The Great Commission, Audio Part 2

The Great Commission

Last two weeks looked at:

the establishment of the Church

(with Jesus telling Peter to Feed His lambs, Tend His

sheep and Feed His sheep)

and what Jesus has called the greatest commandment

(love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength)

This morning, looking at what is traditionally called the Great Commission

What is the connection between these three sermons?

First one looked at what we need to do

– where Jesus’ priorities rest

- and what those who are in spiritual leadership need to do

Second one looked at what Jesus says condenses Law and Prophets

 – in other words what tells us that we are one of those lambs

    He put first when talking to Peter

This morning is the natural outgrowth of last week’s message

        – we make sure the first week’s message is being done

- we all are in a position to carry out the Great Commission

– neighbors are in a position to receive the message we have

Let’s look at Matthew 28

This chapter begins with the Resurrection

– with the women going to the tomb, discovering it is empty

- They speak with the angel

- They speak with the Risen Jesus

– who tells them to go to Galilee

Then Matthew devotes a few verses to describe what was going on behind the scene with the Roman and Jewish authorities.

And the next thing we see is this passage where the Great Commission happens.

Matthew leaves out a lot here

– things which are recorded in the other gospels

– Matthew even alludes to them here.

But look at what he does include. 

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

First, we need to examine the setting.

Chronologically, Jesus first gives the Great Commandment (Matthew 22) during what we call Holy Week – between Palm Sunday and the crucifixion. 

The crucifixion occurs, the resurrection happens, Jesus appears in Jerusalem and sends them to Galilee, He appears in Galilee to Peter and the Disciples,

Then He appears to them as well as the other followers on a mountain on the shore of Galilee where He had told them to go.

After Jesus appears in Matthew 28, then chronologically, it seems He sends His followers back toward Jerusalem to await the Holy Spirit (on the Day of Pentecost). And on the way back there, He appears to them in Bethany, where the Ascension takes place.  Ten days later, the Day of Pentecost happens and the Church is birthed.

So all of this is cram-packed in a little over a seven week time period. 

The walking distance from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee is close to 70 miles.  Even if they walked 10 or 12 miles a day, it was still a long journey.

The disciples had to be so totally sold out to Jesus at the point of awaiting Him in Galilee. Think about it.

For three years, they’d left everything and followed Him wherever He went.  They’d seen Him turn water into wine, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, make lame men walk, mute men talk, free the demon-possessed, raise the dead – and they’d seen Him crucified and resurrected.

They understood who He was at this point.

They were in a position to truly see the connection between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

They may not have had their doctrinal belief statements nailed down – they may have still been sorting it all out in their minds (and at this point still in their flesh, because the indwelling of the Spirit had not yet occurred).

But they’d had weeks to talk it out, to pray through it, to walk the dusty roads once again and think through what He’d said and done and ultimately begin to understand who He is.

And Jesus speaks to them what they know now – they KNOW this now – and He says:

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

They could not question that.  They’d seen Him do it all. He ruled the physical realm, the spiritual realm, He conquered death itself.

And now He was telling them that with that authority, He was telling them to do something.

Let’s look at this a little closer here. 

-Jesus defined the Great Commandment as being the essence of what we do when He stated that in it, resides all the Law and the Prophets.

Do we find something similar in the Great Commission?

Actually, we do.

When a ship is “commissioned” in the Navy, there is a commanding officer there who has the authority to place it into service.

When an officer is “commissioned” in any branch of the military, there is a commanding officer there who has the authority to transfer their authority to this person assuming authority.

Here, Jesus is reminding them of His own authority – and then giving them authority to carry out what He is telling them to do.

So, the natural question is what is it Jesus wants them to do?

In Matthew 28: 19 – 20, Jesus tells them four things He wants them to do.

Go – Make Disciples – Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and Teach them to observe all things He commanded them to do

In Greek, there are different tenses in verbs, which establish importance and ordering

Of these four things, the way the verb is written, the greatest importance is given to Make Disciples.

In other words, Jesus was saying that His disciples were to make more disciples by going, baptizing and teaching.

Where were they to go – to all nations (153 fish)

      Why –

What were they to do – make disciples

How –  Baptism, Teaching them

Who were they to baptize and teach – those who became disciples

What were they to teach them – to observe what He had commanded them

Jesus at this point really simplified it for them.

You

– those who are totally sold out to me

– just go where I send you

–  people will be drawn to Me as they see Me in your life. 

- when they accept me, they must be baptized 

-then it is your job to teach them how to live and grow. 

Being a disciple of Jesus involves being drawn to Him, accepting Him, and being baptized. 

But it also involves learning to obey His commandments – which eventually for each of us includes obeying the Great Commission.

It is a building block thing – just like love God with all – all of what?  All of my heart, soul, mind, strength – and as I do that, I love my neighbor as I love myself.

It is a building block thing

– go where He sends us (which in this case is Mecca)

- and as I am there, I am being fed and He is at work in me

As I interact with people here (the flock outside these doors), the presence of Jesus in me impacts them

-and they want to know more about Him.

- As they find out more

– they want to become disciples as they believe, desire to live for Him, are baptized, and start to live a life sold out to Him. Soon, they are in a position where their lives are so radically different, that those they are involved with see the change . . . and the flock grows and lives are changed and this town is redeemed.

But it starts with us.

It starts with us deciding to follow Jesus like the disciples did.

It starts with us deciding to love God with all – and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

It starts with us crying out to God to help us make disciples – to be willing to go outside these doors and be Jesus to our neighbors.

This is all part of God’s plan – it is the intersection of the Old Covenant (the Law and the Prophets) – and the New Covenant (the atoning blood of Christ).

It is God’s plan and His purpose for us.

How do we do it?  Well, that comes in the days and weeks ahead as we look at the power God gives to accomplish this through the Holy Spirit in us and working through us.

But for today – for this season in time – for this part of the Kingdom, our part, our calling is here in Mecca, following Jesus – who is the head of this church, loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves as we make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to also follow Jesus – loving God with their whole heart, soul,  mind and strength, loving their neighbor as themselves and also making disciples . . .