Why is the Great Commission important?

Asking “Why is the Great Commission important?” is like asking, “Why was Jesus’s death important?” Both are vital to Christianity, and believers cannot ignore that fact. One of the most famous verses is John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV). The world that God loved in this verse is the same world Jesus said to go into in Matthew 28:18–20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46–47 and Acts 1:8. Repetition in the Bible is often indicative of emphasis or importance, so the fact that the Great Commission is repeated so many times should tell us something.

Practically, the Great Commission is important because it is urgent. In South Asia, 80,000 people will die today without having had the chance to hear about God. Globally, there are 2.7 billion people who have never even heard the name of Jesus, living enslaved to powerless idols and without hope or peace. Often, those who have yet to hear the Gospel are also the poorest.[1] They do not have access to things like adequate food or clean water. Women are often forced to draw water from nearby stagnant ponds that may also function as latrines, leading to disease and even death, shortening the window of opportunity to share the gospel.[2]

This is why GFA World is working to meet these physical needs, to show people God’s love and care for them. It is quite difficult because over 85 percent of Asian countries do not allow Western or other outside missionaries to share the gospel or establish churches. Thus, GFA has focused on training and sending out national missionaries. These men and women are from the areas where they work, so they are not seen as outsiders and have fewer restrictions. They know the language, the beliefs and the needs of the people.

GFA has Bible colleges in many countries where men and women are receiving training that will enable them to not only effectively share the gospel, but establish churches in communities without one. Over 98 percent of graduates will go on to serve in areas where the gospel has never been shared before.[3]


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