The Great Commission: Let's Go

We’ve spent the last year telling and teaching you about the power and authority you have in Christ. Now, what are you going to do with that knowledge?

Do you believe what we’ve told you? Or do you still doubt?

Are you waiting for something more before you do what you’ve been called to do? I’m not talking about your spiritual gift, although you should be walking in and using that gift for the glory of God too. But I’m talking about are you doing what God told every person who has ever said a prayer inviting Jesus into their heart?

Every person who calls themselves a Christian, every person who calls themselves a follower of Christ, every person who calls themselves a believer. But I’m going to give you the one that Jesus said we are to be; a Disciple.

Turn with me in your Bible to the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel according to St Matthew, we’re going to look at the last verses in the last chapter of the book. Chapter 28 beginning at verse 16.

Matt 28:16-20 NLT - 16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This chapter begins with a flurry of activity. The women are headed to the tomb to finish Jesus’ burial. They’re discussing how they’re going to get pass the stone in the way, but they keep going.

There’s an earthquake while they’re walking, but they keep going. They don’t know yet that the solution to their problem has just been solved.

When you’re faced with a problem, keep moving forward and when the earth starts shaking around you, when it appears everything is falling apart, when it looks like the plan just failed, just know it may be God moving something out of your way so you can fulfill your assignment. Just keep moving forward.

When the women arrived, the guards were laying in a dead faint, but an angel of the Lord was there to reassure them. To invite them in to see that the promise had been fulfilled. Jesus wasn’t there. The temple the people had destroyed had indeed been raised to life again.

The text didn’t say the women had questions, but it did say they had some fear, and they had something else, they had great joy. Note they had fear, but the text says they had great joy. Always let your joy outweigh your fear and continue to move toward what God has called you to do with great joy.

They were given an assignment to go tell the news to the disciples and Jesus meets them on the way. There’s some worship that takes place as there should be any time you meet Jesus.

But then there’s the other side. As he always will, the father of lies will come to put doubt into what God has already done or about to do. He will use whatever he thinks will cause you to turn to his side and in this case as it is with many, it was money.

The guards were bribed by the chief priest and elders. Wait a minute preacher are you saying the church leaders paid someone off to tell a lie and keep that lie going? Yep I am.

The ones who should’ve known better

The ones who should’ve known the truth

The ones who should’ve been celebrating

were instead embarrassed that they were proven wrong. They were obstinate in their belief that what Jesus said was a lie. So they made up their own story. They put money in the guards hands and a lie on their lips and the guards carried the lie as they were paid to do.

The chief priest and elders wanted everyone else to not believe the truth. Not much has changed today. We’re fed a constant barrage of lies.

In TV shows

In movies

In commercials

On social media

The images we allow to come into our homes are filled with the lies of the enemy. But we shouldn’t be surprised because Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:3 “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”

Our country has just elected a man who

would not be eligible to serve in nor does he have respect for the military, but he will be the commander and chief.

A man who would not be able to qualify for a top secret security clearance, yet will have access to our nations’ top secrets.

A man who because he is a convicted felon would not be eligible to apply for numerous jobs, but will soon hold the top job in the country.

A man who is a womanizing, misogynistic, uneducated, multiple failed business man, yet wants to dismantle our Department of Education.

A man who idolizes murdering, egotistical dictators and wants to be like them.

This is not a story of keep going you can do it. It’s a sad commentary and proof of what we’re told in Isaiah 5: 20 “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.”

Church we have work to do, because the reality is our nation is in trouble. We are slipping further and further away from who God called us to be.

We are turning to our own ways and desires and God is not pleased. How do I know? Because we are so far from the Word and the character of God.

We have been fed a steady diet of sinful behavior, in an attempt to make it seem normal, so we could be lulled into a state of apathy, where everyone gets a trophy, there are no losers, and no one is keeping score.

But the truth is, sin is sin and there are consequences of it. In life there are winners and losers. Everyone doesn’t get the job, the house, the loan, the degree, or the promotion.

There is in fact a scoreboard, whether you see it or not. And when it comes to things like mental health diagnoses, maternal mortality rates, and prosecution and sentencing terms, Black people are at the top of the leader board. And that’s not good.

Church we have work to do. Our assignment is in today’s text. There are four things we must give attention to.

#1 - You must follow instructions. “16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.”

You could be doing the right thing, but if you’re doing it in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will fail your assignment. You will miss your instructions and ultimately you will miss your blessing.

At this point, the disciples had seen Jesus numerous times but, this time he wanted them to meet him in Galilee.

It may not have made sense, they may not have understood, it may have been inconvenient, but they followed his instructions.

Too often, we spend too much time demanding a why and what for when it comes to God’s assignments. And God is saying go to Galilee, wherever your Galilee may be.

You cannot carry out your assignment by staying where you are. You must get up, get out and go!

When it comes to the things of God, it can’t be your way. It’s not about what you feel or think. It’s about what He said.

#2 - You must worship him for yourself. “When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!”

Jesus met them there in Galilee but it wasn’t just the eleven disciples who were there. This was a public meeting with about 500 people and not all of them were believers.

When it comes to the Gospel, not everyone who is present will believe what you say. There will be some doubters in the crowd.

There will be those who will doubt and challenge your leadership.

There will be those who will doubt and challenge your directions.

There will be those who will doubt and challenge your calling.

There will be those who will doubt and challenge your abilities and…

There will be those who will doubt and challenge everything you do and every word you say.

So let me just tell you this, for all of you who are online and leaders; when you’ve been called to lead, their doubt doesn’t determine your direction.

Let me say that one more time for those in the back. When you’ve been called to lead, other people’s doubt does not determine your direction. They’re either going to follow or not, you keep going in the direction God has told you to go.

