Great Commission Strategy

When talking about the Great Commission many people focus on either the Matthew Great Commission or the Mark Great Commission.  Rarely do you ever hear someone talk about both being essential to our calling as Christians.

You’ll hear something like “we need to preach to everybody!”

or

“The Great Commission is about making disciples.”

When it’s really about both.

So here are the two:

¹⁵He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  Mark 16:15-18

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

So the Mark passage is all about Preaching to Everyone & the Matthew passage is about teaching or discipling all the nations.

Just a quick note on the Matthew Passage.  It says to make disciples of nations.  For too long we’ve been content to make disciples in nations when Jesus specifically commanded us to make disciples of nations.

Okay…I digress.

I believe the Mark commission is a generational commission whereas the Matthew commission is a multi-generational commission.

Mark says to preach to every creature in the planet.  Lets say you finally find the last person on the planet who needs to hear about the Kingdom and you go up to them and begin to tell them how awesome Jesus is.  And you’re so excited because this is the “last person” on the planet!

And while you’re sharing the 4 spiritual laws, or whatever method you prefer, a baby is born at that very second.  In fact, in 2008 they figured out that 4 babies are born every second in the world.

So even if you have your gospel presentation down to 10 seconds 40 people have been born around the planet that you now need to go find!

Therefore the Mark Commission is every single generation’s responsibility because it is a perpetual work.

Now the Matthew Commission is a Multi-Generational command.  Meaning you can do the work now and it will last 3 generations down the line.

I learned about this from non other than the golden arches, McDonald’s.

You can go to a MickeyD’s anywhere in the world and have the same experience nearly every single time.  Ever wonder why?

It’s because this guy named Ray Croc got together with the McDonald brothers years ago and saw that they had something going for them.  So Ray asked himself “How can I systematize this process so I can hand the system to a 15 year old kid and they can run it?”

And that’s what he did.  He created a system that to this day is used all over the world.  They basically sell you a business in a box for a million dollars.  You put the system to work and it will work for you.

What does this have to do with the Great Commission?

Everything!

Jesus told us in the Matthew Passage that we are supposed to teach the nations to obey his commands.  If Ray can do it with hamburgers; If he can teach a system that to this day works around the world if he’s there or not, surely we can teach a way to obey the commands of Jesus that will work in the nations no matter if we’re still alive or not.

And since we’re lining up the nations to the very design of the creator of the universe.  It will work!

Just think…what if we taught Government officials & business men how to really obey the command of Jesus to let your yes be yes, and your no be no.  That would make an amazing difference in our planet!

I believe in this so much that I write articles on this site about how to obey the commands of Jesus.  I’d love your input also!  So go visit those posts and leave a comment!

Many Blessings,

RK Castillo

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt 4:19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

First of all, Jesus calls us because he sees potential in us. He calls us because he likes us. A rabbi in the days of Jesus only called disciples he knew could be just like him.

Secondly, we follow him. We don’t follow anyone other than Jesus.

Our assignment is connected with our calling. Jesus didn’t just call his disciples to follow him. He also gave them an assignment “I will make you fishers of men”. If they chose to follow him, he will then train them, make them and take them into their real destiny. Which was Catching men.

Maybe some people will hear the call of Jesus to himself and then will get training in business, government, education, etc. He calls us and we follow him into the places he wants to go.

So how do you live this out on a daily basis? And how do you teach others to obey this? I have a couple opinions but I would love to hear how you obey & teach this command to others. So please leave a comment below sharing how you do this!

Action Points:

For me the most basic key to actually living this command on a daily basis is knowing the voice of God.  When the disciples were called to follow Jesus they followed Jesus physically.  They could talk to him, ask him questions.  They could even smell his body odor!

But for you and me we have something even better than that!  We have the Holy Spirit.  And we live by the Spirit and not by rules.  So…if we’re going to follow Jesus.  We need to understand the leading of the Spirit.

And for me the way I am led by the Spirit is by understanding his voice.  It’s not necessarily an audible voice.  Sometimes it’s a feeling that I should, or shouldn’t, do something.  Sometimes it’s a thought.  It can be all sorts of things.  God even spoke to a guy through a donkey in the Bible!

The best way to discern what is God’s voice and what is your voice.  Is by practice.  When I first met my wife I didn’t know her voice from any other lady’s voice.  Now when she calls me I know it’s hear easily.  It works the same with God.

You feel like he is leading you to do something.  So you do it.  And see the results.  That’s how it works!

Many Blessings as you begin to follow Jesus & teach others how to obey this as well!