The Great Commission

And please open up your Bibles to Matthew chapter 28, verses 16 to 20.

Matthew 28:16–20

! Matthew chapter 28, verses 16 to 20.

Matthew 28:16–20

Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.

Heavenly Father, whether we have a building or not,

rain or shine, we have gathered in your name to honor you,

to worship you, to be taught from your word,

that we might be your faithful disciples

for as long as we are here on earth,

making disciples of all nations.

So, Lord, please speak to us,

address us by the power of your Holy Spirit

in your word.

Lord, reveal to us the wondrous things in your word

and conform us to it, shape us with it,

all for the glory of your name.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

If you are able, please stand.

Let's honor God together as we read from the word.

Matthew 28, verses 16 to 20.

Matthew 28:16–20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee,

to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

And when they saw him, they worshipped him.

But some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

Please be seated.

We're not doing anything special to celebrate this this year,

but it is our 11th anniversary since our church's founding.

And it's as good a Sunday as any to ask ourselves,

why do we exist as a local church?

What's our reason for being?

What's our purpose?

What's our mission?

Do we exist to be a force for good in our society,

in our city, in our neighborhood?

Do we exist to create a loving community of Christians in Cambridge

where we can all belong together?

Why do we exist?

In our passage this morning, Jesus answers that question.

The Great Commission, as it has come to be known,

is found in its essential form in all four Gospels

and in the Book of Acts.

It's a climactic command that Jesus issues to all his followers

shortly before his ascension.

And because these are his last words, his parting words,

and because they succinctly summarize all of the Gospels

and the direction and the directive of the four Gospels,

many have called this the marching orders of the church.

And so my main point this morning is simple.

Make disciples of Jesus Christ.

If I could expand that a little bit,

I could say that the universal authority of Jesus enables us to make disciples of Jesus,

make disciples of Jesus among all the nations.

I'm going to talk first about all authority that Jesus says that he has,

and then about all nations, and then all commands,

and then all the days that Jesus commands us to do this.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph,

have informed Jesus' 11 remaining disciples that the risen Jesus will meet them in Galilee.

So it says in verse 16 that now the 11 disciples went to Galilee

to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

Apparently, either they were in the habit of meeting Jesus in this mountain in Galilee,

or Jesus had specifically instructed them to meet him at this mountain.

They know where to go, and they're expecting to meet the risen Jesus.

And they're not disappointed.

It says in verse 17,

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

Since verse 18 tells us that Jesus came to them,

it seems that the disciples spotted Jesus from a distance away,

and out of awe, and they started to worship him immediately,

and Jesus then comes near them, approaches them.

And so when they're worshipping him and falling before him like this,

they're recognizing that Jesus is not merely human.

He's divine.

They're bowing before him, prostrating themselves in worship,

in acknowledgement of his supreme worth and glory.

But they are not entirely without doubts.

It says that some doubted.

And the word translated doubt here also means to hesitate.

It's the same word that was used in chapter 14

when Peter stepped out in faith to walk on water toward Jesus.

And he had faith to do that.

But as soon as he started seeing the winds

and the stirring up of the waves,

he says that he doubted.

Jesus says to him,

Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?

So the disciples worshipped Jesus after seeing the risen Lord,

but some doubted.

Some of them were afraid.

Some of them were doubtful.

They had little faith.

Sure, there was excitement, anticipation,

but there was also hesitation.

Can this really be Jesus?

Did he really rise from the dead?

Is he really the son of God who has taken on human flesh?

It's remarkable that their doubt is mentioned here at all.

If you are writing a book to convince people that Jesus is the Christ,

the son of God,

who is risen from the dead,

which is the gospel of Matthew,

would you include a statement saying that his disciples,

his own disciples that have been with him all along,

doubted after his resurrection?

Probably not.

But Matthew includes it here because it's true.

It's what happened.

Though they should have had more faith,

some of them doubted,

and that fact in turn encourages us,

those of us who sometimes doubt.

Do you ever wrestle with doubts

and questions that you have no answer to?

Jude 1.22 commands us,

have mercy on those who doubt.

We are commanded to do precisely what Jesus does

for his disciples in this passage.

When Jesus saw how some of his disciples doubted,

he didn't condemn them out of exasperation.

How can you still doubt me after all that you've seen?

Calming of the storms,

defeating of the 5,000,

now rising from the dead,

and you still doubt me.

