Why do we engage in the Great Commission?

Intro

· (Read Matthew 28:16-20)

· Today represents the third and final message in our mini-series on the Great Commission

o Our first message was on the who of the Great Commission; this is our Triune God

§ There we learned that there is one God, who is one in being and three in person; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; the Father is the Father of the Son; the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son

o Our second message was on the what of the Great Commission

§ There we saw that God has called each church to grow and reproduce by making disciples who know, obey, and worship God

· Now today is Mother’s Day, so I know some might expect a message on the joys and blessings of motherhood

o That’s a wonderful subject, but today I want to talk about something even better: the glories of Christ!

· You see, today we will talk about the whyof the Great Commission

o What is the motivation for it? What assurance do we have of success? What right do we have to proclaim our message?

o All of this centers on Christ!

· Summary: we obey the Great Commission from our Triune God because Christ died and rose again and reigns over all things, with the confidence and assurance that Christ will always be with us

Christ Died and Rose Again!

· In doing a mini-series like this on an isolated passage, there’s the risk of missing important points by pulling it out of its context

o Context can provide a greater depth of meaning than what may be immediately obvious in an isolated verse

o This is a vital part of learning how to read the Bible; don’t just read isolated verses, but understand how they are set in their wider context

· When it comes to the Great Commission, it’s easy to approach this command as simply that – a command

o We look at what it says, figure out how to apply it to our lives, and then go forth and obey

o But this command doesn’t just drop out of the sky

o Christ could have given this command at any point in His public ministry, but He didn’t; He chose a very specific time to do so

o When did He give this command? He gave it afterthe cross, after He rose again from the dead

· Look back at verses 1-7 of chapter 28: “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.”

o Now look at verse 16: “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee…”

o Matthew is drawing a connection for us between the command of the angel and the disciples showing up in Galilee

· But where are these angels? Outside the empty tomb!

o This is no abstract command; it is given afterChrist rose from the dead, after the cross

o This connection that Matthew draws is meant to show us that the empty tomb leads to the Great Commission!

· You see, there is no Great Commission without the empty tomb.  There is no Great Commission without the cross!

o If the Son of God had not come into the world, Immanuel, God with us, what message do we have?

o If the Son of God did not die on the cross and bear the penalty for sin that we deserved, what message do we have?

o If the Son of God did not rise from the dead and defeat death, what message do we have?

· The cross is the center of our message!

o This is why the Apostle Paul declared to the Corinthians that he determined to know nothing among them but Christ and Him crucified

· If we do not have a message of how man can be reconciled to God, if we do not have a message of how men can find forgiveness of sins, if we do not have a message of how man can have eternal life and behold God face to face – then what message do we have?

o Man’s fundamental problem is not that he lacks education or needs proper food and medical care

o Man’s fundamental problem is not his lack of self-esteem, or the loss of worldly status, or an insufficient retirement plan

o Man’s fundamental problem is sin, because sin alienates him from God

o And right alongside this is the enemy of death, death which came through Adam’s sin

o What does it matter if I lack self-esteem, if I am alienated from God? What does it matter if my candidate doesn’t win elected office, if I’m going to stand before the King of kings and have to give an account for my sin? What does it matter if my pension plan is underfunded, if I must face the certainty of death?

o All of these other concerns fade into the background against the monstrosity of my sin, of the infinite alienation between me and God, of the certainty of the judgment to come

· But this is what the cross answers!

o No more does must I be alienated from God! No more must I dread that terrible enemy of death! No more must I face an eternity of righteous punishment for my rebellion against God!

o It is in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ that we can find our hope! It is in the cross alone that we boast!

o What do we have in ourselves to offer a lost and dying world? Nothing! Left to ourselves, all we have to offer is sin and misery

o We need a Rescuer, a Redeemer, a Savior

· And this is who Christ is!

