Great Commission, Is it for professional missionaries only?

Is the Great commission only for professional missionaries we send away from our church?

We have focused on the word “world” in Mk 16:15 so much that the word “nations” in Mt 28:19 means some distant land of another culture and language. Oh, I know that we say that every man in every place, including the USA, needs Christ to be saved, BUT do our actions show it? Just look at the “nations”, the people groups of the world who live in our land, in our local community.

Anglo churches commonly seek to win Anglo people. Generally we assume that other cultures need to win the people of that culture. Sometimes we help a language group establish a church so they can meet separately. We may even support someone to evangelize that “other ethnic group” in our local area for us so we can stay in our comfort zone.

Mt. 28:19 gives the command and direction for offering the way of salvation and hope to the distant lands but also to the neighbor next door.

Let’s apply it. Where ever you are in your going, teach (disciple so they become followers of Christ in belief and life) all nations (the people groups wherever they are). Then we should welcome them to be baptized into Christ (one united body of believers). Baptism into Father, Son and Holy Spirit (accents the unity of those being baptized in this new human relationship as a preview of the unity of ethnic groups in heaven).

The Great Commission is more than a proper tool to challenge people to go over seas and more than an appeal to churches to support “full time” missionaries.” It is also our commission to seek out the Ethnic America and include them in a multicultural church, reflecting the Glory of God as it will be in heaven for eternity.

Let me know what you think.