Why do you share the gospel with others? What’s your motivation? Surprisingly many share their faith because they feel they have to or because they are under some orders to do so. What was the intention of the great commission? Do we have the wrong motivation for evangelism?
Do you remember your story of coming to know Christ? How wonderful is it to know the love of Christ in our lives and to live each day knowing that God is not only our maker but He is our friend. To live a life knowing the reality of Christ and to live a life engaged in a personal relationship with Him was intended from the beginning (Rom. 12:2; Col. 1:16).
A beautiful picture of this intention is seen when Adam and Eve originally walked in the Garden of Eden with God (Gen. 3:8). They walked and talked with Him, in relationship with each other. How great it is that God has made it possible that His creation may relate to Him in a real and tangible way.
The Bible encourages believers to reach out to others. To encourage them to live a life knowing God and living out His ways. The Bible puts it this way when Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28: 18-20).
In the book of Acts the disciples are observed doing a wonderful job reaching out to others. On one particular day three-thousand people became followers of Christ after hearing a message from Peter (Acts 2:41). Their commitment to living out God’s ways, obeying everything He had commanded is obvious. Three thousand were baptized and devoted themselves to God’s ways (Acts 41-42).
Scripture clearly encourages Christians to reach out and make disciples. This process begins with people becoming friends with God and committing to living out His ways.
Having said this, many believers are not involved in this work nor do they particularly care to be involved. Those that do want to be involved are sometimes fearful or apprehensive. Sometimes feeling under obligation because of the passage in Matthew, the great commission that encourages them to reach out.
A correct motivation is needed if believers are going to willingly and joyfully reach out to those around them with the Gospel.
The great commission has for many years been the major motivation for evangelism in many church circles. Negatively this commission has often been viewed as a command to the church. Subsequently, it has been taught that the church has an obligation to fulfill, a debt to owe. Viewed only this way, heart-felt, deep, sustainable motivation has been lacking in many to reach out to others.
Many engage in evangelism today only because they have been told to. They see the Church under orders.
Their view is that the risen Lord has commanded them to ‘go’ to ‘preach’, to make ‘disciples’, and so be it[1]. This view is problematic. David Bosch, a missionary statesman and writer corrects this obligatory view of the great commission in many of his writings. He points out that the commission was never a command to do mission work. Never a command to evangelize and that the early church didn’t reach out to the Jews and Gentiles because they had been told to do so. This would be legalistic. Rather, evangelism was an expression of thankfulness to God for what had happened in their lives. It was an expression of gratitude not of duty.[2]
A personal example…
In wanting to thank parents for the nice things they have done, people often do something for them. They may buy a gift or cook a meal. This is done out of gratitude for what has been done for them. It is not a duty. They do not buy a gift or cook a meal simply because they have to but rather because they want to. They want to out of gratitude. The gift, the meal is a response of gratitude to parents. The same way in which evangelism in the early church was a response to the Father and to Christ for what they had given. The motivation is completely different; this illustration shows a vast difference.
If people respond to parents simply out of obligation, in a legalistic way, true passion and joy to continue this service would soon become obsolete. However, performed from a correct motivation, people willingly and joyfully thank parents throughout their lives. It is this mindset that the early church received the great commission and with this understanding that the commission was given.
Further to this, in the book of Acts, the scripture says, “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts1:8). This was not intended as a demand but rather a gift that is promised to those that believe.[3] The church becomes witnesses out of a thankful and grateful heart for what has been given to them not from a sense of duty or obligation. The revelation of God’s love in Christ would cause the church to become witnesses for Christ.
The revelation alone of what Christ has done would inspire those that believe to be His advocates.
In looking further at this passage, Jesus promises that He will always be with His followers. And with them as they are making disciples. This is a comforting and powerful promise that facilitates the spreading of the good news . Participating in God’s mission can be very easy with the correct motivation. Here’s a further article regard that.
*Kim Hammond also leans into this overall understanding of correct motivation and partnering with God on mission when he talks about Church Planting in one of our podcast episodes.
Every Blessing,
Tina
[1] Paul Wesley Chilcote and Laceye C. Warner, The Study of Evangelism : Exploring a Missional Practice of the Church (Grand Rapids Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008), 75
[2] Ibid., 75-76.
