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July 11, 2006
Francis
Frangipane: "Great Commission or Great Omission?"
What is the Great Commission?
Jesus warned that there would be great
deception in the end times. Humility, therefore, tells us we should not presume
our personal expression of Christianity is aligned perfectly with God's heart.
How can we examine ourselves? We can measure the focus of our lives with the
last great command of the Lord, called by Bible scholars the "Great Commission."
What is the Great Commission? These were the "marching orders" Jesus gave His
apostles just before He ascended. In other words, this is what He desired His
church to be focused on until He returned. He said,
"Go 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" (Matthew 28:19-20).
Become Christ-like
In essence, Jesus wants us focused on two
things: He wants us to "Go" with a view of bringing the lost into His Kingdom.
But He also wants the church at large to become Christ-like: "Teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you." For some, however, the Great Commission has
become more like a great omission, as many Christians are neither concerned
about the lost nor are they reaching for Christ-likeness.
Salvation is the first step in the journey toward Christ-likeness. Christ's
vision is for His people to grow "...in all aspects
unto Him...." (Ephesians 4:15). Those who obey all that Jesus taught,
ultimately through the Holy Spirit, possess the same life as Christ Himself. His
teaching conforms us to His heart, making us redemptive in motive and, like Him,
not offended, as we seek the transformation of our nations.
So, the Great Commission gloriously begins with evangelism and conversion, but
unfolds into Christ-likeness as revealed in Christ's words.
As The Father Sent Me
Christ calls us to be His followers. He said, "As the
Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21). Just as He was
sent into the world to bring redemption, so He sends His disciples. Indeed, the
goal of discipleship is that we become "fully trained," so that we are
functioning exactly "like (our) teacher," Jesus Christ
(Luke 6:40).
You see, many believe in Jesus; few are they who mature spiritually to where
they actually believe like Him. Those who believe like Him have faith that tells
them all things are possible. They are confident that redemption can occur, even
in the darkest regions. Thus, the goal of the Great Commission is to see these
kind of Christians planted in every nation, for in their spirit is the
redemptive future of each culture.
Yes, Christianity can be many things to many people: a place of friendships,
healing and new beginnings; but at its core, it must be a training ground where
the saved are empowered to journey toward Christ-likeness.
The Goal of Discipleship
Christ's goal was the replication of
Himself in His disciples and, through them, replication of His life throughout
the world. This issue, therefore, of teaching His word, of using His word to
shape us from the inside out, is the goal of discipleship.
For me, the Lord sat me down and for three years, I didn't pastor at all. All I
did was read and study the Gospels. It was this focused refining that became the
substructure in everything the Lord has me doing today. God reduced me from
being a professional minister, to a disciple of Jesus Christ--a true follower of
Jesus as He is revealed in the Gospel in word and deed.
But this training in the words of Christ is exactly what has been omitted
from so many of our churches and seminaries. We make our converts more into the
image of our denomination, rather than conformed to the image of Christ.
The Chief Cornerstone: Often Rejected
Jesus said, "The stone which the builders rejected,
this became the chief cornerstone" (Luke 20:17).
Beloved friend, we cannot separate what
Jesus says from who Jesus is. Christ and His word are one. To the degree that we
fail to teach what Jesus taught, we are actually rejecting Him as Lord.
Listen to how the Lord associates Himself with His teachings. He said,
"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the
word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day" (John 12:48). He
warned, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the
Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory...." (Luke 9:26).
He exposes our hypocrisy, saying, "Why do you call Me
'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46).
Christ and His Word are inseparable.
Jesus was not a man who became the word, but the Eternal word who became a man.
His very nature is the word of God. And to reject or ignore what He says is to
reject or ignore who He is.
Great Commission Training
Thus, it seems to me that if we are not
offering focused training on becoming Christ-like, we are missing the heart of
the Great Commission. Of course, this training may unfold in a variety of ways;
it may not even use the word "Christ-like" in its vocabulary. However, salvation
of the lost leading to conformity to Christ and His teaching, is the expressed
goal of the Great Commission.
Therefore, pastors, regardless of your denomination or cultural history, we must
possess two things: love for the lost and a vision of attaining Christ-likeness!
Create your own curriculum or use training already provided, but do not omit the
Chief Cornerstone as you build His church. Intercessors, stand unoffended and
committed to seeing genuine, Christ-like disciples established in your church.
Do not give up, even if it should take years to see the transformation occur.
Let us, dear friends, make sure we are fulfilling the Great Commission, not
the great omission.
Francis Frangipane
Francis Frangipane Ministries
www.frangipane.org
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Francis Frangipane's Upcoming Itinerary:
July 27 - 29, 2006
City Impact Roundtable
Austin, TX
Contact: www.citytransformers.com
August 10-11, 2006
International Prayer Conference
Louisville, KY
Contact: www.prayerconference.com
or 800-569-4825
August 16-18, 2006
Catch the Fire Conference
Harvest Rock Church
Pasadena, CA
Contact: www.HarvestRockChurch.org
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"Walk With Integrity"
Readers, is that you are very earnest about being up-to-date and equipped with the things of God. Francis Frangipane is a great gift to the Body of Christ. His teachings are cutting-edge revelation, and easy to understand and apply. His
teaching resources are sure to help you move to the next level. These teachings cover many topics -- but always with one end in mind -- VICTORY in every area of your life. Get ready to go deeper and higher in HIM!
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