What is the Purpose of the Church in Fulfilling the Great Commission

Many churches stirve to grow in membership and attendance without training the members to fulfill the Great Comission (See Red Box Below to read the veses). These churches provide all types of family and personal activities such as: choir and music, dinners and fellowship, field trips, gaming night, and sports activities for the individual and famlies.

Many churches include participation in Bible studies and outreach nights. Many "in house" Bible studies (Sunday School Lessons) are prepared by the national church affiliation and are simple exercises in deductive reasoning. The out-of-house Bible studies are nothing more than a "fellowship" where food is served after a brief lesson on a particular topic that may or may not be revelant to the person/s that are attending. During the "outreach" nights, members are given names of church visitors as well as new contacts within the community. The purpose of the "visits" is to become friends with the person/s and to invite them back to church and or to invite them to one of the many activties that the church sponsers.

During my years in church, I have seen the preceeding activities in person. I always wondered why such activities were given such a prominent position by the church leadership. In retrospect, many of the leaders were trained by their seminary or the national church group. It is possible that they did not know or care what the Bible says about training the church membership. I have seen examples of both possibilities and can say that in some situations the leadership were not Christians. You may ask, "How can you say such a thing?" The reason I make such a statement is that in visiting with the "leaders" they have no real testimony to their conversion, During my attempt to share the gospel with the leaders they would always "side-step" the need to be "born-again" and point to their sevice to the church and the community.

However, the Holy Spirit is working in these dead churches and many have become alive and are blazing lampstands for Christ and the Great Commission. Since 1988, I have been fortunate to be a member of 3 of these living churches: Denton Church, Denton, Texas, Cleburne Bible Church, Cleburne, Texas, and First Free Evangelical Church, Wichita, Kansas. All 3 have web sites on the internet and are independant churches in that they operate without the intrusion of a "national" organization. The Pastors have been trained in seminaries that still hold to Verbal Plenary Inspiration of the Bible. Click here to read about Verbal Plenary Inspiration. The Elders and other church leaders have the qualities of leadership as outlined in the Bible. (See 1 Timothy 3:1-12)  Click Here to read about how many churches exclude members from leadership positions.

So, what is the Great Comission and how are church leaders supposed to fulfill such a task? What type of Bible studies lead to real growth in Christ? The answer to the first question is given in the Red Box Below. The answer to the second question is given in the Green Box Below. 

Both Matthew and Mark provide verses pertaining to the Great Comission

Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20 (AMP)
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days ( perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age.Amen (so let it be).

Mark 16:15-16 (KJV)
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mark 16:15-16 (AMP)
And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]. He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned.

Having such commands from Jesus, you would think that this is a duty of all Christians. A problem occurs when a church has leadership that are Christians or may not be Christians but they are "directed" by a national or international group(N-IN). Within the N-IN groups, the leaders are directed to "keep their hands, eyes, and overall focus" on the membership so that the members follow the quidelines of the N-IN organization. (Click here to read a study of Jesus' teaching to Peter on Church leadership) This resuts in many Pastors and leaders getting burned out and having no value for Christ.

This problem can also occur in a local church when the leadership brings its "particuliar" teachings so as to keep the flock under control. Most "Christian Cults" begin as a local church due to the teaching of a charismatic leader. This is what happened in the Jonestown Suicides and the Waco standoff.

There are many "Christian Teachers" on the airwaves. There are some that present questionable teachings. The following link gives an example of one such "ministry" (background and doctrines).
Click Here to read about a TV Ministry that many believe to be a non-Christian Cult.

So, how do leaders overcome the problem of burnout? The Biblical method of keeping a Pastor from burn-out is to train members to do the work of the ministy. This is outlined in the in Ephesians 4:11-15 (Below)

Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV King James Version)
And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (AMP Amplified Version)
And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church), [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

As you have read, the Pastor's job is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. Thus a Pastor is a shepherd with his "staff" (leaders who have positions of leadership) direct the church toward fullfulling the Great Comission. An excellent book that outlines growing members to do the work of the ministry is "The Timothy Principle" by Roy Robertson.


The Bible says that Christians are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

2 Peter 3:18 (AMP)
But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!

So, what type of Bible Studies lead to real growth in Christ and why do some church leaders turn away from true Bible Study (Inductive Study)?

Also, some Church Pastors and Leaders have not been trained in Bible Study Methods (Hermeneutics) and do not believe in the Verbal Plenary Inspiration of the Bible so they have turned away to pursue other goals rather than following Jesus' specific instructions to Peter and the Apostles. This is spoken of in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 below.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timoty 3:1-5 (AMP)
BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Two types of Bible studies are found within the Christian church. One type is the "Deductive Study" and the other is the "Inductive Study".  A brief explanation of a deductive study is that the deductive study uses "study verses" throughout the Bible (without any study of context) to build toward a desired position. There are many N-IN & Local churches(L) that present such studies to their membership. The result of such studies is that members are "taught" the vision of the N-IN-L leadership and can become closed groups having a form of godliness but no power to do the work of the ministry.

An inductive study is a verse by verse study of the Bible so as to achieve a hermnical context for the conclusion. Click here to read abot Biblical Hermeneutics.  An inductive study will present verses and questions that start with such words as: Who, What, Where, Why, and How. Such questions give the "student" the opportunity to explore the context of the verse. As the verses are examined, the student will reach a Biblical conclusion provided they also cross-reference the verses so that the Bible explains itself. Greek and Hebrew Lexicons, Concordances, Interlinear Bibles, and Bible Dictionaries are used to throughly examine the scriptures. At the end of such a study, most students consult Exhaustive Commentaries so as to check their conclusions against other Biblical investigators. This is done so as to make sure the conclusion is in line with Church leaders throughout the history of the Church. Bible study software is used to document the study by many students. (Click Here for a download of Biblesoft's PC Study Bible for only $9.95)

In conclusion, an inductive study should result in the fulfillment of Ephesians 4:11-13 in that the student will be empowered to do the good works as outlined in 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP)
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So, I encourage you to do as the Bereans in Acts 17:11: "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so". (KJV)

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