o Christ’s work on the cross is no afterthought in the plans of God

o Rather, it is the pinnacle of God’s plan, a plan thought out before time began

o Christ didn’t go to the cross in order to cajole God into loving us

o No, Christ went to the cross because God loved us! The cross puts on highest display both God’s love and His justice

o God’s anger burns against sin, yet at the same time, He pours out His love towards us beyond measure

o We love because He first loved us

· So take heart! Believer, you are loved by God! Believer, God loves you!

o Why do we pursue the Great Commission? Because, if you have come to Christ by faith alone, you have been redeemed, your sins have been washed away

o In love you have been united to Christ before the foundation of the world, and it is on the basis of this union with Christ that you have been called, forgiven, justified, adopted, sanctified, and one day, glorified!

· Believer, 1 John 2:12 says that you have been forgiven for Christ’s sake

o Christ died a substitutionary death for you; He died in your place, and your sin was credited to Him

o And because He died and rose again, His perfect righteousness, His perfect life, is credited to you

o And because we have been united to Christ, the Father can no more turn His back on His Son, than God can turn His back on you

· So why do we obey the Great Commission?

o We obey because we have been saved! We have been saved from the wrath of God into a hope of eternal life in the presence of God forevermore

o We obey out of gratitude! What other response could there be to the Son of God becoming man for us and for our salvation, standing in our place, and bearing the penalty for our sin?

o We obey because we have a joyful message! Is there any message better than this?

· So go forth in confidence, because your sins are forgiven you! Make disciples, because you are loved by Christ!

Christ Has All Authority!

· But our motivation for pursuing the Great Commission does not end there; we have yet another reason

o Look at verse 18: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

· We pursue the Great Commission upon the authority of Christ

o He has not only given us a task, but we execute it based on the authority of the risen Christ

o This authority has been given our risen Christ

o He is our Mediator, the One who reconciles God and man, and as Mediator, He has been given all authority!

· But might cause us to quizzically ask, what’s going on? Isn’t Jesus God? Did Jesus not have authority, but gain it now? Did He have it before but then lose it? Did He have the authority, give it up for a time, and had to wait to get it back?

o Remember when we talked about the Trinity, we said that there is one God in three persons; there is one what in God, but three whos

o That’s quite a mind-blowing mystery! But I want to introduce you to another mystery

· Jesus is truly God and truly man

o Jesus is God; Jesus is man

o In Christ, we find a single who, but two whats

o We have the single who of the Son of God, but the Son of God has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature

o One person, two natures, without confusing, changing, dividing, or separating these two natures

· Jesus, the Son of God, is God in all that it means to be God

o He has all the attributes of divinity, He has all the authority of divinity, He has all the glory of divinity

o The Son of God as God never changes, never grows weary, never grows old, never dies

o The Son of God as God knows all things

o The Son of God as God has all authority, and as Colossians 1 says, He upholds all things by the word of His power

o This is what we covered in our discussion of the Trinity

· Jesus, the Son of God, is also man in all that it means to be man

o The Son of God as man was born of the virgin Mary

o The Son of God as man grew from infancy to childhood to adulthood

o The Son of God as man had to learn His alphabet, practice His arithmetic, and obey His parents

o The Son of God as man ate, drank, slept, and became weary

o The Son of God as man suffered, died, and rose again

o The only way that the Son of God was notlike us, was in regards to sin; where we are born with a sin nature, Christ was sinless

· So this means that while the subject is the same – the Son of God – we can say different things about Him as God and as man

o We always say these things of the one person – the Son of God – but we can say these things of His one person according to each nature

o The Son of God as God is immortal and unchangeable; the Son of God as man suffers and dies

o We always say these things of the one person, the Son of God; we don’t personify the two natures, rather, it is two natures in one person

o There is a single who but two whats

· There’s a reason I mention all of this, because it helps us understand what to make of Christ’s authority

o The Son of God as God never stopped being God

§ He never lost His authority; He didn’t give it up when He was born

§ Heaven did not suddenly become vacant when He was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary

§ The Son of God did not suddenly stop being the High King of heaven for even a nanosecond