[3] Ibid., 76.
Do you remember your story of coming to know Christ? How wonderful is it to know the love of Christ in our lives and to live each day knowing that God is not only our maker but He is our friend. To live a life knowing the reality of Christ and to live a life engaged in a personal relationship with Him was intended from the beginning (Rom. 12:2; Col. 1:16).
A beautiful picture of this intention is seen when Adam and Eve originally walked in the Garden of Eden with God (Gen. 3:8). They walked and talked with Him, in relationship with each other. How great it is that God has made it possible that His creation may relate to Him in a real and tangible way.
The Bible encourages believers to reach out to others. To encourage them to live a life knowing God and living out His ways. The Bible puts it this way when Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28: 18-20).
In the book of Acts the disciples are observed doing a wonderful job reaching out to others. On one particular day three-thousand people became followers of Christ after hearing a message from Peter (Acts 2:41). Their commitment to living out God’s ways, obeying everything He had commanded is obvious. Three thousand were baptized and devoted themselves to God’s ways (Acts 41-42).
Scripture clearly encourages Christians to reach out and make disciples. This process begins with people becoming friends with God and committing to living out His ways.
Having said this, many believers are not involved in this work nor do they particularly care to be involved. Those that do want to be involved are sometimes fearful or apprehensive. Sometimes feeling under obligation because of the passage in Matthew, the great commission that encourages them to reach out.
A correct motivation is needed if believers are going to willingly and joyfully reach out to those around them with the Gospel.
The great commission has for many years been the major motivation for evangelism in many church circles. Negatively this commission has often been viewed as a command to the church. Subsequently, it has been taught that the church has an obligation to fulfill, a debt to owe. Viewed only this way, heart-felt, deep, sustainable motivation has been lacking in many to reach out to others.
Many engage in evangelism today only because they have been told to. They see the Church under orders.
Their view is that the risen Lord has commanded them to ‘go’ to ‘preach’, to make ‘disciples’, and so be it[1]. This view is problematic. David Bosch, a missionary statesman and writer corrects this obligatory view of the great commission in many of his writings. He points out that the commission was never a command to do mission work. Never a command to evangelize and that the early church didn’t reach out to the Jews and Gentiles because they had been told to do so. This would be legalistic. Rather, evangelism was an expression of thankfulness to God for what had happened in their lives. It was an expression of gratitude not of duty.[2]
A personal example…
In wanting to thank parents for the nice things they have done, people often do something for them. They may buy a gift or cook a meal. This is done out of gratitude for what has been done for them. It is not a duty. They do not buy a gift or cook a meal simply because they have to but rather because they want to. They want to out of gratitude. The gift, the meal is a response of gratitude to parents. The same way in which evangelism in the early church was a response to the Father and to Christ for what they had given. The motivation is completely different; this illustration shows a vast difference.
If people respond to parents simply out of obligation, in a legalistic way, true passion and joy to continue this service would soon become obsolete. However, performed from a correct motivation, people willingly and joyfully thank parents throughout their lives. It is this mindset that the early church received the great commission and with this understanding that the commission was given.
Further to this, in the book of Acts, the scripture says, “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts1:8). This was not intended as a demand but rather a gift that is promised to those that believe.[3] The church becomes witnesses out of a thankful and grateful heart for what has been given to them not from a sense of duty or obligation. The revelation of God’s love in Christ would cause the church to become witnesses for Christ.
The revelation alone of what Christ has done would inspire those that believe to be His advocates.
In looking further at this passage, Jesus promises that He will always be with His followers. And with them as they are making disciples. This is a comforting and powerful promise that facilitates the spreading of the good news . Participating in God’s mission can be very easy with the correct motivation. Here’s a further article regard that.
*Kim Hammond also leans into this overall understanding of correct motivation and partnering with God on mission when he talks about Church Planting in one of our podcast episodes.
Every Blessing,
Tina
[1] Paul Wesley Chilcote and Laceye C. Warner, The Study of Evangelism : Exploring a Missional Practice of the Church (Grand Rapids Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008), 75
[2] Ibid., 75-76.
[3] Ibid., 76.