Now this is for everyone, what you must remember is your worship is personal. It is not contingent on what anyone else says or does.

Your walk is indeed your walk, but when your paths lead you to the same place, following the same God, there should be some similarities

in your walk

in your talk

in your mannerisms

in your thoughts and

in your actions

When you are in the presence of the Lord, when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will have some common traits and worship should be at the top of that list.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

“…come before his presence with singing.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

When you come into the presence of the Lord, whether there are 5 or 500 of you, there should be a worship in your spirit.

#3 You must recognize the authority of the one giving you the instruction. Verse 18, “And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

This message is not coming from me. I’m the one speaking it, but it’s not my assignment to give, I am merely the messenger charged with giving you the message.

I’m here to let you know that you have an assignment. I’m here to relay your marching orders.

Are you ready? Here they are. The final thing you must do is…

#4 You must go. You must move from where you are, and do what Jesus told you to do.

Because Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth, he’s got your back.

So, verses 19-20 tell us to, “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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Our nations will be different.

It starts in your home, but it doesn’t end there.

It spreads to your neighborhood, but it doesn’t end there.

It continues to your community, but it doesn’t end there.

It branches out to your city, but it doesn’t end there.

It advances to your county, but it doesn’t end there.

It expands to your state, but it doesn’t end there.

It stretches to your nation, but it doesn’t end there.

The message of Christ is to reach to the highest mountain and flow to the lowest valley.

We are to go and make disciples. Not church goers, not even church members. Christ didn’t say make Christians, he didn’t say make believers. I’m not saying those things are wrong, I’m not saying they aren’t what we need.

But what I am saying is this, Jesus said, go and make disciples.

To be a disciple of Christ is to be a pupil, to learn about him, to follow him, to imitate him, to walk like, talk like, think like him.

To be a disciple of Christ is to give like him, live like him and love like him.

To be a disciple of Christ is to be obedient like him.

To be a disciple of Christ is to get to know him, and spend quality time with him.

To be a disciple of Christ is to sit at his feet and learn his ways.

And so we go. We go into the highways and byways to spread the good news of the Gospel, remembering that some will plant, some will water, but God provides the increase.

He prepares the hearts to receive the word you have for them.

And when we make those disciples, we are to baptize them, making sure they understand what it means to be baptized.

That it’s not the baptism that makes them saved, it’s their confession. Romans 10:9 is clear. “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

But the baptism is an ordinance that God has given and so we do it. We do it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

But WAIT, THERE’S MORE! We are to teach them to obey everything that Jesus commanded.

Not just the good stuff.

Not just the bad stuff.

Not just the stuff we think they’ll like and avoiding the stuff we think they won’t like.

Not just the stuff that is politically correct, or the stuff that puts the world on edge.

We are to teach them to obey all things, everything that Jesus commanded.

And how can you do that if you don’t know yourself?

If you’re not studying yourself.

If you’re not going to Sunday School yourself.

If you’re not going to Worship Service yourself.

If you’re not going to Bible Study yourself.

And for those who think they don’t need to come to church, let me tell what the Apostle Paul has to say about that in Romans, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Come on church, if ever there were a time to engage, it’s now. We need to get ready for the fight. Put on your spiritual armor and let’s go to war.

War has been declared and it may appear that evil has won, but what I would tell you is read the last book in the Bible and you will see who the victor truly is. You will discover or be reminded, that whatever it may look like, however bad it may get, we still win.

Though the mountains roar and be troubled, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved.

Keep reading and you’ll find that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

Continue a little further and you’ll discover we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

I need to let you know today that this message is for all people, all nations, all genders, all races, all creeds, all colors, all ethnicities. In Galatians 3 we read “25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”

Understand that salvation is for everyone and when you go, just give them Jesus.

Just love them with the love of the Lord and remember when he hung on that cross he hung for their sins too.

Remember his death covered their sins too.

Forgiveness is for them too.

Who are you upset with?

Who are you not speaking to?

Who did something you just can’t forgive? Now think about what you’ve done to Christ, and call that person and forgive them.

Forgiving them doesn’t mean they get back into your inner circle. It means you refuse to dwell on the wrong done to you and it’s a thing of the past.

It means you are moving forward without that hatred and hurt in your life so you can experience the true and complete joy of the Lord. So the joy of the Lord can be your strength.

So that when you pray, God will hear and answer you. You wonder why your prayer isn’t being answered? Maybe you need to look within and see if there’s something or someone you need to forgive. Perhaps there’s some repenting you need to do.

In the model prayer that Jesus gave us, he told us to ask forgiveness for our debts as we forgive our debtors. Until we get right with God, we have no right to ask God to give to us, to fix it for us, (whatever it is), or to work on our behalf.

We’ve got work to do. The harvest is ripe and the laborers are few, so what are we going to do about it?

Will we be content to sit at home and act like we have no responsibility for our unsaved neighbor?

Will we continue to treat church like an online buffet and hop from broadcast to broadcast to broadcast? Not making a commitment to nor supporting any of them.

Will we continue to come to the church always asking what does it have for me and never what can I give?

Will we continue to give the church what’s left of our income instead of what’s right?

People, there’s work to do. Will you be a part?

Today is a good day to start and it begins with a prayer of salvation.

Father, I confess I’m a sinner, please forgive me. I believe Jesus is your son, that he was born of a virgin, died for my sins and now sits at your right hand interceding for me. Jesus I give you my life, please come into my heart. In your name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family, now find yourself a Bible believing, Bible teaching church where you can become a disciple of Jesus, not just a church member.

If you life in the Douglasville, GA area, we would love to see you here at 3500 Hwy 5, Ste 101. Sunday school begins at 8:45 and Worship Service begins promptly at 10:00.

If you don’t live in the area, or even if you do and would like to support our ministry financially please check out our website for all the ways you can give