MATTHEW: THE KING HAS COME, WEEK 192

TITLE: THE MAIN MANDATE, PART I

TEXT: MATTHEW 28:16-19A

INTRODUCTION: (1) I WANT TO BEGIN TODAY WITH A QUOTE FROM MY FAVORITE BIBLE TEACHER, JOHN MACARTHUR.

* THIS QUOTE CLEARLY DECLARES THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE FINAL WORDS, THIS FINAL PARAGRAPH IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL THAT WE ARE STARTING TODAY. AND THAT IT REQUIRES A PRIORITY RESPONSE FROM THOSE WHO KNOW CHRIST.

** JOHN SAID IN HIS COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 24-28 THAT, “IF A CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDS ALL THE REST OF THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW BUT FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THIS CLOSING PASSAGE, HE HAS MISSED THE POINT OF THE ENTIRE BOOK.”

*** THIS PASSAGE IS THE CLIMAX AND MAJOR FOCAL POINT NOT ONLY OF THIS GOSPEL, BUT OF THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT.

**** IT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT, IN ITS BROADEST SENSE, IT IS THE FOCAL POINT OF ALL SCRIPTURE, OLD TESTAMENT AS WELL AS NEW.

(2) THIS CENTRAL MESSAGE OF SCRIPTURE PERTAINS TO THE CENTRAL MISSION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD, A MISSION THAT, TRAGICALLY, MANY CHRISTIANS DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR ARE UNWILLING TO FULFILL.”

* JOHN SAID, “IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT SOME CHRISTIANS THINK LITTLE ABOUT THEIR MISSION IN THIS WORLD, EXCEPT IN REGARD TO THEIR OWN PERSONAL NEEDS.

** THEY ATTEND SERVICES AND MEETINGS WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT, TAKE WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE TAKING, AND HAVE LITTLE CONCERN FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

*** THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE CHURCH ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT IT SERVES THEIR OWN DESIRES.

**** IT ESCAPES BOTH THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND THEIR CONCERN THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN HIS CHURCH A SUPREME MISSION AND THAT HE CALLS EVERY BELIEVER TO BE AN INSTRUMENT IN FULFILLING THAT MISSION.” (END QUOTE)

(3) NOW MY RESPONSE IS “WOW!” FOR WHAT WAS JOHN SAYING?

* HE WAS SAYING THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, BUT IF YOU DON’T GET THIS LAST PARAGRAPH, YOU’VE MISSED THE POINT OF THE GOSPEL.

** BUT THEN TO UNDERSTAND THE FOCAL POINT SHOULD CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE, WE SHOULD SEE OUR PREEMINENT PURPOSE, OUR MISSION, WHY WE ARE LEFT ON PLANET EARTH AFTER SALVATION!

*** AND IT’S NOT TO CATER TO OURSELVES, BUT WE HAVE A SUPREME MISSION, A GREAT COMMISSION, A MAIN MANDATE THAT CALLS EVERY BELIEVER TO MAKE A PRIORITY TO.

**** SO IT’S VITAL THAT WE GET THIS FINAL PARAGRAPH OF MATTHEW, THAT WE CONNECT, THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND OBEY IT BY APPLYING IT.

(4) FOR UNDERSTAND THIS, THE SUPREME WAY IN WHICH GOD CHOSE TO GLORIFY HIMSELF WAS THROUGH THE REDEMPTION OF SINFUL MEN AND THROUGH THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST’S GOSPEL.

* THE GREAT MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS TO SO LOVE, LEARN AND LIVE AS TO CALL MEN AND WOMEN TO JESUS CHRIST.

** THEREFORE, THE BELIEVER WHO DESIRES TO GLORIFY GOD, WHO WANTS TO HONOR GOD’S SUPREME WILL AND PURPOSE, MUST PROCLAIM THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD THROUGH HIS GREAT GOSPEL.

*** AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, BUT RAY, WHAT ABOUT WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, TEACHING, PREACHING, EQUIPPING AND PRAISE? ARE THEY NOT THE PRIORITY OF THE CHURCH?

**** WELL, THE ANSWER IS YES! BUT THOSE THINGS ARE USED AS THE PREPARATION OF THE CHURCH TO FULFILL IT’S MISSION OF MAKING DISCIPLES AND EVANGELIZING.

(5) FELLOWSHIP, WORSHIP, TEACHING, PREACHING, TRAINING, EQUIPPING AND PRAISE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD ARE NOT THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH BUT ARE RATHER THE PREPARATION OF THE CHURCH TO FULFILL IT’S MISSION.

