What is the Great Commission? After Christ’s death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to take the Gospel to the world; the message of His redemption – saving sinners from their sins. Matthew 28:19-20 contains what has come to be called The Great Commission: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Christ gave this command to the apostles shortly before He ascended into heaven, and it outlines what Christ expected the apostles, and those who followed them, to do in His absence.

Acts 1:8 emphasizes that each Christian individually has responsibility to obey the Great Commission: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem [your city], and in all Judaea [your state], and in Samaria [your country], and unto the uttermost part of the earth [the world].

This is Christian missions; but the Christian mission of preaching Christ does not end with a sinner’s salvation. The commission was to make disciples – not immature believers: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: So, Christian missions involves not only evangelism but also discipleship.

In sum, Christian missions is obeying Christ, witnessing for Christ (the Gospel), and making disciples for Christ. Specifically, God sends missionaries through the support of the churches to reach those without Christ (Acts 13). All Christians, however, have this responsibility. The Lord works through you to rescue the lost. What greater commission can you receive?