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Active Disciplemaking
Making disciples was at the heart of Jesus’s earthly ministry and is the centerpiece of His final commission to the disciples. In the Great Commission, Jesus did not say, teaching them all things I commanded. That would have been a relatively simple task of regular catechism classes, learning what Jesus said as matters of mere information. Rather, Jesus said, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20). Biblical discipleship is all about “followership”—following Jesus!
Great Commission Advance is the process of walking alongside new believers, acquainting them with the rigorous demands of denying self, dying to self daily, and following Jesus. Where such disciples are produced, the church pushes back darkness and makes an eternal impact on the lives of men and women, boys and girls in every stage of life, from every tribe, language, color, and race!
Missions & Evangelism
Seeking the lost is the single most driving force of God’s activity with fallen human beings. Whether it was God seeking Adam in the Garden or Jesus telling the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost sons, the Bible is a story of seeking, finding, telling, wooing, and winning. A key component of Great Commission Advance is for every Southern Baptist to share his or her faith and win the lost for Christ—until every man, woman, boy, and girl has heard the Gospel.
[3]Jesus’s parting words at His ascension remain the marching orders of the church: You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). It is through the verbal proclamation of redemption from sin through the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the darkness of the human heart is overwhelmed by the light of the Gospel.
Biblical Stewardship
When Jesus told His followers to collect for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), he linked this command to the desire of our hearts: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). When Jesus and His Kingdom are our heart’s truest desire, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to push back darkness and participate in His work in this world.
Acknowledging the lordship of Christ over everything in our lives is what fuels a Great Commission Advance. Biblical stewardship is about more than getting out of debt. It’s about reinforcing a biblical standard of stewardship and a culture of generosity. It’s about being ready to fulfill God’s call upon our lives through tithes and offerings. Imagine how the Great Commission could be advanced if each Christ-follower acted in biblical obedience to give for the extending of His Kingdom!
Intercessory Prayer
Paul’s first letter to Timothy presents a “call to prayer” in order that all might be saved—First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone. . . . This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1, 3–4). Focused prayer penetrates the darkness, preparing the way for spiritual battle.
A Great Commission Advance begins with a substantive Great Commission prayer network which will transcend organizational boundaries and extend to every Southern Baptist, every Southern Baptist church, and every SBC entity. Advancing the Gospel always includes a feature-rich prayer emphasis that allows the Southern Baptist family to facilitate prayer through their local churches and to connect with others in concentrated, focused prayer for an abundant harvest.