Surprising Ways We All Can Fulfill the Great Commission

When you hear the phrase "The Great Commission," what comes to mind? For many of us, it conjures a demanding picture: quitting your job, selling everything you own, and moving to a remote village on the other side of the world. If you're a longtime churchgoer like me—one who isn't a vocational overseas missionary—you've likely experienced "Great Commission guilt," that persistent feeling that you're falling short of Jesus's command to "go and make disciples of all nations."

What makes this feeling worse is the context in which we usually hear about it. Most of the time, the Great Commission only gets center stage during the church’s annual missions weekend, often tied to fundraising campaigns. Instead of teaching it as a command for all, this presentation makes obeying the Great Commission seem like an occasional, specialized calling meant only for the "elite" missionary, leaving the majority of believers feeling disobedient and inferior.

But what if this common understanding of the Great Commission is far too narrow? What if obedience to Jesus’s command isn't exclusive to full-time missionaries and doesn't always require an overseas flight? 

Let me be clear: My goal in writing this article isn't for us to lessen our efforts. Instead, my prayer is that all Jesus-followers would become more intentional about disciple-making. This would lead to more people following Jesus both at home and abroad. In what follows, we will examine the Great Commission to see how every believer can actively adhere to its call.

The Great Commission Is for Every Disciple of Jesus

While the Bible discusses the disciple-making movement repeatedly (See, for example, Mark 13:10, Luke 24:45-49, Romans 10:14-15, Revelation 5:9), the primary text churchgoers associate with the Great Commission is Matthew 28:18-20:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 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.

“The Great Commission is not a guilt-inducing calling reserved for a special class of “elite” missionaries. It is a joyful, communal task for all Jesus-followers, demanding intentionality.”

We see evidence that this command was for all disciples of Jesus. First, while these words have a primary audience of the Eleven, the commission is given to them as disciples (Matthew 28:16). Second, Jesus’s calling includes teaching others to obey his commands, which would include this very command to make disciples. Third, Jesus declares that he will be with the disciple-makers–not to the end of their lives–but to the very end of the age. This would include all disciples of Christ until he returns. 

Since not every believer can become a vocational missionary, how is it possible for each believer to live in obedience to the Great Commission?  Let’s look at some ways every Jesus-follower can actively and joyfully participate in fulfilling the Great Commission. Some of them may surprise you.

“Go” Does Not Necessarily Mean “Go Overseas”

The command to “go” is the verb πορεύομαι (poreuomai), which means to proceed with intention. Yes, going overseas as a vocational missionary would fit the meaning of this word. But it doesn’t necessarily involve crossing borders. In the same chapter of Matthew, the same verb is used to state that the disciples “went” to Galilee (Matthew 28:16). 

For Jesus-followers, proceeding with intention can mean making deliberate choices about where we live, where we work, and what we do. This could mean moving to a specific neighborhood to create opportunities for evangelism, choosing a particular career to demonstrate Christ's character, or volunteering for a specific ministry to communicate God's message through both word and deed. 

The Great Commission Is More Than Evangelism

Matthew 28:19 contains four verbs: go, make disciples, baptizing, and teaching. Out of the four, the main command is make disciples. The other three verbs are adverbial participles, which tell us more about the main verb. We’ve already discussed the verb “go” above. The actions “baptizing” and “teaching” are vital parts of the disciple-making process.

Baptism is an act that soon follows a decision to be a disciple of Christ. Although a pastor often carries out the physical ceremony, the journey to baptism is a shared process. Other believers are involved at every stage: they plant the initial seeds of faith, extend invitations to join the Christian community, clarify the commitment of discipleship, and provide lasting encouragement.

Jesus’s command is not simply to "make converts," but to make disciples—a continuous process of teaching others to obey everything he commanded. Disciple-making isn't just getting someone to make an initial decision; it's engaging them in a lifelong commitment to submit to Christ. We fulfill this mission when we, as a church community, intentionally remind and encourage each other to follow Jesus's teachings. Therefore, if you are teaching a Vacation Bible School class, facilitating a youth group discussion, or having a conversation with a fellow believer to remind them of Christ's words, you are actively fulfilling the Great Commission.

