Mission Possible

Title - Mission Possible

Matthew 28:16-20(NIV)

Missions Sunday

Good Morning brothers and Sisters!

It is a joy to worship God and study His word together as a body of Christ.

This month is ‘Missions Month’ here at Makati Gospel Church and we have had several missions awareness activities in the past weeks. Today is our ‘Missions Sunday,’ so our topic for this morning is, “Mission Possible.” We will be looking at a familiar passage of scripture that contains the final words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Would you turn your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verses 16-20.

Text: Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

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

17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 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,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

These are the last words of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that last words are very important. When someone dies, one of the questions people ask is, did he or she have any last words? Last words that people say; reveal what is closest to their heart. So, these last words of Jesus reveal to us what is closet to His heart. These final words are usually called the ‘Great Commission.’ “Commission” refers to an ‘authoritative command’ or a ‘directive.’ So, when Jesus spoke these final words, He was actually giving an authoritative command to His disciples. And today, He is giving that same command, the Great Commission, to all of us. Now, the question is…how are we going to fulfill that Great Commission?

This morning, we will learn about three things that we must do, in order to fulfill the Great Commission. Let us look at those three things one at a time. First, we must submit to the Great Authority of Jesus.

1. Submit to the Great Authority (16-18)

The eleven disciples were the closest friends Jesus had on earth who followed Him through thick and thin. They were only eleven because Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus. Jesus wanted to gather His disciples together for one last time to speak to them. So they went up to the mountain in Galilee to meet Him. Mountains are significant locations in the Bible. Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The Jews went up to Mount Zion to worship God. Jesus went up to Mount Calvary to be crucified. And here, Jesus told His disciples to go up to the mountain in Galilee to meet Him.

This meeting in the mountain tells us about the significance of the moment. When the disciples saw Jesus, they worshiped Him. Their faith became even stronger and they responded to Him in worship. But, what is surprising here is that, some doubted. In the original language, it means hesitation or indecision rather than unbelief. They were most likely in a state of shock. The disciples did not have enough time to comprehend all that had taken place. But, Jesus didn’t condemn those who doubted Him. Instead, He spoke to them about His authority to draw them back to who He is. And their doubts were quickly dispelled, when He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

This is one of the most crucial statements that Jesus ever made. He has ALL authority in heaven and on earth. The word authority carries a wide range of meaning, which includes power, right, freedom and ability. In this context, the best meaning of His authority is “to rule,” with emphasis on the scope of His rule. God gave that authority to Jesus Christ on the basis of His victorious resurrection from the dead. Paul declares in Philippians 2:9-11:

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place, and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Illustration: Marvin’s Life Transforming Story

Please, allow me to share with you about one of my disciples. Marvin was 14 years old when his mother died. That same year, his father moved to another city with a woman, leaving behind Marvin and his siblings. Those painful circumstances led Marvin to look for love and acceptance in life. But he couldn’t find it all by himself. So he turned into drugs, joined a gang and later became a gang leader. When he was 20 years old, he got into a gang fight, which resulted in homicide. He was caught by police and was given a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.