The Great Commission: From Comfort to Christ's Command
What if the most important thing you could do today wasn't about you at all?
We live in a world obsessed with personal comfort, individual preferences, and customized experiences. From our coffee orders to our social media feeds, everything is tailored to our liking. But what happens when this mindset seeps into our faith? What happens when we start treating the church like a private club designed to meet our needs rather than a mission outpost designed to reach the world?
We live in a world obsessed with personal comfort, individual preferences, and customized experiences. From our coffee orders to our social media feeds, everything is tailored to our liking. But what happens when this mindset seeps into our faith? What happens when we start treating the church like a private club designed to meet our needs rather than a mission outpost designed to reach the world?
The Mission That Cannot Be Ignored
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus delivers what we call the Great Commission. He declares, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
These aren't suggestions. Jesus didn't convene a committee meeting or take a vote. He didn't ask if this aligned with anyone's five-year plan. He simply commanded it. This mission comes directly from the one who holds all authority in heaven and earth, which means it's not up for debate, modification, or postponement.
The early church didn't spread across the globe because believers stayed comfortable in their synagogues. Christianity exploded because ordinary people were set on fire with the mission to share the gospel message with everyone they encountered. They understood something we often forget: we are not called to sit and be served, but to go and serve.
These aren't suggestions. Jesus didn't convene a committee meeting or take a vote. He didn't ask if this aligned with anyone's five-year plan. He simply commanded it. This mission comes directly from the one who holds all authority in heaven and earth, which means it's not up for debate, modification, or postponement.
The early church didn't spread across the globe because believers stayed comfortable in their synagogues. Christianity exploded because ordinary people were set on fire with the mission to share the gospel message with everyone they encountered. They understood something we often forget: we are not called to sit and be served, but to go and serve.
The Question that Confronts Us All
Here's the uncomfortable question we must ask ourselves: Are we more focused on our comfort or Christ's command?
Think about private golf clubs for a moment. They exist to restrict access to the general public so the course can be beautifully maintained for members only. The exclusivity is the point. But the church is not a private club. It's not a place we hold onto, maintaining it exactly how we've always done it, preserving our preferences at all costs.
The church is open to everyone. Growth isn't something to fear or resist—it's an answered prayer. That person you haven't met yet, the one who might sit in "your" seat next Sunday, isn't an inconvenience. They're the reason we exist. They're the person you've been praying for, even if you didn't know their name.
What if we became a church that prayed for people we haven't even met yet? Can you imagine the welcome they would receive when they finally walked through the doors?
Think about private golf clubs for a moment. They exist to restrict access to the general public so the course can be beautifully maintained for members only. The exclusivity is the point. But the church is not a private club. It's not a place we hold onto, maintaining it exactly how we've always done it, preserving our preferences at all costs.
The church is open to everyone. Growth isn't something to fear or resist—it's an answered prayer. That person you haven't met yet, the one who might sit in "your" seat next Sunday, isn't an inconvenience. They're the reason we exist. They're the person you've been praying for, even if you didn't know their name.
What if we became a church that prayed for people we haven't even met yet? Can you imagine the welcome they would receive when they finally walked through the doors?
The Sacrifice That Changes Everything
Philippians 2:3-8 cuts to the heart of the matter: "Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."
Notice the phrase "others, too." This doesn't mean we ignore our own needs entirely, but it does mean our interests cannot be the only thing we're pursuing. The passage continues by pointing to Jesus as our example—the one who, though he was God, gave up his divine privileges, took the humble position of a slave, and died a criminal's death on a cross.
If Jesus was willing to sacrifice everything for us, how can we cling so tightly to our preferences, our traditions, our comfort zones?
Notice the phrase "others, too." This doesn't mean we ignore our own needs entirely, but it does mean our interests cannot be the only thing we're pursuing. The passage continues by pointing to Jesus as our example—the one who, though he was God, gave up his divine privileges, took the humble position of a slave, and died a criminal's death on a cross.
If Jesus was willing to sacrifice everything for us, how can we cling so tightly to our preferences, our traditions, our comfort zones?
Love: The Proof of Discipleship
Jesus gave us a new commandment in John 13:34-35: "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
Read that last sentence again. The world will know we follow Jesus by how we love each other—not by our theological knowledge, not by how long we've attended church, not by our worship style or building aesthetics. They'll know by our love.
We've all heard of "church hurt"—people who walked away from faith because of how they were treated by other believers. When we fail to love one another, we don't just create an uncomfortable environment; we actively disprove our claim to be Jesus' disciples.
