciples involves invitation, baptism, and patient instruction in obedience. This work reshapes congregational priorities, resource allocation, and everyday relationships. Disciple-making requires sustained commitment rather than occasional outreach.
• 2. Mission includes local and global work The Great Commission covers both immediate neighborhoods and the nations. Daily relationships form the primary soil for witness, while supported workers extend reach where local access is limited. Healthy churches nurture both contexts—equipping members for nearby ministry and sustaining global partnerships. Neither local nor global engagement can substitute for the other.
• 3. God's presence empowers the mission Authority and presence accompany the commission; the promise reframes mission as Spirit-enabled obedience. The Holy Spirit provides courage, gifts, and guidance for witness and teaching. Dependence on that presence transforms anxious effort into confident service. Spiritual power, not merely human will, does the kingdom’s work.
• 4. Discernment precedes courageous obedient action Calling is universal but expression varies by season and context. Regular prayer and attention clarify where God is directing particular steps. Courage moves those discoveries into concrete actions—inviting, serving, supporting, or going. Small faithful decisions form the rhythm of ongoing obedience.

1. According to the passage, what specific actions are involved in the command to "make disciples"?
2. What two things does Jesus claim to have been given, and how do they relate to the command that follows?
3. What promise does Jesus give to those who are carrying out this mission?
4. What was the mixed reaction of the disciples when they saw the resurrected Jesus on the mountain?

1. The mission is described as both "universal" (for all nations) and "particular" (looks different for each person). How can a single command be both so broad and so personal at the same time?
2. The promise of Jesus' presence is given to those who are going and making disciples. How might this promise change a person's perspective from seeing mission as a burdensome task to a confident endeavor?
3. In the context of the entire passage, what might it look like to "teach them to obey everything I have commanded you" as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event?
4. Some worshiped, but some doubted. What does it mean that Jesus gave the Great Commission to a group that contained both worship and doubt?

1. The call to make disciples is universal, but its expression varies by life season and context. What does your current "sphere of influence" (work, school, family, neighborhood) look like, and who within it might God be preparing to hear about Him?
2. Identify one practical step you could take this week to engage in the mission right where you are. This could be initiating a spiritual conversation, serving a neighbor, or praying for a coworker by name.
3. The mission includes both local engagement and global support. What is one way you could more intentionally support global workers through prayer, communication, or generosity?
4. The Holy Spirit empowers people for this work. What is one area of the mission that feels intimidating or beyond your ability, and how can you actively depend on God's empowering presence rather than your own strength this week?
5. The commission calls for "courageous obedient action." Is there a specific, small step of obedience you have been hesitating to take? What would it look like to act on that this week?
6. Making disciples involves "patient instruction in obedience." Who is one person in your life you could commit to walking alongside in a more intentional, patient way to help them follow Jesus?