The Great Commission: Key to Spiritual Growth
A Luke Wong Sermon Summary
God wants us to mature spiritually. But as we become comfortable in life, typically we stop growing.
My wife and I served as missionaries in China from 2003 to 2019. We were living out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), which turns out to be the way to grow. Let’s learn from it.
The first requirement of the Great Commission is to go, to step out of our comfort zone (Matthew 28:19).
I grew up in Paris, moved to New York, got married, and dreamed of getting rich. But God planted discontentment in us. We felt stuck and wanted more than just surviving and maintaining.
In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby used surfing as an analogy of experiencing God. Instead of creating your own wave, get into the water, wait, and watch to see what God is doing. When a wave comes, swim over and ride on it.
In 2012, my wife and I prayed for nine months asking God to make us love and experience Him more. A year later, with three kids, we moved to China. I spoke very little Chinese and didn’t understand the culture.
What is God asking you to do that feels uncomfortable?
To grow, we must trust God is in control, take risks, and step out of our comfort zone.
Second, seek to engage the lost (Matthew 28:19).
Luke 15 describes three parables: the lost sheep out there; the lost coin inside the house; and the lost sons, one outside, the other inside. There are just as many lost outside as there are around us.
To engage requires confronting and speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Tell your own stories to have transformation to take place.
Third, teach others to obey everything Christ has commanded you (Matthew 28:20).
Teaching helps us grow. Forget the title of “pastor” (James 3:1). Just perform its function. Have the heart of a shepherd to have impact on others.
Walk the talk. Meditate on God’s words and show what it means to obey Him (Matthew 5:16). And you will grow.
Finally, don’t worry. If you follow the Great Commission, Christ promises He will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Summary of a sermon by Luke Wong, starting at 19:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YibLiJZJsM&t=1186s
My wife and I served as missionaries in China from 2003 to 2019. We were living out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), which turns out to be the way to grow. Let’s learn from it.
The first requirement of the Great Commission is to go, to step out of our comfort zone (Matthew 28:19).
I grew up in Paris, moved to New York, got married, and dreamed of getting rich. But God planted discontentment in us. We felt stuck and wanted more than just surviving and maintaining.
In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby used surfing as an analogy of experiencing God. Instead of creating your own wave, get into the water, wait, and watch to see what God is doing. When a wave comes, swim over and ride on it.
In 2012, my wife and I prayed for nine months asking God to make us love and experience Him more. A year later, with three kids, we moved to China. I spoke very little Chinese and didn’t understand the culture.
What is God asking you to do that feels uncomfortable?
To grow, we must trust God is in control, take risks, and step out of our comfort zone.
Second, seek to engage the lost (Matthew 28:19).
Luke 15 describes three parables: the lost sheep out there; the lost coin inside the house; and the lost sons, one outside, the other inside. There are just as many lost outside as there are around us.
To engage requires confronting and speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Tell your own stories to have transformation to take place.
Third, teach others to obey everything Christ has commanded you (Matthew 28:20).
Teaching helps us grow. Forget the title of “pastor” (James 3:1). Just perform its function. Have the heart of a shepherd to have impact on others.
Walk the talk. Meditate on God’s words and show what it means to obey Him (Matthew 5:16). And you will grow.
Finally, don’t worry. If you follow the Great Commission, Christ promises He will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Summary of a sermon by Luke Wong, starting at 19:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YibLiJZJsM&t=1186s