A loving church will be a growing church because God blesses efforts that align with his word. But here's the challenging truth: a growing church means a changing church. We cannot do the same things for decades and expect to reach new generations. The people who need Jesus today won't necessarily fit into yesterday's context.
Read that last sentence again. The world will know we follow Jesus by how we love each other—not by our theological knowledge, not by how long we've attended church, not by our worship style or building aesthetics. They'll know by our love.
We've all heard of "church hurt"—people who walked away from faith because of how they were treated by other believers. When we fail to love one another, we don't just create an uncomfortable environment; we actively disprove our claim to be Jesus' disciples.
A loving church will be a growing church because God blesses efforts that align with his word. But here's the challenging truth: a growing church means a changing church. We cannot do the same things for decades and expect to reach new generations. The people who need Jesus today won't necessarily fit into yesterday's context.
From Consumer to Producer
One of the most dangerous mindsets we can adopt is that of a consumer. The phrase "the customer is always right" has no place in the church. We are not customers; we are employees of the Most High God, given a commission and a command.
When we show up to church asking, "What can the church do for me?" we've missed the point entirely. The right question is, "What can I do for Christ through his church?"
Worship isn't a performance for our enjoyment—it's a gift we offer to God. Service isn't about recognition or getting to do what we want—it's about alignment with God's mission to show people the love of Jesus.
When we show up to church asking, "What can the church do for me?" we've missed the point entirely. The right question is, "What can I do for Christ through his church?"
Worship isn't a performance for our enjoyment—it's a gift we offer to God. Service isn't about recognition or getting to do what we want—it's about alignment with God's mission to show people the love of Jesus.
The Urgency of Now
Romans 10:14-15 poses critical questions: "How can they believe if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear unless someone tells them?"
Someone told you about Jesus. Maybe a parent, a friend, a stranger, or a book. Someone shared the gospel with you, and now you have the opportunity to spend eternity with the Creator of the universe. You cannot keep that to yourself.
Picture Jesus in his final moments before ascending to heaven. After living a full human life, enduring ministry, dying an undeserved death, battling and defeating death itself, and spending 40 days revealing his resurrected body to hundreds of people—as he's about to return to glory, he stops. One more thing, he says. Love each other the way I have loved you, and go spread the gospel to all ends of the earth.
If those were his final words before leaving earth, they must have been important.
Someone told you about Jesus. Maybe a parent, a friend, a stranger, or a book. Someone shared the gospel with you, and now you have the opportunity to spend eternity with the Creator of the universe. You cannot keep that to yourself.
Picture Jesus in his final moments before ascending to heaven. After living a full human life, enduring ministry, dying an undeserved death, battling and defeating death itself, and spending 40 days revealing his resurrected body to hundreds of people—as he's about to return to glory, he stops. One more thing, he says. Love each other the way I have loved you, and go spread the gospel to all ends of the earth.
If those were his final words before leaving earth, they must have been important.
The Call to Action
So what now? Three simple steps:
Pray. Pray for opportunities to reach someone new. Pray for your church to be a place where people who don't know Jesus feel attracted and welcome. Prepare your heart to actually welcome those who walk through the doors.
Serve. Find somewhere to serve in your church. Not for recognition, not for a microphone, but because it's the right thing to do in accordance with God's word and in alignment with the mission of showing people the love of Jesus.
Commit to the vision. Jesus gave us a blueprint in Matthew 28. The vision is to make disciples, not spectators. That starts with you.
The Great Commission isn't something we can opt out of because we've been Christians for a long time. It's not on hold until circumstances are perfect. It's not someone else's responsibility.
How will they know about Jesus if they don't hear about him? And how will they hear unless someone tells them?
That someone is you.
Pray. Pray for opportunities to reach someone new. Pray for your church to be a place where people who don't know Jesus feel attracted and welcome. Prepare your heart to actually welcome those who walk through the doors.
Serve. Find somewhere to serve in your church. Not for recognition, not for a microphone, but because it's the right thing to do in accordance with God's word and in alignment with the mission of showing people the love of Jesus.
Commit to the vision. Jesus gave us a blueprint in Matthew 28. The vision is to make disciples, not spectators. That starts with you.
The Great Commission isn't something we can opt out of because we've been Christians for a long time. It's not on hold until circumstances are perfect. It's not someone else's responsibility.
How will they know about Jesus if they don't hear about him? And how will they hear unless someone tells them?
That someone is you.
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