Our Commission
As we approach the bimillennial anniversary of the Great Commission, Jesus’ final words still call his people to action:
“ 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.”
What makes this commission so great is its unmatched scope and authority. It’s backed by all authority in heaven and on earth. It extends to all nations. It calls disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded. And it remains in force until the end of the age. In practical terms, Christ’s absolute authority and absolute faithfulness inspire our absolute obedience. The one who sends us also sustains us.
From the beginning, Jesus called his followers to wholehearted obedience. In the Sermon on the Mount, he warned against setting aside even the least of these commands (Matt. 5:19). Paul later testified, “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27). He charged Timothy to entrust that teaching to faithful people who would teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2).
For two thousand years, this mission has advanced across nations and generations. Yet one essential part of this Commission has too often been neglected: teaching disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded. As we enter the third millennium of the Great Commission, this must once again become a central priority.
Our Concern
Too many churches have confused fans of Jesus with followers of Jesus. We have settled for admiration instead of obedience, attendance instead of transformation.
People can attend services, join groups, volunteer regularly, and never truly know Jesus. These environments can support discipleship, but participation alone is not discipleship. If the life we call people to requires no dependence on the Holy Spirit, then we are not calling them to biblical discipleship.
Jesus-style discipleship produces transformed lives.
Our commission is not merely to inform people about Jesus, but to teach them to obey everything he commanded (Matt. 28:20). That requires intentionality. Yet, as Dallas Willard has observed, few churches have a clear plan to teach people to do everything Jesus said. Too often, we teach parts of Jesus’ commands—or simply teach information without expecting obedience.
Meanwhile, constant ministry activity can create the illusion of spiritual health. Like the church in Sardis, many churches today have “a reputation of being alive” while neglecting the unfinished work of disciple-making (Rev. 3:1-2).
No reputation for relevance can compensate for neglecting our commission. No amount of attendance can replace the call to form disciples who obey Jesus.
The church does not need more activity. It needs renewed obedience.
Our Convictions
We believe biblical obedience is essential to spiritual vitality. Revival begins when the church returns to wholehearted obedience to Jesus.
Obeying Jesus is the key to freedom.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
To follow Jesus is to walk in freedom. His commands are not burdensome; they lead to life.
Obeying Jesus is the key to fruitfulness.
Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Spiritual fruit depends on abiding in Christ. To remain in him we must obey him (John 15:10). Fruitfulness is not produced through effort alone, but through faithful obedience to Jesus.
Obeying Jesus is the key to joy.
Jesus said, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love…. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:10-11).
Obedience is not opposed to joy; it leads to joy. As we trust and follow Jesus, we experience the fullness of his love and the completeness of his joy.
Our Commitments
With these convictions in mind, we’re committed to equipping a rising generation of churches to repurpose their people, resources, and programs toward multiplying disciples who joyfully obey everything Jesus commanded.
We will make obedience the measure of disciple-making.
Jesus made obedience the evidence of discipleship, saying, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31). He pointed out the incompatibility of calling him Lord without doing what he says (Luke 6:46).
Obedience is not something we do to earn Christ’s love for us; it’s something we do to demonstrate our love for him (John 14:21). Obedience reveals our hearts, and discipleship is ultimately a matter of the heart.
Our criterion for success is not merely attendance, participation, or activity, but lives increasingly shaped by obedience to Jesus.
We will keep transformation as the goal of disciple-making.
Jesus said that a fully trained disciple “will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
The aim of discipleship is transformation into the likeness of Christ—in our convictions, character, and conduct. Information and inspiration matter, but transformation remains the goal.
We will cultivate relationships as the lifeblood of disciple-making.
Programs can support discipleship, but they cannot replace it. Disciples are made through intentional, relational investment.
Jesus changed the world by investing deeply in a small group of disciples who multiplied his mission. We are committed to relational disciple-making that prioritizes people over programs.
We will uphold reproduction as the maturity of disciple-making.
To follow Jesus is to help others follow Jesus.
The Great Commission was not given to the spiritual elite. Every disciple is called to make disciples. Paul modeled this multiplying vision when he instructed Timothy to entrust the gospel to faithful people who would teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2).
Mature disciples reproduce disciples.
We will embrace everything Jesus commanded as the curriculum for disciple-making.
Jesus told us to teach disciples to obey everything he commanded. He established the curriculum; our responsibility is to build intentional pathways that form people around it.
Biblical discipleship is not accidental or haphazard. Every church needs a clear plan to teach, model, and cultivate obedience to the full teaching of Jesus.