The Great Commission

Introduction

Everyone wants to be a part of something great.

Think about the last time you were part of something great.

Maybe you were part of a championship team in a sport or competition.

Or you were part of a play or production with a great group of people.

Maybe you were able to help people after a natural disaster, like many of you who went to help in the mountains of NC after Hurricane Helene hit.

Or you were part of a special trip or mission team that you’ll never forget.

I was part of a mission team to Nicaragua in late January, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Or: maybe you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, “I don’t know that I’ve ever really been part of something great”

“I’m struggling to think of anything great that I’ve been a part of”

Whether you’re the person whose been part of many great things, or the person who struggles to find even one thing,

No matter how you answer this question,

What if I told you that God has called you to be part of something great? And not just “something great”, but the greatest thing ever.

As Fisher taught a few weeks ago, God’s plan has always been to reach the nations. It wasn’t just to reach Israel. It was to reach people of all nations.

What makes this plan so special is: God has entrusted us, His people, with it. We play a major part in it. That’s right. You!

God didn’t save us and say, “Sit back, relax. Let the mission be carried out by the professional Christians.”

He saves us and then sends us. Sends us to do what?

To take part in His ultimate mission, the Great Commission.

Sermon

Passage

If you brought your Bible with you, let me invite you to open to the book of Matthew with me.

Matthew is the 1st book of the New Testament.

We will be in chapter 28, verses 18-20 today.

So the first book of the New Testament, and the last chapter and verses of it.

The best way to stay engaged in the message is to follow along in God’s Word. Don’t just take my word for it - see it for yourself in the Bible.

Matthew 28:18–20

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

Main Point

The main point for our sermon today is:

Jesus Commands His Followers to Make Disciples.

I want to show you from this passage the three ways that Jesus intends for us to make disciples.

What I love about Jesus plan is how clear it is.

Jesus, master teacher, doesn’t give us confusing instructions.

He gives us the full blueprint.

Let us focus our attention on the text and see those three ways now.

The first way we make disciples is:

1) By His Authority (v. 18)

Explanation

In verse 18, Jesus tells His disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Jesus has always possessed authority because He’s God. And He’s never not been God. Jesus had:

The authority to heal people

The authority to forgive sins (which some didn’t like, because that authority belonged to God alone in their minds… but newsflash, He is God)

The authority to cast out demons

He clearly operated out of His authority.

But during Jesus’ incarnation - that is, His coming to earth and taking on human flesh - He temporarily lived under human limitations.

Philippians 2 says that He:

Philippians 2:6–7 (ESV)

but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Jesus humbly operated under human limitations so that He could live a perfect life, pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross, and rise again back to life.

And now, as the resurrected Christ, God the Father gives Him authority over all things in a public, recognized way.

Before, it was contained to His disciples and followers in His region, but now His authority has no public limitations.

Authority is an important word that Jesus uses.

Notice Jesus doesn’t say “all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me”

Jesus certainly has all power, but he has more than that.

He has all authority, meaning He holds the right, the command, and the dominion over all things. He has the authorization to carry out what He desires.

There’s a difference between the two.

Illustration

For example: I might have the power - the physical capability, the mental capacity, the desire and will - to ride a motorcycle. But if I don’t have the legal endorsement or permit on my license - the authority to ride it - it’s illegal. I would face consequences.

Or kids/students in the room: you may have the power, the ability, to take your parent’s credit card and purchase whatever it is that you want. But if you’ve not been given the authority and permission to do so, you are stealing from your parents. You will face consequences.

The reality is: Jesus has authority over all things in heaven and on earth.

He has authority over:

Our soul (He can forgive sins; He has the right to judge us for our sins)

Our lives (He can tell us how to live; He can tell us how not to live)

Our His Church (He is the chief shepherd)

Our the future (nothing is outside of His control)

All creation (everything is subject to Him)

There is nothing that is outside of Jesus’ jurisdiction.

And we don’t “give” Jesus this authority as if He needs our permission.

He has it - it’s a matter of if we submit to it or not.

Application

Which begs the question: Christian, do you live like Christ is your authority?

Is your life marked choices that reflect His desires for your life?

When you make decisions, are they filtered through what His Word says is best? Or are they filtered through what you think is best? Or what the world says is best?

It can be easy to see Jesus as an optional consultant rather than our ultimate authority. Especially in a world that views self as the ultimate authority.

