Let’s look at our ‘marching orders’:
And He said to them, ”Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “
Mark 16:15
Or to expand a little on that,
“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
There are many other ‘things’ the church can and does do. Some of them are very good and worthy endeavours. But this is the main thing.
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
Let’s define commission. A commission is a task for which someone is appointed and authorised.
Someone with authority, the Lord Jesus Christ, our King, authorised, entrusted his mission to the apostles and then he sent them, into all the world.
The commission was directly given to the apostles but indirectly given to the ecclesia in every generation. After the early apostles died, the commission remained – and so does the authority, until it is fulfilled it will remain in force.
So they had a commission and were sent to fulfil it. In their generation the church grew like crazy and changed everything. We have the same commission and we are sent to do it. That’s the key, they went, because they were sent.
They went, because they were sent
I know that sounds very simple, but its implications are huge because of how we see ourselves as the Body of Christ and it helps answer why it is that the Church has struggled ever since in various times and places it boils down to do we see ourselves as sent?
We will never fulfil the commission he’s calling and commanded us to be and do unless we are an apostolic church, full of sent ones; going to everyone, everywhere and teaching them to obey everything he commands – so the Kingdom comes where we go.
That’s why we are gathering soon as LAUNCH both in the North and South of the UK (best deals going soon!) and also why I am starting a series of free monthly conversations at Ivy Church where we can discuss and learn together what apostolic leadership means and looks like today practically (join us by clicking here).