Com-Mission Impossible
Matthew 28:16-20
INTRO: (Start the Mission Impossible theme music)
You’ve seen the movies and know the concept. But, how many of us have been given a job that seems like Mission Impossible? We all probably have! Either there wasn’t enough money, or time, or talent, or other resources to get the job done. When this happens, it makes us feel frustrated and defeated, even ready to quit!
But what if you were given that same impossible job, and this time your boss gave you everything you need to succeed? Budget, time, and resources all have no limits. And most importantly your boss gives you their complete support. Would it still be impossible? What could you accomplish within that working environment?
As we come to this last paragraph in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry we read these familiar words.
Read the text: Matthew 28:16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)
And what is this text from your Bible called? What title or heading is given to it? The Great Commission, right? But does your Bible use those words? No, it doesn’t! So why do we call it that? I’ll try to answer that question, but later. How many of you have read or heard this text before? Probably most of us have. Well today, I want us to look at this passage in two ways: 1st as Commission Impossible & 2nd as Commission Probable-one that cannot fail. But what is a commission? A commission is the act of entrusting or giving authority to another person so that they can perform certain acts or duties. And that is exactly what this passage is. And before we can get into what that looks like, we need to look at why our Lord gave this commissioning.
The disciples have been with Jesus for 3 ½ years. With Him, they were eyewitness to things that most of us wished we could have seen for ourselves. They have heard His teachings, witnessed His miracles and experienced His power and presence. But now that is all over… or is it? They feel discouraged, defeated, and confused. What will they do now? Their leader and Lord as defeated death, but what is next for them? They know He has conquered the grave, they have seen Him several times after the resurrection. But what are they to do? Why bother telling this incredible true story of the Lord, if no one is going to believe them? What difference is it going to make?
These words were so powerful that all Gospel writers use a close variation to end each of their own ‘Jesus account’. And while these words are a commissioning, they are so more than that. They are words of encouragement and confidence. In the same way most of us would never forget the final words of a respected and loved one, these words stay with the disciples for the rest of their lives. And most importantly, these words are not just from Jesus of Nazareth the carpenter, these are the words of the Son of God Himself!
1.The Commission EXPLAINED
a.Remember what a “Commission” is? A commission is the act of entrusting or giving authority to a person so that they can perform certain acts or duties. That is exactly what Jesus encourages His disciple with in verse 18. And in case you think this is a completely new & different commissioning, it is not! Our Lord has always wanted His people to be a blessing and share His message with those who don’t know. (Gen.12:1-3 & 22:18) “And in your offspring shall all the nations be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
*The very heart of Christianity is a missionary faith. Because the very nature of God demands this, for God is love and God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
b.“Go” is literally, ‘as you are going’ or ‘while you are going’. And just like God instructions to the people of Israel in Deut 6:4-9, teaching was to be in the context of natural things of life. In other words, as followers of Christ and as we live our lives we are to share His message of love and hope.
c.“Therefore” in verse 19 means ‘because of this authority of mine.” The message is not our own and we are not to attempt this commission in our own strength.
d.There is one verb in this commission; it is “Make disciples”. This is not the “Great Option”; it is commanded of each of us! Not just for the Evangelists, Pastors Elders! It is for all of Christ’s followers. This commission is how we live out the Great Commands of Matthew 22:36-40. It is the one means by which our Lord sanctions His Church to grow and multiple itself. And this begins by ‘sharing the Gospel of Christ”
* But what is the Gospel? The Gospel is the good news that God so loved us that He gave His only Son as the payment for our sin penalty. (John 3:16) And without the repentance of sin and receiving Christ’s death for our self personally, by faith, we are doomed to be eternally separated for God.
e.We are told the scope of our audience is “all nations.” This literally means of all peoples or ethnic groups”. Therefore, in the family of God there is absolutely no room for racial prejudices.
f.The next step of the commission is for new believers in water baptism.
g.Jesus even gives us the formula for this baptism. And notice the “name” of the Triune God.
h.The next step is “teaching”. This is a process that continues for the life of a disciple.
i.The final step for this disciple is to mature enough to go and continue this commission.
j.And lest we thing we can’t accomplish Great commission, our Lord promises us that He will be with us to the very end.
k.The word disciple means, “one who embraces and assists in the spreading of a teaching.” The very core of this Commission is the reproduction in others of what Jesus has produced in us: faith, obedience, growth, authority, compassion, love, and a bold, truthful message as His witnesses. Disciples are learners compelled to produce more learners.
