CONNECT GLOBAL PRESENTS
FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION What is the Great Commission, Why is it important, and How do we take action
CONNECTGLOBAL.ORG
CONNECT GLOBAL
PRESENTS
JAVIER & DANIELLE MENDOZA Founders of Connect Global Together, Javier & Danielle Mendoza, have been leading mission trips since 2004 and upon its founding in 2011 have been instrumental in building Connect Global, a worldwide organization built on providing sustainable solutions to solvable problems like poverty, hunger, lack of education, and lack of clean drinking water. Danielle and Javier have one daughter, Saige, who completed her first international service trip at the age of 4 to Thailand. Along with their daughter Saige, the Mendoza Family has called La Ceiba, Honduras home twice since January 2015. They lived and worked in Honduras for a total of 3 years establishing the programs and partnerships that continue growing and thriving today. Their home and organizational headquarters is Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S.A. F u l f illing the G r e a t C o m m i s s io n -
FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
CONNECT GLOBAL MISSION We provide sustainable solutions addressing poverty, food scarcity, access to education, and maternal & newborn healthcare.
VISION
We exist to follow the biblical model of Jesus meeting both physical and spiritual needs to fulfill the Great Commission.
VALUES
Biblical Integrity We follow the highest standard of integrity and character as outlined to us through our faith in Jesus Christ to be found above reproach and instill trust not only in us as faithful stewards but as representatives of Jesus above all. Fiscal Responsibility We are committed to the highest standards for the use of funds. We use the donations for the purpose, for which they are given. We keep our administrative and fundraising costs as low as possible. Relational Accountability We keep our donors, informed of the ongoing projects and share the joy of each achieved milestone. Our annual impact report and monthly updates to donors as well as our public communication via social media give everyone the chance to understand the work we are committed to.
C O N NECTGLOBA L . O R G
CONNECT GLOBAL PRESENTS
FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION What is the Great Commission, Why is it important, and How do we take action
CONNECTGLOBAL.ORG
FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
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CONTENTS
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THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH Define the Great Commission and what it means for you, your church, and your greater community.
OUR IDENTITY Knowing who we are is of vital importance to understanding our place in completing the Great Commission.
OBEDIENCE OVER SACRIFICE Scriptures tell us that God requires our obedience over our sacrifice which is key to fulfilling the Great Commission.
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FIND THE RIGHT PARTNERS
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We are called to work with one another in unity. We are many parts of one body. It will take each part working together to finish the Commission He gave us.
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THE HEART OF LEADERSHIP
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DEPLOYMENT
In order to Lead well we must learn to serve well. Jesus himself gave us the model to follow.
We have a full understanding of the Need and the Calling, now is the time for action.
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FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH What is it? — the Great Commission is a command given by Jesus Christ to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said, "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." This commission is a call to all believers to go and share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded.
It is a call to spread the message of salvation to all people, regardless of their nationality or background. The Great Commission is found in several areas throughout the scriptures. The great commission is stated for us in 5 places in the New Testament: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14–18, Luke 24:44–49, John 20:19-23, and Acts 1:4–8. Each of these accounts gives us the premise for what we are called to do as Christ followers. The Great Commission is clear, concise, and a call to action. In order to fully become disciples of Christ we must be about the fathers business by actively completing the Great Commission.
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When it comes to carrying out the Great Commission, many Christians may feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. Here are a few suggestions: Start by praying: Ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel with others and for the courage to do so.
but in order to get started we need to first decide if we "believe" in the Great Commission. It is easy to quote the reference in scripture, there are countless commentaries by very wellrespected theologians, pastors, and practitioners but if we ourselves are not able to unequivocally believe what the bible says and what it demands there is no point in going any further.
Look for opportunities in your daily life: You don't only need to travel to another country to fulfill the Great Commission. Look for opportunities to share the gospel with friends, family, coworkers, or even strangers you meet in your daily life.
As Christians, we believe that the Great Commission is not just a suggestion, but a command that we are called to obey. Jesus' command to go and make disciples is not limited to a certain group of people or a certain time period but applies to all believers throughout history.
Get involved in your church: Your church has outreach programs and mission trips that you can get involved in to help spread the gospel to others. Support missionaries and evangelists: Everyone is called to fulfill this Great Commission whether in long or short-term mission trips or here at home. Either way, you can still support those who are committed to the work of the ministry by giving financially or praying for them. Over the next few sessions, we will dive much deeper into the why, and how of completing The Great Commission,
Here are some of the ways in which we can determine whether we believe this Great Commission is in fact for us, for today: 1. We Do what we believe in. If we are not actively participating in one way or another to fulfill this mission then it is fair to say we do not believe in this command. 2. We Say what we believe in. We share tv shows we love, give restaurant suggestions we love, and we even share our political beliefs with others. Can the same be said about us when it comes to The Great Commission and the Good News of Jesus?
