Give Me Jesus: Jesus' Farewell Address: Mark 16:15-20

I. Jesus’ Farewell Address vs. 15-18

A. All creation means both Jew and Gentile. Those we are comfortable with and those we ain’t.

B. Notice baptism doesn’t save, belief/unbelief has everything to do with it.

C. Vs. 17-18 deal with the book of Acts and the Apostles. These sign gifts came to a close when the Bible was completed, and will pick back up during the tribulation. I Cor. 13:8-13

1 Corinthians 13:8–13 NASB95

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Joel 2:28–32 NASB95

“It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

II. The Great Commission Advances vs. 19-20

A. Jesus ascended up to Heaven, so that the Great Commission could get started. The Holy Spirit could be in more places, than Jesus could in His body. John 16:5-15

John 16:5–15 NASB95

“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

B. The book of Acts shows that the Great Commission has never been smooth sailing. The problems they had then, we have now just with different technology and clothes.

C. Somewhere along the way however, the great commission became the great omission. Many reasons could be given, but the number one problem is a lack of sound discipleship. We are to be making disciples of Jesus, not carbon copies of us. Matt. 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

D. Don’t let Jesus’ farewell address fall on deaf ears. Witness, love, disciple. It is as simple and as difficult as that.