Missions: The Great Mandate
Matthew 28:18-20
Introduction
It has been rightly said that missions is the heartbeat of God, and it must also be the heartbeat of each and every church.
It is my prayer and desire that our church would develop an even greater vision for missions, and that every member of our church would become personally involved in the Lord’s mission work.
Neither the word "missions" nor "missionary" is found in your King James Version of the Bible. They are terms we use on a constant basis, but they actually are given to us from other words. In the Greek New Testament, the word "apostolos" is translated "apostle," which means, "one sent out with a message." Another has sent him out, and he bears the message of another.
We generally tend to be very closed minded when it comes to missions, for most often a foreign field comes up, a missionary living in a hut or some primitive dwelling somewhere eating bugs. However, the Bible doesn’t support this view at all.
Mission work actually involves a broad spectrum of evangelistic work, what is missions? It is all of our work, empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Jesus Christ and share the blessings of the Christian faith with all who are strangers to His grace. So, whether we be in Denmark or Dallas, Canada or Cambodia, North Dakota or your own back yard, we are talking about missions, because missions is us getting the gospel to them.
Tonight I want us to break down the Great Commission and get a better understanding of God expects of His church and His mission.
Read Scriptures: Matthew 28:18-20
I. The command of the Great Commission
Vs. 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”
In Matthew 28, the Lord gave one command to His church. What I’m about to give you is not new, so I trust that you will listen and study this out for yourself.
There are four parts to the commission found in our text, but there is only one command. You see the "go, teach, baptizing, and teaching."
The word "teach" comes from a word that means, "to make disciples."
"After you have gone, 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 everything that I commanded you."
So the command is to make disciples, make them followers of Christ. Who? All nations – all people. How do we make disciples of those who are strangers to the grace of God? How do we make followers of those who have never heard?
II. The method of the Great Commission.
Vs. 19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
A. Go…
Every account of the commission has this element. We cannot reach people if we never get where they are. However, too many of the Lord’s churches have accepted the Wendy’s mentality of, "If you build it they will come." But as one man rightly commented, "Jesus did not command the whole world to go to church. Jesus commanded His church to go to the world."
In John 20:21, Jesus said, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." Who was Jesus speaking to? To His church – each member of it.
Every member of every church has been told to make disciples – the going is a necessary part of making disciples. Where do teachers come from who will share Christ? They come from among the church members. Where do preachers come from? It is not from seminary, but rather from among the church members. Where do missionaries come from? They come from among the ranks of church members just like you. In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul…"
God is still calling people to fields of labor, but too many people are not answering that call. They aren’t answering the call of the local field, let alone the state, national and foreign fields.
Did you know that in survey after survey, it was found that only 2% of all believers had ever introduced another person to Christ?
Acts 1:8 reminds us that our first field is Krotz Springs, then Louisiana, then America, and finally the world abroad. So the methos of missions is first of all "go."
B. Preach
Mark 16:15 says, "Go ye into all the world and preach…"
Luke 24:46-47 says, "thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins be preached in his name…"
We have a message from God that must be shared. I know it’s not popular, its not cool, its not easy, but God has chosen preaching as the primary means of sharing Christ.
DL Moody was walking down a Chicago street one day when he saw a man leaning against a lamppost. He gently put his hand on the man’s shoulder and asked him if he was a Christian. The man angrily raised his fists and exclaimed, "Mind your own business!" I’m sorry if I’ve offended you," said Moody, "but to be very frank, that is my business!"
Jesus has called on every believer in a general way to join Him in reaching people. Every church member is called on to share the gospel message. There are some however who have specifically been called to preach.
The God called preacher who refuses to answer this call is being disobedient to God. A preacher who won’t preach is either a fake or is disobedient. But that’s true of anyone God calls on you to join Him in ministry. He wants you to share the gospel-the death, the burial and the resurrection, to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to others.
When was the last time you did? Listen, we can’t make a disciple out of anyone to whom we will not go, nor can we make a disciple out of anyone that we will not first lead to Christ in salvation by sharing the Word of God with them.
C. Baptize…
We talk a lot about baptism. What does it have to do with the Great Commission? What does it have to do with making disciples?
As we make disciples, we must teach them to identify with Christ. They have given their lives to Him, and they must be willing to show this to an unbelieving world.
God’s order is clear. Make people followers of Christ, baptize them, then teach them. Baptism then is the first act of obedience after salvation.
The Lord intends that His children serve in and through the local church, and baptism is the prerequisite for doing so.
D. Teach…
We are to teach those disciples whom we baptize to live by the Scriptures, to follow the Spirit, to love the Lord, and to go out and start the process all over again.
We must work and labor to bring every child of God to maturity so that they can join in missions.
Conclusion
Let me ask you something. Do you believe in mission work? If you do, then are you being a part of mission work?
Paul bragging about how missionary minded the churches of Macedonia were? He said, "they first gave their own selves to the Lord…"
