Scripture Reference: "And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, "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 (Matthew 28: 18-20 NASB)."
To whom was the Great Commission given?
In Matthew 16: 18-20, we read where the Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter the "keys to the kingdom." The "keys to the kingdom" is the Gospel Message. Being given the keys to the kingdom carries with it the responsibility to preserve its integrity and the obligation to proclaim it.
In Matthew 28: 18-20, we see this commission and authorization being extended to the eleven faithful disciples (apostles), and via discipleship to every born again believer of the Church Age.
The Target Groups
The Great Commission identifies two different groups of people or target groups that the 1Cor. 3:16 Church is to engage.
The first target group is consists of all the spiritually dead, unbelievers of each generation of the Church Age. Being spiritually dead is a status in which we all come into this world. This target group (spiritually dead souls) is to be presented with the Gospel Message, affording them the opportunity to believe (John 3: 16. 18) it and be "born again (John 3: 3/Titus 3:5).
The second target group consists of those among the first group who choose to believe the Gospel, and in doing so, pass from the status of being a spiritually dead unbeliever to a spiritually regenerated (Titus 3:5), born again believer.
This second group is to be presented with Bible Doctrine with emphasis on the doctrines pertaining to the Church Age, affording them the opportunity to enter into and remain in discipleship.
The Duration of the Great Commission
The Great Commission is to be carried out throughout the entire Church Age dispensation. The Church Age began at the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem around 32-33 AD (Acts 2) and will conclude at the Rapture (1Thess. 4: 16-17).
Participation
The execution of the Great Commission is the mission that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the Church. The "Church" consists of each and every born again believer of the Church Age. On the larger scale, the job of proclaiming the Gospel Message to unbelievers is the work of the evangelist, and the teaching of the Word of God to those who have already been born again in the job of the pastor teachers of each local assembly (body of believers) or ministry. On the smaller scale, it is the job of each and every advancing disciple to share the Gospel with the unbelievers in his personal periphery, and to share Bible Doctrine with fellow believers in his personal periphery.
Satan’s Alternatives
As in the case of everything else that God ordains, the devil is right there to offer his alternatives to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The devil encourages the Church as a whole and each believer to engage in a host of alternative activities that have NOTHING to do with the mission that was given to the Church.
Many of these alternative activities have great temporal value and do contribute to the making the devil's world a better place to live. Establishing a functional and productive kingdom that denies God any of the glory has been an objective of the devil (Isa. 14:13, 14) that preceded the creation of the human race. Satan is pleased when God soldiers devote their lives to such activities and neglect the marching orders that they received via the Great Commission. Equating the production of human good with the production of divine good is a part of the devil's strategy.
In summary, the Great Commission consists of the marching orders that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His Church. The external mission was/is to proclaim the Gospel Message to unbelievers, whereas internal mission was/is to make disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) out of those who are born again. Discipleship is initially for the spiritual edification (Matt. 7: 24-27) and conforming of the born again believer into the image (likeness) of Christ (Romans 8: 29), with the long term objective of participating in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
To whom was the Great Commission given?
In Matthew 16: 18-20, we read where the Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter the "keys to the kingdom." The "keys to the kingdom" is the Gospel Message. Being given the keys to the kingdom carries with it the responsibility to preserve its integrity and the obligation to proclaim it.
In Matthew 28: 18-20, we see this commission and authorization being extended to the eleven faithful disciples (apostles), and via discipleship to every born again believer of the Church Age.
The Target Groups
The Great Commission identifies two different groups of people or target groups that the 1Cor. 3:16 Church is to engage.
The first target group is consists of all the spiritually dead, unbelievers of each generation of the Church Age. Being spiritually dead is a status in which we all come into this world. This target group (spiritually dead souls) is to be presented with the Gospel Message, affording them the opportunity to believe (John 3: 16. 18) it and be "born again (John 3: 3/Titus 3:5).
The second target group consists of those among the first group who choose to believe the Gospel, and in doing so, pass from the status of being a spiritually dead unbeliever to a spiritually regenerated (Titus 3:5), born again believer.
This second group is to be presented with Bible Doctrine with emphasis on the doctrines pertaining to the Church Age, affording them the opportunity to enter into and remain in discipleship.
The Duration of the Great Commission
The Great Commission is to be carried out throughout the entire Church Age dispensation. The Church Age began at the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem around 32-33 AD (Acts 2) and will conclude at the Rapture (1Thess. 4: 16-17).
Participation
The execution of the Great Commission is the mission that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the Church. The "Church" consists of each and every born again believer of the Church Age. On the larger scale, the job of proclaiming the Gospel Message to unbelievers is the work of the evangelist, and the teaching of the Word of God to those who have already been born again in the job of the pastor teachers of each local assembly (body of believers) or ministry. On the smaller scale, it is the job of each and every advancing disciple to share the Gospel with the unbelievers in his personal periphery, and to share Bible Doctrine with fellow believers in his personal periphery.
Satan’s Alternatives
As in the case of everything else that God ordains, the devil is right there to offer his alternatives to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The devil encourages the Church as a whole and each believer to engage in a host of alternative activities that have NOTHING to do with the mission that was given to the Church.
Many of these alternative activities have great temporal value and do contribute to the making the devil's world a better place to live. Establishing a functional and productive kingdom that denies God any of the glory has been an objective of the devil (Isa. 14:13, 14) that preceded the creation of the human race. Satan is pleased when God soldiers devote their lives to such activities and neglect the marching orders that they received via the Great Commission. Equating the production of human good with the production of divine good is a part of the devil's strategy.
In summary, the Great Commission consists of the marching orders that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His Church. The external mission was/is to proclaim the Gospel Message to unbelievers, whereas internal mission was/is to make disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) out of those who are born again. Discipleship is initially for the spiritual edification (Matt. 7: 24-27) and conforming of the born again believer into the image (likeness) of Christ (Romans 8: 29), with the long term objective of participating in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.