Evangelisim

15. What is the Great Commission, and how does it relate to me?



You’ve probably heard some ministries described as “a mile wide and an inch deep.” On the flip side you’ve most likely encountered a youth group that dug deep into the Word of God with their teenagers, but was not very effective when it came to reaching out to the lost. Many youth leaders may dismiss this dichotomy between these two kinds of youth ministry approaches as merely stylistic. But Jesus grants no such reprieve to youth leaders. His last and lasting mandate to his followers was, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). This command has one clear directive and two clear directions. The one directive is to make disciples. The two directions are to go wide (Go and make disciples”) and grow deep (“teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”). As we build our youth ministries, we are compelled by Christ himself to make disciples through this intentional approach. The grid illustrates what this approach looks like.
Deep and Wide Youth Ministry is not a gimmick or a method. It is not based on the shifting sands of the next new thing. No, it is rooted in the final command of Jesus to his first followers. It is in force until “the end of the age.”Like Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, the principles



Deep and Wide Youth Ministry is not a gimmick or a method. It is not based on the shifting sands of the next new thing. No, it is rooted in the final command of Jesus to his first followers. It is in force until “the end of the age.”Like Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, the principles

God created us to be with him. Genesis 1, 2
Our sins separate us from God. Genesis 3
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. Genesis 4 - Malachi 4
Paying the price for sin Jesus died and rose again. Matthew, Mark, Luke
Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. John - Jude
Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. Revelation

Amateurs are motivated but don’t really know how to share the gospel. Rookies learn a method and robotically go through it. Pros have mastered the message and are able to share Jesus in a natural and effective way.




It is during this phase of evangelistic training teenagers learn to pray for one friend to come to Christ, pursue that friend on a spiritual level (AKA “bring God up”) and persuade their friends to attend the youth group, believe in Christ, connect to a group of Christian friends, develop spiritually and evangelize others.
Pray-Pursue-Persuade
It is during this phase of evangelistic training teenagers learn to pray for one friend to come to Christ, pursue that friend on a spiritual level (AKA “bring God up”) and persuade their friends to attend the youth group, believe in Christ, connect to a group of Christian friends, develop spiritually and evangelize others.
Giving the gospel weekly
It is essential for you to make a commitment to give the gospel weekly in the context of your main youth group



4)
Nevera.
Sometimesb.
Oftenc.
All the timed.
To what degree are you depending on Jesus to live through you every day, instead of trying to serve God in your 5) own power?
I’m not sure what you’re talking about but am sure that I’m not doing it.a.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about but hope that I’m doing it.b.
I think I know what you’re talking about and think I’m doing it.c.
I know what you’re talking about and I’m totally depending on Jesus as much as I can every day.d.
Describe your closest friends’ passion for Jesus?6)
Very coola.
Pretty Warmb.
Kind of Hotc.
Blazing hotd.


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Questions to ask your teenagers:
How would you honestly rate your internal spiritual desire to fully live for Jesus in every area of your life? 1)
Kind of coola.
Pretty warmb.
Hotc.
Blazing Hotd.
How often do you spend time reading God’s Word and praying about how to apply what you’ve learned to your 2) life?
Nevera.
Sometimesb.
Oftenc.
Just about every dayd.
How ready would you feel to debate an atheist about the existence of God? 3)
Not ready, willing or ablea.
Willing but not ableb.
Willing, able, but not quite sure if I’m readyc.
Ready, willing and able!d.
How often do you share your faith with those you know?4)
Nevera.
Sometimesb.
Oftenc.
All the timed.
To what degree are you depending on Jesus to live through you every day, instead of trying to serve God in your 5) own power?
I’m not sure what you’re talking about but am sure that I’m not doing it.a.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about but hope that I’m doing it.b.
I think I know what you’re talking about and think I’m doing it.c.
I know what you’re talking about and I’m totally depending on Jesus as much as I can every day.d.
Describe your closest friends’ passion for Jesus?6)
Very coola.
Pretty Warmb.
Kind of Hotc.
Blazing hotd.






