Commissioned by the King
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Main Point/FCF: We all have a tendency to become consumed with our own little kingdoms. But the resurrected King calls us to take up arms and advance his Kingdom against the enemy, rescuing and recruiting those who have been captured by the enemy.
The King has authority to commission us.
The King has authority to commission us.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Why does Jesus have authority to command us?
Jesus’ authority is rooted in his divine nature.
Jesus’ authority is rooted in his divine nature.
How do we know that Jesus is God? There are at least three pieces of evidence in this passage alone that testify to his divinity.
1. Jesus accepts worship from his disciples.
1. Jesus accepts worship from his disciples.
17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
If he is not God, then he is encouraging idolatry and breaking the first commandment.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God...
Over and over in the Old Testament God forbids the worship of any but himself. Jesus has publicly proclaimed himself to be God in many different passages in Matthew, and that claim was vindicated by his resurrection from the dead and repeated here as he accepts the worship of his disciples.
Aside: Who and why is it that “some doubted?”
Matthew only mentions the eleven disciples (Judas has killed himself by this point), but that doesn’t mean there weren’t others there, just that Matthew only mentions the 11. We know from Paul’s account in I Cor 15:3-6 that Christ appeared in one instance to “more than 500 brothers at one time,” and it’s quite likely that his ascension was that instance. So, it’s likely that the “some” who doubted were part of this larger crowd, not the 11.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
It’s also worth noting that the word used here does not necessarily imply unbelief, but merely shock and hesitancy, an “I-can’t-believe-my-eyes” kind of sentiment that expresses more of a slowness to comprehend what they’re witnessing than an outright rejection of it.
If this is what Matthew means, he may be using this historical reminiscence to stress the fact that Jesus’ resurrection was not an anticipated episode that required only enthusiasm and gullibility to win adherents among Jesus’ followers. Far from it, they still were hesitant; and their failure to understand his repeated predictions of his resurrection, compounded with their despair after his crucifixion, worked to maintain their hesitancy for some time before they came to full faith.
Jesus’ resurrection did not instantly transform men of little faith and faltering understanding into spiritual giants. One suspects that the “hesitation” (not doubt) sprang from the fact that the “risen Jesus both was and was not ‘the same’ as he had been before.… There was a mystery about him which even those who knew him best were now unable to penetrate” (Wright, Resurrection of the Son of God, 643–44; cf. France [NICNT]).
2. Jesus claims “all authority in heaven and on earth,” a level of authority that only God has.
2. Jesus claims “all authority in heaven and on earth,” a level of authority that only God has.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Over and over the Jewish religious leaders had been baffled by Jesus’ claims to authority.
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
He claimed authority to interpret the Old Testament, claimed that it pointed to him, and claimed authority to forgive sins. This was a key point of contention between him and the religious leaders because they recognized that he was claiming authority that only belonged to God.
3. Jesus claims to share the name of God.
3. Jesus claims to share the name of God.
He also commissions us to baptize believers in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
19 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...
If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were not one (Trinity), he would have to say “names.”
As it is, the Trinity shares one name: “Lord.”
So, Jesus has the authority of God when he issues this command.
The Great Commission is the marching orders to God’s Kingdom army.
The Great Commission is the marching orders to God’s Kingdom army.
Every Kingdom has a King, and every King has an army to protect and extend his kingdom.
His resurrection has validated his claim to be the divine Messiah, the King.
Now, the King commissions his army to go forth and conquer, expanding the reign of his Kingdom and bringing the nations under his sovereignty.
This was always God’s purpose in creation. All the way back in Genesis 1 we see God exercising his dominion, his sovereignty, his king-ship over his creation as he instructs his newly created humans to extend his dominion over his creation:
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
But of course, we know that mankind rebelled against the King and decided to try to be kings themselves. We don’t like it when people tell us what to do. We bristle under authority. And so, Adam and Eve—and every human since then—have tried to cast off God’s rightful rule and live for themselves. In effect, sin is when we say “I don’t want to do what you say, I want to live for myself. I want to be my own king.”
But Jesus came to show us what God is like—he’s compassionate, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And we see that in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus shows us what God is like because he is God incarnate, God in human form.
And so, when Jesus says “Go make disciples,” that is an order coming from on high, an order from the King, an order from God.
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.
