Our Mission

The mission of Great Commission House Churches is, as you might have guessed, to do our part to fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus spelled out the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

There is one central verb that drives this entire sentence: "make disciples". There are three other participles that describe how we are to make disciples: "going, baptizing, and teaching." How then do we full the Great Commission? We make disciples!

What Is A Disciple? The word "disciple" literally means "a learner." The word refers to the follower of a rabbi or teacher. What exactly does a disciple learn to do? According to Jesus' words above, he learns to observe all the things that He commanded. In Jn.8:31 Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." In Luke 14:26-33 Jesus said we cannot be His disciples unless we hate everyone else and our own life in comparison with our love and allegiance to Him, carry our cross and come after Him, and give up all our own possessions. So, as you can see, to be a disciple of Jesus is not to just add a little slice of religion to an already crowded life. It is to devote your entire life to doing what He commands! It is also important to note, that a disciple is not some kind of super-devoted Christian. In Scripture, every Christian is a disciple. Acts 11:26 says, "and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." In the Book of Acts, Luke uses the term "disciples" regularly to refer to all Christians (Acts 6:1,2,7; 9:1,19,26,36; 11:26,29; 13:52; 14:20-22, 28; 15:10; 18:23,27; 19:9,30; 20:1,30; 21:4,16)

Well then, if Jesus has given us the daunting task of making men into disciples, how then do we do it?

Evangelism

The very first step in making disciples is Going. This is what we do before an individual comes to Christ. The Greek for Mt.28:19 is "Going therefore, make disciples of all the nations" or "Having gone, therefore, make disciples of all the nations." Jesus didn't say, "Wait therefore, until the nations come to you, and then disciple them." Going implies being intentional about bringing the gospel to the lost. If I go somewhere, I have a plan. I know where I am going and why.

Obviously, when Jesus told us to make disciples of all the nations, He meant for us to understand that we must first win them to Christ. We can't make a non-Christian into a disciple. He has no interest or desire to do all the things Jesus commanded. Before we can make a person into a disciple of Jesus, we must help him to see his lost and desperate condition, turn from his sin, and turn to Christ to save him from the power and penalty of sin. We call this conversion, and it is the first step the sinner takes in his journey as a disciple. In order for a lost person to embrace Christ in repentance and faith, someone must bring him the truth of the gospel. This is the work of evangelism, and it is where we must begin in the work of making disciples.

There are basically two different approaches to evangelism in the New Testament. The first kind of evangelism is the kind the apostles and evangelists engaged in. We might call it Preaching Evangelism. Paul and his team would travel to a new city, find the synagogue, and on the Sabbath day, stand up and preach Christ to all the assembled Jews. On one occasion we find him giving the gospel to a group of Jewish women at a riverside (Acts 16:13-15), and on another occasion he was reasoning in the marketplace in Athens (Acts 17:17). In all these instances, Paul boldly and publicly proclaimed Christ to people he did not know. Interestingly, we do not have exhortations or commands in the New Testament for all believers to engage in this kind of evangelism.

The second approach to evangelism in the New Testament could be called Lifestyle Evangelism. This is the kind of evangelism that the rest of the church is called to in Scripture. In this kind of evangelism, we help others come to embrace Christ, as they see our lives and hear from our own lips what the Lord has done for us, and how He can do the same for them. This is the kind of evangelism Paul exhorts the whole church to engage in when he penned Col.4:5-6: "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." In this passage the entire church of Colossae is told to make the most of every opportunity as they respond to outsiders. This is the kind of evangelism that any Christian can engage in. As he goes through his daily life he will have opportunities to interact with non-Christians in his family, neighborhood, workplace, or school. As he does so, he must be careful to make the most of every opportunity, and to let his speech always be with grace. This is the kind of evangelism that most of us need to give ourselves to.

But experience and statistics prove that the longer a person is a Christian, the fewer non-Christian friends or acquaintances he has. Thus, we must make intentional efforts to get to know, love, and serve those that are not yet saved. This might mean having your neighbors over for dinner, joining a hobby or interest group, going to a bar, or hanging out in coffee shops for the purpose of developing relationships with non-believers.

One of the greatest fears we have in developing friendships with non-Christians, is that we will be impacted by the other person's lifestyle, and be tainted by their sin. That is a real concern, and one that should not be taken lightly. Having been delivered out of the filth and pollution of the world, we don't want to go back into it. We need to use wisdom in this regard. It may not be advisable for some new or immature believers to run headlong into Satan's den. If we are going to go to a place where we know there will be much sin and debauchery, we should go prayed up with other believers who will be there to help us if we should become tempted.

