Go to The World
Notes
Transcript
The Great Commission
A few weeks ago I spoke about the need for us to Be Strong and to Be Ready because there will come a time in all our lives when we need to defend our faith in Jesus Christ. It seems that many people in the past have lost patience with God, thinking that His plan for the world is taking a bit long and some even fall away because of the seemingly lack of action from God. Long ago, God promised that He will return to this earth to recreate this world as a perfect place of everlasting peace. In the meantime, He has a purpose for this world, and it involves His followers. Jesus addressed His disciples in Matt 28 and today we get to study vv16-20, titled the Great Commission and what it means for God’s disciples today:
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
After His crucifixion, Jesus Christ rose from the grave and appeared to many. It was prophesied that the Saviour will die to conquer death and will be seen alive on the third day. Jesus appeared to the two Mary’s first and told them to send the disciples to Galilee where they will meet again. The eleven disciples followed this instruction and went to the spot on the mountain which Jesus had prepared them to do.
32 “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Jesus had prepared His disciples for this post ressurection meeting to help reduce the confusion and the doubt. He wanted to comfort the disciples after they clearly saw Him die on the cross, that He was alive and well.
v17 - “When they saw Him”
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
They saw Him, because Jesus appeared to them in the flesh. He wanted to confirm that the things He promised will happen. He wanted to reconfirm that He is who He proclaimed all this time to be.
v17 - When they saw Him, they worshiped Him”
προσκυνέω means to kiss like a dog licking his master’s hand. This is an endearing picture of utter submission to Jesus by the disciples.
v17 - “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful”
As humans we frequently doubt in God’s ability to perform some tasks. Even some of the disciples had doubts or remained confused. The greek doesn’t make it specifically clear what that phrase meant, but we can safely say there would have been several confused people and some may have persisted in their doubt. Many travelled with the eleven, up to 500. So there would have been a wide variety of emotions and responses in the crowd that saw a resurrected person stand in front of them.
Today, many people still do not believe that Jesus Christ of the Bible was and is real and that these events really happened. The ressurection is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for non-believers. The rational human can not explain this and therefore may not accept this. Some people’s doubt go as far as discrediting Him as Creator of the universe, because ‘if science can not explain something, it can not be true’. Sometimes we join the world in doubting that He is all knowing, all powerful and all present. But He has shown He is King of Life and Death. No one else, not the devil or any of his demons, are all knowing, all powerful or all present. Only God knows your heart and hears your prayers. There is not some open channel to the ‘spiritual’ world when you pray. He is in command of all people and all aspects of your life. It all falls into His plans. God has a plan for each of our lives. But God is not a God of worldly riches. He does not plan for each person that follows Him to be healthy and wealthy. He plans for some to go through life in challenging situations. This He does in His wisdom and we have to trust Him, but He does this having equipped those with the armor of God to hold onto Him for the whole journey.
v18 - “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
The coming Saviour was prophesied thousands of years prior, including by Daniel, in 7:13:
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14 “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
Here is Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man as He was named by the prophets. Jesus Christ was given authority over all people, of every nation, by The Father, The Ancient of Days. A miracle has occured when Jesus was raised by God the Father from the grave in bringing salvation for all. He died once, He died for all, now Jesus showed the world that death is not a final resting place.
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
He paid the price in full. The debt to God the Father was repaid, so that the life of His elect could be restored. Jesus was separated from God the Father for those hours on the cross. We can have life with God, but we need to die to our old selves. We need to get rid of the idols we have made in our lives. We need to change the god in our minds, from our own interpretation or creation of God, no matter how close the similarity, to the true God of the Bible. It is not for us to like, dislike, approve or disapprove of God’s ways.
v19 - “Go therefore and make disciples” - Jesus sent the disciples into the world to continue the work He started at home with the Jews.
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Jesus started His ministry by making disciples. “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Jesus had the power and authority (Matt 28:18) over all people, including Simon and Andrew. He prepared the hearts of His disciples for this moment.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He chose His disciples and then gathered them when the time was right. Jesus has the power to change people’s hearts. So, how do we make disciples? It is the word “therefore” that shows us the power required came from Jesus.