* FOR EXAMPLE, IN ATHLETICS, TRAINING SHOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH OR SUBSTITUTED FOR ACTUALLY COMPETING IN THE GAMES. TRAINING AND PRACTICE IS VITAL, BUT THE REASON FOR ALL THE TRAINING IS THE GAME.

** YET IN THE CHURCH WE GET SO FASCINATED WITH THE TRAINING, THE PROCESS, THAT WE FORGET ABOUT THE GOAL, THE REASON WE TRAIN.

*** WELL, THOSE THOUGHTS LEAD US TO THE TITLE OF OUR LAST COUPLE OF MESSAGES IN MATTHEW, THE MAIN MANDATE.

**** AND OF COURSE I’M TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT COMMISSION, THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH, THE MARCHING ORDERS OF THE CHURCH.

(6) AND TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT VV. 16-19A, WHICH IS AN INTRODUCTION IN A SENSE TO THE MAIN MANDATE.

* AND WE’LL LOOK AT 4 THINGS TODAY UNDER THE MAIN MANDATE, PART I. NO. 1, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE DISCIPLES, V. 16; NO. 2 THE APPEARANCE OF JESUS TO HIS DISCIPLES, VV. 17-18A; NO. 3 THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS, V. 18B; AND NO. 4 THE ACTIVITY OF THE DISCIPLES WHICH WILL BE FULFILLED ULTIMATELY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THROUGH THE VISIBLE CHURCH, V. 19A.

** AND WITH THOSE POINTS IN MIND, LOOK AT V. 16 WHERE WE’LL START TO SEE OUR FIRST POINT THIS MORNING, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE DISCIPLES. LOOK AT MATTHEW 28:16 PLEASE.

I. THE AVAILABILITY, (READ V. 16)

A. NOW THE FIRST ELEMENT FOR EFFECTIVELY FULFILLING THE CHURCH’S MISSION IS AN ATTITUDE WHICH IS IMPLIED IN THE FACT THAT THE 11 DISCIPLES WERE WHERE THE LORD HAD TOLD THEM TO BE.

* AND AS SOMEONE ASTUTELY OBSERVED MANY YEARS AGO, AS FAR AS A BELIEVER’S SERVICE TO GOD IS CONCERNED, THE GREATEST ABILITY IS AVAILABILITY.

** FOR THE MOST TALENTED AND GIFTED CHRISTIAN IS USELESS TO GOD IF HE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO BE USED, JUST AS GOD’S GREATEST BLESSINGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT PRESENT TO RECEIVE THEM.

*** BELOVED, FAITHFUL DISCIPLESHIP DOES NOT BEGIN WITH KNOWING WHERE YOU WILL BE SERVING THE LORD OR IN WHAT CAPACITY.

**** IT DOES NOT START WITH HAVING A CLEAR CALL TO A CERTAIN MINISTRY OR OCCUPATION OR PLACE OF SERVICE AS IMPORTANT AS THOSE THINGS ARE.

1. FAITHFUL DISCIPLESHIP ALWAYS BEGINS WITH SIMPLY BEING AVAILABLE TO GOD, PUTTING ALL RESERVATIONS AND SELFISHNESS ASIDE.

* AGAIN THE KEY IS NOT ABILITY, BUT AVAILABILITY.

** WELL, THE 11 DISCIPLES HAD NOT RECEIVED THE BLESSING OF SEEING THE RESURRECTED JESUS IN THE GARDEN BECAUSE UNLIKE THE FAITHFUL WOMEN, THEY WERE NOT THERE.

*** NOW, HOWEVER, THE ELEVEN WERE WHERE JESUS WANTED THEM TO BE AND CONSEQUENTLY THEY RECEIVED HIS GREAT COMMISSION AND HIS GREAT PROMISE THAT HE WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS.

**** AND IF YOU RECALL, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE RESURRECTION, JESUS SAID HE WOULD MEET HIS DISCIPLES IN GALILEE IN MATTHEW 26:32 AND CHAPTER 28 VERSES 7 AND 10.

2. HE HAD CALLED FOR HIS FOLLOWERS TO MEET HIM THERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMISSIONING THEM TO REACH OUT TO THE WORLD IN HIS NAME.

* AND NOW THEY WERE GATHERED AT THE APPOINTED PLACE, THEY WERE AVAILABLE.

