The Great Commission Strategy

How did you come to Christ?  Who was the disciple whose commitment to the Great Commission led you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  How are you demonstrating your commitment to the Great Commission through your business?

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

I recently heard a story of a kingdom business steward who, after many years of sharing the Gospel with an employee in his sales department, finally won him over to the Lord. 

During an event the employee was asked to share his testimony with the guests.  He stood up and shared how excited he was when his boss kept talking to him about the Great Commission.  As a sales person who was primarily paid on commission, hearing about the Great Commission excited him.  Of course the commission his boss was referring to was a commission more valuable than a percentage of any sales transaction.

This commission would give him an invaluable and eternal compensation.  Like this sales person, I too was brought to the Lord through finances.  It was in the early 1990’s when I was introduced to a kingdom business steward. While my interest in him was purely driven by economic incentives, his interest in me was motivated by the fact that I was a lost soul who desperately needed to be saved. 

As I pursued him for money and wisdom, his commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission was unwavering which finally led  me to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, my life has never been the same since.  How did you come to Christ?  Who was the disciple whose commitment to the Great Commission led you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

The Great Commission is an eternal mandate to all who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ.  As Christians we have an obligation to share the good news we have received with the lost and commit to disciple them until they conform to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This commission originated from God the Father.  The first person to receive the commission was Adam, the first earthly son.  The earth was unpopulated so Adam’s commission was to populate the earth with other children of God who would reflect His image and likeness and carry out His will in the earthly realm (Genesis 1:28). 

After Adam sinned, the Lord raised up Abraham and gave him the same mandate.  It would be through Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Though Abraham’s commission would bring blessings to the people of the world, it could not undo the spiritual damage that Adam committed since that required the shedding of blood.  So God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to restore spiritual order by dying on the cross of Calvary (John 3:16). Jesus then passed the commission to His disciples and to all those who would come to believe in Him (Mark 16:15).

Among all of Jesus’ disciples, kingdom business stewards are uniquely positioned to fulfill this great mandate since the marketplace is where most unsaved people spend much of their time.   No matter what industry or type of business you are involved in, each of us must have as a part of our business plan a great commission strategy.   How will you, through your businesses, share this great news with others and support those who accept it towards maturity in Christ?

There are 7 steps in developing a Great Commission strategy for a kingdom business:

1. Clearly define your mission and vision as a company – how you fulfill the Great Commission as a company must be in line with your mission and vision as a company.
2. Determine your circle of influence as a company – your circle of influence includes your customers, employees, vendors, investors, business associates, and those in the community where you conduct your business.
3. Determine the points of contact with the lost – what are the points of contact where you are able to reach the lost through your business operation?
4. Ensure business excellence and 100% customer satisfaction – customers will not receive from you if you cannot demonstrate good business practices; show them before you tell them.  The way you conduct yourself and your business must cause the lost to want to know what makes you the way you are. Let your actions speak louder than your words.
5. Determine your communication methods and those who will carry them out – make sure your methods of communication are in line with your corporate culture. You do not always have to use words or religious terminology; everyone may not be able to communicate in that way.
6. Be all things to all people – Everyone will not receive the same message so be flexible and sensitive to the various personalities and types of people you are dealing with.
7. How will this be measured? – If you do not measure your plan, you will not fulfill it.  Develop measurements for both lives saved and disciples raised.

Caution:  Unfortunately governments in the US are taking greater stands to discriminate against Christians so make sure you do not do anything that could violate any federal or state laws unless the law is clearly unjust, you are led by conviction, and have the grace to go through legal fights.  Every kingdom business is different. Therefore the way each business fulfills the Great Commission will vary based on the mission of the business, the type of business, and industry.  Ultimately all we can do is share; Jesus is the one who saves.

How are you fulfilling the Great Commission mandate?  Do you have a Great Commission strategy? Will Jesus be able to say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant”?