onmissionforgod3
ON MISSION FOR GOD MATTHEW 28:16-20
I want you take your copy of God’s Word and turn to the last chapter of the gospel of Matthew. We are going to conclude our sermon series on this passage, this morning. Can I say that I could probably get another week in on this topic, but I will restrain from doing that and give you the meat of this passage?
In these verses, the Lord Jesus Christ is giving His people, the church, their mission, goal, or purpose for existing. This is why we are left on earth after we are saved. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, if the mission of the church was fellowship, then the Lord would take us to heaven where it is perfect, unhindered by sin and nothing will break it. In heaven, there is perfect, order, perfect harmony, perfect love, perfect communion and perfect communication.
If the mission of the church is to teach, then the Lord would take us into heaven where there is perfect understanding and knowledge about the things of God. Heaven is a place where everything is instantaneously known and all teaching will cease there.
If the mission of the church is praise of the Lord, then the Lord will take us to heaven where our praise will not be defiled by a wrong motive or sin. Heaven is a place where our praise will be perfect because I will be out of the presence of sin. What a wonderful thought that is for the believer in Christ.
So if fellowship, teaching, and praise are not the aim of the church, even though they are important and should be a part of our ministry here on earth; they are not the main mission of the church. This is not the purpose for the church’s existence. The reason the Lord has left the church on earth after salvation is to make disciples. We are to make disciples of all nations. This is the command the Lord gives the church before He ascends to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father.
In verse 19, Jesus utters a command, an imperative that must be obeyed and that command is to make disciples. The Greek word for disciple is a learner or follower. In other words, a disciple is an apprentice. Disciples are learners, followers, those that have submitted their lives to one teacher and seek to live in relationship to Him and in honor of Him every day. We cannot change a person's heart but we can make Christ known through the proclamation of the gospel. Our challenge and invitation to fellow sinners is for them to embrace Jesus Christ by faith, to trust His death and resurrection as their only standing before God, and to live each day in submission to Christ as Lord. We're not calling for people to make decisions for Christ; we're calling for them to be disciples of Christ.
So as you can see from Scripture the object of disciples is to get people to embrace Christ. In Jewish culture, this was the term used for the training process of scribes. Jews would adhere to a certain scribe and learn from him. Jesus in the gospel of John is seen as making disciples. In John 4:1, we read “Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (the Baptist).” This was part of His ministry bring people to Himself to follow Him. In Acts 14:21, the apostles Paul and Barnabas went into the city and made many disciples. Again, we see from the Word of God of why we are here.
Matthew Henry, in his commentary wrote, “do your utmost to make the nations Christian nations;’’ not, "Go to the nations, and denounce the judgments of God against them, as Jonah against Nineveh, and as the other Old-Testament prophets’’ (though they had reason enough to expect it for their wickedness), "but go, and disciple them.’’ Christ the Mediator is setting up a kingdom in the world, bring the nations to be his subjects; setting up a school, bring the nations to be his scholars; raising an army for the carrying on of the war against the powers of darkness, enlist the nations of the earth under his banner.”
Yet, when you look at the modern day church we are more like what Dr. Kermit Long says, “With all our education, our fine buildings, our image of the church, we are doing less to win people to Christ than our unschooled forefathers did. We’re no longer fishers of men, but keepers of the aquarium, and we spend most of our time swiping fish from each other’s bowl.” Over the past two weeks, I have given you three foundational attitudes for fulfilling the Great Commission. I want to take just a minute to recap those attitudes before we look at the last two elements in fulfilling the Great Commission. The first foundational attitude that we must possess is that we must be available, ready to serve wherever, whenever and whatever the Lord asks us to do. In verse 16, the apostles put themselves in a place to be instructed and used by God. Folks, Christ is not looking for the biggest, brightest, noblest, or richest. He is looking for those who call upon His name and say that they love Him to put themselves is a place to be used by Him in His service for His glory.
Next, we must have the attitude of worship. Jesus is the only one worthy of our praise. Yet, there are so many thing vying for our attention today that can get us sidetracked. Everything must pale in comparison in our allegiance and loyalty to Him. There should be one thing that matters most to us and that is our devotion to Him. Mary experienced it and so did Paul, but we must ask are we singly devoted to Him.
The third attitude that we discussed last week was submission. Jesus told us in verse 18, that He was sovereign meaning that He was in control. Therefore, if He is in charge then we must submit to that power, privilege, authority that Jesus Christ possesses.