Away from me, you faithless generation.

He could have said that,

but he didn't say that.

Instead, he showed them mercy.

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench.

Some of the disciples doubted,

but still they heeded the message of Mary,

and Mary, they still showed up

on the mountain in Galilee, didn't they?

Yes, some of you doubt,

but aren't you still here this Sunday morning

to worship God?

Aren't you still listening to

and believing the message of the gospel?

Do not be disheartened by your doubts.

Continue in your faith,

seeking understanding,

and persevere in faith and obedience,

knowing that Jesus, our Lord, is merciful.

It seems that the combination of fear and awe

is what kept them away,

but Jesus approaches them,

and imagine this scene

as Jesus steps toward them

and draws near to them

and makes this pronouncement.

This is the first time

they're seeing the risen Lord.

It says,

We see four phrases with the adjective all

in these verses,

indicating the comprehensiveness

of this great commission.

All authority,

all nations,

all commands,

and all ways,

or more literally,

all the days.

This is a fulfillment

of the prophecy of Daniel 7, 13-14.

Remember,

Jesus most often refers to himself

in the gospels as the son of man,

and that prophecy in Daniel 7 says,

The son of man approaches

the ancient of days,

the Lord God,

and he's given all authority

and glory and dominion and power

so that all peoples

and nations and languages

should serve him.

So all authority,

all nations,

and he says his dominion

is an everlasting dominion

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom,

one that shall not be destroyed.

In other words,

all ways,

all the days.

This is the fulfillment

of the prophecy of Daniel 7.

All authority,

all nations,

all commands,

all the days.

First,

we see the universal authority

of Jesus in verse 18.

All authority in heaven

and on earth

has been given to me.

If you remember in chapter 4

when Satan came to Jesus

to tempt him,

he showed him,

he took him to a mountain,

a high mountain,

showed him all the kingdoms

of the world

and their glory,

and he offered it to Jesus.

He said,

All these I will give you

if you will fall down

and worship me.

And Jesus rebuffed him

and then,

and it said,

Be gone,

Satan,

for it is written,

you shall worship the Lord

your God

and him alone

shall you serve.

Now,

having obeyed God the Father

and having fulfilled

his mission to seek

and save the lost

by giving his life

on the cross

as a ransom for many,

Jesus once again

stands upon a mountain.

But this time,

it's not Satan

who offers him authority,

it's the Father

who has given him authority.

And this time,

it's not authority

on earth only,

it's authority

on heaven and earth

because Jesus

has been faithful

and Jesus has obeyed

and humbled himself

before his Father.

Governor Mara Healy

of Massachusetts

has the legal authority

to grant pardons

to state criminals,

but she cannot pardon

federal criminals

because she doesn't have

that authority.

It's beyond her jurisdiction.

President Donald Trump

could not fly

the U.S. aircraft

through France

and into France airspace

during recent military operations

because the government of France

didn't give him permission

because he doesn't have authority,

jurisdiction in France.

He only has authority

within the United States of America.

But Jesus Christ

has no such limitations.

He has all authority

in heaven

and on earth.

Whether it's in the U.S.

or the U.K.,

Russia or China,

Iran or Pakistan

or Nigeria

or Sudan

or Cuba

or Venezuela,

wherever you go,

Jesus is king

and he has all authority.

Whether you live

in a red state

or a blue state,

whatever school you go to,

whatever company you work for,

Jesus is king

and he has all authority

in heaven and on earth.

Are there disobedient rebel forces

at work throughout the world?

Yes, of course.

But that doesn't change

the fact,

the reality

that Jesus is king

overall

and that all authority

in heaven and on earth

belongs to him.

Jesus is seated

at the right hand of God

in the heavenly places

far above all rule

and authority

and power and dominion

and above every name

that is named,

not only in this age

but also in the one to come.

From the archangel Michael

to Satan himself,

no angel or demon

can thwart

the progress,

the fulfillment

of this great commission

because Jesus has

all authority

in heaven and on earth.

All proper divinely appointed

authorities in the world,

fathers,

elders,

governors,

kings,

their authority

is all derivative.

They derive their authority

from God

and have no authority

in and of themselves.

The claim that Jesus

has upon our lives

trumps all

and this is why

you cannot

wall in Jesus

or compartmentalize

the authority of Christ.

Jesus has authority

here in the gathered church

in the Trinity Cambridge Church.

I'll speak of him here

when we are gathered

but I will not speak of him

to my neighbors.

Jesus has authority

here in the U.S.

where we have freedom

of religion

but in these countries

where converting

to Christianity

is outlawed

where I'll be persecuted

for my faith,

well there

that's outside

of the purview

of Jesus' authority.

No it's not.

Jesus' authority

cannot be contained.

It overcomes

and overrules

every limit

and boundary

that we placed upon it

for all authority

in heaven and on earth

has been given to him.

God the Father

has highly exalted Jesus

and given him

the name that is above

every name

so that at the name

of Jesus

every knee should bow

and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ

is Lord

to the glory

of God the Father.

God has put all things

in subjection

under Jesus

so that in the end

when the Son

gladly submits

and subjects himself

to the Father

all glory redounds

to him

so that God

may be all in all.

Are you aggrieved

by the fact

that there are rebels

who defy

the lordship of Christ

in our city

and throughout the world?

Does it make you

indignant

that as the gospel

goes forth

in the world

and as King Jesus

rises forth

in the power

of his spirit

that there are people

who do not bow their heads

before the king?

That's our job.

Heralds,

witnesses

as disciples of Jesus

to go and tell them

what are you doing?

Why aren't you

bowing the knee

before the king?

Do you not know

he is

the Christ

the risen king

the son of the living God?

Have you not hurt?

And the fact

that Jesus

has all authority

is the basis

and the warrant

for the great commission

to go and make disciples

of all nations.

Look at verse 19.

It says,

go therefore

and make disciples

of all nations.

Jesus has

all authority.

Therefore,

go and make disciples

of all nations.

If Jesus were

a local governor

or a provincial ruler,

we will not have

to make disciples

of all nations.

But because he is

the king of kings

and lord of lords

who has all authority

in heaven and on earth,

we must make disciples

of all nations.

There's a notable contrast

between Matthew 28, 19

and Matthew 10, verse 5.

Matthew 10:5

In Matthew 10, verse 5,

Matthew 10:5

prior to his death

and resurrection,

Jesus sent his disciples

out with this instruction.

Go nowhere

among the Gentiles

and enter no town

of the Samaritans,

but go rather

to the lost sheep

of the house of Israel

and proclaim as you go,

saying the kingdom

of heaven is at hand.

That word Gentiles

there in Matthew 10

is a different translation

of the same Greek word

that's translated

in 28, 19

as nations.

So then in chapter 10,

Jesus said,

don't go to the nations.

But in chapter 28,

he says, go to all the nations.

Why the sudden turnaround?

As Jesus said in John 12, 32,

it's when Jesus is lifted up

from the earth

in his death on the cross

that he draws all the nations,

all peoples to himself.

It's at the cross

that Jesus disarmed

the rulers and the authorities

and put them to open shame

by triumphing over them.

It's at the cross

that Jesus broke down

the dividing wall of hostility

in his flesh

between Jews and Gentiles

by fulfilling the law.

It's only after his death

and resurrection

that we can proclaim

the good news of salvation

to Gentiles,

to all nations.

This is why Jesus said

in John 4, 22,

that salvation is from the Jews.

And Paul echoes that

in Romans 1, 16.

The gospel is the power

of God for salvation

to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first

and also to the Greek.

The Lord spoke to his messianic king

in Psalm 2, 8,

Ask of me

and I will make the nations

your heritage

and the ends of the earth

your possession.

And that's precisely

what God has done

for Jesus

in raising him

from the dead.

The salvation is from the Jews,

but it is no longer

exclusively for the Jews.

God's plan all along

was for salvation

to go to all the nations

from the Jews

as he had promised to Abram

in Genesis chapter 12.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

This mission

that God calls us to,

that God involves us in,

is not a small thing.

It is grand,

it is glorious,

and it is cosmic in scope.

So let us make it

our ambition

to preach the gospel

where Christ has not

already been named.

There are tribes

and languages,

peoples,

and nations

who have not heard

the name of Jesus Christ.

How can they bow the knee

to a king

that they have not heard of?

There are rebel forces

defying the lordship of Jesus

all throughout the world,

so let us go

and share Christ

and his gospel with them

so that they pledge allegiance

to our gracious king.

We pray for 12 foreign countries

throughout the calendar year,

one per month.