** AND WE ARE NOT TOLD WHEN OR HOW THE LORD SPECIFIED THE EXACT TIME AND PLACE IN GALILEE WHERE THEY WERE TO GATHER, BUT THEY WERE NOW AT THE PARTICULAR MOUNTAIN WHICH JESUS HAD DESIGNATED ON SOME PREVIOUS OCCASION.

*** FOR UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST TO HIS DISCIPLES. FOR AS YOU HARMONIZE THE SCRIPTURES THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 APPEARANCES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

**** AND CHRIST HAD ALREADY APPEARED TO THE 11 INCLUDING THOMAS IN JERUSALEM IN JOHN 20:26, 8 DAYS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

3. AND WE ARE TOLD THE JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO GALILEE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ABOUT A WEEK. AND OTHER EVENTS FOLLOWED THAT, LIKE TALKING TO PETER IN JOHN 21:1-17.

* SO JESUS HAD ALREADY APPEARED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT AN ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE THAT CHRIST’S POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCE ON THIS MOUNTAIN MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIS MOST IMPORTANT ONE.

** FOR HERE HE GIVES HIS GREAT COMMISSION.

*** AND BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE, THEY MET CHRIST. AND BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE, THEY RECEIVED THE LORD’S PROMISE OF HIS CONTINUAL PRESENCE AND POWER AS THEY MINISTERED TO THE WORLD IN HIS NAME.

**** AND IT ALL STARTED WITH BEING AVAILABLE, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE ACTUAL APPEARANCE OF CHRIST TO THEM. LOOK AT V. 17 PLEASE.

II. THE APPEARANCE, (READ V. 17)

A. NOW THE MOMENT JESUS APPEARED AND THE DISCIPLES SAW HIM, THEY WORSHIPPED HIM, NO DOUBT PROSTRATING THEMSELVES IN HUMBLE ADORATION BEFORE THEIR DIVINE LORD AND SAVIOR.

* WHICH IMPLIES ANOTHER ATTITUDE WHICH MUST BE PRESENT FOR BELIEVERS TO FULFILL THE CHURCH’S MISSION: WORSHIP.

** FOR WHEN OUR GREAT GOD IS NOT TRULY WORSHIPPED, HE CANNOT BE TRULY SERVED.

*** WELL, THE BELIEVERS GATHERED THERE THAT DAY WERE NOT GIVING HOMAGE TO A HUMAN DIGNITARY OR A MERE EARTHLY RULER, BUT WERE WORSHIPPING GOD’S OWN SON, THE RISEN LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.

**** AND THOUGH NO SPOKEN WORDS ARE RECORDED, IN THEIR HEARTS THEY MUST HAVE BEEN SAYING WITH THOMAS AFTER HIS LAST DOUBTS WERE TAKEN CARE OF, “MY LORD AND MY GOD” IN JOHN 20:28.

1. YET AMAZINGLY NOTICE AT THE END OF V. 17 THAT “SOME WERE DOUBTFUL”.

* NOW THE IDENTITY OF THE DOUBTERS IS NOT GIVEN. AND BECAUSE THE 11 DISCIPLES ARE THE ONES SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THIS PASSAGE, SOME INTERPRETERS INSIST THAT THOSE WHO WERE DOUBTFUL WERE OF THAT GROUP.

** BUT CONSIDER THIS. THE FACT THAT MATTHEW SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS ONLY THE 11 DISCIPLES (THE 12TH BEING ABSENT, JUDAS ISCARIOT WHO TOOK HIS LIFE) DOES NOT LIMIT THE GATHERING TO THE 11.

*** FOR THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE FOR THE WOMEN TO GIVE TO THE 11 SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT THE WOMEN WOULD ALSO SEE JESUS IN GALILEE IN MATTHEW 28:7.

**** FOR THE ANGEL SAID IN MATTHEW 28:7 – “AND GO QUICKLY AND TELL HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD; AND BEHOLD, HE IS GOING BEFORE YOU INTO GALILEE, THERE YOU WILL SEE HIM; BEHOLD, I HAVE TOLD YOU.”

2. NOW BEYOND THAT, IT SEEMS MORE REASONABLE THAT THE LORD ASSEMBLED A LARGE GROUP OF BELIEVERS AND THAT HE CHOSE GALILEE FOR THE MEETING PLACE BECAUSE MOST OF HIS FOLLOWERS WERE FROM THAT REGION.

