Connect, Convert, Disciple,
Equip, Empower
T
HE GREAT COMMISSION provides the marching orders and relate personally with them. The literal translation of “go
for the Church. If we fail in obeying this mandate, we fail into all the world” is “as you are going.” If we are to win a hear-
completely. J. Phillip Hogan said, “The harvest is not mea- ing among those who are lost, we must go where they are, get-
sured by the grain in the barn, but rather by the wheat ting to know them and allowing them to get to know us. We are
still standing in the field.” A church might have great buildings, to engage the culture—to be in the world but not of the world.
large budgets, and even an enviable reputation, but if the Great We can allow our churches to become little islands isolated
Commission is not being fulfilled, there is a serious default. from the culture in which we live. Outside observers sometimes
According to Georg F. Vicedom, “The Bible in its totality label our churches a separate subculture. There is a healthy ten-
ascribes only one intention to God: to save mankind. Every task sion between being “all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22)
of the church makes sense and has a purpose only as it leads to and “contend[ing] earnestly for the faith which was once deliv-
the mission.” God calls each of us—corporately and individual- ered to the saints” (Jude 3). We don’t have to compromise our
ly—to have a part in telling the world the good news and invit- beliefs to gain connections with the unsaved, but connecting is
ing men and women to follow Him. where obedience to the Great Commission begins.
Obeying the Great Commission means more than getting peo-
ple saved, although that is certainly the starting point. It also calls
Converting
us to disciple them. It is 2 Timothy 2:2 in action: “The things that “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suf-
you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to fer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and
faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,
The scope of the Great Commission can be understood only beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47, NKJV).
when we consider all of the statements of the Commission men- Another dimension of the Great Commission is conversion.
tioned in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Christ plainly states that repentance and forgiveness of sins
must be preached to all peoples. Repentance is not a slight
Connecting
change of direction, but a 180-degree about-face. It is a radical
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He change—a crisis experience.
who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe In our teaching and preaching we must keep emphasizing
will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In the radical nature of conversion. Without this understanding,
My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; people can turn over a new leaf but continue living much as
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by they did in their pre-conversion life. It is not a new leaf that
no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will people need; it is a new life! Jim Wilson, in Future Church,
recover” (Mark 16:15-18, NKJV). observes: “The voice on the road to Damascus didn’t coach Saul
Mark’s recording of the Great Commission illustrates the on how to get along with people of other faiths or how to bring
need for connection. That is, we must go where the people are his temper under control. Saul didn’t need to master his own
6 EVANGEL • SEP 2009
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