But if we are to live as Christians - if we are to live a life of obedience to Christ - then we will submit to Christ’s authority and let Him determine the course of our lives.

We should be able to confidently say:

Lord:

Wherever you lead me, I’ll go.

Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.

Whatever you want me to say, I’ll say.

However you want me to live, I’ll live.

Bridge

Why does this matter so much? Because the authority of Jesus is our foundation for making disciples.

I’ve heard it once said: “It isn’t called the Great suggestion; it’s called the Great Commission.” It’s a rather cliche phrase, but it’s true.

A suggestion is optional; a commission is an authorized charge or command.

If we’ve trusted in Christ, if we call Him our Lord and Savior, we must recognize that He has given us an authoritative command to go and make disciples.

And thankfully, He tells us how to do it.

The second way Jesus calls us to make disciples is:

2) According to His Plan (v. 19-20a)

Explanation

Jesus says in verse 19,

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

When Jesus says “therefore”, He is saying, “Based on what I just said, here’s what to do”

“because of my authority, because of who I am, here is what you are to do as my followers.”

Then, Jesus gives us the blueprint for how we are to make disciples.

It’s important to define what a disciple is.

A disciple is a devoted follower of Jesus.

Not just a convert, but a growing, maturing, follower of Jesus.

In order to make disciples, you have to first be one.

Here’s a great point for me to stop and share the Gospel. Here’s how to become a disciple if you aren’t one:

Gospel

You must realize that:

God created you to know Him

But, you have sinned and rebelled against Him

In fact, by default you don’t want God.

And the bad news is: there is nothing in this world you can do to save yourself.

You can’t be a good enough person, come to church enough times, etc.

But the good news is: Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh and lived a perfect life, something you and I couldn’t do.

He then paid the penalty for sinners by dying on the cross.

He didn’t stay dead, but rose again back to life three days later, just as He said He would.

And He promises to return again one day for all who have trusted in Him.

How do you become a disciple?

By repenting of your sin (which means agreeing with God that it is wrong, and turning away from it) and believing in what Jesus Christ did for you

That is how you become a disciple of Jesus Christ. By faith in Him alone.

Once you become a disciple, you join in on the mission.

The main command in this verse (and entire passage) is: make disciples

Jesus mentions three actions here: going, baptizing, and teaching. Let’s double click on each one for a moment.

a) Going

When Jesus says we are to “Go”, He means we are to intentionally seek out people.

As we are going about our daily lives, we look for ways to reach people.

This means both: 1) seeking the lost - those who don’t know Christ - and 2) those who do know Christ.

We shouldn’t be sitting back, waiting for disciple making opportunities to fall into our lap.

Do they naturally happen that way sometimes? Yes. And that’s great. But our posture shouldn’t be one of waiting; our posture should be one of pursuing.

Jesus says to go and make disciples, but then clarifies even further: we should go and make disciples of “all nations”.

“All Nations”

God’s heart has always been for people from all nations to know and worship Him.

If you go to the very first chapter of Acts, Jesus tells His disciples that:

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 …you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

For example:

Jerusalem (the disciples’ immediate starting point)

Judea (broader region/surrounding areas)

Samaria (crossing cultural boundaries/enemies/those opposed)

This is the hardest one. It is no accident that Jesus mentions Samaria, a people the Israelites had a long-standing opposition with (and vice versa).

To the ends of the earth = Reaching those in different countries, cultures, nations, etc.

Do you know what this shows us? That God wants people everywhere to know Him. It’s not just limited to Jerusalem, where the Jews were.

It should be important to us that the Gospel to get to people beyond those just closest to us.

If it isn’t, we have completely missed Christ’s mission for us.

Supporting Missions

Now, not all of us are called to be missionaries to another country or culture. God has called most of us to certain vocations and places that are here in the states and locked to a specific area.

But, we can be part of what God is doing globally by supporting missionaries.

One way you can do this is by praying for your missionaries.

If you’re able to make it to any of our GIC weekend events, you’ll have the chance to meet them and hear from them personally.

This is a great way to get to know the missionaries our church supports, what specific work they are doing, and how you can be praying for them.

Another way is by supporting your missionaries financially.

When you give to Faith Promise here at Charity Baptist Church, you are helping meet the financial needs necessary to send our missionaries to their respective mission fields.