* IN FACT IN THE VIEW OF MANY BIBLICAL SCHOLARS THROUGHOUT CHURCH HISTORY, THAT JESUS APPEARED TO THE GROUP OF MORE THAN 500 BRETHREN AT THIS TIME WHICH PAUL MENTIONS IN

I CORINTHIANS 15:6 (READ IT).

** AND THAT SEEMS LOGICAL TO ME, THAT JESUS MADE HIS APPEARANCE TO 500 BRETHREN AT ONCE AT THIS TIME.

*** FOR THE GREAT COMMISSION APPLIES TO ALL OF HIS CHURCH. SO JESUS WOULD SURELY HAVE WANTED TO DELIVER IT TO THE LARGEST POSSIBLE GROUP OF HIS FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS.

**** AND NOT ONLY WERE MOST OF JESUS’ FOLLOWERS FROM GALILEE, BUT THAT REGION WAS SECLUDED AND WAS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM JERUSALEM, WHERE MOST OF JESUS’ ENEMIES WERE.

3. AND BECAUSE THE GREAT COMMISSION EXTENDS TO ALL THE WORLD, GALILEE, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “GALILEE OF THE GENTILES,” ALSO WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT REASON.

* AND ONE LAST THING, REMEMBER THE 11 HAD ALREADY SEEN THE RISEN CHRIST BEFORE THIS CHRONOLOGICALLY AND EVEN DOUBTING THOMAS WAS CONVINCED AND MADE HIS GREAT CONFESSION.

** SO MOST LIKELY THE ONES WHO DOUBTED WERE NOT THE ELEVEN OR THE FAITHFUL WOMEN WHO SAW CHRIST, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER BRETHREN, UP TO 500 THAT WERE PRESENT.

*** AND EXACTLY WHAT WAS DOUBTED IS ALSO NOT SPECIFIED. BUT IT SEEMS MOST LIKELY THAT THE DOUBT CONCERNED WHETHER OR NOT THE PERSON WHO APPEARED TO THEM WAS ACTUALLY THE PHYSICALLY RISEN CHRIST OR SOME FORM OF IMPOSTER.

**** AND OUT OF A GROUP OF POSSIBLY 500 PEOPLE IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE CHRIST FOR THOSE IN THE BACK.

4. NOW REMEMBER ONLY THE 11 DISCIPLES AND SOME OF THE WOMEN HAD SEEN THE RISEN CHRIST.

* AND AGAIN PERHAPS SOME OF THOSE IN THE BACK OF THE CROWD COULD NOT SEE JESUS CLEARLY AND LIKE THOMAS, WERE RELUCTANT TO BELIEVE SUCH AN AMAZING TRUTH WITHOUT FIRM EVIDENCE.

** AND TO ALLEVIATE DOUBT, JESUS WILL DO SOMETHING AT THE BEGINNING OF V. 18. LOOK AT V. 18A.

B. READ V. 18A. NOW JESUS GRACIOUSLY CAME UP AND SPOKE TO THEM. AND WHATEVER THE DOUBT WAS AND WHOEVER THE DOUBTERS WERE, AS THE LORD CAME NEARER AND AS HIS FAMILIAR VOICE SOUNDED IN THEIR EARS, I’LL BET YOU, AS A FIGURE OF SPEECH, THAT ALL DOUBTS AND ALL UNCERTAINTY WAS ERASED.

* AND MOST LIKELY THOSE WHO HAD DOUBTED FELL DOWN AND JOINED THE OTHERS IN WORSHIP.

** BUT NOTICE THAT JESUS, AS HE SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO ARE THERE IN GALILEE TO MEET HIM, HAS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY.

*** HE WILL TALK ABOUT HIS AUTHORITY IN V. 18B, WHICH IS OUR THIRD POINT TODAY, THE AUTHORITY, LOOK BACK AT V. 18 PLEASE.

III. THE AUTHORITY, (READ V. 18)

A. NOW BEFORE THE LORD GIVES HIS MAIN MANDATE, HIS GREAT COMMISSION, HE ESTABLISHES HIS DIVINE AUTHORITY TO COMMAND IT.

* FOR YOU SEE IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS SOVEREIGN POWER THAT HIS FOLLOWERS ARE TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF COMPLETE, HUMBLE SUBMISSION TO HIS WILL.

** CHRIST’S ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OUGHT TO MOVE US, BE THE MOTIVATION AND THE ENABLEMENT TO FULFILL HIS MAIN MANDATE.

