Matthew Ch28v16-20 - Jesus Sends

This is Matthew chapter 28, Matthew chapter 28.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention Matthew 28 · chapter mention

So Matthew's Gospel chapter 28.

And we're going to read the last few verses.

Matthew 28 starting at verse 16.

Let's hear God's word together.

Starting at verse 16.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.

Then Jesus came to them and said,

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

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.

Well, let's pray.

Our Father, as we have just read your word,

it is so familiar to us.

We can say the verses perhaps by heart,

or at least we know the main points of what we've just read.

They're etched in our memory.

And yet they are so crucial to us today

that it can just wash over us

and it can soon be forgotten.

And so we pray that what is known to us,

what we hear and what we know to be true,

that by your Spirit you would drive this home to our hearts.

and you would work in us,

not just individually,

but corporately as your family here today.

And do a great work

that would lead to people coming to faith in this town

and will lead to people coming to faith

in other parts of the world.

So we ask,

pour out your Spirit upon us today.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Well, over the month of April,

we've been looking at the Easter account.

We jumped from chapter 13 to the end of Matthew

and we'll be going back again next week

to pick up where we left off.

And in particular,

we've been looking at the trial,

death and resurrection of Jesus.

But the Easter account is not over

when the resurrection happens.

There's one more vital piece of the story.

You remember last week

that we looked at the women

being the first eyewitnesses

of the risen Jesus.

We pick it up in verse 9,

chapter 28.

The angels had told them to go

and they met Jesus

and Jesus said,

Greetings.

And they came to him,

clasped his feet

and worshipped him.

Then Jesus said to the women,

Do not be afraid.

Go and tell my brothers,

that's the disciples,

to go to Galilee,

which was about a three-day walk

north of Jerusalem

and there they will see me.

So, back down to verse 16,

the eleven disciples

went to Galilee,

to the mountain

where Jesus had told them to go.

And what follows in these verses

are the words of the risen Jesus

and they have huge significance

for each one of us today.

Three things Jesus tells us.

Submit to my authority,

obey my command

and trust my promise.

Submit, obey and trust.

So first,

submit to the authority

of the risen Jesus.

Look at verse 18.

Jesus came to them

and said,

All authority

in heaven and on earth

has been given to me.

Now that's an extraordinary statement

for someone to say.

Jesus claims

to have a universal authority

over all things

and all people.

In heaven

and on earth.

nothing and no one

he says

is outside my rule

or my control.

Now you go and say that

to somebody tomorrow

and see what kind of response

you get.

You see,

it's one thing

to claim supreme authority

but how on earth

do you prove it?

Well,

three things I think

will help us see

the authority

of Jesus.

First,

it's received

from the Father.

Did you see what he says

in verse 18?

This authority

has been given

to me.

Jesus receives

his authority

from God the Father.

And for us to understand

what this means

we need to go

to Acts 2

where this is explained.

So just jump forward

to Acts 2.

Matthew,

Mark,

Luke,

John

and then Acts.

So in Acts 2

this is about

six weeks

after the events

that Matthew

records.

So it's about

six weeks later.

And Peter,

one of the disciples

who's listened

to Jesus

on the mountain

is preaching

about the death

and resurrection

of Jesus.

And this is what

he says.

We pick it up

in verse 32.

God has raised

this Jesus

to life

and we are all

witnesses

to it.

Exalted

to the right hand

of God.

So to be exalted

to the right hand

of God

is to be given

the position

of authority

and power.

Verse 36.

Therefore,

let all Israel,

this is his audience

at the time,

let all Israel

be assured of this.

God has made

this Jesus

whom you crucified

both Lord

and Christ.

God declares

that the crucified

Jesus

is now

the risen

Lord

and Messiah.

This is not

an opinion poll.

It's not a case

of hands up here

who thinks

Jesus has authority.

No,

Jesus has been

given authority.

He is declared

to be the God

King

who rules

over all things

and all people.

So he receives

it from the Father

and it is

proved

by the resurrection.

So again,

look at verse 32.

God

has raised

this Jesus

to life

and we are

witnesses of it.

Jesus

had submitted

himself to death

on the cross

trusting

that the Father

would raise him

from the dead

and that's what

God the Father

did.

He raised

Jesus

and people

like the disciples

saw him,

heard him,

ate with him,

touched him.