Without financial support, missionaries aren’t able to go to the ends of the earth with the Gospel.

While we all can’t go to the mission field, we can all support those going to the mission field.

One last way is by going on a short-term mission trip.

Our missionaries need encouragement and refreshment from those who support them.

They love when we come and visit and see what God is doing, and also take part in some of the work ourselves.

Our church sends multiple short-term mission teams out each year.

As I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to be part of a team to Nicaragua. It was one of the highlights of my January.

We are taking teams to Northern Ireland, Toronto, Guatemala in the months to come.

And let me tell you: Getting to go and see the work your missionaries are doing first hand changes everything.

I had a moment back in January when it hit me: here I am, at this student camp in Nicaragua, and these pastors are preaching the same Word of God that I have, but in an entirely different language. We serve such a Big God. The very same God that I pray to in English is the same God my Nicaraguan brothers and sisters pray to in Spanish.

I was deeply encouraged by the work Max and Jennifer Kennedy are doing in Nicaragua. They’re planting churches, raising up pastors and leaders, ministering to students, and more.

The more you know your missionaries and see the ways God is using them, I promise, you will be compelled to support them. Not just financially, but through prayer and a relationship with them.

b) Baptizing

The second way we make disciples is by baptizing them.

Jesus says, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

What is baptism?

It is the public declaration that you belong to Christ and identify with Him and His Church.

Illustration

One pastor said to think about baptism like putting on a team jersey. By putting on the jersey, you show you are part of Christ’s team, the local church, and you can now be identified by your Christian teammates.

While you may not be the one baptizing, your job is to encourage them to put on the team jersey, aka baptism, and identify with Christ and His Church publicly.

The first step of obedience we see in Scripture after salvation is baptism.

Have you ever noticed when someone is baptized, we baptize them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”?

It’s because Jesus commanded us to right here in verse 19!

We serve a triune God, church.

One God in three persons.

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

And when someone is baptized, they are publicly identifying with the Triune God.

I want to be clear, though: baptism does NOT save you.

Illustration

This water up in our baptistry is no special water. In fact, it’s water from the city of Kannapolis. If I had to guess, it probably has plenty of chemicals and things that are not good for you in it!

Only Christ alone can save.

Now to be clear: this is not an excuse to not be baptized if you haven’t been yet.

If you are a follower of Jesus and have not yet been publicly baptized simply out of not wanting to, thinking it’s not important, or any sort of reluctant reasoning, that is being disobedient.

Every Christian is called to be baptized out of obedience.

But it is not baptism that saves us. It is trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross that saves us.

c) Teaching

The third way we make disciples is by teaching them. Jesus says, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”

Obeying Jesus shows that we love Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples, John 14:15 (ESV) 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

What’s interesting too is:

John tells us in 1 John that Jesus’ commands are “not burdensome”.

Jesus’ commands are not meant to burden your life and bog you down, but rather give you the abundant life He is calling you to.

And this is what we must teach those whom we disciple. The Word of God.

We do not obey in order to be in the family, but we obey because we are in the family, and have been given every good privilege that comes with being in the family.

Illustration

Remember when you didn’t like a rule or command your parent gave? But after some time, you realized that your parents’ rules weren’t to make your life miserable, but to actually help you?

Jesus’ commands give us do just that. They give life abundantly. Therefore, we should obey Him, knowing it is be for our good. And we should teach others to do the same.

Application

Now, you may be sitting here listening to Jesus’ plan for discipling and thinking to yourself, “That’s all good and well Jacob, but you’re a pastor. It’s easy for you to say all of this. I don’t have a ton of Bible knowledge. I’m afraid to meet new people. I’m not even sure where to begin.”

And listen: I hear you. I get it.

But what if discipling wasn’t all that complicated?

What if we are making it more complicated than it really is?

I read an extremely helpful book by a pastor that changed my view of discipling. He defined discipling as: “helping others follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good to them.”

When you reframe discipling in this way, it takes off the false pressure that you have to be a perfect Christian who has all the answers.

It simply means you, doing spiritual good to another person, to help them be more like Christ.

Let’s get practical for a moment. What are some ways you could disciple someone?

Read the Bible with them

Find a time to gather with someone and read through a book of the Bible together. A great place to start is in one of the Gospels.

Read Matthew, this Gospel. Read the Gospel of John.

Read a Christian book together.