2.Commission “IMPOSSIBLE” - (WE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS!)
When these eleven disciples heard this commission for the first time, they probably felt like Dr. Emmett Brown from “Back to the Future”, when he said,“1.21 gigawatts, it can’t be done!” The technology and resources that these eleven had at their disposal were so limited compared to what we have today. Do you realize, their fastest mode of transportation was only about 30 mph? How could they ever reach all nations?
a.We are motivated by selfishness or guilt.
*There is no room for the ‘selfish disciple’ in this commission. It is always so easy to say, “I forgiven and going to heaven so I OK”. And guilt is only a short-time motivator.
b. We are afraid. (failure or rejection)
*Ill: I heard about a football game being played where the home team was being smeared by the visiting squad. Someone on the sidelines kept yelling, "Give the ball to Calhoun! Give the ball to Calhoun!’’ The home team tried another offensive play, and again they were smashed to the ground, losing valuable yardage. Again came the cry, "Give the ball to Calhoun!’’ This familiar cry rang out again and again during the game, "Give the ball to Calhoun!’’ Finally in the fourth quarter, a player rose from the pile of human bodies and shouted to the crowd, "Calhoun doesn’t want the ball!’’ I’m afraid this is true of many Christians today. They don’t want to carry the ball of this commission either.
* As followers of Christ we must always remember what is being rejected is the message and the person of Jesus. We cannot take the rejection personally. (1 Cor.1:18) “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
c. We don’t care.
*Many of us are busy with our own life and things we just don’t have time to be concerned with the problems of others. Or we might be tempted to say, “Hey, our church is big enough, this Commission thing is for other smaller churches.”
d. We don’t know any Non-Christians.
*It seems the longer most of us are Christians the more we surround ourselves with other Christians and the fewer Non-Christian friends we have.
e. We don’t know enough. (Video “Not an Expert” from Bluefish TV)
*We don’t need to be an expert. All we have to do is share what we do know and do what we know to do. Christianity has been describes as one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.
3.Commission “PROBABLE” – (WE CAN ONLY ACCOMPLISH IT CONDITIONALLY)
*Here’s something amazing, it only takes one or two generations of Christ followers to fail at this Commission before the mission is in real trouble.
a. We are motivated by dependence.
*When we realize it is Christ that is working through me rather than my wisdom or talent that is needed to accomplish this mission, everything changes.
b. We are motivated by compassion.
*This was what Jesus modeled! Our motivation is to be the same, that of care and compassion for others to know the love of God and experience His presence too.
c. We partner with the Trinity. (We go in His authority, in His strength and with His message)
*(John 6:43-44) “ Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
d. We understand we must keep doing it. We partner with others.
*(1 Cor. 3:5-9) “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.”
e. We receive a heavenly reward.
*The Bible does speak of rewards earned by followers of Christ But, what a better reward than to know you were part of the reason some else gets into heaven.
4. How I make this Commission my Mission.
a. Begin by praying for my Non-Christian friends, family, and co-workers.
*This prayer keeps us dependant on Him and us having a compassionate heart for others.
b. Begin with conversations that show I care about them personally and spiritually.
*People genuinely know when they are cared about. They also know when they are your project. Please never make them your project.
c. Learn to tell my own Salvation story.
*Learn to tell how you came to Jesus in a minute or two. And by all means, make Jesus attractive to others by the way you live your life and talk.
d. Invite them to church events so they can hear the Good News about Jesus too.
*Treat them as honor guests. Offer to take them to lunch/dinner afterwards if they come.
Application/Conclusion
This Commission is the pattern that Jesus gave His Church and each of His followers. But someone has said, in many respects the church has departed from this pattern. In many churches, the congregation pays the pastors to preach, win the lost, and build up the saints – while the church members function as cheerleaders (at best) or simply as spectators.
While that may be true in some churches, that doesn’t mean that has to be the pattern of our church or us individually. These eleven disciples, plus Paul, took this Commission and made it their Mission. And they changed their world, so can we if we do the same! What’s stopping you from starting your Com-Mission Probable today?
