“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
— Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
A church can have a beautiful auditorium, an impressive choir, well-organised programmes and a growing congregation, yet still lose sight of the reason it exists.
We can become so occupied with maintaining our institutions, organising activities and meeting the needs of our members that we forget the people beyond our walls. Sunday services become the centre of our attention, while the neighbourhood around us remains largely untouched by the message we proclaim.
This is a challenge the Church must continually confront. The Church was not established merely to gather believers; it was commissioned to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.
The Great Commission is not an optional assignment for a few enthusiastic Christians or a special department within the church. It is central to the identity and mission of the Church. Volume 11 of the Sermon Notes Series, The Church and the Great Commission, invites us to consider afresh what it means to be a Church that understands its calling and faithfully carries out its mission.
The commission belongs to the whole Church
After His resurrection, Jesus gathered His disciples and gave them a clear instruction: go and make disciples of all nations. This command, recorded in Matthew 28:18–20, is commonly known as the Great Commission.
It is important to notice that Jesus did not simply ask His followers to attract people to meetings or increase the number of those who identified with a religious institution. He commanded them to make disciples.
There is a difference. Attendance may bring people into a building, but discipleship calls them into a life of following Christ. It involves teaching, nurturing, correction, spiritual growth and obedience to the Word of God.
The assignment was given to the disciples, but its responsibility did not end with that first generation. Every generation of believers inherits the responsibility of bearing witness to Christ and helping others become His followers.
Consequently, evangelism cannot be treated as the exclusive responsibility of pastors, evangelists, missionaries or church workers. Every believer has a part to play. Our gifts, opportunities and circumstances may differ, but the calling to witness remains.
The Church must therefore move beyond the assumption that its mission is being fulfilled simply because its programmes are running and its services are well attended.
The Great Commission begins where we are
When we hear the expression all nations, we may immediately think of distant countries, foreign missionaries and unfamiliar cultures. Those are certainly part of the assignment. But the Great Commission also begins in the places where we live, work, study and conduct our daily affairs.
For the Christian in Lagos, the mission field may be the office, the marketplace, the school, the neighbourhood or the family compound. It may be the colleague who is struggling with life, the neighbour who has never heard a clear presentation of the gospel, or the young person searching for direction and meaning.
We do not have to travel across an ocean before we become missionaries. Sometimes, the first person God places before us is someone who lives across the street.
This does not mean that every conversation must become a sermon. Rather, we should develop a readiness to share the hope we have in Christ, to listen with compassion, to demonstrate His love and to speak about our faith when opportunities arise.
Our conduct also matters. A Christian who speaks about the love of God but consistently treats others with dishonesty, arrogance or cruelty weakens the message being proclaimed. The gospel we share should be reflected in the lives we live.
Evangelism must lead to discipleship
One of the dangers facing the Church is the temptation to measure missionary success by numbers alone. We celebrate the crowd at an evangelistic rally, the number of people who responded to an altar call or the attendance at a special programme. These may be encouraging indicators, but they do not tell the whole story.
Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples, not merely converts.
Discipleship requires commitment beyond the initial response to the gospel. It means helping new believers understand Scripture, develop a life of prayer, participate in Christian fellowship, grow in spiritual maturity and learn to obey Christ.
This is why the instruction in Matthew 28:20 is just as important as the command to go: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
A healthy Church must therefore provide pathways through which people can be nurtured in the faith. Evangelism and discipleship should not operate as unrelated activities. They belong together. We reach people with the gospel, welcome them into the fellowship of believers, help them grow and equip them to become witnesses themselves.
The objective is not simply to fill pews but to develop believers whose lives are increasingly shaped by Christ.
The Holy Spirit empowers the mission
The Great Commission is a demanding assignment. It calls us to cross cultural, social and personal boundaries, confront indifference and remain faithful even when the response is discouraging. Human enthusiasm alone cannot sustain such a responsibility.