Daniel L. Akin; Benjamin L. Merkle
What do you call a soldier who refuses to go into battle when his commanding officer orders him to do so? Insubordinate. AWOL. And yet, so many Christians think that this command is only for pastors, missionaries, and “super-Christians.”
The Barna Research Group did a study in 2018 among Christians who had shared their faith. This study was a repeat of a study they had done back in 1993.
In 1993, among Christians who had actually shared their faith,
“Every Christian has a responsibility to share their faith.”
1993: 89% agreed
2018: 64% agreed
Many people have shifted into thinking that it’s the church’s job—the pastor’s job—to share the gospel. But that isn’t what Scripture says. Scripture says that the pastor’s job is to “Equip the saints for the work of the ministry”
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...
Now, of course, pastors and missionaries have a responsibility to be sharing their faith because we are also disciples. But all disciples of Jesus are to be fishers of men, disciple makers.
If you are in the King’s army, then his marching orders apply to you as well.
So, what are our marching orders?
The King has commissioned us to recruit others into his Kingdom.
The King has commissioned us to recruit others into his Kingdom.
19 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 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...
In English, it almost appears as though “Go” is the primary verb here. But, in the Greek, there is one primary verb and three supporting participles.
The primary command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples.”
The primary command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples.”
The goal is not to go “make believers,” but to “make disciples.”
The word for disciple is mathetes, which means “learner, student, disciple, follower”
A disciple is more than just someone who believes in Jesus. A disciple is someone who is a student of Jesus—always learning from him—someone who follows and obeys and imitates Jesus.
Many mission agencies and churches are short-sighted, focusing entirely on conversion and evangelism but neglecting discipleship.
When Jennifer and I were on vacation a couple weeks ago in Branson, we were looking for something fun and cheap to do at Branson Landing, so we played a few rounds of Pool. I’m not terribly great at Pool, and the first game I could not get the ball to go where I wanted for the life of me.
I realized after a while that I was focusing entirely on the cue ball, where I wanted to hit the cue ball and at what angle.
According to Tom Simpson, who is some kind of National Billiards expert, you should generally focus not on the cue ball, but upon the object ball or the point on the side rails where you want the cue ball to strike.
Obviously, my approach of focusing on the cue ball wasn’t working very well, so I decided to start focusing instead on the ball that I was actually aiming for and where I wanted that cue ball to hit that ball. An amazing thing happened—I started to actually make some shots!
When you play pool, if you focus on the cue ball, you will likely miss the pocket you’re aiming for. But, when you instead focus beyond the cue ball and focus on where you want the cue ball to impact the ball you’re aiming at, then your shots get much more accurate.
We need to stop aiming for salvation and start aiming for sanctification. Our goal in the Great Commission isn’t merely to make converts to Christianity, to get people to simply believe Jesus. Our goal is to make disciples that actually follow him and make more disciples.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we do evangelism.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we do evangelism.
When we focus entirely on salvation, there will be a tendency to minimize aspects of the gospel that are offensive and demanding and maximize aspects of the gospel that are winsome and desirable.
Now, just as there’s a time and a place to focus on your cue ball technique, there’s a time and a place to focus on evangelism. In fact, that’s exactly what we’re doing on Wednesday nights! So, come join us for that study!
But, our aim has to go beyond simply getting them to “accept Jesus.” We want them to follow Jesus, to be a disciple. If we aim merely to get them to accept Jesus, this kind of approach leads to a pragmatic gospel filled with “cheap grace” that demands nothing and expects nothing.
"Verily I say unto you, you cannot have Christ for your Savior unless you also have him as your Lord.”
Charles Spurgeon
Sometimes our evangelism approach is to beg unbelievers to “accept Christ” and “invite him into your heart,” as if Christ needs their acceptance or as if Christ is just a nice add-on to improve their lives. No, Christ does not need your acceptance, you need his!
Our commission is not primarily about improving the lives of others, it’s about proclaiming, “The King has arrived and the Kingdom is upon you! Repent and believe the gospel!” We want people to be radically sold-out followers who will go and make other disciples.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we do church.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we do church.
If we think that our goal is to make converts, we will tend to attempt to turn every service an evangelistic revival. Our messages and teaching will always tend to be directed towards the lowest common denominator. We will think that our job is simply to get lost people to come to church so that the pastor can get them saved.
But that’s not the purpose of our church services. The purpose of church services is for the pastor and church leaders to equip you, the saints, to go forth and make disciples. Church services are primarily for equipping believers.
