Mission: Possible

Introduction

On May 23, 2025 the movie Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning will release in the United States. It will be the eighth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, a movie series loosely based on the television show of the same name, which premiered in 1966. The Mission: Impossible movies star the man-who-never-ages, Tom Cruise, who is now sixty-two years old! He started playing the character of Ethan Hunt when he was thirty-four in 1996.

Now, regardless of your feelings on the movie, Tom Cruise, or the television show, I’m going to guess you know the enduring phrase, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it...”

Imagine if Jesus used this phrase with the disciples on the mountain in Galilee. Would they have accepted this mission, or rejected it, choosing their own mission?

Thankfully, Jesus didn’t use this phrase and thankful the disciples did go out a share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people because all believers continue to benefit from their obedience.

Throughout my twenty-seven years of church leadership, the church in America has talked a lot about our mission:

Mission statements…

Vision casting…

Professional church consultation…

In my experience, all of these things do the same basic things:

Update a local church’s original statements of purpose for a modern context...

Reword the Great Commission...

Encourage the church to mobilize for ministry (i.e. to create systems to make it easier for people to get engaged in ministry activities)...

And rework the church budget so it reflects the goal of reaching out with the Gospel.

All of these have value, don’t get me wrong...

However, the major drawback with most “mission statements” can be summed up by my Mission: Impossible quote – it’s as if Jesus said, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to make disciples.”

And too often the members of the church have said, “Nope, I choose not to accept it,” or “I choose to accept it, if…” or “I choose to accept it, for our pastor/youth pastor/teachers/outreach coordinator, etc.”

But, when it comes to truly personalizing the Great Commission, it is usually the exception, not the norm in most churches.

This morning, I want you see the Great Commission as a mission given to everyone who considers themselves a Christ-follower and begin to practically “...choose to accept this mission” which, in fact, isn’t impossible.

Body: Matthew 28:16-20

Verse 16:

At some point during the time after Jesus rose from the dead, but before He ascended back into Heaven, Jesus gets the eleven remaining disciples together on a mountain in Galilee.

Of course, we know that he saw them a number of times before this, but Matthew is just writing what he feels is important for the reader to know.

As with all the New Testament writers, Matthew has a specific purpose for his specific audience in mind. We will get to that point in a moment.

Verse 17:

While the meat of this passage is in verses 18-20, verse 17 shouldn’t be ignored. Notice the following:

The disciples worshipped Jesus and He didn’t stop them.

Accepting worship either made Jesus a blasphemer or worthy of worship. Period.

The disciples worshipped Him, in some cases, despite their doubts about His resurrection.

Jesus isn’t looking for followers who never struggle in their faith. He wants us growing in our faith, but none of us can boast that we have perfect faith.

Some people saw the resurrected Lord, yet they still doubted.

We shouldn’t be shocked that so many reject the message today, because even people who saw Him resurrected doubted what they were seeing.

Verse 18:

Jesus starts this commissioning with a very strong statement: that the authority for the mission of the Gospel has been given to Him. Here’s what we learn from this verse:

Jesus is the authority in heaven and on the earth, regardless of what anyone thinks about Him.

Only Jesus had the right to send His disciples on mission.

To reject the mission is to reject Jesus authority.

Verses 19-20:

“...make disciples...”

I mention “make disciples” first because it is the imperative in this section.

An imperative should be seen as a non-negotiable from the commanding officer…

Essentially, Jesus is saying, “If you are going to call yourself my disciple, a follower of me, then you need to make disciples. Otherwise, you have no business calling yourself my disciple!”

Thus, “make disciples is the key phrase of this passage. “Go,” “baptizing,” and “teaching” describe what it is to make a disciple.

So, then, what is a disciple?

A disciple is both:

A follower...

A learner...

See, evangelism is not a hit-and-run affair where we simply tell people to be saved and leave. Evangelism and discipleship go hand-in-hand.

“...of all nations...”

These disciples were to be made up of people from all nations, not just Jews.

By extension we must understand that there is no room for racism or prejudices when it comes to the Gospel.

“Go...”

We must go to people who are lost.

For too many in the church, they think the Great Commission should say, “Come, and be made into a disciple…”

Matthew 4:19 “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.””

I like to think I’m a fisher of fish, or a fisherman…

Learning to cast...

Casting multiple times without getting a bite...

Fishing in the wrong part of the lake at the wrong time of the day...

I’ve learned that you need to go where the fish are at.

It is no different when it comes to being a fisher of men!

“...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

As disciples, we baptize new believers because baptism is a public proclamation of what happened in your heart when you received Jesus as Savior.

Doesn’t save…Only for those who believe…

The Trinity is clearly spoken of in this passage…the mysterious, yet wonderful three-in-one nature of the Godhead.

While the word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in Scripture, we do have very clear indications throughout Scripture that God is One, but reveals Himself in three-persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

You don’t have to completely grasp the Trinity to believe it, because God, to truly be God, must be beyond the understanding of people.

Our belief does not hinge on our ability to understand God. It’s belief that He is there, in what He revealed about Himself to us in His Word, and what He commands for His disciples. Not a grasp on everything about Him...that would be impossible.

