Yesterday we observed the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States. Our lives have not been the same nor as safe ever since. We just handed back (surrendered) Afghanistan to the Taliban who harbored and abetted Osama Bin Laden and his organization in this terrorist attack on America. Many do not realize it, but America just opened up ourselves to more terrorism than ever before by this show of weakness.
Now throw in the COVID-19 pandemic into the mix and the whole world has changed. The entire world is a hot spot, no one is safe from anything anywhere. So what are we as Christians, as Disciples of Jesus to do?
Our marching orders from Jesus has not changed. It has always been the same. Jesus commanded the Great Commission. You may say that the world, our country just needs new rule or laws, or even new politicians, but what we really need is Jesus, the life giving message of the Gospel.
The Great Commission is so important we’re taking several weeks to examine these few verses. In fact, the Great Commission defines who we are as a denomination. The SBC had voted to adopt the descriptor "Great Commission Baptists” as an alternate name for the SBC. But do we understand what it means?
However, here is the sad fact: According to a 2018 Barna Group survey only 17 percent of churchgoers had heard of “The Great Commission” and knows what the term means. The remainder of churchgoers largely had never heard of it (51%), with a quarter (25%) saying that they had heard of it but couldn’t recall the exact meaning. [1]
This is one reason why we are going to take our time with these verses which we call “The Great Commission.”
Matthew 28:18–20
Today we are going to look at what a commissioning is all about. Most of you know, I am a retired from the Air Force after almost twenty five years of active duty service. (No, I was not a military Chaplain, I was a fighter pilot.)
On April 7, 1981, was a special day for me. About 150 others and I stood in the middle of a very hot parade field at the Lackland AFB Officer Training School and took a solemn oath, our oath of office. I repeated the following oath:
"I, having been appointed a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God." [2]
As a newly commissioned Second Lieutenant in the USAF, I took my commission very seriously. It was a very proud and sober occasion. I retook that oath every time I was promoted. Lives offered. Lives taken. Lives changed. All on the strength of a commission. A commission inspired by a sense of duty to my country. This commission has impacted every day of my life from that day forward to this very day. (I still hold my commission as a retired regular officer in the USAF.) Commissions are like that when they are taken seriously.
Commissions are to be accepted. Commissions are to be obeyed. Commissions are to be fulfilled to the best of our ability.
Jesus was about to do some serious commissioning. His disciples were about to graduate from a school of their own. And the Lord of the universe pronounced an even more demanding commission upon those who would follow him. It would impact all of life, every day, for the rest of their lives and eternity. This was “The Great Commission” which we just read.
According to my USAF commissioning certificate, I was appointed by the President of the United States (President Ronald Reagan at the time), with the approval of Congress, and by the authority granted to him in the US Constitution. By what authority does Jesus commission us, His disciples?
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Our commission as Christians, was given to us by Jesus Christ, Lord, and Creator of the Universe, with all the authority and power in heaven and on earth (another way of saying in the entire universe). He was given this authority by God the Father. Now tell me which commission is more important, more life changing, more powerful, more impacting to our world, the commissioning of a military officer, or the commissioning the disciples of Jesus? Our concentration this morning will be on verse 18. We need to realize that Jesus had authority while on earth.
Jesus taught with authority – look at the very end of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 7:28–29 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus was the source of His teachings. When I teach and preach, my source comes from the Word. Jesus was that Word (John 1:1).
Jesus had authority over Nature:
Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus had authority over the demonic.
Luke 4:35–36 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. 36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”
Jesus had authority over sickness and diseases.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
Jesus had authority over physical death:
Luke 7:14–15 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Remember, all self-respecting Jewish Rabbis would not come near a dead body, much less touch one. Yet Jesus is the “the way the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). Remember Lazarus. To Martha Jesus said that He was the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
Jesus had authority over sin:
Matthew 9:4–6 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
Authority over all flesh and eternal life
John 17:2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
But as grand as these authorities were – it was not boundless, it was not unlimited prior to the His resurrection. But after the resurrection, when Christ conquered death and the grave;
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
All Authority - Greek “exousia” meaning jurisdiction, power, and the authority to rule.
“has been given” – In the Greek is it “edoth” – in which the Greek tense is aorist + passive + indicative -meaning it has happened and it is timeless. Jesus was given that authority and He will possess it forever. Even in the Old Testament, God revealed that Christ will have all power and authority:
Daniel 7:13–14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.
We forget that Christ rules over all, he has all authority, over all nations, and over all things. The day is coming when all of creation will bow down to Him.
Philippians 2:9–11 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus has every right to issue His church their marching orders.
Christ chose the church to do His work. His deliberately chose to works through His people, His disciples, us. That is the mission of the church. He could have given the work to the angels but He did not. When Jesus gave the commission, He spoke with a world-wide view, having all of history, past, present, future resting in His hands, with all the resources of heaven and earth at his command. Jesus does not commission and send without enabling.
Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Jesus charged the 11 disciples with changing the world. He sent them out with passion and power.
Matthew 28:20b and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We tend to be full of excuses as to why we cannot to something. Like some who doubted, we doubt too. “but I cannot speak a foreign language, I cannot teach, I cannot speak well about my faith, I cannot do this, and I cannot do that, etc." We forget that His Spirit and His power goes with us and goes out ahead of us. The power is in the message we bring. Paul complained about his limitations too.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
When the work is done, through us, despite our limitations, Jesus gets the glory, not us. Jesus did not make this commission a wish list, not a request, but is a command. Peter explained to Cornelius what Jesus commanded him to do.
Acts 10:42–43 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
What are we choosing to do? Are we saying "It’s nice for others to do, but not for me? That's the job of the preacher and the associate pastor, the paid professionals?" the fact is, this commission was for all of His disciples.
What will we choose to do as His disciples? To obey the commission or to ignore it? What did Jesus say?
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Will we obey the call from the One that holds all power and authority?
Perhaps you do not have a relationship with the risen Lord. You cannot carry out his commands because you have never placed yourself under His authority. He does not want you wait till you have cleaned up your act. You let Him clean up your act. He is asking you to come, place yourself under His authority. One day everyone will acknowledge His authority. Will acknowledge that authority today?
[1] https://www.barna.com/research/missions-evangelism/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Barna+Update%3A+Half+of+Churchgoers+Do+Not+Know+the+Great+Commission&utm_campaign=2021-09-01_Missions+Review+RESEND_BU
[2] https://usafofficer.com/oath-of-office/