However, we should also note carefully our Lord's compassion and zeal for the lost. He was the infinitely Holy One. Yet, He was willing to plunge Himself into this world of sin and depravity. His holy soul must have recoiled at all the sin in this world, yet He came freely. Why? He came into this dark world, because He loved His Father and was determined to obey His will, and He loved the world and was determined to provide salvation for it. If we partake of His spirit, we will also have love and compassion for those perishing in their sins, and will be willing to go to places we wouldn't normally want to go.

Interestingly, it was the sinners, harlots, and tax-collectors who wanted Jesus to be among them. Luke 15 begins with "Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.'" In Luke 7:34 Jesus said, "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!'" Matt.9:9-13 tells us: "And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose, and followed Him. And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" But when He heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means, `I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,´ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Notice in this passage, that it was the Pharisees who objected to Jesus eating and drinking with sinner.

Likewise, if you take your responsibility to bring lost people to Christ seriously, and begin developing relationships with them, and meeting them on their turf, you may be strongly criticized by religious people. However, Jesus told these self-righteous Pharisees, "go and learn what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice'." If we truly possess the compassion of Christ, we will not criticize those that spend time with sinners as Jesus did, to bring them the gospel. Sadly, however, it is often well-meaning Christians who are the ones who dampen the zeal of earnest believers who spend time with non-Christians for the sake of their soul.

It is interesting to compare Jesus' attitude towards sinners with the Pharisees' attitude toward sinners. When the immoral woman came to Jesus and washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, the Pharisee said to himself, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." The Pharisee could not understand why Jesus would permit a sinner to touch him. In his mind, righteousness demanded that one put as much distance between himself and sinners as he possibly could, and he couldn't understand why Jesus would allow contact with sinners. In Luke 15:2 the Pharisees complained that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. The Pharisees referred to Jesus as "a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34-35). On another occasion, the Pharisees complained against Jesus' disciples asking, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" (Luke 5:30). In summary, the Pharisees were aghast that Jesus would touch, eat, drink, and socialize with sinners. They would never do those things, because they would not want to be defiled. However, Jesus seems to have no compunction against "hanging out" with sinners. Compassion for their souls thrust Him into their midst again and again. What's more, sinners seemed to enjoy His company. Oddly enough, most Christians I know would probably respond to sinners the same way that the Pharisees did, rather than how Jesus did.

One of the most important things we can do for someone who has not yet embraced Christ, is simply to listen to them. Draw them out, ask them questions, get to know them, so that you can love and serve them. Remind yourself that this person matters in the sight of God. At the same time, be yourself! Don't hide your lamp under a bushel, but respond sincerely and honestly when your friend asks you questions. Because we are disciples of Jesus, everything in our life in one way or another revolves around Him. Thus, when your non-Christian friend talks to you, if you are sincere and honest, spiritual discussions will arise naturally and spontaneously. It probably won't be long before your friend is asking you questions about moral or spiritual issues. As you patiently and lovingly answer his questions, there is a good chance that he too may come to Jesus in repentance and faith. If that should take place, what do you do next?

Discipleship

Once someone has been converted, we need to take the necessary time and effort to mentor (disciple) them. Jesus summarizes this in Mt.28:20: "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." This work of teaching a new convert to observe all the things Jesus commanded is usually accomplished most quickly and effectively in small mentoring relationships of two or three.

Notice that Jesus did not tell us to teach them to understand all the doctrines of the Word of God. Instead, His emphasis was on practical living. We are to help the new Christian obey Jesus!

But how do we teach a believer to observe all that Jesus taught? Probably the single most important thing we can do for a new Christian is to give him a living example of someone who is seeking to obey Jesus. Sure, we have our weaknesses, sins, and flaws, but if our disciple can see in us a sincere, diligent effort to obey Jesus, it will inspire and motivate him to do the same. Therefore, one of the best things we can do to help a Christian grow spiritually, is to spend a lot of time with him. Of course this cuts across the grain of our rugged American independent spirit, but it is vital if we are to make a difference in someone else's life. At a bare minimum, you should set apart some time to be with one or two younger believers once a week.

