Who is the Great Commission For?
“You have three choices in world missions: be a joyful, sacrificial goer, be a joyful, sacrificial sender, or be disobedient.” - John Piper
Do you remember that old song “I’m in the Lord’s Army”?
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army!
I hate that song. Now, before you get offended and think I’m going to disparage fond memories with your favorite Sunday school teacher (shout out to Mrs. Nixon), relax. This is not a hill I’m going to die on. If I hear you singing that song with your child, I won’t say a word. In fact, I’ll probably join in with a salute and a hearty “YES SIR!” at the end. But the fact of the matter is, many people feel they are “bench warmer” Christians. They know they are on God’s team, but probably aren’t going to see any playing time. They don’t really think they have an important role to play when it comes to advancing the Gospel of Jesus. They live out their Christianity largely in solitude and just try to get out of the way for other “more mature” Christians to do the leg work of fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). And speaking of global missions? Forget it!
Respectfully I say, NO! The Great Commission was a command given directly to the disciples, but indirectly is just as much a command for us today. God did not intend for there to be any bench warmer Christians. Be encouraged, dear brothers and sisters. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living inside you (Romans 8:11), and rest assured He is not satisfied to let his power sit idle.
You may say, “Steven, I feel totally unqualified and inadequate to be used by God to fulfill the Great Commission.” To that I say, GOOD! You should feel that way, because you are. But the beauty of the Great Commission (and the Christian life in general) is that the last thing Jesus says is, “...And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus did not give us this command only to let us figure it out on our own. No, we have the triune God of the universe on our side. Through the love of the Father, the salvation of the Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can (as we sang last Sunday) cause the bowels of hell to shake.
Even still you may say, “Steven, I’m not called to go to Africa and be a missionary. My mission field is right here in my backyard.” To that I say, AMEN! Keep laboring in that mission field. However, just because you’re not called to go to a foreign country to be a missionary doesn’t mean you don’t also have a role to play in global missions. All the geographical circles from Acts 1:8 apply to us, not just one. Put in a modern day context Jesus might say, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Las Vegas, in all Nevada and the United States, and to the ends of the earth.”
Every Christian has a role to play in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Just like in the church we all have different gifts that perfectly come together (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), so too in the Great Commission we have different roles that perfectly come together (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Like John Piper said, if you’re not called to go, then you’re called to send.
So if we are not called to go, how do we be joyful, sacrificial senders? Let’s think about the O’s. They are a family that was called by God out of our church to be goers to Macedonia. The Apostle Paul (one of the first missionaries) has some suggestions on how we can support them. One way is by supporting them financially and sending them gifts. Paul received so much in the way of material needs from local churches (2 Corinthians 11:9, Philippians 4:15-16, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Another way is by going to see them. Paul loved being with people from his supporting churches for encouragement and help (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13, Acts 13:5). A third way is by praying for them. Paul clearly wanted his supporters to pray for him (Romans 15:30-32, 2 Corinthians 1:10-11, Ephesians 6:18-20, Philippians 1:19, Colossians 4:2-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Our church has a special opportunity to support the O’s starting next week. Seven of us from SRC will be headed to Macedonia to visit the Os and serve alongside them for a week in their mission field. We will be prayer walking through the city of Gostivar for the Lord to soften hearts and open doors for the proclamation of the gospel. We hope that through our few days there, the Lord will pave the way for other believers like the Os to take the gospel into this city that is composed of nearly 99% muslims. Would you also pray for us as we go? Pray for Pastor John and Angela, Tiffany Cooper, Tricia Coblentz, Mike Weyand, and my wife Danica and me that we be an encouragement to the Os, a blessing to the people of Macedonia, and obedient to follow how the Holy Spirit leads us while we are there. Your prayers are so important. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” Would you commit to being joyful, sacrificial senders with us?
In Him,
Steven Henry
P.S. If you enjoyed hearing my dad preach at SRC this summer, and you would like to learn more about how to be a good sender, check out episode 21 of the Learning Laborers podcast titled, Providing Pastoral Care for Missionaries with Steve Henry.
