GO & MAKE DISCIPLES

by WAYNE ALCORN

‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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.”’ (Matthew 28:18- 20 NIV)

What must we do if we take the Great Commission seriously?

I posed this question at our PanAsia conference in August, where I listened to incredible story after story from our ACCI field workers. It was inspiring!

Our movement has always been committed to train leaders to go into the world and make disciples. Evangelism, missions and church planting are at the very heart of who we are.

Jesus said, “I will build My church’ and commissioned us, His disciples, to go and make disciples of all nations. Planting dynamic new churches is a key part of the strategy to make disciples. As C. Peter Wagner stated, “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.” (ref Church Planting for a Greater Harvest).

Many people are waiting for a move of God; but maybe He is waiting for a move of us? It’s time to become strategic about the Great Commission. Here are five things to include in our strategy. >

5 STRATEGIC INGREDIENTS FOR EVANGELISM, MISSIONS & CHURCH PLANTING

1. LEADERSHIP.

We need leaders who are unashamedly committed to the Great Commission.

Everything starts with leadership; we need to lead from the front. Whether you’re a local pastor, youth pastor, kids pastor, creative pastor, our passion for the Great Commission and loving people will inspire others. Paul shows us how to lead our people in 1 Cor 11:1 ‘Imitate me as I imitate Christ.’

2. ATTENTION.

Know the law of the potplants. What you give attention to grows, but what you ignore dies.

If we’re serious about our mission, we need to sing about it, pray about it, preach about it, write about it and continually talk about it.

One sign of a healthy ministry, is this is always in focus.

3. HONOUR THE PIONEERS.

Everything in the Kingdom starts small. Jesus spoke a lot about seeds, because that’s where things start. There were 120 people gathered on the Day of Pentecost. That seed has grown to more than 2 billion believers in Christ around the planet. That’s why we should never despise the day of small beginnings. Pioneers (the planters) are heroes. Let’s always be a movement that celebrates those who had the courage to step out and prepare the way for others.

4. NEXT GENERATION.

Intentionally engage with the next generation.

Here's a question to all local church pastors:

When was the last time you had an altar call for missions in your church? There have been some exciting eras in Youth Alive, where there have altar calls (on camps etc.) for teenagers who felt called to the nations. Students for Christ would also support young people who study, whose expressed intention was to go to unreached people groups, as bivocational ministers. Let’s always be creating opportunities for the next generation to step up and step out in faith. Maybe now is the time to start planning a short-term mission trip, to make your young people aware of the opportunities to serve Jesus across the globe.

5. PRAYER.

To see churches planted and souls won, we need to release the intercessors. There is a lot of pain on the planet. Nations are groaning for all kinds of reasons. Yet there is another type of groaning going on...’the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). I see the rising of an army of intercessors in this hour. Leaders, honour them and realise their important part in fulfilling our mission.

The Great Commission is for everyone. To fulfill Jesus’ command, we need the Groaners (intercessors) ; the Givers (financial supporters) ; and Goers (field workers). It’s a simple formula - Pray. Give. Go! All we have to ask is, where do I fit in this strategy?

Get ready ACC! There is a new exciting season ahead - with ACCI Missions under Pastors John & Francine Hunt’s leadership, and Church Planting, led nationally by Pastor Corey Turner. We are moving into great days.

Let’s keep looking to the fields, because they are definitely ‘ripe for harvest’.

WAYNE ALCORN is the National President of the Australian Christian Churches.