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What do you honestly think of Christianity?7)
A nice story that I’m not sure ofa.
I know it’s true but I’m not sure it’s worth living totally forb.
I know it’s true and worth living forc.
I know it’s true and worth dying ford.
If Jesus were to show up right now and evaluate your spiritual life to your face, he would describe you as:8)
Apathetic a.
Interestedb.
Excitedc.
Passionated.
When’s the last time you shared the gospel with someone?9)
I never havea.
I have but I can’t rememberb.
In the last yearc.
In the last monthd.
Are you willing to do what it takes to grow deeper in the truth of God’s Word and go wider into your circle of 10) influence with the gospel of Jesus?
To be honest, no.a.
Yes, but I’m not sure if I want to start right now.b.
Yes, I’m very willing.c.
Yes, I’m already doing it the best that I can, but am willing to do whatever it takes.d.
*NOTE: There is no failsafe way of identifying spiritual levels of growth and maturity. All of these questions (for you, your staff and your teenagers) are designed more for discussion and self-evaluation. Only God truly knows the actual, accurate level of spiritual maturity and evangelistic effectiveness in the hearts of believers. These questions are designed to get you talking, thinking and to give you a more accurate picture of where your teenagers are at on the Deep and Wide grid.
Based on you and your staff’s evaluation of your teenagers and your teenagers’ evaluations of themselves put an actual percentage in each of the sections below. Write these percentages in pencil (page 21) as the goal is to “push them” deeper and wider. Personally evaluate and rate them quarterly, adjusting the numbers you’ve written in each section of the grid. Have all your teenagers and staff take this test annually.

Why is it so hard to share our faith?
Why did Greg hesitate?
Why do we hesitate?
Talk about a time when you missed an opportunity.
Can you always tell when someone is suicidal?
Why or why not?
How can we 'see the sign' better and make the most of every opportunity?
What are some ways we can be more urgent about sharing our faith?
Who is someone you can start praying for today?

This book will also help you realize that one of the most powerful persuaders when it comes to sharing Jesus is a Spirit empowered, loving Christian who listens just as much as he or she talks! But this field guide doesn't stop there. As you read this book you'll also discover the following:
How to identify your style of sharing Jesus
How to defend your faith without offending your friend
How to share the gospel message in a clear and compassionate way
How to make the message clear and simple
How to share your own personal story of coming to believe in Jesus
And much, much more!


So you talk about it, read about it, hear others chatter about it, even imagine what your life would be like if you did it...but you don't.