Do you remember that old song “I’m in the Lord’s Army”?
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army!
I hate that song. Now, before you get offended and think I’m going to disparage fond memories with your favorite Sunday school teacher (shout out to Mrs. Nixon), relax. This is not a hill I’m going to die on. If I hear you singing that song with your child, I won’t say a word. In fact, I’ll probably join in with a salute and a hearty “YES SIR!” at the end. But the fact of the matter is, many people feel they are “bench warmer” Christians. They know they are on God’s team, but probably aren’t going to see any playing time. They don’t really think they have an important role to play when it comes to advancing the Gospel of Jesus. They live out their Christianity largely in solitude and just try to get out of the way for other “more mature” Christians to do the leg work of fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). And speaking of global missions? Forget it!
Respectfully I say, NO! The Great Commission was a command given directly to the disciples, but indirectly is just as much a command for us today. God did not intend for there to be any bench warmer Christians. Be encouraged, dear brothers and sisters. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living inside you (Romans 8:11), and rest assured He is not satisfied to let his power sit idle.
You may say, “Steven, I feel totally unqualified and inadequate to be used by God to fulfill the Great Commission.” To that I say, GOOD! You should feel that way, because you are. But the beauty of the Great Commission (and the Christian life in general) is that the last thing Jesus says is, “...And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus did not give us this command only to let us figure it out on our own. No, we have the triune God of the universe on our side. Through the love of the Father, the salvation of the Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can (as we sang last Sunday) cause the bowels of hell to shake.
Even still you may say, “Steven, I’m not called to go to Africa and be a missionary. My mission field is right here in my backyard.” To that I say, AMEN! Keep laboring in that mission field. However, just because you’re not called to go to a foreign country to be a missionary doesn’t mean you don’t also have a role to play in global missions. All the geographical circles from Acts 1:8 apply to us, not just one. Put in a modern day context Jesus might say, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Las Vegas, in all Nevada and the United States, and to the ends of the earth.”
Every Christian has a role to play in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Just like in the church we all have different gifts that perfectly come together (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), so too in the Great Commission we have different roles that perfectly come together (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Like John Piper said, if you’re not called to go, then you’re called to send.
So if we are not called to go, how do we be joyful, sacrificial senders? Let’s think about the O’s. They are a family that was called by God out of our church to be goers to Macedonia. The Apostle Paul (one of the first missionaries) has some suggestions on how we can support them. One way is by supporting them financially and sending them gifts. Paul received so much in the way of material needs from local churches (2 Corinthians 11:9, Philippians 4:15-16, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Another way is by going to see them. Paul loved being with people from his supporting churches for encouragement and help (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13, Acts 13:5). A third way is by praying for them. Paul clearly wanted his supporters to pray for him (Romans 15:30-32, 2 Corinthians 1:10-11, Ephesians 6:18-20, Philippians 1:19, Colossians 4:2-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Our church has a special opportunity to support the O’s starting next week. Seven of us from SRC will be headed to Macedonia to visit the Os and serve alongside them for a week in their mission field. We will be prayer walking through the city of Gostivar for the Lord to soften hearts and open doors for the proclamation of the gospel. We hope that through our few days there, the Lord will pave the way for other believers like the Os to take the gospel into this city that is composed of nearly 99% muslims. Would you also pray for us as we go? Pray for Pastor John and Angela, Tiffany Cooper, Tricia Coblentz, Mike Weyand, and my wife Danica and me that we be an encouragement to the Os, a blessing to the people of Macedonia, and obedient to follow how the Holy Spirit leads us while we are there. Your prayers are so important. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” Would you commit to being joyful, sacrificial senders with us?
In Him,
Steven Henry
P.S. If you enjoyed hearing my dad preach at SRC this summer, and you would like to learn more about how to be a good sender, check out episode 21 of the Learning Laborers podcast titled, Providing Pastoral Care for Missionaries with Steve Henry.
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