V18 shows He has been given “all authority…on heaven and on earth”. He is giving His disciples the command to “go” with His support. His disciples is using His authority, where they act in His name, doing the work He has commanded them to do. They will have their path set for them. "all the nations” will be prepared for their coming. Jesus sent His disciples into the world, to the Gentiles. Jesus’ ministry was with the Jews, but now He sent His disciples out of Israel.
v19 - “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them”. This is done as confirmation of a person’s commitment to Jesus Christ as their saviour. The people of all nations will respond and follow Jesus. Not ALL people, but He has set apart, or made holy, those who will receive Him.
3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
Baptism was not new to them. Several religions had some ‘cleansing by water’ rituals. John the Baptist was sent by God to preach “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. This was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus Christ. John taught the people about sin and what they need to do in reponse to the news that a saviour is coming. John’s baptism was in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. This was to set this baptism apart from other religions and rituals. This baptism was done to welcome someone into God’s family.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
John baptised with water and Jesus Christ also came to be baptised in water, by John. God the Father spoke from the heavens for many to hear, confirming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He has fount favour in the eyes of God.
32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
So Jesus came with a different baptism. Jesus provided an eternal solution to everyone’s sin.
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The believer’s submission to God follows repentance of sin then baptism. When a person understands the truth about God, whom is Creator of all things and people, and understand what God has done for the people He created, despite their rebellion against Him, only then will someone want to repent of their sins.
The truth of God is in the Living Word of God. We can go to His Word, the Bible, to hear Him speak to us about everything from the beginning of the world in Genesis to the Revelation of the world’s end.
The Rev F.G. Llewellin wrote about the dark ages, in his book “Heroes of the Reformation”:
“Lastly, beside plagues and sickness, agricultural disputes and perpetual wars, there was a deeper trouble. Spiritual darkness was the order of the time, simply because the Bible had been for so long a closed book, instead of what God meant it to be, an open and studied book, to guide rich and poor into the paths of duty and loving-kindness, and at last to bring us all to “the haven where we would be.” Do not let us miss the point; it was not that the Church had no message, and that there were no good people about, for God never leaves Himself without witness. But no generation can afford to go without the guidance of the Holy Writ, nor can the Church of any age manage without it, as all past experience shows, for with the Bible closed or not available, darkness covers the land and gross darkness the people.”
The disciples were sent to "teach…to observe all things that I have commanded you”. They were sent to teach the law of God. God’s law is the rules which Jesus has emphasised to them over the time He spent with them. People are to be baptised and taught the law so that they know whom and what law to obey. His law is pivotal in the salvation of His people as it shines a light on the our sin. It gives us a reference to compare ourselves to. To the Almighty God, His law is greatly important and we are not to hide His laws from the people, even if they don’t want to hear it.
In His ressurection, Jesus has revealed the best thing about the law in His Word. He has shown us that He has grace and mercy. He provided a way for us to be forgiven when He took the penalty for our sins. So yes, God holds you responsible for all your sin. But, He gave you a way out of eternal death.
With this message to His disciples, Jesus is sending His disciples well equipped into the world to teach everyone else about God the Father, about Jesus Christ the Son of God, and about the Holy Spirit. A definitive list of the 3 entities who form the triune God. Followers of Christ submit and obey Him in complete submission and do so willingly as a response to the mercy which God has shown first.
Jesus sent the disciples to teach others and gave them assurance of His support by saying, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He is not letting them loose. He has equipped them, but knows that they are still human. He is giving them the ultimate comfort. He is committing His support to His disciples to preach His gospel till the day of His return here to earth, His second coming.
Should we all sell our wordly possessions and live as missionaries all over the world?
Should we all sell our wordly possessions and live as missionaries all over the world?
There is a common misconception, that this passage call Christians to go into the world and be missionaries. Jesus is not indicating here for people to, specifically, be travelling preachers or missionaries. These are personal choices people may make, being prepared by God, for roles requiring whole career changing lives. Majority of us, when we were discipled, will remain in our lives without much exterior change. The change is in the way we live our lives. We also change our thoughts, words and actions to be according to the laws of God.
