The Great Doubt and the Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus is alive. Jesus calls His disciples to this mountain. And here we see two groups of people here at the mountain:

We see one group worshipping Jesus, as Lord, Savior and God. And we see another group with a guard up, still doubt this whole thing, still doubting the Risen Lord who is in front of them.

I love this about the Bible. “What?” I love how real it is. I love that it is recorded that some of the disciples are having a hard time with this whole resurrection thing. I love that they are struggling to grasp the supernatural work of God...

Why do we love it? Because we struggle to. We struggle with the supernatural. We struggle with things we cannot explain. We want to be sure. We don’t like to be fooled. We want truth. We desire truth… And we have been lied to so many times...

I do not want to follow a lie. I do not want to waste my time.

For some of us in the church… It seems that some folks can just respond so quickly and follow with such a child-like faith. And some of us… we need more time to connect the dots, to study, to make the connections… to figure some things out.

We are all made so differently, and so uniquely. And God uses us all. And God will calls us all to come to Him and to Go for Him.

It seems like so many Christians, maybe some of us here today… are still struggling to understand these hard things...

This is honest. Let’s be honest.

We don’t have it all figured out. Disciples don’t have it all figured out. I can throw out some theological language and tell you what theologians and scholars have come up with, words, that attempt to explain it...

But… I cannot explain and understand how God speak all things into existence, separate sea and rivers, feed and water people in deserts, make axe-heads float, make the sun stand still, be born through a virgin, become the God-man, take on the sins of the world, die and come back from the dead...

Let’s be honest… We cannot explain it. We just believe it because God said it. It may not make sense. We may not be able to connect the dots. We may have a difficult time understanding it… and at times… this may cause us to doubt the very One Who is in front of us...

And we cry out with the man in Mark 9:24 - “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

And with that mustard seed faith… Christ will save you. With that mustard seed faith Christ can use you. With a seed-like faith… He will begin a work in you and He will grow you up.

And look at the text… Some of these folks are struggling… and Jesus is going to give them all the Great Commission.

So: With that mustard seed faith, Christ will send you. With that little, honest and sincere faith… You are called into the Great Commission.

We may think: “God only uses spiritual giants, or the spiritual elite people.”

Spiritual giants

Spiritual giants in the church do not boast about their great faith… They boast about their great God!

Your faith is a gift. Our faith and faithfulness wains and falters. We never sing about “Great is our Faithfulness,” but we do sing, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Our faith is all over the place with consistency… but with a little faith in a great God… Great things, impossible things can happen.

Listen: You do not have the power and the authority to move mountains, to save souls, or do spiritual and impossible things. Only God has the power and the authority.

God can do the impossible. Salvation and spiritual growth is only possible with God.

We cannot wage war against demons and devils, but in the Name of Jesus Christ… they will moved, be cast out, and will be placed under our feet.

Colossians 2:15 - Jesus has disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through the Cross.

And now… as we place our faith in Christ… “There is power, power, wonder working power…,” “Little is much when God is in it...”

We walk in the power, under the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

Your authority to preach, teach, evangelize, and disciple does not depend on your power and authority - It depends on Christ’s.

Verse 18 - Jesus said all authority was given to Him in heaven and on earth...

Verse 19 - Go… therefore… on the basis of Who Christ is, and what Christ has done, and the power that He has...

GO! He said, Go! Church… He says… “Go!”

Make disciples:

a. Reach and Teach - Evangelize and Build Up

-Of all nations: Spread the Gospel locally and globally. This is a mission, a Great Commission to all people, to all people groups, to all nations. We are called to the nations.

“I am called to stay here, locally.” Great! Be about the Great Commission here, and support your missionaries with finances and prayer.

“I am called to go out to the mission field.” Wonderful! Study to show yourself approved, be a prayer warrior, and go and build biblical churches.

-Baptizing them in God: Whether you stay or go… immerse the people you are around with God. Teach people God. Show people God. Disciple people in your home, workplace and beyond.

We are all made and we are all called to be Jesus’ unique disciples. We are all gifted differently.

I do not have the gifting of evangelism… but I am to tell others about Jesus. I believe that I am called to build up the Christian, to teach them, equip them, to help them to think Biblically, to help them love God more and trust Him more.

Go and reach them… Go and witness to them… Go and evangelize… Go and help someone, serve someone… and do it in the name of Jesus.

Church: We ourselves are being built up… in order to build up. We are saved… And we are called out… to bring others in...

Not To… keep this Good News to ourselves, and NOT TO become walking Bible Professors who never teach.

No, we are called to Grow and Go!

And this is our motivation: Christ died for me. Christ is worthy. Christ saved me from judgement and hell. Christ has saved me from my sins and condemnation forever.

And now He is calling me to work with Him!

Here is some more...

Motivation and Encouragement: Verse 20 - Christ is with us even to the end of the age.

I am not alone here. I am not alone out there. I am not alone trying to do this Christian life and be on mission for Him...

He is with me!

He is with you!

He is with us!

He is going to empower you, fill you, use you… fight for you.

Christ will never fail you.

Even when you doubt… from time to time.

Even when you fall down… from time to time.

Even when you miss opportunities...

He is with you, even to the end of the age, until the end of time.

Jesus is Immanuel: God With Us

Now and Forever

Come to Him with your doubts and fears.

Come to Him with your child-like faith.

Keep your eyes on Him.

And He will use you.

Invitation:

Glorify Thy Name

Baptism