Yes, invite your friends and loved ones to come to church. Yes, I’ll absolutely share the gospel in my sermons. But I’m not going to make every single sermon a full-on gospel presentation, because you need more than just the milk of God’s word to be equipped for daily life and the war that is raging out there—you need the meat, too.
If our goal is to produce disciples, then we will not be content to stop at evangelism but will constantly be pressing our people to go deeper in their faith and obedience.
We will not be content to aim Sunday School and youth group and sermons only at unbelievers, but will constantly be spurring on believers to relinquish more and more of their lives to the sovereignty of Christ.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we approach missions.
An emphasis on discipleship influences how we approach missions.
In Southern Baptist missions, there’s a huge emphasis nowadays on reaching the “unreached.” “Unreached” is actually a technical term in missiology that refers to ethnic people groups that have less than 2% of their population as Evangelical Christians.
Explain the terms “reached” and “unreached.”
The goal is not merely to move a people group from the category of “unreached” to “reached,” but from “rebel” to “disciple.”
So, we must support missions not only to the “unreached,” but also to the “marginally reached” and the “superficially reached” and anywhere and everywhere there remains a need for outside help to reach unbelievers.
So, how do we do this? How do we make disciples?
We fulfill our command to make disciples in three ways:
We fulfill our command to make disciples in three ways:
1. Going
1. Going
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...
We’re supposed to seek out the lost
There’s some debate on whether this verb, which is a participle, should be translated as “Go” or “as you are going.” I think that debate is kind of irrelevant, because Jesus clearly says both.
We should absolutely be on the lookout for unbelievers in our daily life, but we also need to be intentional. Yes, think about who is already in your circle of influence that you can be reaching out to. But, also be intentional about thinking about how you can create more opportunities to meet unbelievers.
I’ll confess that this is something I really have to work on. As a newcomer to this area, I don’t know a whole lot of people. And since my job and my church are the same thing, that means that most of the time, I’m spending my time with people who are mostly believers. Yes, some of the folks who come here aren’t yet believers, and I occasionally get the opportunity to minister to them. But I spend most of my time in the church walls. So, if you think it’s easier for me to find opportunities to share the gospel, it’s not. It’s actually harder for me. Most of you work in secular environments and have grown up here where you know a lot of people. I have to be very intentional or that won’t happen.
And the fact is that as believers, we like to surround ourselves with people who are like us—other believers. And that’s well and good. Most of your friends ought to be people who share your beliefs and values. But we can’t insulate ourselves against the world. We need to cultivate relationships with unbelievers and unchurched people.
So, what are some ways that you could be intentional about creating opportunities to meet unbelievers? Are there parents in your kids’ sports teams that you don’t know? Are there neighbors right by you that you haven’t met? Are there kids in your class that you know aren’t believers? Co-workers?
And yes, absolutely invite them to church! But don’t stop there! Thom Rainer says that
“If a church member invites someone to church, about 15% [about 1 in 7] will show up within a six-month period...an 85% strikeout rate…
[But] When someone invites someone to church and asks them to go for coffee or a meal afterwards or before, either one, the number jumps up to almost 80%.”
—Thom Rainer
So, again, it all comes down to you building a relationship with someone. That relationship and intentionality is key.
2. Baptizing
2. Baptizing
19 ...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Baptism is a visible picture of our conversion from death to life, it’s a sign, an enacted picture of repentance, just as a wedding ceremony is an enacted picture of marriage.
So this is Jesus’ shorthand way of saying “share the gospel and lead them to me!”
So, I want you to think for a moment. Who do you know that is an unbeliever or unchurched that you could cultivate a relationship with? Last year, I asked you to write down the names of three people. Now, I’m just going to ask you to focus on one. I want you to think of someone that if they were to become a believer, it would radically change their life.
Who’s your one?
I want you to write down that person’s name and commit to praying for them, praying for opportunities to share the gospel with them, and then I want you to commit to coming on Wednesday nights to get equipped.
3. Teaching
3. Teaching
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...
“Teaching them” here encompasses both teaching and preaching, as the book of Acts and the Pauline letters make clear.
Remember, that our job is to make disciples, and a disciple is a learner. So we shouldn’t be surprised that a main emphasis of disciple making is teaching.