*** FOR YOU SEE ALL AUTHORITY HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HIM, HE DID NOT TAKE IT TO HIMSELF BUT IT HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO HIM FROM WHOM?

**** THE ANSWER IS GOD THE FATHER, THE RULER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. AND MOST LIKELY THIS AUTHORITY WAS GIVEN BY GOD THE FATHER TO GOD THE SON BECAUSE OF THE SON’S OBEDIENCE TO HIS FATHER IN PHIL. 2:8-11 (READ THEM).

1. SO THE FATHER GIVES AUTHORITY, NOT POWER TO THE SON. AND THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN BOTH THE WORD THAT IS USED HERE AND WHAT IT MEANS.

* FOR THE WORD AUTHORITY, TRANSLATED POWER IN THE KJV IS NOT THE GREEK WORD DUNAMIS TRANSLATED POWER IN ROMANS 1:16, THE DYNAMITE OF GOD.

** FOR JESUS ALWAYS HAD THE POWER, THE DUNAMIS, AS GOD HIMSELF. BUT NOW AS THE SON WHO FULFILLED HIS FATHER’S WILL HE NOW HAS THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE HIS POWER.

*** IN FACT THE GREEK WORD THAT IS USED HERE IS ON THE SCREEN.

**** NOW THE MEANING OF THIS AS YOU SEE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FREEDOM AND RIGHT TO SPEAK AND ACT AS ONE PLEASES. AND IN RELATION TO GOD THAT FREEDOM AND RIGHT ARE ABSOLUTE AND UNLIMITED.

2. JESUS HAS BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH, UNIVERSAL AUTHORITY, THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE HIS POWER.

* AND IN A SENSE JESUS IN HIS INCARNATION DID NOT EXERCISE HIS POWER WITH FREEDOM, BUT ALWAYS SUBMITTED TO HIS FATHER’S WILL, HE WAS THE OBEDIENT SON, READ JOHN 6:38 AND JOHN 9:4.

** HOWEVER, HAVING ACCOMPLISHED HIS FATHER’S WORD AS THE OBEDIENT SON, HE WAS THEN DELEGATED THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE HIS POWER IN HEAVEN AND UPON EARTH.

*** AND IN THE PROGRESSION HERE, BEFORE GIVING HIS MAIN MANDATE, JESUS FIRST ESTABLISHED HIS ABSOLUTE PERVASIVE AUTHORITY, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE COMMAND WOULD HAVE SEEMED HOPELESSLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DISCIPLES TO FULFILL, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE IGNORED IT.

**** AND WERE IT NOT FOR KNOWING THEY HAD THE LORD’S SOVEREIGN DEMAND AS WELL AS HIS RESOURCE TO GUIDE AND EMPOWER THEM, THOSE POWERLESS DISCIPLES WITHOUT CHRIST’S AUTHORITY WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY OVERWHELMED BY THE MONUMENTAL TASK OF MAKING DISCIPLES FOR THEIR LORD FROM AMONG EVERY NATION ON EARTH.

3. AND THEREFORE, ON THE BASIS OF THAT AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE DISCIPLES THE ACTIVITY THAT THEY ARE TO BE INVOLVED WITH IN FULFILLING HIS MAIN MANDATE.

* WHICH IS OUR FINAL POINT TODAY, THE ACTIVITY. LOOK AT V. 19A PLEASE.

IV. THE ACTIVITY, (READ V. 19A)

A. NOW THE THEREFORE IS THERE FOR A REASON. IT CONNECTS CHRIST’S AUTHORITY IN V. 18 TO WHAT THE DISCIPLES ARE TO DO IN V. 19.

* IN OTHER WORDS, ON THE BASIS OF, BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S AUTHORITY, THE DISCIPLES WERE SENT TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

** SO THE TRANSITIONAL WORD IS THEREFORE. AND WHAT CHRIST IS SAYING IS, “BECAUSE I AM SOVEREIGN LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, I HAVE BOTH THE AUTHORITY TO COMMAND YOU TO BE MY WITNESSES AND THE POWER TO ENABLE YOU TO OBEY MY COMMAND.”

*** NOW THE COMMAND IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES, FOR THE MAIN VERB IS MAKE DISCIPLES WHICH IS IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD WHICH IS THE COMMAND.

**** AND UNFORTUNATELY THE GREAT COMMISSION IS OFTEN MISREPRESENTED BY THE EMOTIVE CALL TO GO.

1. BUT IN REALITY, THE COMMISSION IS NOT TO GO BUT TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

* AND THE VERB GO, AN AORIST PASSIVE PARTICIPLE CAN BE TRANSLATED “HAVING GONE”.