So we are to Go, live as God’s followers, with a changed life view and make disciples, or evangelise, then baptise and teach the people all over the world.
How? What shall we do then?
How? What shall we do then?
This question was posed to John the Baptist by the people that went to him to be baptised:
10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?”
11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”
12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”
14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
And the same question was put to Jesus, when the rich young ruler wanted to know what good things he had to do the receive the gift of eternal life:
17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness;
19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Salt and Light
Matt 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”
In english this is not explicit, but this is a plural “you”. That points to all God’s followers, the assembly of His people.
Jesus teaches us here, that we are to change the world from inside out, influencing it by being the salt of the earth. We aim to make eternal differences, not temporal impressions.
Matt 5:14-16
14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
One set of problems we face in the world is sin and hypocricy. The world regard the notion of sin unpleasant. Our teaching of sin can be perceived as hypocritical. People ask us: “How can you tell me that I’m a sinner, when you also sin?”
I tell people of God’s grace at this point, and explain that I am a Christian because I know I’m a sinner and I need His salvation to cover my sins. Our actions as Christians are scrutinised, though we are not perfect. Show mercy, love, meekness and forgiveness. Show humilty in requesting forgiveness from others when you commit a sin against someone. We will not be perfect until we get to spend our eternal life with God. In the meantime, God has tasked us as imperfect humans to disciple and teach others about Him. So don’t hide your love for God, His Word and His people.
What is God’s plan for the world?
God wants to show the world who He is: loving, kind and forgiving; through His people, those following Him with all their hearts, minds and souls. Followers of Christ are doing good works because they love to please their Father in Heaven. This world is decayed and dark. Salt is a preservative and a flavour enhancer. We are His salt, changing the flavour of this badly corrupted world. Not the other way around. We are not to be influenced by the world, but to influence it.
God’s people are to change the world by being a bright light of good works, glorifying God who has given us mercy we do not deserve. Be in the world, not of the world, Sent to the world, but don’t love the things of this world.
Being in God’s light means that we know the truth about God. That is that we know He is the Creator, the Father is the father of all people and the judge of humanity’s sin, and that His Son Jesus is the Saviour of all people. It means that we do not trust in ourselves or each other for getting us saved from our sin, but trust only in Jesus Christ for redemption.
Salt’s influence is not necessarily seen in food. Yet, it clearly stands out from the food. If the salt is not salty, it is no good as a flavour changer, so it gets completely absorbed into the food, losing its distinctiveness, or discarded before it is used.
Why give our lives to God?
Matt 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
Being “blessed” is to be happy and fortunate in a special condition. So people of God, Christ-like people, are in a special condition from God, a gift, providing great joy and happiness.
Those who are “poor in spirit”, points to those who are not relying on themselves for their salvation, people who recognises that they do not have enough ability to redeem themselves. People who do not rely on Jesus CHrist to be counted as holy, will be seen for their brokenness and hopelessness.
The gift is the “kingdom of heaven”. Heaven points us to God and His dominion over the people that belongs to Him. Today that kingdom of God is spiritual, but a time will come when it will be established as the new literal earthly kingdom.
So we live today, for God, in His law, because this time is short. He will recreate it all, permanently, and we can be part of His Kingdom.
What is the reaction from the world, when we ‘live like Christ’?
The world will persecute you for your faith in God.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
And why does this church exist?
We worship the God who made us all. We come together to learn from God’s word, be equipped with the teachings of Christ to go out into the community and be the salt and the light. We support and encourage each other and come together to help restore and re-equip each other.
I encourage you to study your bible. Having a defence for your belief in The King of kings is critically important. This comes from spending time with God in prayer, study His Word, and in baptising and teaching the people of this world about God the Father, His Son and The Holy Spirit. People need to know about God’s law that shines the light on their sins. People need to know that they need salvation from punishment of those sins, salvation that God has graciously given through His Son, Jesus Christ.