What is the Great Commission for believers today?
For believers today, the Great Commission is not the Matthew commission to the twelve, which was conditional on Israel's relationship and no longer fits. Instead, every believer serves as an ambassador—a representative of a government living in a foreign country—and has been committed the word of reconciliation.
Les explains that people hear much about the Great Commission, but he maintains it is not so much the one in Matthew. That commission was given to the twelve, providing Israel could have maintained her relationship with God and become the vehicle, but today it does not fit. The one that fits beautifully is that every believer is an ambassador. Les uses the analogy of an ambassador from Washington living in Tokyo: an ambassador is a representative of some government, but he lives in a foreign country. Along with this, God has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.