The Great Commission

Intro

We planted in Black Mountain, NC. Our church knew we needed to reach this area. Not just give opportunities for far away. Give them a church in their community and watch God work. We raised the bar because Jesus did. And Jesus is going to raise the bar and set a new goal for the disciples to consider.

Matthew 28:16-20. Great Commission.

Main Idea: Go and make disciples

This is the commissioning of the church. We are to go and make disciples. We must first be disciples. What does that mean? A disciple is a learner or a follower. First, disciple, then, disciple-maker. You are a disciple-maker. This isn’t a job only for the pastor or the youth guy. He told them all they would be sent out as disciple makers. This command applies to us.

Why? Because Jesus has authority

Exp This is out of clear obedience. Verse 18. Jesus has been given authority. Not more authority. One commentator said, “He is making clear that the limitations that applied throughout the incarnation no longer apply to him. He has supreme authority throughout the universe.”  All authority. His human limitations no longer conceal his authority. We do not decide whether Jesus is Lord.

Ill. You’ve probably heard someone say before that you need to make Jesus Lord of your life. No, he is lord over your life. You can no more make him lord than you can make the Sun rise and set each day. My dad and “because I said so.” I can’t control that my father is my father. He was given that distinction by God in heaven, just as Jesus was given ultimate authority.

Arg. Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” God is the one who highly exalted Jesus. God exalts Jesus because he chose to. We exalt Jesus because God chose to.

Christ - This authority was already determined to be given to Jesus. Daniel 7:14, “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Temptation in Matthew 4. Satan was trying to give him what God had already established would be his.

App. Do you live in light of that? Does the epidemic of business squeeze God’s commands out?

Where? To all nations

Exp Jesus tells the disciples to make disciples of all nations. Verse 19. “ethnos.” Ethnicity. Paradigm shift. Before, Salvation = select few. Now, salvation will be brought to all people of all tribes in all nations through the sharing of the gospel by people from all tribes and all nations. Jesus’ authority enlarges and so does the offer of salvation. He passes some of that authority onto his disciples.

Ill. Telling Christian to reach the neighbors. Too big a task. And you would be right. And if we stop here in the command you could say the same thing about what Jesus is doing. He is giving the task of reaching the nations to a ragtag group of people who have had an emotional rollercoaster of a few days.

Christ - This is the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3. Genesis 12:3, “ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When God called Abraham, he would use Abraham’s line to bless all of the nations. We saw glimpses of it in the Old Testament, but we see it finally realized here in Matthew 28.

Arg. Galatians 3:7-9, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” The Gospel was preached before this. God has a heart for the nations, and Jesus gives authority to the church to go and reach them.

App. So, how do we do this? Jesus’ model in Acts 1 is Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth. Does your next door neighbor know you are a believer? If not, then that is your next step.

Mission Oak’s Mission statement: taking the truth of God to one neighbor at a time. If we follow the model that Jesus set out for his disciples then we will be fulfilling the Great Commission. Folks around Lakewood.

Maybe you have a heart for other nations. Platt = sender or goer. We cannot only have a heart for other nations and not have one for our neighbors. That doesn’t make sense.

How? Baptizing and teaching

Exp Jesus tells them what to do. Verses 19-20. Baptize = dip or to cleanse. Not a theological stance. Command = characterizes making disciples. Baptism is the first step. And teaching is next. We must have a wider view of our calling and a larger view of our responsibility as disciples. David Platt says, “This is not a comfortable call inviting most Christians to come, be baptized, and sit in one location…This is a costly command directing every Christian to go, baptize, and make disciples of all nations.” We are called to teach what we have been taught. Intentionality. Because we are discipling at all times. How we live our lives each and every day is teaching someone else how to live.

Ill. If we asked your family what you loved most, what would they say?

Arg. This takes intentionality and should challenge us. Only the pastors can baptize and teach? No! Scripture is full of instances where other people were baptizing. Older women and older men teach.

Christ - This is the command given to us because this is also what has happened to us as believers. We are baptized by the Spirit and given new life. And then we were physically baptized in water to symbolize what has happened to us on the inside. And many of us were discipled to grow into maturity, and learn the ways of following Jesus. Gospel.

App. However, some have not been discipled in this way. And if you are here, then you should talk to someone about getting plugged in and discipled.

With who? Jesus (Verse 20)

Exp The task that was given to the disciples is far too large if this part of the command is not added. Jesus is with us. Matthew begins his book with this. Matthew 1:22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” The presence of God came in the person of Jesus but he promised that his presence would not depart from them. Behold, I AM with you. Present tense. He is with them and will be with them.

Ill. Now let's go back to the illustration that I was saying earlier. Christian to go, and I would be going with him. The task does not seem as difficult. This is what Jesus is doing to his disciples. The goal is higher. They can’t fulfill this on their own. But he does not commission them to this task without his presence. Jesus tells them that he will be with them. It is this presence that comforts them. God's presence should comfort us.

Christ - For it is God's presence that mankind has longed for since the Garden. Adam and Eve. Tabernacle. Temple = holy of holies. Immanuel. HS.

Conclusion

Cultural Transformation - When we have a Great Commission vision we talk to our spouse differently. Children differently. Staffs differently. Evenings differently. Restaurants differently. Downtown differently. Coach differently. Lead worship differently. Quiet-time differently. Work differently. Engage neighbors differently. Wal Mart differently. Vacation differently. Younger people differently. Older people differently. Purchase differently. Property differently. Plan futures differently. Small groups differently. Coffee shops differently. College campuses differently. Play sports differently. Engage conflict differently. Social media differently.

Response

I want you to consider where you have fallen short of the Great Commission. Where are you not striving for this goal?

Comfort

Busyness

Fear

Pray

Confess to others

Take next steps