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Nacog
Churches
From
the Department of Church Growth - Church
Growth Coordinator, Rev. Dr. K.J.
Mathew
The Great Commission and Church
Growth Ever since I left the Tyner Church of
God which I was pastoring for more than a decade, I
took frequent mission trips to many parts of the world.
I was quiet satisfied and thought I was fulfilling the
great commission, but sadly I found out that it was
not so. As I continue to study Church growth principles,
I asked myself this question, what is keeping our church
from growing? God wants our Church to grow and we want
to see our church grow also. The primary focus of church
growth is the fulfillment of the Great Commission Matt.
28:18-20. The great commission tells us “Go ye
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you, and lo I am with you always, even to the end of
the age”. These words are a command from Jesus.
He is ordering us to go into the entire world and preach
the gospel. It has never been called the great suggestion
but the Great Commission.
In Mark 16:15 we are given a variation of the Great
Commission “go into all the world and preach the
gospel to all creation-into your family, into your work
place, into your campus and into your sphere of influence.
The scope of the command is to be carried out in “all
nations” (panta ta ethne). Ethne is translated
“nations” should not be understood as a
political nation, refers more precisely to a tribe,
people, family or ethnic group. The Great Commission
echoes the promise to Abraham that through him “all
families of the earth will be blessed” Gen. 12:3.
The song of the twenty four elders recorded in Rev.
5:9 says Christ purchased for God, men from every tribe,
tongue, people and nation. What Church Growth is all
about is the idea that as God’s people, we are
to be making disciples in every definable family, clan,
or people group in the world. We should not expect to
grow via transfers from India or Middle East. Let us
put forth real effort to win new converts to Christ
and capture new territories.
What has come to be called the Great Commission actually
appears in all the gospels, in Acts and is referenced
in Romans also. Matt 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48;
John 15:16; Acts 1:8; and Romans 16:25, 26. The most
well known and complete account is the one found in
Matt. 28:18-20 The context for giving of Christ’s
commission is after His resurrection, just before He
ascends into heaven. Matt. 28:18 says “all authority
has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Jesus has
the authority over all things in heaven and all things
on earth and everything in between. After declaring
that He has all authority, Jesus continues by saying
“go ye therefore make disciples of all nations”.
The great commission ends with a promise from the one
who has all authority. “Lo I am with you always
even unto the end of the age”. Jesus guarantees
our success in making disciples, since as the one who
has all authority; He will be with us to the end.
The geographical dimensions are supplied in Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both
in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to
the uttermost part of the earth”. As long as there
are lost who need to be found and brought to Jesus Christ,
the need for the church growth will be valid. Our Churches
must never stop growing.
Attached below is a list of all the churches that belong
to NACOG. Please take time to find the new churches
that joined NACOG fellowship in the past few months. |
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