§ The Son of God did not suddenly stop receiving the praise of angels around the throne of God, He did not stop upholding and preserving the world; even as the nails were driven into His hands, He upheld the life and breath of the very ones who were taking His life

§ This is because the Son of God never stopped being God!

o The Son of God as man, however, did not rule and reign over all

§ He was born in a lowly stable, to a lowly carpenter, from a small town

§ The Son of God as man had no such authority

§ The Son of God as man was born into the most humble, lowly state imaginable; as Isaiah says, He had no beauty that we should desire Him

· But upon His death and resurrection, everything changed!

o The Son of God was exalted! Where He was once lowly, now He reigns over all!

o The Son of God, truly God and truly man, is our mediator, the One who can bring us to God

o And it was as Mediator, as the God-man, that He was exalted above name that is named

o It was as the Mediator, as the God-man, that all authority was given over to Him

· But consider what this means!

o Look again at verse 18: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

o There is no authority, no ruler, either among men or among the angels who rivals Christ’s authority!

o He is over all! All authority belongs to Christ

· There is no man, woman, or child who is not under the authority of Christ

o Jesus is your Lord, Jesus is my Lord

o We don’t make Jesus Lord, He is already Lord

o And it was by virtue of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension that the Son of God was exalted

o And by virtue of His life, death, and resurrection, Christ rules and reigns over every authority

· So why do we obey the Great Commission? Because our Lord has commanded it, and every man, woman, and child is subject to Him

o Every man, woman, and child has an obligation to worship Christ, to obey His word, to believe the Gospel

o And so we must take the Gospel to them

o Since Christ has all authority, the Great Commission is not optional for us, for we are His subjects

· But also consider the practical ramifications of the truth of Christ’s supremacy has in our own lives

o If Jesus is Lord, if all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, then there is no part of our lives that is outside the rule of Christ

o There is no part of our lives which we can say, “this is mine”

o It all belongs to Christ!

· But it also challenges all those who would try to supplant Christ, either by outright hostility, or by trying to become like Christ

o How many rulers and leaders throughout history try to put themselves in the place of Christ? How many rulers and leaders try to have people split their allegiance between Christ and themselves?

o Some do it subtly, some do it quite boldly

o Some, like Kim Jong Un in North Korea, openly oppress the worship of anyone but the ruling family

o Others, like the pope, say that they are another authority alongside Christ

§ We just saw the election of a new pope

§ Roman Catholic theology teaches that the pope has the authority of Christ on earth

§ It teaches the blasphemous notion of elevating pope to the level of Christ

o But in both cases, we have people trying to supplant Christ; they want people to either outright deny Christ or have their allegiance split

· But when we split our loyalties, we are denying that all authority in heaven and on earth is Christ’s!

o Christ will have no competitors; He alone is the Lord over all, no mere man can take His place

o And that only stands to reason: if Jesus is indeed the God-man, if Jesus is truly God and truly man, if Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man, then who could possibly compare with Him?

· When Christians lived in the time of the Roman Empire, they were sometimes commanded by the Romans to offer a pinch of incense and say “Ceasar is Lord”

o But the Christians refused to follow this command, and for it, they lost their livelihoods, their freedom, their lives

o The fact that Jesus is Lord, that Christ has all authority, was not academic for these believers; for them, it was a matter of life and death

o For them, to affirm that Ceasar is Lord is to deny that Jesus is Lord

o If Jesus has all authority, if He is King of kings and Lord of lords, He is above all earthly authorities; and if He is, we cannot say that Jesus is Lord and Ceasar is Lord

o To say that Ceasar is Lord, to offer that pinch of incense, is to deny Christ

· Who are those people or causes that would subvert your loyalty to Christ?

o Who are those people who take Christ’s place in your hearts? Who would have you offer that pinch of incense to Nero? Is there a pope, politician, a sports figure, a businessman, anyone, who would subvert your allegiance to Christ?

o What about causes? Is there a cause, whether political, humanitarian, environmental, social, which would subvert your allegiance to Christ?

o Nothing must supplant Christ, nothing must even be placed alongside Christ

§ The Romans weren’t bothered if the Christians worshiped Jesus, so long as they also worshipped the emperor

§ Is it Christ plus something else, Christ plus someone else, or is it Christ alone?