** FOR IT ASSUMES THE GOING AS HAVING ALREADY TAKEN PLACE IN MAKING DISCIPLES. AND YES WE MUST GO, BUT IN GOING, THE PURPOSE IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES. AN ASSUMPTION IS MADE.

*** IN FACT THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT AND ACTIVITY JESUS GIVES FOR MAKING DISCIPLES INVOLVES 3 PARTICIPLES:

**** GOING (RENDERED HERE AS GO) BAPTIZING AND TEACHING.

2. AND THE FIRST REQUIREMENT MAKES CLEAR THAT THE CHURCH IS NOT TO WAIT FOR THE WORLD TO COME TO ITS DOORS BUT THAT IT IS TO GO TO THE WORLD.

* BUT AGAIN THE MAIN VERB IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES, HAVING GONE WHICH IS THE ASSUMPTION.

** NOW TO MAKE A DISCIPLE, A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, ONE MUST INSTRUCT WITH AND PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL.

*** AND IN THIS CONTEXT IT RELATES TO THOSE WHO PLACE THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND FOLLOW HIM IN LIVES OF CONTINUAL LEARNING AND OBEDIENCE, AS JOHN 8:31 SAYS: (READ IT).

**** SO FOR A PERSON TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS THERE MUST BE A CONTINUATION OF FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, GROWTH, OBEDIENCE, ONE WHO IS A LEARNER AND FOLLOWER OF HIS MASTER.

3. AND AS I’LL COMMUNICATE NEXT SUNDAY, LORD WILLING, WATER BAPTISM WILL FOLLOW AND TEACHING THEN.

* SO WE TAKE THE GOSPEL, AND HAVING GONE TO DO THAT WE MAKE DISCIPLES, BY GOING, BAPTISM AND TEACHING.

** AND THIS WORK IS NOT LIMITED TO ONE PEOPLE GROUP OR NATION, BUT OF ALL NATIONS.

FOR AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY, (1) I REMIND YOU THAT ACCORDING TO PSALM 96:3, WE ARE TO (READ IT).

* BELOVED, WE ARE TO BE WITNESSES TO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH, READ ACTS 1:8.

** AND WHAT DO WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS? THE SALVATION MESSAGE REACHING OUT FROM JERUSALEM, TO JUDEA, TO SAMARIA, TO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH.

*** AND THIS MEANS THAT IT WAS NOT INDIVIDUALISTIC, BUT THROUGH THE VEHICLE OF THE CHURCH CHRIST WAS PROCLAIMED, CHURCHES WERE PLANTED, ELDERS ORDAINED, AND CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH, AND THE CYCLE IS REPEATED.

**** BELOVED, AS WE SEE THE GOSPEL REACHING OUT IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, THIS MANDATE IS FULFILLED IN A CORPORATE WAY, THROUGH A BODY, A TEAM, A COLLECTIVE, NOT WITH INDIVIDUALS OUT ON THEIR OWN, BUT SENT OUT BY THE CHURCH TO FULFILL THIS MAIN MANDATE.

(2) AND AS CHURCHES ARE PLANTED, THE GOAL IS TO FULLY ESTABLISH THE CHURCH THROUGH TEACHING AND DISCIPLESHIP SO THAT IT MATURES, FOR A CHURCH THAT IS FULLY ESTABLISHED, MATURE, UNDERSTAND IT’S MISSION.

* IT UNDERSTANDS IT’S MAIN MANDATE, AND THEN THE GREAT COMMISSION IS NOT THE GREAT OMISSION.

** SO WHY DO WE CALL TO ASSEMBLE AND COME TO S.S. AND WORSHIP AND WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AND TRAINING TIMES AND CARE GROUPS AND FELLOWSHIP TIMES?

*** TO ESTABLISH YOU IN THE FAITH, TO SEE YOU MATURE, SO YOU BECOME A PART OF THE TEAM TO GLORIFY OUR GREAT GOD BY GIVING, SERVING, PRAISING AND ACTIVELY BEING INVOLVED IN THE CHURCH TO FULFILL THE MAIN MANDATE.

**** BELOVED, CHRISTIANITY IS A MISSIONARY FAITH, MAY WE BE OBEDIENT TO OUR MAIN MANDATE AND SEE OUR MISSION CLEARLY AND SUBMIT TO IT.

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