What is the Most Effective Way to Fulfill the Great Commission?

“…go make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)  If this commission of our Lord is to be carried out, the principle of evangelistic multiplication will have to become a reality in the church: “Still other seed fell into the good soil.  It came up, grew, and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:8)

To fulfill the Great Commission, we must act on the Reformation message that all believers are called to be ministers.  With this spiritual objective in mind, pastors and church leaders must also come to see their disciple-making roles in light of Paul’s words to the Ephesians:  “And God gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

This concept of ministry holds great promise for any church or individual who will take it to heart. First, we must equip our faithful, available, and teachable church members to be Christ’s ministers.  We must help them carry out their God-given work for which they were created.  Paul said, “For we are God’ workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Second, they must be shown a practical transferable process by which these truths and spiritual growth skills can be entrusted to faithful men and women who will then teach and train others.  By using this simple method, spiritual multiplication will begin to take place naturally through their lives.  “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) 

Third, we must instill a worldwide vision in their hearts.  They need to see their own individual importance in God’s eternal plan for reaching the world for Christ.  They must purpose by faith not to be weak links in God’s spiritual chain, so that the witness of the gospel may soon be heard in every nation in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ!  “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)