The Great Commission: Our Command to Make Disciples

Introduction:

Welcome…

The first worship Gathering for The Outpost - a new church community we are planting here in Starkey Ranch.

It is so exciting to see something that not just I but so many of us have worked and walked through over the past several years come to fruition.

Again its amazing to look out across this room and see faces that I have known many many years. But I’m also extremely grateful and excited to see new faces as well.

And although God may be starting a new thing here through The Outpost, He has been building his church for a really long time.

As I was preparing this message, I was studying a little bit of military history, in particular I was looking at the formation of one of my favorite units in the military, the Navy Seals.

You have probably heard of them before … Elite warfighters.. Special Operations.. .I have friends who have spent time in that community. Needless to say its a very prestigious title to bear, Navy Seal. But as I looked at the beginnings of the Seal Teams, I realized something that struck me. I had never really contemplated why they existed…

They were created for a reason, on purpose. In WW2 the AXIS powers had really perfected the laying of mines and obstacles in key strategic areas…

See I used to think, as a boy, that these warriors suddenly appeared or had always been there. What struck me really was that before there were NAVY Seals on the battlefield, a mission for them to accomplished already existed. They were formed with a mission in mind.

Many of you know that I am a police officer… So I looked at my current unit, the street crimes team (explain what that is…) and began to trace the mission that existed before our unit was created.

The point is and the connection with what we are doing here today is that The Mission of God in the world existed long before the Church was formed.

*** God made a Church for His Mission… not a Mission for his church… ***

So what I want to do tonight is look to the Bible to the word of God and show exactly what the Church’s mission in the world is.

So if you have your bible with you… and if you do not and you would want one, we have Bibles for you that we would love to give to you as a gift…

Open with me to Matthew 28 verses 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.”

Opening Prayer:

*** Dear heavenly father..... ***

Body:

Context...

Well… What exactly did we just read

They are Jesus’ final words to his followers before he ascended into Heaven

Someones last words on this earth should be and normally are given special attention and a special meaning is usually given to them as well.

Beethovens final words were: “Applaud friends, the comedy is over...” (Pretty profound right?)

Bob Marley: “Money cant buy life...” (Again, possible words to live by)

Humphrey Bogart, the Hollywood Legend, last words were : “I should have never switched from Scotch to martinis”

Okay maybe not everyone’s last words should garner as much attention as others...

But these words are Jesus’, our kings, our lords

This is Jesus command to his disciples, his marching orders. What they ought to be about

The Great Commission - Jesus giving his mission to his people… to us

Final Command in three Parts:

Jesus declares his Power in the Great Commission

Jesus states his Plan in the Great Commission

Jesus promises his Presence in the Great Commission

Jesus declares his power

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

God has given Jesus authority over all creation

because of Jesus’ submission to the will of God in sacrificing himself on our behalf God has given all things to him

Not just reliant upon but armed with the power of God

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Relying on The Power and authority of Jesus means trusting that Jesus will do what he said he would do and being obedient to what Jesus told us to do.

Jesus’ Plan for his People

“Go therefore...”

This is an active verb not a passive suggestion

Go not as you go…

Why?

God is a sending God!

God called and sent Abraham in Genesis 12 where he promised him in Genesis 12:2 “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.”

God called and sent David in 1 Samuel 16...

And most importantly God Sent Jesus…

Jesus tells us to GO … Not to come…

There is an urgency behind

Jesus changed the game from “Come and See” to “Go and tell...”

Mark 16:15 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

“and make disciples...”

Disciples not Church Members, Attenders, Consumers

Jesus said that he was going to be sending out his people like “sheep among wolves”

he didn't send them out unprepared…

he prepared his people… by teaching them and letting them experience ministry under his guidance. and look what happened when Jesus left them… The gospel Spread ! They, by the power of God through his Spirit were able to do amazing things

Thats the difference between the two, a Consumer takes but disciples contribute

“of all nations...”

Acts 1:8 “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.”

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...”

There is something about this initial (First!) step of obedience that propels us forward in our new life as a Christian.

Romans 6:3-4 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...”

Knowledge vs Obedience

Traditional Spiritual Maturity vs Biblical Spiritual Maturity…

Disciples are doers, submit to the way of the King not their own

but its not solely about obedience…

Relationship is fundamental to discipleship

Jesus had 12 disciples with a close circle of 3

Expecting Obedience without Relationship makes others feels like they are a Project , or worse yet, like pawns to be used to your own advantage

Relational, Faith-fueled, obedience driven discipleship means treating others like People (Value, respect, individual, unique) who God wants to use to accomplish his mission

Jesus’ Presence promised in the Great Commission

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

As we go and Make Disciples, as we are obedient to Christ’s commands, he promises to be WITH US

Conclusion:

So what does that mean for us as a church.... there is no Command in the Great Commission to Go Plant churches...

How do we Rely on the Power of Jesus?

How do we enact his Plan?

How do we experience His Presence?

OutPost Vision: