Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishers. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry. Week after week, month after month, and year after year these who called themselves fishers held meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. They carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be the primary task of fishers.
Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing, and for new and better definitions of fishing. They loved slogans such as “Fishing is the task of every Fisher,” and “A fishing outpost for every fishing club.” They sponsored special meetings called “Fisher’s Campaigns” and “The Month for Fishers to Fish.” They held congresses to discuss fishing, to promote fishing and to hear about all the new methods of fishing and whether any new bait was discovered. These fishers built large, beautiful buildings called “Fishing Headquarters.” The plea was that everyone should be a fisher and every fisher should fish. One thing, though, they didn’t do was...fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishers to other places where there were many fish. Everyone seemed to agree that what was needed was a board which could challenge fishers to be faithful in fishing. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in faraway streams and lakes where many fish of different colors lived. But one thing they didn’t do was...fish.
Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach people how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology. But, no matter how well they taught, one thing the good Dr. Fishers forgot was to...fish.
Now it’s true that many of the fishers sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. Some received the ridicule of people who made fun of their fishing clubs. So, imagine how hurt some of them were when, one day, someone suggested that those who didn’t catch fish were really not fishers – no matter how much they claimed to be. Is a person a fisher if year after year she never catches a fish? Is a person a fisher if he isn’t fishing? (John Drescher, “Church Growth: America,” Sept/Oct 1978).
We’re focusing in this series on what took place between the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus, when He appeared to individuals on at least eleven occasions over a period of a little longer than a month.
These encounters helped to solidify the faith of these first followers as Acts 1:3 states: “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” According to a harmony of the Gospels, our risen Lord and Savior made these appearances:
To Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18)
To the other women (Matthew 28:9-10)
To two followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)
To Peter (1 Corinthians 15:5)
To all the disciples except Thomas (John 20:19-23)
To all the disciples including Thomas (John 20:24-29)
To seven disciples on the Sea of Galilee’s shore (John 21:1-25)
To the eleven disciples on a mountain (Matthew 28:16-20).
To James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
To all the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36-49)
To the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-12)
To Saul (Paul), after the Ascension (Acts 9:1-22)
Last week we learned that Jesus wants us to love Him lavishly and to serve others selflessly as we follow Him faithfully. That’s really the Great Commandment: To love God and to love others. This morning our focus is on the Great Commission, given by the Master Fisher of Men.
Almost every company and many churches have “mission statements” today. These statements are meant to define specifically what an organization is all about and to give the reason for their existence. Some statements are short and memorable and others are long and difficult to remember like this one: “It’s our responsibility to professionally engineer diverse meta-services so that we may endeavor to assertively integrate performance based catalysts for change while promoting personal employee growth.” At PBC, our defining declaration summarizes our six purposes as a church, using the acrostic IMPACT: Instruction, Ministry, Prayer, Adoration, Caring, and Telling.
I want to suggest this morning that the main mission of our church, and every other church, is stated succinctly by the Savior. His final proclamation must become our first priority. Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 28:16-20. This text is divided into five parts (special thanks to John Piper for the second half of this outline):
A Listening Community (16)
A Liberated Consecration (17)
A Lofty Claim (18)
A Last Command (19-20a)
A Loving Comfort (20b)
1. A Listening Community (16). After Jesus had breakfast on the beach with seven of the disciples, and restored Peter to ministry (John 21:1-25), He then met with the eleven: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.” After initially appearing to the disciples in Jerusalem, He told them to travel to Galilee, away from the noise of the capital city, and wait for Him on a mountain. Galilee was the site of so many miracles and ministry, and was the home of many of the disciples. Being on a mountain must have given them memories of the time Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7); when Peter, James and John went up on a mountain and saw Jesus transfigured before their eyes (Matthew 17:1); and when Jesus would withdraw to a mountain retreat by Himself for prayer (John 6:15).
In fact, Jesus actually told them about this meeting on the mountain before He was crucified in Matthew 26:32: “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Then, after the Resurrection, an angel gave the women this message to give to the disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him” (Matthew 28:7). Jesus Himself gave these same directions just a few verses later: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10).