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FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
3. We Give to what we believe in. We spend our money in line with what we value. Matthew 6:21 states, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." This implies that what we value and where we direct our money reside together. If our hearts and "treasure" are made up of worldly possessions and not in following Jesus’ commands we are not believing in His word.
North Americans spend about the same on Halloween costumes for their pets as they do on outreach to unreached people groups” Source: JoshuaProject.Net
We are challenged to Go which involves action. The fact that, "There are more people alive today that do not know Christ than at any other time in history.” (- JoshuaProject.net) should quite frankly alarm us as Christians. This Commission comes with challenges, obstacles, and many road blocks. However, It is a worthy endeavor and God promises to be with us.
Jesus tells his disciples just before ascending to Heaven that not only will He be "with us to the very end of the age", but in Acts 1:8 it is described this way, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” What a great thing to know that we will not be alone on this journey. Later in this course, we will discuss the importance of gathering a team and making sure to lead those around you well in order to be effective at completing the Great Commission. Lastly, in building upon The Foundational Truth, we must be able to identify the need. We must ask, ‘ Is this Great Commission still relevant in our current world.’ YES! We have to understand that there are still places on earth with no access to The Good News, no bibles in their language, and people who are still considered UNREACHED. “An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.” - Source JohuaProject.net
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FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
Here are some facts about the 50 largest Unreached People Groups All these people groups have less than 2% self identified Christfollowers. Individuals in these groups have very limited, if any, access to the Gospel. None have an indigenous church capable of taking the Gospel to the entire group. These 50 unreached people groups are comprised of 1.48 billion souls. Almost one in five people on earth live in these 50 unreached people groups. Every group is larger than 10,000,000 in population. Primary religion: 26 are Muslim, 17 Hindu, 5 Buddhist, 1 Ethnic Religions, 1 non-Religious For every dollar given toward Christian resources less than one penny is directed at reaching the unreached
“We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.” —Oswald J Smith
Here is a list of the top five countries with the greatest number of Unreached People Groups (UPGs) 1. India - 95.6% 2. Pakistan - 99.1% 3. China - 10.1% 4. Bangladesh - 99% 5. Nepal - 90.3% If we are to be true disciples of Jesus, one who is committed to completing The Great Commission, we must be able to have a firm foundation built on the truth. We need to know what the Great Commission is, and what our level of belief is in it. We need to be actively pursuing avenues in which to fulfill this Great Commission in ways both big and small, near and far. How will we know when we’ve reached “the tipping point”— when a body of believers is able to evangelize its own people group. When those who have now "heard and heeded" the Good News begin to duplicate the process of completing the Great Commission within their own borders as well as being consumed with sending their own missionaries to continue reaching people around the globe we will begin seeing the numbers of those still unreached decline.
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THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH S e c t ion Check-Up, pl e ase answe r e a c h q u e s t i o n , i n d i v i d u a l l y , a n d th e n take time t o t a l k a b o u t t h e G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n Q u e s t ion with o t h e rs.
Question 1
Question 2
What is the Great Commission in your own words?
Where is one place in the Bible you can find the Great Commission?
Question 3
Question 4
What is one thing that God is telling you about the Great Commission?
Describe a time when you were presented with an opportunity to share the Good News
Group Discussion Question W h a t are the o b s t a c l e s y o u s e e i n t h e C h u r c h t h a t m i g h t h inder it fr o m being abl e t o c o m p l e t e t h e G r e a t C o m m i s s i o n ? W h a t are some o f t he persona l o b s t a c l e s y o u s e e t h a t m a y k e e p y o u f r o m being in v o lved in fulf i l l i n g t h e G r e at C o m m i s s i o n ? T h e Foundation a l T r u t h - P a g e 8
FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION
OUR IDENTITY WHO AM I? In order to know our part in completing the Great Commission we must know and have confidence in Our Identity. We need to know what the bible says about who we are and the promises of God that allow us to take action in this life and move toward those who are unreached around the world. There are two stories in the bible we can look to as examples of the importance of Identity and fulfilling our purpose, the story of a young shepherd boy, and the story of a young orphan girl.
A SHEPHERD When the Philistine giant Goliath challenged the army of Israel to send out a champion to fight him, the Israelites were filled with fear and despair. But David, a young shepherd boy who had been anointed by God as
the future king of Israel, stepped forward to face the giant. David's confidence in the face of overwhelming odds was not based on his own strength or skill, but on his identity in Christ. He knew that he was a child of God, chosen and anointed for a specific purpose, and he trusted that God would give him the strength and wisdom he needed to fulfill that purpose. As David faced Goliath on the battlefield, he did not rely on conventional weapons or tactics. Instead, he used his identity in Christ as a shepherd to defeat the giant. He chose five smooth stones from a stream, symbolic of the five-fold ministry of the Church, and used his sling to strike Goliath in the forehead, the very place where his pride and arrogance resided. The stone that was "sent" was accurate and effective because it was anointed by God.
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