Vital Ways to Be Part of the Disciple-Making Process

While the broad actions of making disciples are going, baptizing, and teaching, Scripture identifies more specific ways to participate in the process. Here are several crucial contributions every believer can readily make to the Great Commission.

1. Good Deeds
   Earlier in Matthew, Jesus calls his disciples "the light of the world," emphasizing that the disciples’ actions are visible to all. But especially in America, the Church has developed a reputation more for what we oppose and how we vote than for our good deeds. Yet, Jesus instructs: "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).” Our good deeds are meant to attract others to God, leading them to praise Him. These good deeds could be characterized by kindness, mercy, generosity, selflessness, forgiveness, and integrity. Jesus’s words raise a crucial question for us: Are our words and actions so good that they cause others to turn to God and glorify Him?

2. Unity in the Church
   In his High Priestly Prayer (John 17:20-23), Jesus prays in the garden for the perfect unity of those who would follow Him. He reveals the critical, outward result of this oneness: "Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them..." Simply put, church unity is an evangelistic witness. Non-believers are watching. When followers of Christ live in harmony, setting aside differences, forgiving one another, and sharing life together, the world sees this unity and recognizes the truth of the gospel message. Unity in the church is so critical that every New Testament epistle author writes about it (for example, see 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Peter 3:8, James 4:1, 1 John 4:20, Jude 19).  Unity, then, is a key part of the disciple-making movement.

3. Parenting
   Parenting is a primary, God-ordained function of disciple-making. Moses clearly established this when he instructed Israel to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” A key part of loving God is to talk about his word at all times and “impress them on your children” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7). Later, the apostle Paul teaches to bring up children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Thus, the Bible places the responsibility for discipleship of a child  squarely on the parents. While those in the church–like a youth leader or a Sunday School teacher–have a supportive role, it is the parent who holds the primary responsibility for making disciples of their own children.

4. Giving
   Giving of our finances is a direct way to participate in disciple-making efforts. The Apostle Paul demonstrates this when he acknowledges the aid he received from the church in Philippi (Philippians 4:15-16). He also taught that, just like temple servants are supported by the temple, "the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). Those who dedicate their lives to vocational ministry should receive income from their work. This income comes from the wider community of disciples. While not every believer will preach like Paul, every believer must support those who do. As you and I learn about the movement of world disciple-making, let us be sure to give to causes that serve the unevangelized, especially people groups who are unreached with the gospel. This is a straightforward way to obey the Great Commission. 

5. Praying
   Earlier in Matthew, Jesus looks at the "harassed and helpless" crowds, seeing a plentiful harvest. Surprisingly, his first command to the disciples is not, "Go and harvest!" Rather, he tells them to pray: to "ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers" (Matthew 9:35-38). This reveals that praying for harvesters is a critical, foundational part of the disciple-making process. Later, Paul emphasizes this by asking the Colossians to pray for an "open door" for the gospel message (Colossians 4:2-4). Prayer is a significant, not secondary, part of the entire mission.

   Therefore, my fellow disciples, pray! Prayer is a vital part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Your prayers should empower you to increase your efforts in good deeds, church unity, godly parenting, and financial giving toward disciple-making. In fact, praying might even inspire you to go to the unevangelized and become a harvester yourself.

Conclusion

The Great Commission is not a guilt-inducing calling reserved for a special class of "elite" missionaries. It is a joyful, communal task for all Jesus-followers, demanding intentionality. Whether you are encouraging a brother or sister in their obedience, demonstrating Christ's love through good deeds, fostering unity in your church, teaching your children the Scriptures, supporting gospel workers financially, or praying for workers in the harvest, you are fulfilling the command. As you and I become more purposeful about our actions, we will develop a Jesus-like compassion for the lost.