Throughout church history the gospel message has been effective in virtually every single part of the world it has been introduced to. Sure, there have been groups that have been more difficult to reach because of ingrained belief systems that are non-Biblical. But even then the gospel will eventually penetrate hardened hearts and change made-up minds. Why? Because the message of the gospel is not just a competing belief system. It is not merely one of the many horses to bet on at the racetrack of worldviews. It is the truth, subsidized by hard facts, energized by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by the sinner's conscience. And it is not a truth devoid of feeling. It is ablaze with feeling, passion and power. Its logic can transform the mind. Its heat can warm the cold heart.
When you share the gospel message in this postmodern student culture, share it with the internal confidence that it is a dynamic and explosive force that can penetrate the hardest of walls with the shrapnel of truth. Speak that message of hope knowing that it is living and active and hungry - and it will not stop until it has caught its prey. Speak it with the absolute assurance that God in his sovereignty will bring in those whom he has called when he has called them in spite of the cultural nuances that seem to be roadblocks to belief.
Don't hesitate to share the gospel with the teens of today.
Although the gospel doesn't change, our tactics of sharing it with different groups can and should depending on the audience. In other words, though the gospel message never changes, the way we communicate it to different audiences can and should change. As we will see later, Paul used a vastly different technique in reaching the Greeks on Mar's Hill than he did the Jews in the synagogue (Acts 17).
Try going to an unreached tribe in Papua , New Guinea and using the Four Spiritual Laws right off the bat. The responses could vary - but most likely you would get beaten or eaten. To reach these cultures years of study have been done to identify belief systems and find common ground. Then a strategy is developed based on this research. It is then tried and tweaked until the most effective methodology is uncovered.
It is no different in today's student culture.
You probably wouldn't approach a student from a Jewish background the same way you would approach a student from a Wicca belief system. The entry points are different. One has a monotheistic worldview. The other is polytheistic or atheistic. One accepts the Old Testament as authoritative. The other rejects Scripture as absolute truth.
How do we become skilled at becoming good news bearers to this culture of students? We become students of the students. We study them and discover what makes them tick and what gets them ticked. We find out what they value. In other words, we listen.
This is not passive listening but aggressive. We listen to find entry points into their worlds. We ask questions that open doors and initiate conversations about the gospel. We try and tweak until we find an effective method. In other words, we must find an open door!
As we present the love story of the gospel with students we must never forget to present the catalytic reality that Jesus called himself "the way" not "a way." Christianity is inclusive in the fact that everyone is welcomed to believe. It is exclusive in the sense that if those who don't are condemned to an eternity separated from the love of God.
The key is to share the gospel story as the better story that just happens to be true. We must be loving. We must learn to listen. But we must share the story as truth - because it is true.
Don't be intimidated!
We have an historic opportunity before us! The students of today are open to spiritual topics like never before. They are looking for feeling, reality, and, yes, truth. All that and more is wrapped up in the true love story of Christianity!
Reaching postmodern students with the gospel of Jesus Christ may take some hard work, creativity, and a ton of prayer - but if we are not making the attempt, how can we call ourselves 'youth ministers'?
NEWSFLASH: THE GOSPEL IS AS POWERFUL AS EVER!!!
Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Tree. It was my favorite Bible story as a kid. And because of that, over the years I’d come to the conclusion that it belongs in Vacation Bible School only—certainly not on a blueprint for youth ministry. (Just in case, though, I stuck it on the flannelboard of my brain should I ever be subpoenaed to teach preschool.)
But oddly enough—a mere five years into youth ministry—I’ve found this simple Bible story has become the guiding metaphor for my service to this generation.
For the first few years of my ministry, I surrendered to the temptation of defining success by bodies in chairs, names on sign-up sheets, and smiles on faces. My ministry was to the "crowd," with little concern for those who didn’t possess the courage, strength, desire, or ability to rise above the distractions around them.
Then an eight-year-old girl at summer camp started me rethinking all of that.
I was sharing the story of Zacchaeus at a morning chapel—knowing that more minds were on the craft shack or ping-pong than on salvation. I chose the smallest kid to play the leading role and a reluctant-yet-stout counselor to provide the branches on which our little Zach could perch. I picked a Jesus. And for the crowd I assembled a small band of willing volunteers. The drama unfolded. There were giggles as "Zacchaeus" made his way up the "tree," hitting a few ticklish spots on his journey. Then Jesus came to town, Zacchaeus came down, we sang the familiar song, and all the kids in the crowd returned to their seats. But before turning over the podium to the cabin inspectors, I closed by asking a question:
What would have happened if Zacchaeus hadn’t climbed the tree that day?
Maybe I naively expected a first-grader to respond with something like, "Well, obviously he would have missed Jesus and salvation would not have come to his house that day, and Jesus would have had to wait to state that his mission was to ’seek and save the lost’," because I was taken aback by this eight-year-old girl’s response:
His song wouldn’t be as much fun to sing!
It took me only a moment to see my question through her eyes. Then I began to hear with her ears. (You’ll have to sing out loud to get the effect.)
Zacchaeus was a wee little manA wee little man was heHe started to climb in a sycamore treeBut he didn’t...And then...he went home.
(Not the greatest tune without Zacchaeus’ upward journey, huh?)
That’s how we ended chapel. But that little girl began something new in me. She helped me realize that my definition of a successful ministry had been severely missing the mark.
I was more interested in the next retreat, more focused on my next class, and more excited about the newest game I planned to teach at the next devotional—completely oblivious to those in my group whose songs were not much fun to sing because their faith was so small...and the crowd was too tall...and they had no sycamore tree to climb.
I hadn’t been looking out for my Zacchaeuses.
. . . . .
