Go

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Introduction

I want to take a few moments today and spend some time in a very familiar passage of scripture..

that being Matthew 28:16-20

Transitional

Earlier this morning, we celebrated those who have completed their journey through our relational discipleship series

We also celebrated a couple of individuals who completed their own educational journeys through school.

This is a transitional moment for these people..

A moment where they are moving from education and training, to service and action.

and I think if we look at Matthew 28, we see the same kind of moment here for the followers of Jesus

a Moment where their training has come to and end

and Jesus instructs them, alright, now its time to GO and act..

Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all nations..”

Tell your neighbor, Go..

Jesus Ascension

When we come to the end of Matthew 28.. we begin to read the story of Jesus and his ascension to heaven.

His final moments on earth for the time being..

His final words and instruction to his followers…

The setting

Picture this..

Your out in the country side with Jesus

and your walking and talking with him..

you and a little or what many theologians believe was 120 people..

Wirlwind

and the last few weeks have been a wirlwind..

Jesus died..

He was gone three days..

and now hes risen again..

and your probably amped up.

feeling invincible

because your master is Jesus.. and he just did the most unthinkable thing.. conquering death..

but

then he stops..

and he begins to give you some commandments as he did regularly

but.. as He’s speaking..

as acts 1 records..

He starts to rise up off the ground and float up into the sky..

eventually being concealed by a cloud out of sight ..

and disappearing..

and your just left staring into the heavens..

wondering when he will return..

thats whats just taken place..

Jesus is here with them one moment

He gives them a final command..

And then He’s gone..

Transitional

like I said before, this is a transitional moment for the follower of Jesus, especially the Disciples..

Jesus called them a little over three years ago now..

And they left everything..

They’ve been with him day and night for the majority of this time..

listening to him teach them..

taking correction and instruction..

walking through a perilous filled with high highs and low lows..

but now they are alone..

And forced to begin to act on what he has instructed them to do..

to walk in the commands He has left for them.. including the final commission we just read..

Its time for them to act..

Its time for them to go…

us

You see if we know God, we all have a journey like this..

like the disciples.. Christ calls you to follow him..

We know that moment as salvation..

The moment we lay down our lives and give him our all..

and we start to live for an follow him

we start to learn what it means to follow him.. (Thats what discipleship is by the way)

But i want you to understand that there is a call for each of us

every one who decides to follow Jesus..

not just to train.. not just to listen to his teaching.. not just to prepare..

BUT TO ACT.. TO GO.. TO WALK IN THE PURPOSE HE HAS GIVEN US AS CHRISTIANS..

We are called to go..

The people

I think in the church, and Ive said this before, it can be easy for us to look at the great commission found in Matthew 28 and rule our selves out..

We relegate it to the pastors, the teachers, those who have ministerial callings on their lives

those who preach, and teach, and administrate the church..

BUT

Just followers

Understand though thats not who Jesus was talking to here..

this is not just the 11 disciples here..

and even if it was, the disciples at this point are just that, disicples… Followers..

They were preachers or teachers or even apostles yet..

they were just followers

Crowd

Even more though.. this is an entire group of people..

a crowd

of followers..

120

because of the story in acts, like i said many theologians believe their were around 120 at this event..

there would have most likely been all kinds of people from all kinds of places..

we know from following the story of pentecost backwards..

that those in the upper room, were most likely those who were at the ascention..

because in acts 1 Jesus tell those watching as he ascends to go wait in jerusalem for the spirit..

and they do..

Different kinds of people..

This is an important contextual clue..

Because it tells us that Jesus command to go.. was not just for the disicples.. or the church staff…

he was talking to all of his followers…

everyone that was present..

and guess who else..

Tell your neighbor.. that includes you..

WE are called to go..

All of us..

From the least to the greatest

Education or no Education

Title or no Title..

WE ARE CALLED TO GO..

TO ACT..

Transition

so what is it that Jesus tells everyone one..

What are we call to go and go..