Algeria, Bangladesh,

China, India, Indonesia,

Iran, Japan, Myanmar,

Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand,

because we have gospel partners there

who are working there

that we support,

and or because there are

many peoples in those countries

among whom Christ

has not already been named.

Can we one day as a church,

as a local church,

send missionary teams out

to each of those countries

to make disciples

and plant churches?

Can we pray and serve

and give and teach

toward that end?

Can we one day as a church

plant churches in Albany,

Schenectady, Troy, New York,

Springfield, Holyoke, Massachusetts,

Burlington, Vermont,

Portland, Auburn, Maine,

Hartford, New Haven, Connecticut?

Some of the least churched

and most unbelieving cities

in this entire country

are all here in the northeast

within striking distance

of our church.

Are we not here

in the capital of New England,

the least Christian region

in our country?

Are we not here

in Cambridge,

the Jerusalem

of higher education

throughout the world

where people from every tribe

and language and nation

come to study and work?

Are we not here

for such a time as this?

Pray that God

would send more labors

into these ripe harvest fields,

that God would raise up labors

from our very own midst,

that we would have

the resources

and the resolve

and the resilience

to sacrifice

and to send

and to make disciples

among all nations.

I also want you to know

that it's not only those

who pick up

and leave town

to be a missionary

or to plant churches,

that they're not the only ones

who are obeying

the Great Commission.

The first word

of verse 19 is go.

It's translated in the ESV

as an imperative,

but it is not an imperative.

It's a participle

in the original Greek,

like the word baptizing

and teaching.

As you go, therefore,

or going, therefore,

make disciples

of all nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them

to observe all

that I have commanded you.

All three participles,

going, baptizing, teaching,

they all modify

the imperative,

make disciples.

That's the single command.

That's the main command.

Make disciples.

And going and baptizing

and teaching

are how you do that.

And that means

wherever you are,

wherever you are going,

right now,

you should be making disciples.

When we read

the book of Acts,

we see that it's not only

those who travel

to other places

with the express purpose

of proclaiming the gospel

who make disciples.

There are people like that,

Philip and Paul

and Barnabas

and Apollos.

But there are also people

like those who are mentioned

in Acts 8, 1-4,

those who are scattered

throughout the region

of Samaria and Judea

because of a great persecution

that broke out

against the church

in Jerusalem.

They had no intention

of leaving Jerusalem.

They were scattered

by circumstances

beyond their control.

They were scattered

by great persecution.

And yet,

wherever they went,

they spread the gospel.

Wherever you are scattered,

it is our job,

it is our mission

to scatter the seeds

of the gospel.

Maybe,

maybe some of you

are scattered here

because of school

or a program

that you got into

or work that you found

or relationship

that you got into

or maybe you'll be scattered

further from here

to other places.

But wherever you are

going,

therefore,

make disciples

of Jesus Christ.

It's not only the apostles

who receive the Holy Spirit.

All of God's people

receive the Holy Spirit

to be empowered

to go and make disciples.

And if you're here

in Boston right now,

start here.

Moving across the ocean

or changing zip codes

does not automatically

make one a missionary.

If you are not sharing

the gospel here

with anybody,

you will not share it

when you change your zip code.

So start here.

Start making disciples.

Making disciples

also involves baptizing.

If you confess

with your mouth

that Jesus is Lord

and believe in your heart

that God raised him

from the dead,

you will be saved.

If you are to be saved,

you must have

an inward faith

in the risen Lord,

but you also must confess

with your mouth

that Jesus is Lord.

There must be

an outward profession.

And baptism

is the sacrament

that Jesus has commanded

for us to observe

as an outward profession

of that inward faith.

And baptism presupposes

the context of the church

since individual believers

are all baptized

into one body.

When you're baptized,

you're baptized

into the church,

into the body of Christ

as it says

in 1 Corinthians 12, 13.

No one can baptize

him or herself.

It's the gathered body

of Christ

that baptizes new converts

into Christ

and into their body.

And baptism entails

repentance of sin

and renunciation of self.

Acts 22, 16 says,

rise and be baptized

and wash away your sins,

calling on the name of Jesus.

Romans 6, 3 says

that all of us

who have been baptized

into Christ Jesus

have been baptized

into his death

so that we might die

to our former selves

and walk in the newness of life.

That's why we are baptized

in the name of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Notice that the word name

there is singular.