At my church, we have a private preschool and kindergarten. In the nearby church courtyard is a playground. And on that playground is an off-limits tree. A big tree. A tempting tree. I mean, this is a Mount-Everest-of-a-tree to little, exploring eyes. It’s as though God chose a playground and placed a tree in the middle and declared, "On every other structure thou mayest climb, but on this tree thou mayest not climb, for on the day when thou dost, thou shalt surely...be placed in time-out...or something."
Eventually a red line was painted above the second limb from the ground. The children were free to climb to that line, but everything above was forbidden territory. And "Mrs. Wanda" (as the kids call her) guards that tree with a watchful eye that would impress an angel wielding a flaming sword.
But after hours—figuring Mrs. Wanda and her whistle have departed for wherever kindergarten teachers go until 8 a.m. the next day—some kids do climb above the red line. There’s something about that tree that beckons, "Come...and climb!" to every adventurer.
What makes it tough is that those who’ve boldly gone where no child has gone before tell other children about the view. During recess they proudly (albeit quietly) boast to those content with hop-scotch, "I have been to the promised land...and from it you can see over the fence of the playground!"
What they’ve seen "up there" is amazing—much more so than the mundane sandbox.
Each morning I see that tree when I go to my office. Every day I see wee little people looking up, peering through its branches in awe. And I’m reminded that what they seek is a viewpoint so very different from their own. But without the tree, their quest is impossible—and their song is not as much fun to sing.
That’s when it hit me.
For many years I tried to be Jesus to the teens God entrusted to me. I tried to save them. I tried to heal them. I tried to build a ministry that would be truth and light for them.
And all those years I noticed only three characters in the Zacchaeus story—Jesus the Savior, Zacchaeus the sinner, and the crowd of distractions.
I forgot about the sycamore tree.
The sycamore tree is me.
And ministering as the sycamore tree is the mission to which I’ve been called.
When I made that realization, I developed a new definition for success in youth ministry—a clearer image of who God’s called me to be and what he’s called me to do:
Like the sycamore tree, my job is to lift teens above the crowd so they might see the approaching Savior.
I was so occupied with bearing the burden of saving kids that I failed to acknowledge that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He will find them. He will heal them.
Jesus simply pleads with me to create an environment where teens will willingly choose to "come and climb" so they’ll be found by him.
. . . . .
Luke records that when "Jesus reached the spot," he calls to Zacchaeus to come down. Jesus doesn’t stumble upon the tree. He doesn’t follow the crowd’s jeers and pointing fingers to find a stranger out on a limb. This meeting is no accident. He goes "to the spot" as though it’s his destination that day—not some comical interruption preceding an important public appearance.
Jesus’ search for Zacchaeus is far more noteworthy than Zacchaeus’ attempt to catch a glimpse of the Christ. The story is not about a seeking tax collector, but about a seeking Savior.
Imagine the houses that had been cleaned that day in hopes that Jesus would invite himself there for the evening. City leaders, prominent dignitaries, wealthy landowners—all certain they had it "together" enough that Jesus would choose them as dinner companions.
Jesus, however, made his reservation before he ever arrived in town. Others wanted to be seen with Jesus, but this day will forever be remembered because one man wanted to be seen by Jesus—and he needed a sycamore tree to fulfill this desire.
"He wanted to see who Jesus was but...he could not because of the crowd" (Luke 19:3).
Preaching (at least the way I’ve done it) won’t win much of this generation to Christ; but being available when a teen wants to climb higher to investigate the outrageous claims of the Son of God, will.
. . . . .
In the Zacchaeus song we all know, I’ve always been bothered by the way we recreate the moment when Jesus encounters his new friend. Maybe your Sunday school teacher was kinder and gentler, but mine would shake her finger and say, "Zacchaeus, you come down from that tree!" with the kind of vocal inflection my mother would use when employing my first, middle, and last names along with phrases like "wait until your father gets home!"
Maybe it doesn’t matter much what tone of voice Jesus uses here, but to me (and I imagine to any teen listening for him), Jesus’s tone is vital. The voice Zacchaeus hears offers peace, protection, and a promise. His invitation seems to say, "Zacchaeus, you don’t belong on a tree. That’s my job." The response Jesus receives from Zacchaeus is immediate, sincere, and abundant.
How do I measure the success of my ministry?
If it’s only through numbers or pats on the back, the lost are seldom sought or saved. If what I want to hear is, "I enjoyed the retreat," "Great class!" or "Good pizza," then salvation will not likely come to the homes of those I serve.
But—as a sycamore tree—I long to hear teens say, "I see him, and I know he sees me."
My challenge is to be guided by the sycamore metaphor. Not as a formula for success or steps to a healthy ministry, but as a way to understand my role—our roles—in the kingdom.
. . . . .
I now perform a one-man drama from the viewpoint of the sycamore tree. In character, I describe the excitement of being so close to Jesus and the anticipation of catching a glimpse of the Savior. Noticing Zacchaeus in the crowd, however, I fear that he might get too close and then I will be forever linked with a sinner in Christ’s memory. Then Zacchaeus begins his climb up my trunk—and the higher he climbs, the lower I feel.
But then—after hearing the invitation of Jesus and the response of the tax collector—I am forever changed. I realize that I’ve become the closest witness to the encounter between these two men. At that moment—despite not being noticed myself—I’ve been used to lift someone above the crowd so that he might see the approaching Savior and that the approaching Savior might see him.
Repentance is shouted. Forgiveness is offered. Salvation is delivered. And it’s the sycamore tree that provides the means for this miracle to occur. To witness someone’s song becoming so much more fun to sing.
Like the sycamore tree, my job is to lift teens above the crowd so they might see the approaching Savior.
PostscriptLuke eventually tells the story of another tree. The first tree holds a man living a lie while on the other hangs a man dying for truth.
Zacchaeus climbs a tree to get the attention of Jesus. Jesus climbs a tree and dies to get ours.
Being a tree is easy.
Being a Savior is not.
David Skidmore lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he serves as youth minister (and sycamore tree) of the West End Church of Christ. He dedicates these words to each person who's been a branch on his way up to see Jesus more clearly.
The above author bio was current as of the date this article was published.
© 2000 Youth SpecialtiesPermission is granted to distribute articles to other youth workers within your church, but may not be re-published (print or electronic) without permission.

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