The disciples listened to the Lord and did as He said, traveling about 70 miles from Jerusalem to Galilee. They weren’t exactly sure when Jesus would come, but they knew He would. Once again, we see that they obeyed what was revealed to them. Incidentally, some commentators believe that this meeting included hundreds of other believers as well, pointing to 1 Corinthians 15:6: “After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time…”
2. A Liberated Consecration (17). The disciples not only listened, they also worshipped: “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” The word “worship” here means that they hit the ground in adoration. Interestingly, this is the first time we read that the disciples responded like this. When they saw that it was Jesus, the majority prostrated themselves before Him. They were liberated, with nothing holding them back, as they consecrated themselves. This is the response that Jesus wants from us today. We are to be so in awe of Him that we can’t help but submit and surrender to Him.
John Piper reminds us that ministry and missions must always start and end with adoration. One of my favorite quotes is from his book called, “The Supremacy of God in Missions.” Listen carefully to what he says: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is the ultimate, not missions, because God is the ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.”
If a number of the disciples prostrated themselves in praise, there were also some who doubted. This is hard to believe, or is it? These disciples had seen so much, and yet some of them still doubted. I think they flipped out because they lost focus. They started looking around and wondered if they were up to the task before them. This shows us at least four things:
We will continually have to deal with our own doubts
Doubts don’t disqualify us from ministry
Within every group, there are some who worship and some who waffle
The mission of the church is advanced in the midst of doubters
3. A Lofty Claim (18). The listeners have been liberated enough to worship (or doubt) and now the Lord makes a lofty claim in verse 18: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” Notice here that Jesus didn’t stay far away but came close to them. Maybe those who doubted were unsure it was Him but now their uncertainty evaporated as He appealed to the authority that had been given to Him. Paul wrote something similar in Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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, to the glory of God the Father.”
Friends, there is nothing outside the authority of Jesus Christ. He has power over Satan and all his wicked forces; stars, galaxies, planets and meteorites; wind, rain and tornadoes; every breath we take and every beat of our hearts; He has control over presidents and kings and congress; and even over the Cubs…He has been given all power and all authority – there is nothing outside of His control. The scope and magnitude of His reign is infinite. He has the right to do as He pleases, and whatever we are told to do, He will accomplish in His authority!
4. A Last Command (19-20a). As Jesus hovers between heaven and earth, He has one last thing to say to His followers. This is not a suggestion or an option, though for many of us, we could refer to it as the “Great Omission.” Let me read these familiar ministry marching orders: “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.” Let’s unpack this phrase-by-phrase.
“Therefore…” Because of His authority, Jesus has the right to reign supreme and to give commands to His charges. Everything He says, and all that we have been given to do, is based upon His universal and unquestioned Lordship. We are sent out as ambassadors of the authoritative one, the Alpha and Omega, and as such, have nothing to fear.
“Go…” This participle literally means, “as you go” or “in your going.” In other words, we are to make disciples in the natural course of our lives, wherever we go. It’s really not a command; but rather a given – as we go, and we will go, this is what we should do. We must move and not stand still!
“Make disciples…” This is the only command in this passage; the other words revolve around disciple-making. We are to go in order to make disciples. We are to baptize disciples. And we are to teach disciples to obey. A disciple is literally a “learner,” one who is being mentored by the Master. I want you to notice that we are to do more than just evangelism – we must also equip, edify and enfold new converts into reproducing churches.
“Of all nations…” The task of making disciples must extend to the ends of the earth. The word “nations” is the Greek word ethne, where we get the word ethnic. This word refers to “people groups,” not just countries. Our task is not just to make disciples in the 193 countries of the world; but to go to the 16,168 distinct people groups scattered across the continents! Amazingly, of these groups, according to the Joshua Project, 6,780 are still considered “unreached” with the gospel message (that’s about 42%). John Piper writes: “There is not a culture or an ethnic group or a society or a religion or a language where Jesus does not have the right to be worshiped as Lord…Jesus Christ, the living, all-authoritative Lord of the universe, has commanded us to call every nation, every people, and every religion to repent and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of eternal life with the one true God” (www.desiringgod.org).
I fear that we as American Christians have lost sight of the fact that there are thousands of people dying without Christ every day and waking up in the horrors of hell. Here’s a question. What percentage of the world’s population resides in the United States? Just 4%, and yet we often act like we’re the center of the universe. We must take the gospel to the globe! Doug and Julie Miller, one of our missionary couples, spend the majority of their time researching and studying unreached groups of people so that their mission can send in missionary teams. Revelation 5:9: “…and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Since there will be believers from every people group in heaven, we must go with the gospel and develop disciples to the ends of the earth.
