Our Great Commission
Do you know what Jesus said should be the duty of every disciple? How well do you feel you are accomplishing His strategy for church growth? Sadly, too often people today consider that only the leaders should do the work of the ministry. However, Paul actually taught that it was the job of the leaders to teach the disciples to do their God-given jobs! Ephesians 4:11-12, “11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Therefore, today’s message is designed to help you fulfill Jesus’, “Great Commission!”
SERIES SCRIPTURE
Psalm 48:1-2,9-10,14; “1 Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. 9 Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. 10 Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”
REVIEW
- OUR GREAT CITY: The New Jerusalem, also known as Mt. Zion, will be the 1,400 square mile city that Jesus will reign from for all eternity with His people. Until that time, God’s chosen people (i.e., “the church”) are the temple of God and are preparing the nations to become citizens of that great city. Hence the name for our church being, “Metro Praise International,” which stands for, “New Jerusalem, a city of praise unto God in all the nations,” Jeremiah 33:9.
- OUR GREAT VISION: MPI’s vision is, “Loving God and Loving People,” Mark 12:28-31. We believe we should love God by (1) Worshipping Him in spirit and truth, John 4:23 and (2) By obeying all of His commands, John 14:15. We believe we should love people by, (1) Helping them in their time of need, 1 John 3:17 and (2) By proclaiming the Gospel to them, Romans 1:16.
SERMON SCRIPTURE
Matthew 28:16-20, “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.”
TERMS
- COMMISSION: An instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people. According to Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 the disciples’ great commission (duty) is to be, “a disciple that makes disciples.”
- STRATEGY: A plan, method, or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result. MPI’s discipleship strategy (method) for fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission is, “Connect, Mentor, & Send.”
MPI’S THREEFOLD STRATEGY TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION
1-CONNECT
First, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Therefore, we believe all people should be connected to God by the following three ways:
- Being born again, John 3:3.
- Remaining connected to Jesus, John 15:4.
- Being connected to a good church, Acts 2:46.
We believe the best way to do this is by regularly attending our services and joining one of our life groups.
2-MENTOR
Second, Jesus then said in Matthew 28:19-20, “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.” Therefore, we believe all people should be mentored by God and made disciples in the following four ways:
- Being teachable, 2 Timothy 2:2.
- Staying accountable, James 5:16.
- Acting as a servant, Matthew 23:11.
- Always hungering for God and His righteousness, Matthew 5:6.
We believe the best way to do this is by finding a mentor and joining our 101 & 201 discipleship classes.
3-SEND
Third, the Bible records in Mark 16:20, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Therefore, we believe all people should be sent by God as ordained elders and deacons to preach the gospel by always doing the following four things:
- Seeing the Lord, Matthew 28:20.
- Seeing the harvest, John 4:35.
- Seeing the need, Romans 10:14-15.
- Seeing your personal ministry, 1 Corinthians 12:27.
We believe the best way to be sent out to preach is to do street evangelism and make a new disciple.
