Life of Christ (15)-Great Commission

Thoughts Sparked by the Collapse of the Key Bridge

The Big Questions

1. How do accidents and chance calamities fit into the world God has made?

2. What might it mean for how you live your daily life that no individual, group or government can guarantee favorable outcomes?

3. What role does your trust in God play when faced with a personal catastrophe?

4. Why do you think the ship's collision with the bridge has triggered so many conspiracy theories? What causes some people to jump to such theories when available evidence indicates a simpler and less sinister explanation?

5. How do we/they manage when we know a lot, but it is still not enough in unexpected situations? How do we accept our human limitations?

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

Questions: What might "preparedness" -- both physically and spiritually -- mean for the chance mishaps of your life? What do you think God might want us to learn from the uncertainty of life?

1 Kings 9:15-23

Questions: Are there any lessons to be drawn from the loss of life among the immigrant workers during the bridge collapse? If so, what are they? If not, why do you think this question arises?

Isaiah 8:11-15 (The Message)

Questions: Why do you think the bridge accident has spawned so many conspiracy theories? What suspicions and fears underlie conspiratorial thinking? How can we tell when our suspicions and fears are pushing us too far? When have suspicion and fear served us well?

John 16:33 (NIV)

Questions: How do these words of Jesus help you when you are facing personal loss or other troubles? What resources does our faith provide to carry us in such long and trying times?

2. What has your congregation done to prepare for some unexpected catastrophe? Fire? A shooting attack during a worship service? A collapse of part of the building? Several staff members dying in a car wreck? These things happen. Is your congregation financially and spiritually prepared for such disasters?

Wednesday Bible Study The Life of Christ (15)- The Great

Commission

April 10, 2024

What challenges would you face in trying to describe to this group the most incredible event in your life? Why? 1

Sunday night - Norma.

READ: John 20:19–29

John 20:19–29 (LSB) So while it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and while the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.”

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Did Thomas actually touch Jesus’ hands and side (John 20:26-29)?

John 20:26–29 “26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.””

The disciples returned to Galilee as Jesus commanded (Matthew 26:32; John 21:1).

We need to keep in mind that after the resurrection Jesus met with the disciples in Galilee and then they returned to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

Matthew 26:32 “32 “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.””

John 21:1 “1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.”

Think about the mountain where He took His disciples in Gallilee (Matthew 28:16).

Matthew 28:16–20 (LSB) But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And 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, 20 teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Some believe this could have been the same mountain where the transfiguration took place. Often thought to be…

Mount Tabor: A mountain of very unusual shape and striking appearance located in the NE corner of the valley of Jezreel

The summit of Mt. Tabor is a plateau, 1,000 × 400 m in area, sloping down steeply in all directions and connected to the hills to the NW by a low saddle. In the past its slopes were thickly forested. It overlooks the Jezreel valley and controls one of the most important crossroads of the region where the main N–S routes meet and cross the valley. It is a landmark that can be seen from great distances, and from its summit Mt. Carmel, Mt. Gilboa, and Mt. Hermon can all be seen

Frankel, R. (1992). Tabor, Mount (Place). In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 6, pp. 304–305). Doubleday.

The Mount of Olives (a different mountain than where the Great Commission of Matthew 28 was given), is where Jesus ascended to the Father’s right hand (Acts 1:4-11) 2

Acts 1:4–11 (LSB) And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH.” 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Who did Jesus send to tell you that He is risen? Did you have trouble believing that person? How were you finally convinced?

In what role do you see yourself in spreading “the Good News to all creation” (Mark 16:15)?

Mark 16:14–19 (LSB) Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17 “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 and they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

ALL of us should:

1 Peter 3:15–17 (NLT) Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

Some may have a “gift” of evangelism — but ALL of us are to tell the Good News.

Church can help provide opportunities:

UCNH

Vogel SP

School volunteer opportunities

As you think about Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), what holds you back from actively passing on the Good News of Christ?

¨ Feeling like I don’t know enough

¨ Feeling like I don’t have time

¨ Feeling like others are better at it

¨ Just ignoring it

¨ Other: _________________________ 1

Jesus’ parting command in Matthew 28:18-20 is for His people to make disciples of all nations. Very practically, what does it look like to fulfill this commission?

How does Jesus’ kingly authority (28:18) and promised presence (v. 20) motivate us on this mission?[1]3

It should be a tremendous motivator.

The Holy Spirit will help us: John 16:7–11 (LSB) “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Matthew 28:18–20 is usually called “the Great Commission,” though this statement is no greater than that in any of the other gospels, nor is it the last statement Jesus made before He returned to heaven. However, this declaration does apply to us as believers. — Be Loyal, page 268

1. What “authority” does Matthew 28:18 refer to?

What are the activities that the disciples were commissioned to do?

What does Jesus promise in 28:20 for those who take upon themselves this commission?

Is the commission the same today as it was in Jesus’ time? Explain.

2. In what ways are you living out the Great Commission?

When have you experienced resurrection power in your life?

What are some practical steps you can take to spread the good news to others?[2]0

In the Book of Jeremiah, God used an Israelite sect called the Recabites to illustrate the importance of teaching truth to the next generation—and obeying the truth we have been taught (Jeremiah 35). At this time, the nation of Judah was on the brink of destruction by Babylon because they refused to listen God. The Recabites, on the other hand, were still obeying the directive not to drink wine that had been established generations earlier by their forefather Jehonadab, likely to set them apart from the Canaanites. Because of their respect and obedience, the Lord promised, “Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me” (verse 19).

Jeremiah 35:5–11 (NLT) I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink, 6 but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’ 8 So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. 9 We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. 11 But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”

Jeremiah 35:12–19 (NLT) Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah. 13 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. 14 The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. 15 Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me. 16 The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’ 17 “Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’ ” 18 Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’ 19 Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’ ”

• What steps are you willing to take to leave a godly legacy for those under your influence?2

1 Serendipity Bible (1998). Serendipity House 2 © 2022 by The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved [13] Hunter, D. (2014). Matthew, A 12-Week Study (J. I. Packer, D. C. Ortlund, & L. T. Dennis, Eds.; pp. 86–87). Crossway. [20] Wiersbe, W. W. (2010). Matthew: Following the King of Kings (p. 155). David C Cook.