· We may not offer pinches of incense to an emperor anymore, but what are those tests of loyalty that would mean we are denying Christ?

o Do we ever say that Jesus is Lord while also saying that Ceasar is Lord? Who are those people? They could be religious leaders, politicians, athletes, businessmen, or any number of other people or causes or things of this world

o We don’t deny Christ merely by open rejection; we can deny Him by making Him one of many

· We cannot say we affirm the supremacy of Christ if our lives, if my life, does not reflect it

o We are prone to this; we are prone to elevate another person or another cause in the place of Christ

o We must ask ourselves, be honest with ourselves, where are those places where we are tempted to compromise?

o Are we who we say we are? Do we affirm Christ’s lordship in reality, or for show?

o Do we call Christ “Lord, Lord”, but refuse to do what He says?

· If you were commanded to offer incense and say “Ceasar is Lord”, would you?

o But what if Ceasar…was someone you liked?

o What if this test of loyalty wasn’t from a hostile enemy, but from a seeming friend?

o What if this test of loyalty came from a a pope, president, a politician, a businessman, a sports figure, a religious leader whom you liked?

o And it’s not always a matter of incense or bowing down before idols

§ It could be a salute, it could be displaying an object, it could be reciting some mantra, it could be any number of other things

§ Or it could simply be the demand to hold to some belief, to support some cause, contrary to the Word of God

o I realize I may be stepping on some toes, but to be honest, I’m stepping on my own toes as well

§ The Word of God challenges me in my sin, it challenges you in your sin

§ I must preach as much to myself as anyone

§ No one is immune to compromise on this front, we must all be on our guard against such compromise and help each other be on guard against such compromise

· The supremacy of Christ is not a matter of mere intellectual assent, it must matter in our lives and our worship

o Not only does compromise on Christ’s supremacy undermine our message in the Great Commission, this is a matter of spiritual life and death

o Each of us are tempted to compromise on the supremacy of Christ, each in our own way

o I don’t know where you may be tempted, but the Holy Spirit knows, so ask God to open your eyes to those areas where you may be tempted to replace Christ, or to worship Christ plus something else, Christ plus someone else

o Be aggressive in identifying those things that would take you away from Christ

o Don’t let any area of your life escape the lordship of Christ

o When you live life as Christ plus, when you surrender to those tests of loyalty, you strike a blow against the Lamb of God

· But I don’t say this to denigrate you or cause you to despair

o Remember, the One who has authority, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, is the Lamb of God, who suffered and died and rose again!

o The law commands you to bow before Christ, to refuse to compromise on His supremacy, and you are obligated to obey

o But the Gospel sweetly calls you, to you who have not obeyed the law, to find in Christ your righteousness

o The law thunders and condemns, the Gospel gently calls you

· Where the law overwhelms you with its condemnation, the Gospel overwhelms you with grace

o Why would you continue to rebel against such a gracious God? what could be more incongruous?

o The saved heart rejoices in submitting to Christ, not out of servile obligation, but out of joyful gratitude

o The threatenings of Nebuchadnezzar, the menacing words of Nero, the railings of an Adolf Hitler, no longer seem so dire when compared to the sweet, tender words of Christ

o The glory of the kingdoms of this world, the glittering promises of charismatic individuals, lose their allure in the face of Christ

· This King, whose law demands your complete allegiance, is the One who came to earth as a suffering servant, who died in your place, and in mine

o It is only once we get a handle on the grace of God, that we truly understand how precious Christ is, and when we understand who Christ is, submitting to Him is a thing of joy rather than of terror

o And it is once we get a handle on the grace of God, that we find the motivation to go to a lost and dying world with the Gospel

o We have the courage to tell sinners of their rebellion against God, of the Savior who came to save them from their sins

· The supremacy of Christ is what gives us confidence in pursing the Great Commission

o Even the raging of the rulers of this world are subordinate to the authority of Christ

o The Vladimir Putins, the Adolf Hitlers, the Gengis Khans, the Neros, all their authority is subordinate to the authority of Christ

o Even the good rulers, the Winston Churchills, the George Washingtons, they are all under the authority of Christ

o None of them have their authority except from Christ

o The demons, even Satan Himself, are subordinate to Christ!