Before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8 (NIV)
The disciples were not sent out to depend solely on their intelligence, eloquence or organisational abilities. They were promised the power of the Holy Spirit.
This remains important for the Church today. We need the Spirit’s guidance to recognise opportunities, His wisdom to communicate the gospel, His courage to speak when we are afraid and His grace to remain faithful when the results are not immediately visible.
The Church must therefore be a praying Church. Our missionary efforts should be sustained by dependence on God, not merely by human planning. We must pray for those who have yet to encounter Christ, for those serving in difficult mission fields and for the spiritual renewal of our communities.
A Church that serves its community
The Great Commission must also be understood alongside the example of Jesus, whose ministry combined the proclamation of God’s kingdom with compassion for people.
He taught, healed, fed the hungry, welcomed the rejected and restored dignity to those whom society had marginalised. His concern was not limited to people’s spiritual condition in isolation from their everyday struggles.
The Church must likewise demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways. Caring for vulnerable families, supporting education, visiting prisoners, helping people in distress, promoting reconciliation and standing against injustice are meaningful expressions of Christian responsibility.
These acts of service do not replace the proclamation of the gospel. Neither should humanitarian assistance be used as a substitute for making disciples. Rather, our service should provide a credible expression of the love we proclaim.
A Church that is concerned about its community will not remain indifferent to suffering around it. It will seek opportunities to bring hope, healing and practical assistance while remaining faithful to its spiritual calling.
In a city such as Lagos, with its enormous opportunities and equally significant social challenges, the Church has a responsibility to be more than a collection of worship centres. It must be a living witness to the transforming power of the gospel.
Every believer has a part to play
The Great Commission may appear overwhelming when considered as a global assignment. But it becomes more tangible when we recognise that each believer can contribute to its fulfilment.
Some are called to serve as missionaries in distant places. Others will teach children, mentor young people, support evangelistic work, disciple new believers or share their faith with colleagues and neighbours. Some will provide financial and practical support for those engaged in ministry.
No contribution made in obedience to Christ is insignificant.
Church leaders must also recognise their responsibility to equip members for ministry rather than allowing the work of evangelism to remain concentrated in the hands of a few. The congregation should not be a passive audience but an active community of witnesses.
The question is not whether every member will perform the same task. It is whether every member understands that the mission belongs to the whole Church.
Taking the gospel beyond the walls
The Church must continually examine itself. Are we making disciples? Are we equipping believers to share their faith? Are we reaching people who might never walk into our buildings? Are our communities experiencing the love of Christ through our presence and service?
These are important questions because the Great Commission is not a programme to be conducted occasionally. It is the continuing assignment of the Church.
Our buildings, structures, departments, choirs, ministries and programmes all have their place. But they must serve the greater purpose for which the Church exists.
Be assured of this: the Church is at its best when it is faithful to the mission entrusted to it by Christ. We must gather for worship, fellowship and spiritual nourishment, but we must also go out to proclaim the gospel, make disciples and demonstrate the love of God.
The world is not waiting for another impressive religious institution. It needs a Church that is alive to its calling.
May we never become so comfortable within our walls that we forget the world beyond them.
Reflection
- Do I see the Great Commission as my responsibility or merely the work of pastors and evangelists?
- Who are the people within my immediate environment that I can reach with the love and message of Christ?
- Does my church provide opportunities for new believers to grow into mature disciples?
- How can I contribute more meaningfully to the mission of the Church?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for entrusting Your Church with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Forgive us for the times we have become so occupied with our activities that we have neglected our mission. Give us a renewed passion for the lost, courage to share the gospel and wisdom to nurture those who come to faith. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to make disciples and demonstrate Your love in our communities. May our churches become faithful witnesses, reaching beyond their walls and bringing glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Faith for the City is a weekly exploration of Rev. Dr Kayode Ilupeju’s 12-volume Sermon Notes Series. Week 35 draws on Volume 11, The Church and the Great Commission.