This was the

physical,

bodily

resurrection

of Jesus.

He was dead

and he is now

raised

never to die

again.

So the resurrection

proves

the authority

that he has

received.

So if you were

to ask Jesus,

Jesus,

how do you

have all authority?

Well,

because I was

raised by the

Father

to rule

over all people

and all

powers.

Without the

resurrection,

Jesus is just

another crackpot.

But he was

seen to be

raised

and he now

has

all

authority.

So it was

received from

the Father,

proved by the

resurrection

and then third,

declared

on the mountain.

Let's go back

to Matthew

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

chapter 28.

Back at

verse 16.

The disciples,

Jesus says,

I want you,

I'm going to

meet you

up the

mountain.

Why go up

a mountain?

Now we've

already learned

this from

Matthew,

remember back

in chapter 5,

that mountains

have huge

significance

in the

Bible.

And Jesus

is taking

us back

once again

to a

significant

event

back at

Mount Sinai

in Exodus

in the Old

Testament

where God

had rescued

his people

from slavery

and God

called Moses

up the

mountain

to speak

to him.

And this

is what

God said.

Here it is

on the screen.

Out of all

the nations

you will be

my treasured

possession.

Although the

whole earth

is mine

you will be

for me

a kingdom

of priests

and a

holy nation.

Because I've

saved you,

God says,

you will be

my treasured

possession.

You will be

a kingdom

of priests.

You are to

represent God

to the people.

You are a

holy nation.

You are to

reflect God

to the people.

But now

what do we

see at the

end of

Matthew

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

chapter 28?

Jesus once

again

gathers

his disciples,

his treasured

possession

on the

mountain.

He speaks

with a

divine

authority.

Be my

people.

Represent

me.

Reflect

me in

the world

into which

I am going

to send

you.

Jesus

comes

as the

risen

king

who has

saved us

from sin

and death

and has

given us

new life.

You see,

this is not

a democracy

where we go

to the ballot

box and we

vote whether

Jesus has

authority or

not.

This is about

sovereignty.

It means

he does

rule whether

we accept

it or

reject it.

he rules

over my

life and

he rules

over your

life.

He rules

over your

work,

over your

free time,

over your

money,

every second

of every

day.

He rules

it.

Your life

belongs to

him.

So what

is our

response

to the

one with

absolute

power and

supreme

authority?

What's our

response?

well the

only right

response is

to submit

to him,

to bow in

joyful submission

to the

God King

who submitted

himself to

death for

you and

for me.

In

thankfulness

I surrender

my life to

the one who

gave me

life.

So first

we submit

to the

authority of

the risen

Jesus.

Second,

we obey

the command

of the

risen

Jesus.

You see,

if Jesus

has all

authority,

then he

has the

right to

command

things.

I don't

have any

right to

command

anybody.

But what

do we see

verse 19?

Jesus says,

therefore,

because I

have this

authority,

therefore go

and make

disciples of

all nations,

baptizing them

in the name

of the

Father and

of the

Son and

of the

Holy Spirit

and teaching

them to

obey everything

I have

commanded you.

The command

is not

difficult,

is it?

It's crystal

clear and as

I went

through this,

my main

thing I kept

telling myself

was,

don't make it

complicated.

Don't mess

up what is

already simple

and clear.

So let's

look at what

these commands

are.

There's three

main ones.

First,

make disciples.

This is the

primary and

central command

of this text,

making

disciples.

That's our

purpose.

If you're

wondering what

your purpose

is, that's

what disciples

do.

We make

more

disciples.

A disciple

is someone

who simply

follows Jesus

and therefore

calls others

to follow

Jesus.

Remember what

Jesus said

to his

disciples when

he first

called them,

come follow

me and I

will what?

I will make

you fishers

of people.

That's the

king's desire

and that's

what the

king's people

should desire.

Make

disciples.

But how

do we make

a disciple?

How does

that happen?

Well,

first we

announce

the gospel.

Look at

verse 19

because you're

saying,

well, where

does it say

that?

Well, we're

told to

baptise

people.

And what's

baptism?

Baptism is a

response

to the

gospel.

Verse 20,

we're to

teach

people.

Who are we

teaching?

Those who

have believed

the gospel.

Therefore,

the implication

is we

first need

to announce

the gospel.

Disciples

are ambassadors.