· Who can hinder us in the path of obedience to the Great Commission? Christ has all authority!

o Our Mediator, Jesus, truly God and truly man, has all authority!

o One day, every man, woman, and child will bow before Him

o Donald Trump will bow before Him, Joe Biden will bow before Him, the pope will bow before him, you will bow before Him

· This should give us great confidence in pursuing the Great Commission! The King who gave us our commission is the One who rules over all

o Jesus is Lord, and no one can stay His hand

o We can be confident in our mission, not because of our skill or charisma, but because we serve Jesus, the Lord of lords!

Christ Will Be with Us!

· But perhaps these motivations for the Great Commission aren’t enough

o Perhaps fear still besets you

o The enemies we face in the Great Commission can be ferocious

§ Enemies of the gospel will harass you

§ They may threaten to deprive you of relationships, of your livelihood, of your freedom, of your life

§ The world does not make it easy to live a life of holiness, to say nothing of going out and making disciples

§ Not only that, but we also face the bellowing roars of Satan; he and his minions are ever on the prowl

o Maybe even the disciples felt this fear when Christ gave His command

§ They had seen their risen Lord, but here He is, about to go away from them; that would be disconcerting

§ Perhaps you feel this as well

· Yes, you know that Christ has saved you

· Yes, you know that Christ reigns over all and that nothing is outside of His control

· But you wonder, now that Christ has ascended into heaven, has He left us? Are we alone in trying to carry out this Great Commission?

· We come to the sweet words of comfort Christ gives in verse 20: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

o What a precious promise! Christ has not left you alone in the world – He is with you!

o But how can this be? Didn’t Christ ascend into heaven?

o Remember when I told you how our discussion of the doctrine of the Trinity would have a practical payoff? Here it is:

§ In John 14, Jesus promises that when He departs, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in the disciples

§ But remember where we talked about how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share the one single divine nature? Remember how we said that God does all things as a Trinity, that the three persons of the Trinity act inseparably?

§ This means that when you have the Spirit, you have the Father, you have the Son!

§ You have not been abandoned! If you are a believer, the Son of God continues to live in you and to be with you! Even in the darkest moment, in the lowest dungeon, in the hour of death, the Son of God is with you!

o Even as Christ ascends to heaven, He remains with you!

· But consider this as well:

o Even when you must pass through the shadow of death, Christ will both be with you through it, and will receive you on the other side

o Jesus, the Son of God, is our man in heaven, interceding for us

o Jesus, the Son of God, is our God, who dwells within us

· And there is no expiration date on this promise

o Christ promises to be with us to the end of the age

o This age is simply the time between now and when Christ returns

o There’s only one age between the resurrection and when Christ returns; Christ’s bodily return is what will bring this present evil age to an end

o But consider what this means: Christ is promising to be with us until the end of this age. The end of this age will usher in the eternal state where we are in the presence of Christ. Therefore, there is no expiration on this promise of Christ!

o Either Christ will be with us by dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit, or He will be with us when we stand in His presence for all eternity!

· So believer, take heart!

o No matter what you face in this world, no matter what challenges you face in the walk of obedience, no matter what labors you may perform in obeying the Great Commission:

§ Christ has redeemed you from sin

§ Christ has conquered death

§ Christ reigns over all

§ Christ will always be with you

· If you are a believer, these are God’s promises to you

o And if you are not a believer, why would you wait to lay hold of these promises?

o Come to Christ in faith alone, claiming no righteousness of your own, and you will find rest