Think of a time when you started a brand-new job. You may have been excited, or nervous, or a combination of the two. On your first day, you were probably escorted around the office to meet your co-workers, find the bathrooms, breakrooms and office supplies. You likely visited the human resources (HR) department, where someone probably handed you an onboarding packet or asked you to watch a video.
The onboarding packet or video typically helps you understand your new employer’s mission, vision, and values––what the company stands for and why they exist.
Now, imagine you went through the full onboarding process and were shown to your desk. But, there was just one problem: no one had shared a job description with you. In the interview and onboarding process, everyone talked freely about the company’s purpose, culture and dress code (casual, but no t-shirts, please!).
You were told what the company is best known for, what they aim to achieve in the coming years, and whether or not your Labradoodle can come to the office on Fridays. But when it came right down to what you were actually going to do in this new role, your understanding was pretty hazy.
This, friends, is the condition of the church.
Jesus followers have a pretty firm understanding of what their church stands for, why it exists, and whether it’s raising money to rebuild an orphanage in Haiti or add a community gym in its back parking lot. Because of that, we are able to show up every Sunday, chat with our peers, give to causes, and try––to the best of our ability––to love God and our neighbors.
Friends, here is the VERY good news. When you said yes to following Jesus, that was the moment you opted in to His mission. Followers follow their leader, and our leader has a mission.
Stop thinking about being called as an “if” question, and start thinking of it as a “how” question.
You’re in! Now What?
Jesus’ message more than 2,000 years ago is the ultimate corporate values statement for the church:
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40, New International Version).
Jesus’ words are crystal clear. We exist to worship God with every part of ourselves––to the core of our beings––and we are to afford all the kindness, grace, respect and love to our neighbors as we would hope to receive.
These words from Jesus, known as the Great Commandment, are very instructive to us as His followers. Thanks to Him, we know how to approach God and the world. But this is only part of the story. What’s missing is our marching orders––our actual job description.
At a practical, tangible level, what does the Christian life look like? What are we actually supposed to do every day? What does our role entail as God’s representatives here on Earth?
If you’ve attended church for any stretch of time, you might be thinking now about your various volunteer roles within your church’s ministries. Whether you’ve folded programs or played with babies in the nursery, collected food supplies for the church pantry, or served as a parking lot attendant on Sundays, you’ve intentionally played a part in the operation of your church.
You’ve embraced a role––probably multiple roles. And you know what? Your effort matters.
Every single one of those volunteer activities is important, both for the health of the church and for the people it serves. Your willingness to serve is one way you are honoring the Great Commandment, by loving God and others.
However, the Great Commandment is just part of the story.
Next Step? The Great Commission
“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…” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV).
Let’s all pause now for a moment of silence. Because that’s a lot to take in. In fact, you might be thinking about inching your way toward the nearest church exit right now.
If you’re thinking, “Whoa. Wait! That sounds like a job for missionaries and church leaders. That’s not a task for regular people like me,” then I’m here to assure you, gently, that it is for regular people like you and me. I’ll also tell you that it is normal for you to have this reaction.
To be sure, if you’re like most Christians, this moment in Scripture can feel incredibly overwhelming, which makes it enticing to skim over or point a finger elsewhere. In fact, I think it would be abnormal if you were to read Matthew 28:19-20, sit with it for a while, and feel overwhelmingly confident. I mean, it’s loaded with elements that would make anyone in their right mind uncomfortable.
I’m supposed to go? Where? And make disciples? “Make” sounds a little coercive. And I need to do this across all nations? Even the dangerous ones? And baptize people? I’m definitely not qualified for that. And this whole “teach them to obey” thing––I can’t even get my dog to stop jumping up on the furniture! How can I teach another human to surrender to you, God?
The barrage of self-doubt, negativity, and feelings of being ill-equipped for the task has the potential to snowball, creating a mountain of perceived incompetence so high, it seems insurmountable. You might even throw your hands up and say something like “I did not sign up for this!”
But guess what? You did!
When you entered into a relationship with Jesus and chose to follow Him, that meant you did indeed sign up for this important role. You opted to join the company. You embraced the mission, vision, and values. And now it’s time to get comfortable with your job description.
The Great Commission and the Church
Still uncomfortable or unclear about your part in the Great Commission? You’re not alone. A few years ago, Barna Group, a nonprofit research firm in California, published a study on the U.S. church’s ideas about missions, social justice, the Bible and sharing the gospel.
According to their research, 51% of U.S. churchgoers are unaware of the Great Commission, and an additional 25% of Christians are aware of it but can’t recall what it means. To say this is shocking is an understatement. It reveals a sad state of affairs for the American Church!
Why we’re not moved to participate
There are a lot of potential reasons for Christians being unaware or seemingly unaffected by the call of the Great Commission, but from my perspective, a few reasons rise to the top.
- If churches talk about the Great Commission but do not pair it with action, it becomes just another concept that’s discussed but not practiced.
Churches have to commit to making disciples who make disciples! And this involves more than talk; it requires teaching people how to serve the nations, otherwise messages or sermons on the Great Commission will fall on deaf ears. - People need on-the-job training. They need to see Great Commission practices role-modeled. Have you seen the Great Commission play out in the life of someone you know in the church?
- For Jesus’ mandate to be effective, the Great Commission must be an integral part of the church’s identity. Most importantly, we need disciples who make disciples, who make disciples, and so on. This is not a one-and-done idea.
We all play a part (the problem with labels)
You might be thinking, “But we have a global missions ministry!” Yeah, but when we delegate God’s mission to people who are labeled “missionaries” or “global mission leaders,” we can accidentally send a message that releases everyone else from the duty. The Bible is so very clear; this is not God’s intention!
He wants every single one of us to play a part in bringing His compassion, hope and light to all the people of the world. We all have been created and instructed to serve; this work is not for a chosen few, and it doesn’t require an elevated degree or certification. Anyone, anywhere, with any personal history can do it.
There are literally no prerequisites other than following Jesus.
A change of heart
This incredibly exciting job description has been given to us. We were literally made for it by the creator of the universe! But most of us are leaving it on the table. To remedy this, it’s going to require significant changes within God’s global church.
It’s also going to require changes within the hearts and minds of Jesus followers, too, because the problem goes much deeper than just a lack of understanding about the Great Commission. It’s not simply a problem of education, it’s also the breeding ground for a very special type of fear, and an opportunity for each of us to exercise a deeper level of trust in our Creator.
What Can You and I Do Today?
I invite you to consider your own inner dialogue. Take a moment to reflect on the Great Commission and the meaning it carries.
- When you hear Jesus’ words, do you feel inspired and ready to partner with Him by living it out? Or does your head fill with all the competing reasons you are not equipped for the mission?
- Try to identify the root cause of your reaction, not just the reaction itself. Having clarity about the reasons behind your automatic responses will help you learn how to recognize and counter the voices in your head with the real truth, the voice of God.
Knowing who you are today and how your hopes and fears impact your choices can help you see more clearly all the possibilities that are ahead when you embrace the person God actually made you to be.
Most importantly, like with any job, you just need to start. We all get better with practice.