OBEDIENCE
This morning, we are going to look at the final two elements for fulfilling the Great Commission and they are found in verses 19-20. The fourth element to fulfilling the Great Commission is obedience. Jesus said we are to make disciples of all nations. The question we must ask ourselves individually and corporately is are we doing this? Are we fishers of men? Are we obedient to this Great Commission that the Lord has given us?
I have already given you the main verb in this text which is the command for us to obey, which is to make disciples. But how are we to go about such a daunting task? How we are to fulfill this commission that the Lord has given us? Well, the good news is that Jesus did not leave us in the dark in to how it is to be done. He spells it out for us in verse 19 and first part of verse 20 with three words: going, baptizing, and teaching.
First, I want us to look at the word going. This word is literally translated in the Greek as having gone. So what Jesus is assuming is that His people will be going all over the world and in doing so they are to make disciples. Earlier in the ministry of Jesus, Jesus specifically instructed the twelve this way, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-6). Jesus talking to the Syrophoenician woman, who begged him to have mercy on her said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 24:15). Paul, in Romans 1:16, wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek.”
Jesus instructed the disciples earlier where not to go, but now He instructs them to go all over the world. In Mark’s gospel Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). In Luke’s gospel, Jesus instructed them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). In Acts, Jesus said, “you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
So going is the first step in making disciples. Another feature in making disciples is baptizing. Baptizo means to immerse in water, to dip in water. And our Lord is saying, when you go you are to be baptizing. Now what import does this have? Why does He stress this? Because baptism was the outward sign of an inward act of faith in Christ. Baptism was synonymous with salvation, though baptism in no way saved. It was the outward visible symbol of what had been done in the heart. And it was an overt act of obedience by which a person could demonstrate the reality of the miracle of salvation. There's no way that you can see someone being saved. I have never seen anyone saved, but I have observed the fruit of one’s salvation.
The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ (bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptized’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mark 16:16. ‘He that believes and is baptized shall be saved’. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.
Christian baptism is rooted in the redemptive act of Christ. In other words, a believer is identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection. Those who put their faith in Christ were to be baptized, but the command here is for those who preach the gospel to baptize which means that in giving the gospel, beloved, we are to tell people that it is not just something you believe and that's it, it is something you believe and publicly confess in this act of baptism. And when you find someone who is reluctant to do that, you may have reason to question the genuineness of their faith, for Jesus said, "Him that confesses Me before men, him will I confess before My Father who is in heaven." This is public confession.
Paul helps us understand the dynamics of this baptism in his epistles. Listen to what Paul says about Christian baptism. Baptism is “to Christ” (a shorthand expression for “in the name of Christ”); it relates the believer to Christ in such a way that he is “in Christ” (cf. v. 26 ). From this basic view flow the other features of baptism that appear in Paul. Baptism “to Christ” is baptism “to his death” ( Rom. 6:3 ff. ); it relates the believer to Christ’s redemptive action, so that Christ’s death on Golgotha was his death, and it entails an end (“death”) to the life of estrangement from God and the beginning of life in Christ. Baptism to Christ is baptism to the church, for to be in Christ is to be a member of the body of Christ (Gal. 3:27 ff. ; 1 Cor. 12:13 ). Baptism to Christ is baptism in the Spirit of Christ (“We were all immersed in one Spirit . . . and were all saturated in (the outpouring of) one Spirit”, (1 Cor.12:13 ), for the Spirit and Christ are inseparable ( Rom. 8:9 f. ; 2 Cor. 3:17 ). Baptism to Christ is for life after the pattern of Christ’s dying to sin and rising for righteousness (“We were buried with him through baptism . . . that we might walk in a new life”, Rom. 6:4 ; see further the baptismal ethics of Col. 3:3-13 ). Baptism to Christ is for life in the kingdom to be revealed in the day of Christ ( 2 Cor. 1:22 ; Eph. 1:13 ; 4:30 ).
Jesus says we are to baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father becomes our heavenly Father, the Son our Lord, the Spirit our indwelling enabler.
The next element is making disciples is teaching. Having gone and bringing people to Christ (which is baptism), then we must teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded. First, I want you to know that if you profess the name of Christ and call yourself a Christian, then you must obey all that Christ commands you in the Word. In other words, just because Christ makes you a Christian does not mean that He is done with you. He has not only saved you for eternal life, but He is enlisting you as a soldier to be trained for His service. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
So through our identification to Him through our baptism, we are bound, obligated to obey. Disciples must observe all that Christ commands us. The word observe means a diligent observation. We must make sure we do not miss a thing that the Lord has taught us. John 14:26, He told them, "I'll send you the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said." All things means no exceptions.