It doesn't say the names

of the Father, Son, and Spirit

but the singular name

of the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit

which is a startling assertion

of the divinity of Christ.

The Lord God

of the Old Testament,

Yahweh,

who created the world

and who split the Red Sea

and delivered Israel

from Egypt

is the same Lord God

because Jesus is the second person

of the Trinity,

the Son of the living God.

So he has the name

of the Father and the Son

and the Spirit

and that's why

in the book of Acts

people often,

the church often baptizes people

in the name of Jesus

because to baptize people

in the name of Jesus

is to baptize them

in the name of the Father

and the Son

and the Holy Spirit.

There's one name

that is above

every other name

and why is the name

of God significant?

Because a name

is personal.

A name represents someone,

it stands for someone.

A name brings us

into covenant relationship

with God.

I read a news story

of the Rohingya refugee family

from Myanmar.

As a refugee,

at first,

they had no recognized

legal identity

because they didn't have

any identification papers.

They had no official status.

They couldn't get

a driver's license.

They couldn't even open

a bank account

in their name.

But after getting

resettled in the U.S.,

they broke down in tears

when they first received

their official documents

naming them

and recognizing their name.

And the father of the family,

speaking on behalf

of the other Rohingya people

as well,

said to an interviewer,

for the first time

in 100 years,

we can say,

we have a land,

we have a home,

we have a name.

We take our names

for granted,

but having a name

is no small thing.

When a wife

takes on her husband's surname

and declares,

I am one flesh with him,

it's not insignificant.

When an adopted child

takes on the family name

and declares,

I am now a member

of this family,

it's not insignificant.

So likewise,

a convert to Christianity

is baptized

in the name

of the Father

and of the Son

and the Holy Spirit.

They take on a new name,

a new identity,

and they belong

to a new family.

Baptism is the Christians

planting his or her flag

in the ground.

Why do armies

carry a cumbersome flag

into battle?

It's not merely

for visual communication

to provide a rallying point.

It's a point of pride

and identity.

It's about morale

and honor.

So a Christian declares

his allegiance

by getting baptized

in the name

of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

I pledge my allegiance

to a new king.

I renounce all other lords

and I belong

to Jesus Christ.

If you're a part

of the king's army,

you have to play,

you have to fly

the king's flag.

I've heard

Pastor Alistair Begg

say once,

there is no such thing

as a secret disciple.

Either the secrecy

will kill the discipleship

or the discipleship

will kill the secrecy.

Making disciples

involves going

and making disciples

involves baptizing

people from all nations

joining the one kingdom

under the lordship

of Jesus Christ.

Jesus continues

in verse 20,

teaching them

to observe all

that I have commanded you.

All authority,

all nations,

all commands.

Making disciples

involves teaching.

Why?

Because the very word

disciple in Greek

means learner,

a student,

an apprentice.

Jesus is telling

his 11 disciples

to make disciples

and that means

Jesus is saying

to them,

replicate yourselves.

You are my disciples.

Now go and make disciples.

Replicate yourselves.

Bring others

to follow me

and learn from me

the way you have done

up to this point.

This is why

discipling doesn't have

to be overly complicated.

If you are a Christian,

by definition,

you understand the gospel

and that means

you can share the gospel

with non-Christians.

You don't need

a seminary degree

for that

and you can invite

non-Christians

or Christians

who are younger

in the faith

than you

to do a Bible study

with you.

Start small.

Start with one book.

We just went through

the Gospel of Matthew.

We're in the last passage

of the Gospel of Matthew.

You can go through

the Gospel of Matthew

with them.

You go through

the Sermon on the Mount

maybe if you want

to do a shorter study

with them.

If you forgot

what you learned

well,

very conveniently

all the sermons

are recorded

and posted

on our website.

You could use it

as a reference

and as a resource.

You open up

the Word together.

You teach them

what you're learning

from God.

What you've learned

in church.

And then pray with them.

You open up

your heart to them.

Show them

how you are following

Christ in your life.

Be an example

for them.

That's how you make

disciples of Jesus Christ.

And remember

that you are not

making disciples

of yourselves.

You are making

disciples of Jesus Christ.

You are not making

disciples of Sean Wu

or Ed Kang either.

You are making

disciples of Jesus Christ.

They are to observe

all that Jesus

has commanded them.

