It Begins With You And It Starts At Home

The Great Commission is a global commission!

All too often it seems that people default to thinking about foreign missions when they begin to ponder the Great Commission. While this is a fundamental part of the Great Commission, it is certainly not the whole of the Great Commission. Acts 1:8 says "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I have had this verse explained to me this way:
Jerusalem=Family
Judea=Friends
Samaria=Foes
End of the Earth=Foreigners

I know that this analysis of the verse breaks down on some levels and is not perfect but it has certainly changed the way that I think of the Great Commission. We are not supposed to only obey part of the Great Commission. We are to obey the whole of it. While it is not possible to go to every ends of the Earth individually, we are still responsible for sending...that is why  the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offerings are so vital. They enable us to send. But...

To obey the whole of the Great Commission is to begin at home with family. The way in which we live out our discipleship in front of our families speaks volumes of the authenticity of our relationship with Christ. It is simply not enough to put our "Christian" hats on at church. To follow Jesus is to follow Him wherever He might go and trust me it is His desire to be a part of our homes. Modeling Christ-likeness to your family may very well be the greatest influence that they have to become followers of Jesus for themselves. Being His witnesses requires that we bear testimony of our encounters with His Holiness wherever we have opportunity. What greater purpose can we have than to influence people to follow Him? What greater blessing can we receive than to lead those closest to us into a meaningful relationship with the King of Kings?

To fulfill the Great Commission is to make the final words of Christ on this Earth our first priority. Make it a priority in your life to fulfill the Great Commission at home with the people who are closest to you.

The next step of obedience is to be His witnesses in your "Judea". Your friends...your community. That will be the subject of my next post. 

Thanks for reading!