Sermon Tone Analysis

\\ *The Greatest Commission*

Shaun LePage, October 23, 2005

 

I.

Introduction

A.   Jordanian journalist, Fouad Hussein recently interviewed several al Qaeda leaders, including al Qaeda’s man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The book is only available in Arabic, but it lays out a very straightforward strategy for world conquest.

According to Hussein, al Qaeda has a seven phase plan for taking over the world.

The first five phases include a series of terrorist attacks and wars—which we are already witnessing.

Phase 6, Hussein reports, is that by 2022, the world will be conquered by the unstoppable armies of Islam.

This is the phase Osama bin Laden has been talking about for years.

In the final phase of this plan, all the world’s inhabitants will be forced to either convert to Islam, or submit (as second class citizens) to Islamic rule.

This will supposedly be completed near the year 2025.

“Islam”—by the way—is a word that means “peace.”

B.   World conquest has been the goal of many groups throughout history.

Most notably in the last century, Nazism and Communism held the goal of world conquest.

Thankfully, both failed.

C.   In fact, we know for sure that until the very end of time, there will be those who seek to gain control over the whole world.

In Revelation 13, John was allowed to see into the future and he saw a beast coming up out of the sea.

John wrote this about the beast in vs.7 & 8: *“7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”*

We don’t know yet who this “beast” is, but we do know that this final attempt—like all other attempts for world conquest before it—will fail.

D.   How do we know?

Because there is only One who is worthy to rule the entire world.

There is only One who has complete authority over heaven and earth.

And He will not share His glory with anyone else.

He, too, has a plan for world conquest.

But His plan is motivated by love, not hate.

His plan includes a message of peace, not a sword of violence.

His plan will be advanced by humble servants, not arrogant terrorists.

E.    It’s true that the Book of Revelation describes a day when God’s judgment will fall on those who reject Him, but He himself will carry out that judgment—not His disciples.

As Creator and Lord of the universe, He alone is able to judge righteously.

And that day will only come after He has provided numerous opportunities for the world to turn from its wickedness and rebellion and idolatry.

F.    Today is a day of opportunity.

In this present time, the people of the world are being presented with a God-given opportunity to avoid God’s judgment.

That opportunity is in our hands.

It is to be presented by you and me—Christ-followers.

G.

There are some passages of Scripture that we return to more frequently than others.

1.

At Christmas time, we return to the stories of Christ’s birth.

Matthew 1 & 2, Luke 1 & 2 and John 1.

2.     At Easter, we return to the passion of Christ.

Each of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—devote large sections of their eyewitness accounts of the life of Christ to the stories of His death and resurrection.

3.     Perhaps you have a favorite passage that you return to more often than others because it has given you encouragement or it helps you stay focused on what is most important.

4.     One passage that all Christians need to return to on a regular basis is found at the end of Matthew’s gospel.

The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:16-20, is one of the most studied, memorized and analyzed paragraphs in all the Bible.

And rightly so.

5.     As we look over our core values—the values that you and I share; the values that have brought us together at this time in our lives—it will become clear that the Great Commission is the soil in which most of our values are rooted.

It is the basis for nearly all our activity as a church body.

It is the answer to the question, “How shall we glorify God?” Our values of outreach and world missions are an expression of the Great Commission.

In fact, the Great Commission is also closely tied to our values of community and the priesthood of believers as well as our desire to worship God and be relevant to our culture.

II.

Body

A.   The Text

1.

The Context.

Before I read this familiar passage, let me invite you to visit the mountain where Jesus’ disciples met their risen Lord—after walking for about a week to place where Jesus had instructed them to go.

Put yourself in that crowd of perhaps 500 people who knelt before the risen Jesus as He spoke some of His most challenging and memorable words.

Imagine for a moment what it must have been like to hear these words for the first time.

2.     Matthew 28:16-20: *“16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”*

3.     If you’ve been a Christian for longer than a month, you’ve heard someone teach or preach this passage.

If you’ve been a Christian longer than a decade, you’ve probably taught or preached this passage.

I probably can’t add anything new to what you’ve heard, but let’s walk through it and remind ourselves of why this is so significant and then I’d like to challenge you with a few applications.

B.   Exposition

1.     *“16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.”

*

a)     Earlier in this chapter, Matthew describes the first Resurrection Sunday.

Look at v.1: *“1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.”

*Did you notice who was missing?

The disciples!

Think about this: Several times, Jesus told His disciples that He would rise from the dead.

He even told them what day—the third day!

But where were they on that day?

Were they at the grave—standing there watching for the stone to roll away?

No! They weren’t there.

They were hiding out.

They didn’t believe Him.

b)    But Jesus—patiently and graciously—coaxed them out of hiding with two invitations.

Look at Matthew 28:7-10—the first invitation comes from an angel sent by Jesus who said, *“7‘Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.’ 8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them.

And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

10Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.’”*

c)     So this is why, when we come to 28:16, we read that the “disciples proceeded to Galilee.”

They were showing faith now—they had made the long journey from Jerusalem to Galilee in obedience to Jesus’ command.

Jesus had designated a mountain and they met Him there.

d)    Its debatable how all this went down, but I think the disciples did not obey this command at first.

John indicates that they hid out in a locked room instead of going to Galilee.

So Jesus appeared to them there, then they went to Galilee.

Now they believed.

Now they were willing to come out from behind locked doors and meet Jesus.

They missed out on the Resurrection, but they weren’t going to miss out on the Great Commission.

e)     Ever wonder what we miss out on because we don’t believe?

We don’t believe, so we don’t show up—we don’t expect God to use us.

We don’t expect God to give us Divine appointments.

We don’t expect God to save people when we tell them the Gospel.

We have no idea how much we miss out on because we don’t believe so we don’t show up.

I wonder, when we get to heaven, will God show us a list of the times we didn’t show up when He was prepared to use us for eternally significant things.

2.     *“17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.”*

a)     Isn’t this interesting?

First of all, notice that they worshiped Him.