Jesus says.. Make disciples.. and walk with them..

What was Jesus Command?

Jesus final command is recorded in four different places

Three times in the gospels

and in the opening of acts..

In Matthew 28 :18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15–18 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Luke 24:46–49 ESV

and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

What is Jesus telling us?

He says go..

get out, activate, leave the house, the church, the temple, the building..

and MAKE DISCIPLES..

BE MY WITNESS..

AND TEACH PEOPLE TO OBEY AND FOLLOW ME!!

GO AND WITNESS

Over

he tells his followers..

listen.. your training is over..

I have given you authority and power..

Im going to send you the holy spirit..

now go out.. witness and disciple others for my name..

We have all been commanded to go and make disciples..

What does it look like to go?

So what does it look like to go and make disciples?

First you have to be willing to venture out..

Jesus said go..

Matthew 28:19 ESV

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,

The word translated go here is a greek verb..

Verb

Verbs are action words..

it requires us to do something..

Its not just idlying waiting..

but no if requires something out of us..

Meaning

and this word means: to travel, journey, go, and even means to die..

jesus is saying.. get out from where you are..

get out of your comfort zone and find people where they are..

Everywhere

you remember the parable Jesus told of the wedding feast in Luke 14?

The king is trying to get people to the banquet because the important people declined..

Its a parable of evangelism..

brining people to the wedding feast of the lamb..

and He tells the servants in verse 23

Luke 14:23 ESV

And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

he says the highways.. meaning the roads or a journey..

and the hedges..

or in the high and the hidden places..

JESUS IS SAYING GO EVERYWHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM..

AND COMPEL THEM TO COME IN..

We are called to actively go out and find people who need Jesus!!

And what do we do when we go?

Second we have to be willing to witness to anyone we come in contact with..

Matthew 28:19 ESV

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,

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We are called to witness..

To share the good news of Jesus..

to give them hope

to shine the marvelous light of christ into the dark and dying world

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

The demoniac..

Remember what Jesus told the demoniac?

We talked about it last week!

he wanted to go with Jesus..

but he told him .. no.. instead go tell everyone what I have done for you..

The woman at the well told everyone what Jesus said to her..

WE ARE CALLED TO GO AND SHARE THE POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND OUR PERSONAL EXPEREINCE WITH JESUS..

TO TELL THEM EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE FOR US..

AND COMPELL THEM TO COME TO JESUS..

More

but it doesnt end there..

Finally we have to be willing to walk with people we find..

Matthew 28:20 ESV

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus didnt just tell them to go and witness..

he also told them to teach them..

he told them to go and make disciples..

Teaching them to obey his commands..

that means you have to walk with people..

When we help people come to Jesus..

We should keep walking with them…

helping them to learn what it means to follow christ..

Helping them navigate the difficult times of this jounry..

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We have to be willing to keep walking with people.

and help them navigate the seasons of life..

Not just pastors and staff members..

BUT ALL OF US..

WE ARE CALLED TO GO.. WITNESS AND WALK WITH PEOPLE

Power

You say pastor..

Not enough..

I cant do that..

I dont know enough..

I can speak well enough..

Im not bold enough..

but jesus said you can..

not because of your own power..

but rather his power in you..

look what he says in acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

You see if you are a spirit filled believer you have the power to witness..

because the holy spirit gives you the power to witness.

Paul told timothy in 2 timothy 1:7

2 Timothy 1:6–9 ESV

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Jesus promises in luke 12:12 if we will go..

Luke 12:11–12 ESV

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Matthew 10:19–20 ESV

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Jesus says.. when opportunity arrises.. the holy spirit will give you the words..

AND THE HOLY SPIRIT KNOWS WHAT TO SAY..

John 15:26 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

John 14:26 ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Its not you who will do it is the holy spirit!

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

IF YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BE A WITNESS..

We just have to be obedient..

We are called to Go.. and God will help us if we will obey..

Are you going?

Are you willing to go for Jesus?

Because we have all been commanded to go…