There are plenty of great Christian books out there that you can read through and discuss (there are also plenty of bad ones). I would be happy to give some book recommendations (I’ve brought a few to the front pew with me; I’d be happy to even give some away).

Invite someone into your your normal life

Invite someone over for a meal. You can spend time getting to know that person (or couple) and discuss what you learned from the Sunday sermon, wrestle with different questions you may have, and so on.

Take someone alongside you and let them see how a Christian lives out in public. How you treat the waiter or waitress; how you love your wife and kids; how you consider others more significant than yourself.

And when you inevitably fall short, show them what it looks like to confess and repent sin.

Pray for another Christian

Simply praying for someone can be one of the most powerful ways to encourage and help another Christian in their walk with Christ.

Praying with a friend over coffee about things they are going through.

Sending a short text of, “How can I pray for you?” and sending a voice message of you praying for them.

Encourage another Christian

“Hey _____, I’m encouraged by the ways the Lord working in your life in this difficult season. Keep seeking Him!”

“Hey, I’ve noticed the way you humbly serve in the nursery, even when it’s 100 degrees and there’s no ceiling fans (IYKYK). I’ve noticed how you help fill during the weeks when short on people. The Lord sees what you’re doing!”

Share the Gospel with the lost

In order for anyone to become a disciple, they must hear the Gospel. How will they know unless they hear? How will they know unless someone goes to tell them? Romans 10 tells us this.

Bridge

But even after all these examples, you may still feel like you lack the ability to disciple someone.

There’s a difference in knowing what to do and having the confidence and courage to actually do it.

Do you wanna know the answer to how you carry out this plan of Jesus?

If you’re looking for the strength, the courage, the boldness, the fuel to carry out the command to make disciples, you have to recognize:

You. Aren’t. Doing. This. Alone. We make disciples:

3) With His Presence (v. 20b)

Explanation

Look at the end of verse 20 with me.

“And behold,”

When you see the word “behold”, think of it as “look!” or “see!” or “pay attention!” Which means Jesus wants us to pay close attention.

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

Jesus, after giving the disciples the plan, tells them that He is WITH them. To the end of the age.

And when Jesus says end of the age, He doesn’t mean for a short time and then at the “end of the age” He just leaves us.

It means that He is with us until the Great Commission, the mission to make disciples of all nations, is complete!

And one day, when the mission has been completed and Christ returns for us, we will be in His physical presence for eternity.

Application

Christian, THIS is where we find our strength and ability to go and make disciples.

This is the fuel for the mission.

It’s a fail proof mission because Jesus Christ is always with you during it!

Think about Jesus’ disciples for a moment.

When Peter and John stood before the religious leaders in Jerusalem in Acts 4, it was noticeable that was something different about them.

It says,

Acts 4:13 (ESV)

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

They were untrained, uneducated fishermen by trade.

They didn’t have their theology degrees.

They weren’t trained in the Scriptures like the Pharisees.

But you know what they did have? Jesus Christ with them. More specifically, the promised helper, the Holy Spirit, living inside of them.

Helping them remember all Jesus had taught them.

Helping give them the words to say when they were speechless.

Giving them the boldness needed to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.

Maybe you resonate with those descriptions:

I’m uneducated

I’m just a common person

I forget things easily

I don’t know what to say

But if you’ve been with Jesus - and His Spirit is in you - then you have everything you need to make disciples.

The same Spirit that dwelt inside of Peter and John, the same Spirit that dwelt inside of our Lord and Savior, is the SAME SPIRIT living inside of us today!

That still blows my mind still every time I say it.

We don’t have a lesser, cheaper version of God’s presence.

We have the same Spirit!

And because of that, it’s game on.

The mission won’t fail, because the One who gave it is the One who is making it happen.

This should give us great confidence as we seek to obey and fulfill the Great Commission!

Conclusion

Application

In closing, I simply want to leave you with one action step: prayer.

Pray for:

A heart for missions

Our missionaries locally and globally

Someone to disciple

Summary

If you want to be part of something great

If you want a life full of meaning and purpose

Look no further than the Great Commission, Christian.

God has entrusted us with the task of making disciples of all nations.

What an honor and privilege it is to be entrusted with the mission.

Remember, Church: Jesus commands His followers to make disciples

May we be diligent to make disciples:

By His Authority

According to His Plan

With His Presence

Let’s pray.