If you are not

learning and obeying

the commandments

of the Lord Jesus,

you are not a disciple

of Christ.

In John 8, 31,

Jesus said to the Jews

who had believed him,

he says,

if you abide in my word,

you are truly

my disciples

and you will know

the truth

and the truth

will set you free.

Apparently,

some of these Jews

who had believed

in Jesus

are not truly

his disciples.

Why not?

Because they do not

yet abide in

or remain in

or hold on

to his word.

They are not

observing

all that he

has commanded them.

Whoever does not

bear his own cross

and come after me

cannot be my disciple,

Jesus said

in Luke 14, 27.

And Jesus doesn't say

teach them to observe

some of what

I have commanded.

No, he says

obey

all that I have

commanded you.

We don't get

to pick and choose.

We're so used

to laws

that we can

keep selectively

but God's commands

are not like

those human laws.

And these are

divine commands

not mere suggestions.

Sometimes I see

Christians act

like biblical commands

are mere suggestions

that you only need

to follow

when it's convenient

for yourself.

And their behavior

proves that they

do not truly submit

to the lordship of Christ.

They're still trying

to be their own lords.

You might say

that you believe

in Jesus

but if you are not

abiding in his word

and if you are living

in willful

disobedience

to his commands

then you are not

his disciple.

God is not looking

for mere

one time converts.

He's looking for

lifelong

mature disciples.

Love the Lord

your God

with all your heart

and love your neighbor

as yourself.

Do unto others

what you would have

them do to you.

Rejoice and give thanks.

These are all commands

that we must obey.

These are all

important commands

frequently repeated

in scriptures

but we also must

not confuse this

with the great commission.

We must not lose

our focus

on our mission.

These commands

are the things

that we must teach

the disciples

to observe and obey

but that's not

the great commission.

That's not the mission.

Our mission is

to make disciples

who obey

all these commands.

Maybe you're taking care

to obey these commands

in your own life.

But are you making

disciples

who are obeying

these commands

and teaching them

to do the same?

If you are not

making disciples

then you are not

obeying the great commission.

This mission

that Christ has given us

has a narrow

and specific focus.

You start calling

everything a mission

then nothing becomes mission.

We have a mission

and that is to make

disciples of Jesus Christ.

And then he says

my fourth and last point

all the days

in verse 20

teaching them to observe

all that I have commanded you

and behold

I am with you

always to the end

of the age.

How do we know

that this command

was intended

for all of Jesus' followers

and not only for

the twelve?

Not only for the eleven

that are here

because Jesus is speaking

to the eleven apostles here.

How do we know that?

Because the scope

of the command

and what Jesus promises here

goes beyond

the lifetime

of the original apostles.

He says

behold I am with you

always to the end

of the age.

The end of the age

is not here.

And Jesus said

in John 17

he prayed

for his disciples

as you sent me

into the world

so I have sent them

into the world

and for their sake

I consecrate myself

that they also

may be sanctified

in truth.

I do not ask

for these only

but also for those

who will believe in me

through their word

that they may all be one

just as you

Father are in me

and I in you

that they also

may be in us

so that the world

may believe

that you have sent me.

Jesus sent out

his disciples

but he's not

sending them only.

He prays not only

for them

but also for all

those who will

believe in him

through their word.

All the subsequent

following generations

of Christians

we are all sent out

with the same task

the great commission

and that promise

still stands.

It's not so much

a promise

as it is a reality

and a fact.

Jesus says

I am with you

to the very end

of the age.

I am with you

always

to the end

of the age.

When you share

the gospel

with your neighbors

when you are

persecuted

reviled

and ridiculed

and imprisoned

for his name's sake

Jesus says

I am with you

always

to the end

of the age

and is that

authority

the bookends

the authority

all authority

that Jesus has

and the promise

that he will be

with us

all the days

that helps us

the weak

and frail we are

like the disciples

who doubted

to still go

and share the good news

of Jesus Christ

with all the nations.

Let's pray

that God would help us

to do that.

Father

empower us

with your spirit

embolden us

to share

the good news

of Jesus Christ

show us

teach us

how to make

disciples

all around us

that King Jesus

may be recognized

everywhere

that from all

tribes

and peoples

and nations

and tongues

Jesus name

might be confessed

that he might be

worshipped

and glorified

Lord may

our discipling

lead to your worship

among all the nations

in Jesus name

we pray

Amen