Time To Go

We all are here in this neighborhood and we love to hang out. So since we grew up in Christian homes, let’s hang out together as a loving community until Jesus returns.

Now there is partial truth to this right?

Unbelievers will know we are Christians by our love ( HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%2013.35"John 13:35).

Others would say preaching and teaching.

We are called to strengthen, edify, build up, people through God’s Word into maturity.

Due to lack of knowledge, the people perish, ( HYPERLINK "https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Hos.%204.6"Hos. 4:6).

There is truth to this too.

I want to propose to us today that the purpose of the church is bigger than fellowship and teaching, though those two things are essential. In the climax of the Matthew, we find Jesus giving His disciples essentially the point of their and our existence.

I summarized it this way: The church, fueled by the authority and presence of Christ, is called to be God’s vehicle of bringing glory to Him through making disciples of all people, without distinction.

Passage

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Pray

I. The church is fueled by the presence of Jesus

The context.

Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days following His resurrection.

So today’s passage deals with the time before Jesus ascends to Heaven.

Mountains seem to be significant in Matthew.

Each time a mountain is mentioned, there is some significant revelation about Christ there.

In Matt. 5:1, Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount, as the New Moses, who was given the Ten Commandments.

In Matt. 17, Jesus is transfigured with Moses and Elijah, showing us that Jesus fulfills both the Law and Prophets.

In Matt. 28, we see Christ will send His disciples on a mission, again a greater Moses, giving the people their purpose in life.

Some suggest that more than the Eleven are here.

In 1 Cor. 15:6, Paul tells us Jesus met with 500 people at one time.

John Macarthur: “The command here given to go and make disciples of all nations doesn't know any hierarchy, that's a command given to everybody, whether you're an apostle or not, it fits all those who love and follow Jesus Christ.”

Some worshipped, but some hesitated.

Look at Matt. 28:18, which tell us, “He drew near”

As Jesus approached them, His presence and His Word dispelled all fear.

Notice that Jesus makes no mention of their hesitations.

His Presence and Word is enough.

But I love the fact that Matthew leaves that some hesitated.

The resurrection did not transform fearful disciples into immediate spiritual giants.

Sometimes our worship is mixed with fear and doubt, but His presence is what we need.

I hope this encourages you as we carry out the Great Commission.

Matt. 28:20 “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew had begun his gospel with Jesus’ birth and Him being called “Emmanuel,” which meant, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

John Stott: “Now, as He repeats the promise of his presence, He attached it rather to their witness than to their worship. It is not only when we meet in His name, but when we go in His name, that He promises to be with us.”

Jesus says, He will be with the church as they carry out His Great Commission.

Jesus will do this through the power of the Holy Spirit, which is Christ living in us.

Jesus does not say, “I will be with you only when your church is growing and Thriving,

In our successes and failures, He is with us.

Don’t pray for Jesus to be with you. Pray you see that He is!

James Boice: “We have been given a very great task, but we do not need to attempt it in our own strength. We have the Lord’s power at work within us as well as his promise to be with us to the very end as we obey the Great Commission.”

His presence fuels us.

Every time you meet to live out the Great Commission Jesus is there.

Even if people you are discipling are not responding, He is near.

Even if you feel unappreciated and unrecognized, He is near.

Even if you feel like your inadequate in serving, He is near.

His promise of His presence comforts us.

Let’s keep serving faithfully, whole-heartedly, despite what we can see.

I pray when people look at us, they won’t just say, “They’re good at welcoming people” or “They love to have fun together,” but that they can say, “They are really good at enjoying and experiencing Jesus Christ!”

Amen?

II. The church is fueled by the authority of Jesus

Jesus immediately fills them with courage.

“Stop being consumed with all your fear, doubt and hesitation.

Look away from your inability and inadequacy to my ability, my adequacy and my Word.”

Notice that the word ALL occurs four times in this passage:

Everyone Say All

He possesses ALL authority

He sends us to ALL nations

We are to teach people ALL He has commanded

We are to know that He will be with us ALL the days

There is a sense that this is the ALL-inclusive, this is what Christianity is about, the whole thing, regarding everything about life.

Christ drew near to them and they knew Him. Now He tells them to make Him known.

That is the Christian life: Knowing Him and making Him known.

Jesus tells them first the basis of why they can do what He is about to tell them to do.

Because all authority, which means “official right or power,” had been given to Jesus by the Father, the disciples can boldly and confidently fulfill His command.

Warren Wiersbe: “Since Jesus Christ today has all authority, we may obey Him without fear. No matter where He leads us, no matter what circumstances we face, He is in control. By His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated all enemies and won for Himself all authority.”