There is never a time when we as learners “graduate” from our learning under Christ. The nature of God is an inexhaustible well from which we will draw for eternity. We are always learning and growing in our knowledge and obedience.
I have heard of some newer church models that have tried to do away with the teaching and preaching aspect of the church gathering and focus entirely on “doing life together” and fellowship. But this misses a fundamental aspect of what it means to be a disciple.
Christians are to be lifelong learners. Are you hungry to learn more about God? Or have you become apathetic, stagnated, and complacent?
Are you actively teaching others? I don’t necessarily mean that you need to have an actual teaching position in the church—not all are called or qualified for those positions—but each of us should have at least one person that we take responsibility for teaching and mentoring.
But, some of you are ready and equipped to teach within the church. And as we grow, we will need more of you to step up into those roles.
“to observe” This means “to obey.”
It means modeling a godly lifestyle and that we’re supposed to expect obedience from those who claim to be disciples.
The goal is not pumping heads full of knowledge but transforming hearts and lives.
Knowledge without obedience leads to pride. This was the Pharisees’ mistake. And the ironic part is that they didn’t know half as much as they thought they did. There are some truths about being a disciple that you can only learn through obedience and experience.
Discipleship was never meant to be a merely classroom or mental endeavor, it’s supposed to penetrate to the heart and express itself in your life.
This means that part of our job in discipleship is to be involved in each other’s lives. Part of being a disciple is willingly and humbly inviting others in to encourage you and sometimes to correct you when you step off the path.
At least part of how we as a church “teach them to observe what Christ has commanded” is by pointing out when we’re not doing that. This always has to be done with gentleness and humility and with an aim for the growth of the other person.
But, it also means we must be willing to accept correction from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you humble enough to swallow your pride when someone points out your wrongs? Do you desire to observe what Christ has commanded enough to willingly accept correction from a brother or sister in Christ?
“all that I have commanded you”
This means the whole counsel of God—not just the Romans Road.
Paul, as he was saying goodbye to the church elders at Ephesus said,
26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
That is our aim. We’re not going to stop and just teach the basics here. As believers, we should never be content with where we are in our spiritual growth.
The writer of Hebrews rebukes those who settle for the “milk” of the word:
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
True disciples want to know not just the highlights, but desire to know and live out “all that Christ has commanded us” and are actively involved in teaching others as well.
Our children are expected to take courses in school on Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, and Literature, but in many churches there’s a kind of anti-intellectualism that treats Church and the things of God as if everything ought to be on the lowest possible shelf.
Sometimes you can find gold laying on the surface of the ground, but more often you have to dig. And I’ve found that the greatest gold mines of truth in Scripture are usually found after some digging.
Now, we haven’t talked about what Jesus means here by “all nations,” but I’m going to save the “of all nations” part for next week’s sermon when we look at Acts 1. So I want to show you one more crucial element in our King’s Commission:
The Promise of the Commission
The Promise of the Commission
20 ...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Our King marches with us into battle.
Our King marches with us into battle.
On our own, this Commission is far to great a task for us to complete. Making disciples of all nations?
But, we’re not expected to do it alone. Jesus’ words here echo back to the consistent witness of God’s presence with his people throughout Scripture.
When God sent Abram from his homeland into the land of Canaan, God promised:
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 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.”
And then to Abraham’s son, Isaac:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.
When God commissioned Moses to confront Pharoah and demand the release of the Hebrew slaves, God said:
12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
When Moses objected that he wasn’t eloquent and would never be up to the task, God said:
11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
When God commissioned Joshua to lead the Israelites to conquer the Promised Land, he said:
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
And as Joshua, no doubt, trembled at the task that lay before him, God said:
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
And to King David, God said:
9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
So too, as we tremble at the monumental task that lays before us, we can take comfort in these words of Christ:
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As we share the gospel with our neighbors, coworkers, family members, friends, classmates, and even strangers, Christ is with us. He goes before us just as he did the Israelites to ensure the victory. And everywhere and every time that the name of Christ is proclaimed and the gospel is shared the Kingdom of God advances in victory.
There is a war raging between two kingdoms—the kingdom of this world, and the Kingdom of God. Our true home is with our King in his Kingdom. And we have our marching orders.
He has gone before us, sacrificed himself for us, and given us new life and a new purpose.
He has the authority.
He has given us our commission.
And we have the promise of his presence and ultimate victory.
Let us “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.”” (Matthew 28:19–20)
