Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the most directly referenced source for Jesus' teachings in the New Testament...They are accounts of Jesus' life, ministry, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection, written by early Christians...In essence, while there isn't a single verse that says "read the Gospels," the New Testament strongly emphasizes the importance of Jesus' teachings and the early church's focus on spreading His message and Teachings...The Gospels serve as the primary source for understanding Jesus' teachings and life...
The Disciples in the Great Commission of Jesus are told to go out and spread the Word about Him, about His teachings and life...And they did it in a proper way because they had been eyewitnesses to His Majesty for three years...Then Jesus came to them and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me...Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...And surely I AM with you always, to the very end of the age.”...They were to teach others about Jesus, just as we are to teach others about Him...This is an ongoing mission for Jesus' followers, because all the past Disciples have passed, and we are Jesus' current generation...And thus, when we think about it, our children are the very last of Jesus' followers until they teach their next generation...
C. S. Lewis had ideas on what we as current Disciples should focus on when talking to others and what the church also should focus on when His Word is spread and he wrote: “It is easy to think that the Church has a lot of different objects—education, building, missions, holding services...Just as it is easy to think the State has a lot of different objects—military, political, economic, and what not...But in a way things are much simpler than that...The State exists simply to promote and to protect the ordinary happiness of human beings in this life...A husband and wife chatting over a fire, a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub, a man reading a book in his own room or digging in his own garden—that is what the State is there for...And unless they are helping to increase and prolong and protect such moments, all the laws, parliaments, armies, courts, police, economics, etc., are simply a waste of time...In the same way the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs...If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.”...
Lewis is telling us we are to be more like Jesus...We are to be little-Christs...So those who do not know Jesus, the Gospel or God, how do they learn about these Two Most Important things?...We as disciples of His are to make others like Him...Listening to one or a group who has not read the gospels, might make the Gospels just a set of alien principles, when they explain them to others may not be helpful...How do they know what Jesus taught (if they never read about the Gospel), and maybe learning things without realizing that this is not really the Truth, the Way, and the Life?...In other words, not only do we fail to be the salt and light of the world, we are teaching others about a lost culture that does not include the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the Light of the World and Universe, if we are unaware of the four gospels of Jesus...So we may end up where our learned actions and comments end up are being shaped into our communities and culture in a negative way...Since we are the salt and light of the world we must flavor and brighten the world...We must know Jesus and His Teachings...Salt enhances the flavor of food...And the Light brightens and enhances the world...The Light makes us feel good and feel better...Jesus tells us that His followers can add something positive to the world, and make life more meaningful and fulfilling to others with this Great Light and this flavorful salt...
Nancy Pearcey writes this about relying on something or someone else for our thoughts on God and His Son and taking up views from others: “If Christians do not develop their own tools of analysis, then when issues come up that they want to understand, they'll reach over and borrow someone else's tools- whatever concepts are generally accepted in their general field or in the culture at large...But when they do that, Os Guiness writes, they don't realize that "They are borrowing not an isolated tool, but a whole philosophical toolbox laden with tools which have their own particular bias to every problem."...They may even end up absorbing an entire set of alien principles without even realizing it...In other words, not only do we fail to be salt and light to a lost culture, but we ourselves may end up being shaped by our culture.”...
Pearcey adds: “The danger is that is Christians do not consciously develop a biblical approach to a subject, then we will unconsciously absorb some other philosophical approach.”...“Biblical theology itself can be understood as a narrative...The story line has three fundamental turning points—creation, fall, and redemption (leading to a final glorification)...The account begins with creation, which means that even today, the world continues to bear signs of the beauty and wonder of its original creation...But its perfection was shattered by the tragedy of the fall into sin, erupting into war, injustice, and oppression...Throughout history, the forces of good and evil have engaged in cosmic battle—until, finally, history reached its climax in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ...In Christ, God Himself entered the space/time world to share the human condition...By suffering injustice and death Himself, He broke their power over us...Ever since that great turning point, God has been applying the effects of salvation to liberate captives and regain territory.”...
The book of Acts chronicles the early church, where believers actively spread the message of Jesus (Acts 1:8)...This serves as an example for later generations of Christians...However, how Christians fulfill the Great Commission can vary depending on denomination and personal beliefs...Sharing your faith with others might involve personal conversations, acts of service that reflect Jesus' teachings, or simply living a life that exemplifies Christian values...Some Christians feel called to a more formal ministry role, becoming pastors, missionaries, or religious teachers....And some will emphasize living a little Christ-like life and allowing that to be a testament to their faith that others will learn from...