Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

This month, we will focus on missions. Missions is a vital part of any believer’s story. In the following weeks we will touch on some of the usual excuses for not being involved in missions, but this post, we will be looking at why missions is important. We see this in Jesus’ last recorded words of His ministry, the Great Commission.

His Authority

Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Matthew 28:18

Jesus begins His Great Commission by addressing the doubts and fears of man. It is human nature to question how it will go when we take part in missions. Jesus knows these doubts and questions will arise so He reminds us of His absolute authority. Jesus does not promise that every person we share the gospel with will radically accept it, but that everything that happens will be under His authority. When you realize Jesus’ authority, there is no more room for doubts to stop you. In every interaction, you will be under the sovereign authority of God. That should light a fire under you to share the gospel with everyone you come into contact with, and maybe even to go out to those you don’t usually come into contact with.

Our Calling

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19

Jesus’ command to go extends beyond the people we normally come into contact with. While we should be sharing the gospel with them, believers are supposed to go out of their comfort zone to share the gospel. The Christian life is not a life of comfort. The Christian walk often takes us off the beaten path. Go out of your way to spread the Word of God. Take on the God-given mission of going out into the world and sharing the gospel. Do not merely realize the authority of God and remain in your safe, comfortable bubble, take it to those who haven’t heard the good news. Jesus says to go out to all the nations, if that is something for you, go. Most people are not called to go internationally for longterm missions, you can still support it through prayer and sending, all while you go on domestic trips or reaching out to your own city. Obey Jesus’ command of going out and spreading the gospel. It is not just for the special few; it is a staple in every Christian’s walk.

Lasting Discipleship

Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

After Jesus commands us to go, He gives what we are to share. We are to share all of what Jesus has said. Across His three-year ministry, Jesus spoke hard truths. We are not to sugarcoat His words. His words have power, whether to lift up or to convict the heart. Furthermore, we are not only to teach others about God, but to build up disciples of God. This means more than knowing Bible trivia; it is about having a deep relationship with God. We should teach them to study and understand God’s Word independently. Missions is not successful if it does not bring lasting impact. Missions done right is Christians sent out to all the nations, raising up independent learners who can then share the gospel with people around them. The Word of God has the power to change people and spread like wildfire. Be an active participant in God changing the nations one person at a time.