We started

with that

in 2 Corinthians

5.

We're ambassadors

bringing an

announcement

from the

king.

What are

you if you're

a Christian?

You're an

ambassador.

We announce

the good news

that Jesus

is king

and that he's

going to be

king forever.

God's king

who has

come to

redeem

broken lives

and restore

this disordered

world.

We declare

that God

through Jesus

has crushed

evil,

defeated

death,

so that we

could enter

into his

eternal kingdom.

And one day

this risen

king is going

to come back

in power

and glory

and he's

going to put

everything

right.

this is what

God has

achieved

and will

achieve

through his

son.

You see

Christianity

is never

anything

we do

for God.

Christianity

is always

about what

God has

done

for us.

So we

simply

announce

this good

news

about Jesus.

We

announce

the gospel

and we

baptise

verse 19.

We baptise

them in the

name of the

Father and

the Son and

the Spirit

because baptism

is a public

declaration

of an

internal

reality.

It's saying

that I've

now turned

from living

my own

way and

living under

my own

authority and

submitting to

my life

but now I've

turned and I

trust in

Jesus the

King and I

submit to

his authority

and I

obey

his

commands.

So as I

go under

the water

in baptism

I am

declaring that

Jesus died

for me

and as I

come out of

the water

I am

declaring

Jesus was

raised for

me.

It's an

outward

expression

of my

trust

in Jesus.

So let

me ask

you

how will

people know

if you're

a follower

of Jesus

and that

you're a

disciple

through our

baptism?

If you're a

Christian

how will

people know

you're a

Christian?

Through

baptism

because baptism

marks out

those who

are his

disciples.

It identifies

who follows

Jesus.

So if you're a

Christian here

today and

you say

yes I'm a

disciple

I follow

Jesus.

well have

you been

baptized?

And what

possible answer

are you going

to give

to that

question?

We're

baptized in

response

to what

Jesus has

done for

us.

To declare

to identify

to hold

our cards

up high

to say

yes I'm

a follower

of Jesus.

So why

don't you

talk to me

afterwards?

If you

say you're

a disciple

and you're

not yet

baptized

come talk

to me.

I'd love

to talk

to you

about that.

Third

we teach

we baptize

we teach

and let's

get this

clear we

don't teach

people to

obey who

are not

disciples.

We're not

going out

there and

saying listen

you're to

do this

and you're

to do

that.

No we

announce to

unbelievers

what Jesus

has done

and when

people have

received when

people believe

in Jesus

then we

live a life

of obedience

and we

want to

learn more

about Jesus

and that's

what we're

doing right

now.

We're a

gathering of

disciples who

are learning

what it means

to obey and

follow Jesus.

what are

his commands?

We read

them in

his word.

How am I

going to

follow them

and put

them into

practice?

We learn

together and

that's what we

do in our

home groups.

We're

together

studying

God's

word to

learn about

all the

things that

he commands

us to do

as his

people and

how we

should live

as a

Christian in

the world.

That's why

we make it

a priority

to gather

together as

his people.

So we

announce the

good news,

we baptise

people as a

sign of their

faith and

we teach them

the word of

God of what

it means to

follow Jesus.

It's really

not complicated

is it?

It's really

simple.

But that's

not all.

We make

disciples of

who?

of all

nations.

Verse 19.

Therefore go

and make

disciples of

all nations.

Nations

here is not

the political

divisions and

the geographical

borders and

lines that we

see in our

maps today.

It's the

different people

groups of the

world of

which there's

well there's

more than

15,000

different people

groups.

In other

words there's

no tribe or

language or

people that

are excluded

from hearing

about the

good news of

Christ.

In particular

the people

groups that

don't have

any or

very few

disciples in

them.

So we

heard if you

were listening

to Leticia

the Berber

is that right?

The Berber

people and

the people

from

Kabul.

Yeah?

So these

are all

people groups.

Or we

think of

the people

group in

Azad

Kashmir

where we

pray for

Mickey.

That land

sandwiched

between India

and Pakistan.

There's about

five million

people living

there and

four hundred

disciples.

people of

every tribe

and every

language and

every people

group gathering

together to

be his

disciples to

be with him

in his

eternal

kingdom.

A people

from all

over the

world from

Karigaline

and beyond

who will

follow him

and worship

him.

That's

God's

desire.

