Discovering YOUR Part In Jesus’ Great Commission
By Joe Klassen
I am not easily intimidated. I like a good challenge. I love jumping headlong into opportunities and running full steam at them. In fact, this got me the nickname of Rhino Joe. I took this unhesitating exuberance into my career as a care provider for adults and children with developmental disabilities. I used the same approach when I decided to be a foster parent. I took this into every area of my life—except for my relationship with Jesus.
Certainly they don’t mean me?
Growing up in church and reading stories of the icons of faith, both in scripture and out of it, there was one thing that was and is intimidating to me—the Great Commission. I always looked at the Great Commission and partnered it up with Paul’s words of “follow me as I follow Christ” and thought that must be for someone else. I know myself, I know who I am and I know my failings. I felt I was ill-equipped and vastly under-qualified. I did not see any gifts like leadership or teaching I sensed were required to join the Great Commission. There were several areas in my life where I was failing God and failing my marriage.
So it came as a shock to my system when I was invited not only to be discipled but also reminded that the mandate to go out and make disciples included me. I felt under qualified, unusable for the Kingdom. But God had a different plan.
God had a plan for me to spread His Gospel, in the unique way in which way He created me, and on His timeline. This put me in uncomfortable positions and places where I had to look deeply at not just what I was doing but at who I was being for God. I struggled, but I had to lean in. I had to trust this to be true about me. I had to keep taking risks and using the gifts others saw in me. I had to borrow their confidence in me until I had some of my own. And I am glad I did! I have been humbled repeatedly by the results! Not only has God used me, He has used me in ways I would never have seen coming.
There was a part of my life that I was ignoring—my physical well-being and discipline. It took a slap in the face to wake up and see what God really had in store for me.
Obedience Opened the Door to Commissioning
I had ballooned to 353 lbs and was doing anything but honoring God with the temple He had given me. One day, I was approached by someone who attended the church and found myself, a pastor, being challenged to stop living a life that didn’t match the words I spoke from the platform! This person challenged me to embrace self-control and honor God by taking care of the gift He had given me—my body. I joined a gym, and soon I found that this new task I took up to honor God in a specific way (caring for my body and physical health), led me to a new ministry outpost.
As daunting as the task was, when I began my journey at the gym, I knew I had to give it my all in order to honor God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Believe me when I say the first months required a lot of prayer, asking God to help me honor him through my newfound physical disciplines! For the first nine months at the gym, my focus was on the first task of improving my physical condition. Eventually, my time at the gym had me pondering new questions: “What does the Good News look like here? How are you sharing it?”
Soon, my prayers shifted from “God, give me the strength to honor you today,” to “God, how can I serve you here?”
God answered. I began to realize that He placed me in this gym for a reason: not just to get healthy, but to invite others to know Jesus. My time at the gym expanded from just a personal workout, into conversations and connecting with other gym-goers. Without any of my own strategizing or second-guessing, God led me into Great Commission-type work—at the gym! I listened to people’s stories, prayed with them, and over time, I found more and more people opening up. Soon, some people were ready to be baptized.
I Was Made For This!
One of those people shared with me that there was a need within the school districts. They saw a great need among middle school students who were from economically deprived homes and were living without any sense of hope or value.We took the three things we knew: BBQ, burpees, and the Bible. We decided to use this amazing gym that had affected our lives so profoundly to share Jesus with teens who needed to know that Jesus loved them, and saw them as immeasurably valuable. As we shared post-workout meals, we also shared the Good News that in Jesus, they can find hope.
God has allowed this Rhino to spread his gospel and equip others to use their giftedness to make disciples who make disciples and spread the Good News of Jesus.
So, is the Great Commission intimidating? Absolutely! But the Holy Spirit will not call and commission you without also providing the unique way in which you are to fulfill the Great Commission!