The Great Commission - Matthew 28

November 17.2013
Our church has been going through the book of Matthew. This is our final Sunday in this study. 

The text for today's sermon was Matthew 28:16-20 and reads as follows 

 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Pastor Ben was our speaker today and I thought he preached a good sermon. Here are the notes I took from the sermon.

We have spent 4 and 1/2 years in the book of Matthew. This is longer than the disciples even spent with Jesus.

The Great Commission is found with in our text today.

Verse 18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

All authority in heaven and in earth is given to Jesus, including in the spiritual realm.

Jesus is King, Jesus has all authority.

In our study of the book of Matthew we have learned that Jesus has authority over:

*over religion

*over the Sabbath

*over the temple

*in interpreting Scripture in His teachings

*over the spiritual realm

*in authority over demons

*in authority over the angels

*over nature - He walked on water, and calmed the storm

 the wind and waves obey Him

* over sickness - He healed the sick

* Authority over death itself - He was buried but now has been raised from the dead, raised to new life

We worship the Lord God Almighty!!

Go and Make Disciples of All Nations

Verse 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations

This is the fabric of our church.

It is not about running programs.

Up until this time only Jesus has been making disciples. Now He gives this job to the church.

Jesus has the authority and sends us out. God works in partnership with people. A good example of this is Moses.

God is moving to make things right.

God involves us in putting the world to right. We are not called to only watch from the sidelines and cheer but we are to partner with Him.

How to Make Disciples

GO - intentional going

TO ALL NATIONS - not everyone is called to go across the ocean but we are all called to mission and to support missions.

TO REACH THE ENDS OF THE EARTH - We do not exist just for ourselves. We exist to do greater, to extend the Kingdom, to make disciples in all the world.

GO is for all of us.

BE intentional everywhere you go - at home, at school, at work, with friends - You have been sent.

Baptism - baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Baptism is a public declaration that you are on God's side, a declaration " I will follow Jesus"!

Making disciples of Jesus involves inviting people to come to Jesus  through words and by your lifestyle.

In order to be able to make disciples you must first be a disciple yourself.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: 

Live out the teachings of Jesus in your daily life. Become fixated on the teachings and the life of Jesus.

The main message of the Sermon on the Mount is - Don't use people as objects that you can use to get pleasure from for yourself. 

Live in love.

Jesus invites us to experience life and to teach it to others.

Talk about it with your friends, with the people around you and in your family.

Verse 17 - And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Who was it that doubted? What are they doubting? We can only speculate. Perhaps they doubted whether Jesus had actually risen. Many of them had not seen Jesus alive yet. The word doubt may also mean to hesitate. The disciple remember how they desserted Jesus, left Him to face the trial and death alone. They know they completely blew it and can't imagine why Jesus would now send them out with to all the nations.

Verse 20 - lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus is with us. He will never leave us. It is His promise to us. Jesus has all authority.