All of Christ’s marvelous discourses. All of his parables; both a. and b. including ever so many “commands,” whether implied or expressed. Among them are: Precious “sayings,” such as: “Abide in me … love each other … also bear witness” (John 15:4, 12, 27); “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44); “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Specific predictions and promises or assurances: “He who comes to me will in no way get hungry, and he who believes in me will in no way get thirsty” (John 6:35); “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good courage. I have conquered the world.” Notice the implied directives for Christian conduct. Add to this: the lessons on the cross, hypocrisy, proclaiming the gospel; on prayer, humility, trust, the forgiving spirit, the law. And is not even the narrative of Christ’s sojourn on earth—the account of his healing, traveling, suffering, death, resurrection, etc.—full of implied “commands”?
Another element to this teaching is that the church has a responsibility to those who get saved. We must understand that making disciples is a life-long process. We must open up the Bible, explain and draw application to how we can use it in our lives. This is a standing ministry in the church until we bring all to the perfect man.
POWER
All of those four things are critical but they wouldn't mean a thing without the last one. I mean, it wouldn't matter that I was available, and it wouldn't matter that I had a worshiping heart, and it wouldn't be any use at all that I was submissive and wanted to be obedient if it wasn't for number five...and that's power. Because I couldn't do it in my own strength.
Jesus closes with a promise of his presence. Folks, that to me spells power. He concludes this Great Commission with and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Let me go over each of these phrases for you. First there is the phrase and lo. Well that may not seem like much, but the idea is that Jesus wanted to get the attention of His disciples and future believers. In other words, Jesus could have said get this, think of this, imagine this or take notice of this.
And lo, I am with you always. The I is emphatic meaning that no less than I am with you always. Everyday in every adventure the Lord promises to be with us. In reading Matthew’s gospel you can see this promise over and over again. Matthew 1:23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which, translated, is ‘God with us.’ ” Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them.” He was now about to leave them; his bodily presence was now to be removed from them, and this grieved them; but he assures them of his spiritual presence, which was more expedient for them than his bodily presence could be; I am with you; that is, "My Spirit is with you, the Comforter shall abide with you, Jn. 16:7. I am with you, and not against you: with you to take your part, to be on your side, and to hold with you, as Michael our prince is said to do, Dan. 10:21. I am with you, and not absent from you, not at a distance; I am a very present help,’’ Ps. 46:1. Christ was now sending them to set up his kingdom in the world, which was a great undertaking. And then doth he seasonably promise them his presence with them, [1.] To carry them on through the difficulties they were likely to meet with. "I am with you, to bear you up, to plead your cause; with you in all your services, in all your sufferings, to bring you through them with comfort and honour. When you go through the fire or water, I will be with you. In the pulpit, in the prison, lo, I am with you.’’ [2.] To succeed this great undertaking; "Lo, I am with you, to make your ministry effectual for the discipling of the nations, for the pulling down of the strong holds of Satan, and the setting up of stronger for the Lord Jesus.’’ It was an unlikely thing that they should unhinge national constitutions in religion, and turn the stream of so long a usage; that they should establish a doctrine so directly contrary to the genius of the age, and persuade people to become the disciples of a crucified Jesus; but lo, I am with you, and therefore you shall gain your point. Even to the end of the age. In other words, I will be with you on Sundays and weekdays, good days and bad days, summer days and winter days. There is not a day or hour that Christ does not promise to be with us. It there is ever a moment that He was not with us then we would be undone. We are completely dependent on Him. That is power and we need His power to fulfill the Great Commission. On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut and there was only one boat but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea and with no thought for their safety went out day and night, tirelessly rescuing the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little lifesaving station. So it became famous. Some of those who were saved and various others in the surrounding area wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and crews were trained and the little life station grew. Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided, as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots and beds and put better furniture in the large building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely because they used it as sort of a club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions so they hired lifeboat crews to do the work.
The lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club's decorations and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where club initiations were held. And about this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the hired crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick. The beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So, the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where the victims of shipwrecks could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting there was a split in the club membership and most of the members wanted to stop the lifesaving activity because they were a hindrance and unpleasant to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted on lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out they were still a lifesaving station after all. They were finally voted down and told if they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast...which they did. As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that occurred in the old. It evolved into a club and another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself and if you visit that coast today, you'll find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore, shipwrecks are still frequent but most of the people drown. It's easy for the church, isn't it, to lose sight of what it is...so easy. How about you?