Our church is fueled by the authority of Christ.

We are called to bring all people under His authority and control.

Plane Analogy

III. The church is called to make disciples of Jesus

Whatever God calls us to, He supplies.

He sends us to stony paths, He will give us strong shoes.

Jesus’ universal Lordship now demands a universal mission.

Knowing that we are fueled by His presence and authority we are called to make disciples.

I love the fact that Matthew talks about Jesus “drawing near” and Jesus talking about His authority, before we hear the command that we are to make disciples of the world!

What a staggering and paralyzing command, unless we knew it was sandwiched between assurances of Christ’s presence and authority!

Notice it does not say, “make converts” or “get people to accept Christ.”

The word “disciple” means above all “pupil.” So the idea here is to “make learners.”

Not simply one who has been taught but one who continues to learn.

So what is Jesus saying?

He’s saying the way to make disciples is to go, baptize and teach.

James Boice: “Preach the gospel to them so that through the power of the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit they are converted from sin to Christ and follow Him.

This is precisely what the disciples did.

They went everywhere and proclaimed Jesus.

They called people to repentance.

As the Lord brought people who became believers, they then demonstrated and testified before others through water baptism and they were taught to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

They then reproduced and made more disciples, eventually to reach the whole world!

Jesus’ Mission.

Jesus said His mission was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

And guess what?

Jesus is telling them now to do the same.

The Great Commission is simply living out God’s heart of mission.

Notice the scope of this mission: “all nations.”

Ray Pritchard: “Of all nations is a good translation, but it suggests political boundaries. The Greek word translated ‘nations’ is ethne. We get from it the English word ethnic, a word often used to describe the various people groups…When we read nations we think political boundaries. But that’s not what Jesus means when he talks about nations. He means the ethnic groups of the world. The people groups of the world. The language groups of the world. The racial groups of the world. He means that his church is to be a church going out to all people groups of the world and all language group and all racial groups of the world.”

Now how are we supposed to make disciples?

First we go.

Jesus was telling them not to just think about Israel and the Jews.

They took a long time to understand that.

With His presence and authority behind and in you, you can step out of your comfort zone and go!

S.K. Weber: “The point is that we believers are active; we are not inert. Going means crossing boundaries to make disciples—going across the street, going to dinner with an unbelieving friend, going into the inner city, going beyond one’s comfort zone to make the gospel accessible to the lost. Living life is “going” with a purpose, every day.”

Secondly, baptize.

Bring them into the community as they publicly confess me through baptism.

Baptism is an outward demonstration of an inward change.

Have you ever seen a can in a store with no label on it? - Peas Can

It is a public declaration to the community of faith that you follow Jesus, are His disciple and about the Great Commission.

So baptism is not what one does TO BE saved; but it is what a saved person does.

Thirdly, how do you make a disciple?

First by going and inviting them to Christ.

Second baptizing them.

Lastly He says teaching.

So far Jesus has been the teacher.

Here He passes on the torch.

Notice they are not to teach their own ideas, but what Jesus has commanded.

This is why you don't need to know about me, but Jesus.

Inspirational Quote For ME: “Preach, die and be forgotten.”

How much of what Jesus has commanded?

James Boice: “Christ commanded us to teach them ‘to obey everything” which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church.”

To be a disciple is to obey Jesus’ teaching.

Notice also that they were to “observe.”

The goal was not to teach for information, but for transformation.

The goal was not to teach so they would hear, but to multiply and reproduce a reproducing follower of Christ.

Discipleship is more than mere counseling. Remember the goal is not to help disciples feel better. The goal is that the Lord would transform them into reproducing reproducers.

Conclusion

Tony Evans: “People want salvation but don’t want to put in the time to be strong disciples of Jesus Christ. What many Christians want to do is to audit the Christian life. An audit is where a person goes to class to get information, but is not required to do any of the work. They don’t have to take a test or do any homework. They are only attending for informational purposes. They want the data without the responsibility. That’s an audit. That’s what some folks do every Sunday. They audit Jesus.” Later he says that what Jesus wants is “a generation of followers who are so saturated in [His] thinking, [His] worldview, and [His] orientation that when integrated into the culture in which they are situated, the culture will have to live with the influence of Jesus Christ, who permeates the culture.”

I hope you are not here to audit Jesus.

God does not exist for us. We exist for God and to bring Him glory!

And the way we can bring Him glory is to know His heart.

Knowing His heart means realizing that it is always a heart for mission.

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