That's his

plan.

And how

do we do

it?

How do we

make disciples

of all

nations?

As

we go.

That's the

meaning of

verse 19.

It's better

to think of

it like this.

As you

go,

make

disciples

of all

nations.

In other

words,

it's not an

activity to

add to the

list when

we have

time.

It's what

we do

as we go

about our

lives.

Our

priority

as a

disciple

is to

make

more

disciples.

Now that

should change

everything.

Our

priority in

life is not

to get a

job and

earn a

good salary,

as important

as that is,

but as

we work

and as

we earn

our salaries

to make

disciples.

That's

what we

do.

Our

purpose is

not to

give our

children the

very best

possible

education

that we

can give

them,

but as

we raise

our

children

to make

them

disciples.

Our

goal in

life is

not to

get married

and live

a comfortable

life,

but wherever

we live

and whatever

our status

in life

may be,

to make

disciples.

Our

aim each

week is

not to

get healthier

and fitter,

but as we

eat our

salads and

as we

go to

the gym,

make

disciples.

You see,

unless we're

making

disciples,

we're not

a disciple.

Or let

me put it

another way,

we cannot

be disciples

and not

make

disciples.

Yes,

we can

pray for

people to

go,

yes,

we can

support

people

financially,

those things

are vital

and crucial,

we can

open up

our homes

to people,

we can

agree and

say,

yes,

yes,

yes,

the nations,

the unreached

people groups

of the world,

they must

be reached.

But unless

we are

personally

involved,

unless we

are intentionally,

each one of

us,

introducing

people to

Jesus and

helping others

to follow

Jesus,

we're not

a disciple

because that's

what a

disciple is.

making

disciples is

not for

the gifted

few,

but for

the privilege

of every

single one

of us.

So what's

our response

to the one

with all

authority,

the risen

Jesus who

commands us

to go and

make disciples?

What are you

going to say

to that command

today?

yes,

I will

obey.

We will

gladly and

willingly

prioritise

my life

around this

one command.

where you

say,

how do I

do that?

How could I

be involved

in making

disciples?

Well,

have you

heard of

the rock?

Have you

heard of

rooted?

Have you

heard of

polo?

They're all

things that

happen and

they would

all love to

have other

people help

out.

that's

one way.

It might

work for

you,

but that

is one

way to

think about.

That each

one of us

can be

involved in

picking up

our Bibles

with another

person in

the life of

the church,

meeting with

them to

read it and

to pray

together as

we encourage

each other to

obey everything

and to teach

each other

God's word.

that's

making a

disciple,

gathering

around his

word and

encouraging

others in

that word.

What

better or

greater offering

of thanks

can we give

to God

than to

make

another

person a

disciple?

That would

be the

greatest

offering that

we could

ever give.

love.

It's what

God is

doing and

it's what

he's calling

us to do.

So we

obey the

command of

Jesus.

Third,

we trust the

promise of the

risen Jesus.

Thankfully,

this command to

go is not

something we're

to do alone.

look at the

end of verse

20.

And surely

I am with

you always

to the very

end of the

age.

Now,

there's two

promises here

given for

our encouragement.

Here's the

first promise.

I am with

you always.

Remember who

Jesus is

talking to,

first of all,

in verse 17.

Do you see

who he's

talking to?

When they

saw him,

they worshipped

him,

but some

doubted.

Now,

isn't that

interesting?

The disciples

that he's

calling to

go into

world mission

some

worshipped,

some

doubted.

Or again,

the translation

is more,

they believe,

but they

don't believe.

There's a

mixture of

trusting and

doubting.

Yes,

yes,

we can do

this.

No,

I can't do

this.

Yes,

I want to

follow.

I'm not

sure I can

follow.

Sound a bit

like me.

Sounds a bit

like you.

Isn't that

us?

Worshippers

and doubters,

yes,

no.

We struggle,

don't we?

That's why

these words

are so

comforting.

He says,

I will be

with you

always.

The promise

that he

will be

with us

in the

task of

making

disciples.

That doesn't

mean he's

physically

with us,

holding us

by the

hand,

but he's

present in

every one

of us

by the

power of

his Holy

Spirit.

That means

the one

with all

authority

goes with

us

with his

authority.

The God

King who

rules over

all things

in heaven

and on

earth

is present

with me.