How should you teach this younger believer when you get together with him? We can learn a lot by looking at how Jesus taught His disciples. Jesus lived with His disciples day in and day out, modeling for them how He wanted them to live. As they went throughout life, situations would arise that would present a platform for Jesus to instruct them. For example, when Jesus saw a widow throwing in her last 2 coins into the temple treasury, He called His disciples over to view her sacrificial giving and used it to teach them about the kind of giving that pleases God (Mk.12:41-44). Thus, as you get to know your disciple and develop a relationship with him, as situations arise in your conversation, use them as springboards to help him see how he can obey Jesus. If he is nursing bitterness over a wrong done to him, you can help him to understand and obey Jesus' teaching on forgiveness. If he is living for money and possessions you can show him that Jesus taught us not to focus on possessions, but rather to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Use the Bible as your authority on how to respond to the various situations your disciple finds himself.

But what exactly should we be seeking to help our disciple learn and obey? Well, there were a myriad of things Jesus taught His disciples about, but most of them can be boiled down to six different areas of obedience: loving others, giving of money and possessions, prayer, continuing in the Word, breaking bread, and making disciples. Interestingly enough, we find the 3,000 new disciples in Acts 2 engaged in obeying Jesus in these very areas (Acts 2:42-47). If you want God to use you to make disciples, you will need to be feeding spiritually from the Word of God regularly and consistently.

Who should be involved in making disciples? Well, Jesus told the 11 apostles to make disciples, and to teach them to observe all things that He had commanded them. One of the things He had commanded them was to make disciples. Thus, every disciple should seek to be involved in one way or another with making disciples. If you happen to be a brand new believer, you will need some time to learn and grow spiritually. But, as soon as you have begun to obey Jesus' commands, pray that God would send you a young believer that you can help to obey Jesus' commands.

Community

God's mission for us includes evangelism and discipleship, but it doesn't stop there. God wants us to be involved in a Christian community in which we can encourage one another to follow Jesus in loving service.

The One-Anothers: The church is the ideal place in which to practice the "one anothers" of the NT. The Bible commands us to love one another, serve one another, exhort one another, admonish one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, confess our sins to one another, greet one another, be hospitable to one another, live in peace with one another, accept one another, be of the same mind toward one another, build up one another, be subject to one another, and be devoted to one another. All of these commands are given in the context of a church. If we are to obey them, we must be committed and involved in a loving community of believers.

Loving Service: Further, the church is the ideal place to learn to lay down your life for your brothers in loving service. In any church there will be a multitude of needs that you can fulfill by serving in love. Paul tells the Galatians, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Gal.5:13). Jesus taught His disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mt.20:24-28)

Spiritual Gifts: The church is also the ideal place to begin ministering to others by using your spiritual gifts. Whether you have the gift of serving, helping, mercy, teaching, leading, prophecy or faith, you will find opportunities to serve your brothers and sisters in the context of the church. Peter says, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1Pet.4:10).

Relationships: The church is all about relationships. The church is comprised of sinners who have been saved by Christ, who come together to serve Him. We should be able to develop strong and close relationships with one another in the church, so that we bear one another's burdens, honestly relate our struggles and weaknesses, and hold each other up in prayer.

Home Gatherings: For at least the first couple hundred years, the church met in homes. Almost uniformly, the churches mentioned in the New Testament met in homes (Acts 2:46; 8:3; 16:40; 20:20; Rom.16:5; 1Cor.16:19; Philemon 2; Col.4:15). There are very good reasons for that. The church is really an extended family. All of us are brothers and sisters, with Jesus being our elder brother (Rom.8:29). An informal meeting in a home fosters meaningful relationships with our brothers and sisters. Again, gatherings in homes fosters participatory meetings, where everyone can get involved, either in bringing God's Word, asking a question, offering an insight, giving a challenge, or offering encouragement.

Conclusion

Well that's the Biblical Mission for the church: Evangelism - Discipleship - Community. Interestingly, if we take this mission seriously, some will be won to Christ and discipled and become committed members of local churches. If the gatherings of the church are in homes, eventually there will not be enough room for all the disciples in a single home, and the church will need to reproduce itself into two churches. If the mission stays central in the new church, eventually it will need to reproduce as well. If all the house churches can stay focused on God's mission, a church planting movement will begin! Where will the leaders come from for these new church plants? From those that have been discipled along the way. If we have taken the time to pour out ourselves into the lives of others over a prolonged period of time, our disciples will come to the point where they are mature and strong in the Lord and ready to assume the responsibility to lead others into spiritual growth. Now the only remaining question is, "Will you embrace this Mission as your own, and labor to see it fulfilled?"

- Brian Anderson

© Great Commission House Church Publications (August 2007)