“...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

A disciple is not simply one who has been taught, it is one who continually learns…

We are life-long learners of Christ-likeness.

“Observe” is more than watching, it is obeying.

For too many today belief and obedience are separated.

Meaning, people think they can have spiritual beliefs, but not necessarily obey those beliefs if they don’t fit the current circumstances.

However, this belief will always lead to a compromised belief system eventually.

This is the rub for some in our modern society today. People today often object to the idea of evangelism and discipleship. I’ve noticed three broad ways they object: First, They may ask, “What gives you the right to tell someone else what to believe?”

I don’t have that right, from a humanistic standpoint. Nor, do I desire that right.

However, I stand with the One who “all authority in Heaven and earth” has been given to.

Thus, evangelism and discipleship isn’t convincing people to agree with me or to convert to my religious point-of-view. Biblical evangelism and discipleship is telling others about Jesus and allowing Him to change their hearts and minds as He see fit.

Second, some in the church might say, “I don’t feel good about imposing my beliefs on others.

To begin, people are constantly imposing beliefs on others:

Advertising; social media; politicians; television and movies; religions; people who don’t want beliefs imposed on them…

For most of these, they impose false belief, false promises, and false hope.

Furthermore, sharing what we believe about the Gospel is hardly imposing our beliefs on people.

People still have the freedom to reject it.

Finally, the “don’t impose your beliefs on me” crowd has been successful because they play on our fears of being labeled.

Who wants to be labeled as an “extremist”, a “homophobe”, a “bigot”, a “right-wing nut”, or whatever label they have for us at the moment?

But, here’s the thing, unless you conform to their way of thinking, you’re going to be this anyway, regardless of what you say.

I’ve learned that you can’t reason with crocodiles...

The third objection I’ve heard is, “Wasn’t this a mission for the first century disciples and not necessarily for us today?”

In my experience, what’s behind this question is either, “I didn’t sign up for that kind of commitment” or “Isn’t that what we pay you for, preacher?”

But, if this was only for these disciples, then what else was only for these disciples?

Also, if other Christians had historically taken this point-of-view, would you be a Christian right now?

And don’t miss the fact that this argument runs counter to the rest of the NT. For example, Paul commands Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist,” Peter tells the dispersed Christians to, “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you,” or why Philip would meet an Ethiopian eunuch on the road and would share the Good News with him.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the great omission of the Great Commission, as we often breeze over it.

He did not leave us on our own to complete the mission!

Without the continual presence of Jesus in our lives and ministry we become stunted, weak, and ungodly in all we do. Because this mission is too great for us. It would, indeed be mission impossible without Jesus!

It’s not about our abilities, our resources, or our influence. It’s about the Spirit moving in and through us.

So What?

Making disciples is not an optional call, given to specialists or completely sold-out Christians. Everyone who calls themselves a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, has the responsibility to make disciples.

It is the Great Non-Negotiable of the Christian walk.

This was the challenge for churches in the first century, the challenge for the church all throughout Christian history, and continues to be the challenge for us today…why is it a challenge?

Some know they are supposed to share the Gospel, but don’t care.

If that’s you, I’m going to make a bold and very likely offensive statement this morning: You need to question your devotion to Christ. Are you really a genuine, sold-out follower of Jesus, or are you simply hedging your bets?

Back that up:

Think about it from a work standpoint…(disobeying the boss)

How about from a marriage standpoint…(unwilling to tell others you are married)

This attitude comes from a “me-centered” Christianity:

Give me salvation when I die and relationships with nice church people while I live, but don’t start giving me instructions you intend for me to follow.

Church becomes about ME: My Enjoyment

But biblical salvation is entering into the life-altering lordship of Jesus in every nook and cranny of our lives, becoming part of his mission here on earth, and living with the purpose of glorifying God today, tomorrow and forevermore.

Some know they are supposed to share the Gospel, but have excuses.

Some of these excuses are silly, others are valid. Here’s my challenge:

Show me one place in Scripture that Jesus excused disciples of obeying him.

So, I ask, “What hinders you for obeying this command?”

For most the challenge is simple: it’s difficult.

It’s easier to show up, listen to the right people, give some money, or any number of things than it is to make disciples.

G.K. Chesteron, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”

We have believed a lie if we believe that following Christ was meant to be easy and comfortable, it’s not!

When it comes right down to it, all of the excuses come down to this: what do you value?

We make room for, time for, and money for the things that we value.

Do I really value Jesus enough to follow his command to make disciples?

Some know they are supposed to share the Gospel, but don’t know how to do it.

This is where we, the church, must help.

In fact, this is core to the church’s mission. If a church is not actively reaching out to people with the Gospel, then it will eventually die, or worse, become spiritually dead welcoming others to become spiritually dead.

Too many today have become so familiar with the Gospel that they’ve forgotten that the Gospel alone fulfills the greatest need of mankind.

Too often our churches lose focus of this calling and begin to become inward focused, concerned more with what we like, what we want, what makes us happy.

Everything we do as a church should be aimed at making disciples of Christ and teaching those disciples to obey Jesus.

Because Jesus fulfills His mission through His people.

The mission of the church is based on who Jesus is and what He can and will do through His people.