There is no

situation or

circumstance

of which he

doesn't have

control of.

There is no

power or

person over

which he

does not

reign.

there is no

barrier or

obstacle which

he cannot

overcome.

He crushed

evil and

he defeated

death.

Who else

do you want

to go with

you?

And he is

with you.

He is

present.

This God

is with you

always.

Who made

the universe

is with you.

You see he

not only

commands me

to go,

he enables

me and

equips me

as I go.

He will

help me

in my

fears

and boy

do I

fear.

And he

will help

me what

to say

because I

never know

what to

say.

Trust his

promise and

he will be

with you.

But there is

another promise

to the ends

of the age.

I am with

you always to

the very ends

of the age.

You are

saying this is

for the

disciples.

No it is

not.

It is for

all disciples

to the very

ends of

the age.

You see

this is a

promise that

the task

of disciple

making

will be

fulfilled.

Because a

day is

coming when

the Lord

Jesus is

going to

return again

and he

will welcome

all his

disciples into

his eternal

kingdom.

I am

looking forward

to that.

But it

hasn't

happened just

yet.

Because the

work is still

going on.

And his

plan and

his purpose

is not

going to

fail.

In fact

his promise

is a

reminder that

this is

primarily

God's

work.

It is

not that

God

assists us

in making

disciples and

it is not

that we

somehow have

to assist

God in

making

disciples.

It

pleases

God to

do his

work through

us.

Through people

like you

and me.

You see

if anyone

is to

become a

disciple.

It is

God

working

through

them.

The point

is that

what he

has promised

he will

accomplish.

Jesus has

already told

us this.

Go back

to chapter

24

and verse

14.

chapter

24

and verse

14.

Here

Jesus has

been talking

about

the end

of time

and he

tells us

all sorts

of different

things that

we can

see happening

and will

happen.

There will

be wars,

there will

be disasters,

all kinds

of things

will be

going on

and that's

what we

see happening

right now.

But he

also tells

us this

in chapter

24

verse 14.

In the

midst of

all the

turmoil

he says

and this

gospel of

the kingdom

will be

preached

in the

whole world

as a

testimony to

all nations

and then

the end

will come.

That's the

promise.

this gospel

of the

kingdom

is going

to be

proclaimed

to all

nations

and there

is no

one and

nothing

that can

ever stop

it.

Even over

those people

where there's

a threat

over their

life for

holding a

Bible in

their hand

those people

are being

reached

with the

gospel.

God will

work through

his people

he will

make

disciples

and when

that job

is fulfilled

then

Jesus will

return again.

When is

he coming?

I don't

know.

But while

we're waiting

we're making

disciples.

So as you

go

as we

go

as God's

people

believe the

promise

I am with

you always.

to the

very end

of the

age.

I hope

I haven't

complicated

it

because it's

really clear

isn't it?

And it

all hinges

on the

resurrection.

Do you

believe in

the resurrection

of Jesus

Christ from

the dead?

Do you

believe he's

risen?

What difference

is that going

to make to

us?

I must

submit to

him.

Submit to

his authority.

I must

obey his

command

and I

must trust

his promise.

We're

disciple

makers.

That's our

job.

Let's pray

for his

help.

Father God,

thank you

for the

disciples

that you

have brought

into our

life.

People who

announced

the gospel

to us.

Thank you

for people

who discipled

us and

taught us

your word

to give us

understanding

of what it

means to

follow you.

We thank

you for

them.

Perhaps

some of

them have

already

passed and

are now

with the

Lord.

We

remember

them.

And we

thank you

for them,

whether it

was a

parent,

a friend,

somebody in

our church.

Thank you

for those

that bothered

to teach

us and

make it

their

priority.

Father,

we are

today living

in our

generation.

Help us

together to

be about

your work,

your business

of making

disciples.

Help us

to trust

you,

that you

are with

us to

the very

end of

the age

and the

very end

of our

life.

Until we

are with

you,

we will

see you.

So go

before us.

Help us

to be

your

disciple

makers

for your

glory

and for

your

praise.

In

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Well, we

are going

to sing

in response.

And as

we sing,

let this

song be

your

prayer.

Let this

song be a

prayer for

all of us

together.

The task

is unfinished.

The Lord

is not yet

returned.

Let us

go into

this week

and make

Christ

known.

Let's

stand

together as

we sing.