Commission and Mission or Omission?
My mission trip to Guyana 2012 was amazing! I was concerned about malaria, dingy fever, and poisonous snakes. None of them ever threatened me or attached themselves to me. Those were probably the greatest fears that my family had for me. But, they all turned out to be non-issues.
However, there were other challenges that did present themselves. There were no showers; that was a challenge! There was no hot water. Instead there were cold water bucket baths! There was no internet. That did not affect me at all. I sort of liked that! There was no television. I was on pins and needles about the St. Louis Cardinals trying to get to the World Series.
The greatest part was what we were there to do. In the two villages where our group of about 35 worked, we studied with over 250 people and 35 precious souls obeyed the gospel! In the village of Moruca where I worked, there are now about 50 Christians meeting in 4 different locations from the center of the village.
This was my first time to put the Lord’s great commission into practice in a place outside of North America. They are very receptive people. Finding people with whom to study the Bible was not a real issue. It has not been as easy to get people to want to study the Bible in this area. That may be because most people feel that they are ok with God and don’t need any more help.
I was driving to Berea to visit the Hunt’s scrap yard. On the way, I passed a church building with a sign that read, The Great Commission Church. That sounds like a good thing. The great commission is the mission of the Lord’s Church. No Church can be the Lord’s Church if it is not a great commission Church.
Jesus gave the commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
We have such advantages available to us to fulfill this command. The internet has opened almost the entire world to an opportunity to hear the gospel message. The commission that we must take with us is clear—make disciples. How do we do that? Baptizing and teaching is the process.
The Church’s commission is discipleship. Teach people what they need to know so that they will want to obey in baptism and then teach what they need to know to live a life of faith. This is the Church’s mission and commission. Don’t let it become the great omission!
— Mike Johnson
