The Great Commission
Hovan delivers a farewell sermon in English, which is simultaneously translated into Armenian. The message serves as both a theological teaching on the “Great Commission” and a personal announcement regarding Hovan and Pegah’s transition to Dallas for church planting training.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mat 28:16
The sermon centers on Matthew 28:16-20, commonly known as the Great Commission. Hovan identifies five essential elements of this mission, noting that in Armenian, each of these concepts ends with the suffix -utyun:
Worship (Parabanutyun): Putting God first in all priorities. Hovan shares a personal story of his early years as a drummer, learning that service must be a sacrifice for God’s glory rather than personal comfort.
Fellowship (Haghordaktsutyun): Rejecting the “lie” of individualistic Christianity. He emphasizes the necessity of the community, citing the 120 faithful who waited together for the Holy Spirit.
Discipleship (Ashakertutyun): The process of becoming more like Jesus daily. He notes that knowledge alone is insufficient; true discipleship requires denying oneself.
Ministry (Tsarayutyun): Serving with available gifts. He highlights “Khosro,” a member who uses his daily life and unique strategies to evangelize at the Iranian embassy.
Mission (Arakelutyun): Joining Jesus to reach all nations. Hovan connects this to his calling to move beyond the local Iranian church to train as a church planter for a future “great harvest” in Iran.
Congregation response
Hovan challenges the congregation to move beyond their “comfort zones” and evaluate their lives against the five pillars of mission. He asks the following of the community:
Self-Examination: Are you letting people walk with you, or are you living an isolated life?
Active Service: How can you use your specific skills, time, or words to bless others and the ministry?
Prayer for Leadership: He requests specific prayer for his family (Pegah, Celine, and Sophia) as they relocate to Dallas to learn Western church-planting systems to eventually contextualize them for the 90 million people in Iran.
Commissioning: The church leadership, led by Charles, concludes by praying for the family’s protection and success in their new international ministry.