“Baptizing them…” Baptism is a sign of separation from the world and identification with the triune God, where we pledge allegiance to the Almighty. It’s an outward expression of an inner confession. Our next baptism service will be held sometime this fall. If you haven’t been baptized as a believer, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the green document in the hallway entitled, “Proclaiming God’s Purposes in Baptism” or you can download it at: www.pontiacbible.org/sermons/archive/20030928.html.
“And teaching them to obey…” As Keith and Jeannette Shubert reminded us last Sunday, teaching is meant to be transformational. We are not interested in just filling heads; we want filled up hearts and faithful feet that obey.
5. A Loving Comfort (20b). While Jesus gives us what seems like an impossible task, He does so with His authority and also with His loving comfort: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Some translations use the word “amen” or “lo.” The Greek literally means, “See, behold, and remember.” No matter how challenging and difficult the task may seem, remember that the Redeemer is with you. Someone has said, “Live as if Jesus were coming back today and work as if he will return in 1,000 years.” Remember Jesus’ promise found in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Jesus is with us continuously, without break. He never sleeps nor slumbers as Psalm 121:4 states. Hebrews 13:5 promises that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. One of my favorite verses is found in Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Jesus is surely with us, and He will be with us to the very end of the age, when we gather together as His people and when we scatter into the world as His witnesses. Jesus promised in John 14:8: “I will not leave you as orphans…” This is a mission we don’t have to do alone – it’s the commission, meaning “together” – we serve with others and the Savior is with us always.
And so, listen to Him; be liberated in your worship; listen to His lofty claim; obey His last command; and allow His loving presence to comfort you. Let’s not just talk about fishing; let’s be fishers!
Application
Let me suggest several ways to apply what we’ve learned this morning. After all, we don’t want to just be informed; we want to be transformed – and that happens when we determine to obey.
1. Read a missionary biography. This is dangerous to do but I dare you to do it.
2. Begin corresponding with, and praying for, one of our missionaries. Pick up a recent prayer letter in the hallway or visit our website to access links to email addresses: www.pontiacbible.org/ministries/missions/missions.htm.
3. Pray for an unreached people group. Visit the Joshua Project for up-to-date information on those groups of people that still have no gospel witness. You may even want to consider adopting a group so that you can pray and fast and give and maybe even go: www.joshuaproject.net.
4. Start where you are. Talk to your network of relationships about Christ. Open your backyard to a 5-Day-Club this summer.
5. Support a summer missionary. There are still many missionaries that are under-supported, under-encouraged, and under-prayed for. Pick one of our summer servants and fast for them maybe one day a week, write them a note, pray fervently, and have them over to your house when they return.
6. Be willing to go yourself. One reason we did not have a Missions Conference this year is because of the incredible response that we received from the Missions Fair during the 40 Days of Purpose Journey last fall. In addition, this summer we will be focusing on three months of missions as we commission five different groups, hear reports from them when they return, and receive visits from our missionaries the Becker’s, the Mikesell’s and Beth Hanna (and we heard from the Shubert’s last Sunday). I’m praying that God will raise up a white-hot enjoyment of His glory so that more people will be glad in the greatness of God.
A Great Commissioning
William Carey conquered the prevailing indifference and hostility to the Great Commission in his day. At the age of 21, he had mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Italian, and was starting to study Dutch and French. He was an avid reader and the more he learned, the more convinced he was that “the peoples of the world need Christ.” He made notes, and constructed a great leather globe of the world, and one day, in the quietness of his cobbler’s shop, Carey wrote this: “If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel…then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavor to make it known among all nations.” He then sobbed out: “Here am I; send me!”
To surrender was one thing but to get to the field was quite another problem. There were no mission agencies and no real missionary interest. When Carey shared his passion and commitment to the Great Commission at a meeting of ministers, one older preacher said, “Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine.” Carey became more determined than ever to evangelize and disciple the nations and wrote his famous masterpiece on missions called, “Enquiry into the Obligations of the Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen.”
He then prayed and pled and plodded and persisted and preached this message: “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” As a result of this sermon, preached exactly 214 years ago today, the Baptist Missionary Society was begun. One year later Carey went to India and after years of discouragement (there were no converts for seven years), debt, disease, and the deterioration of his wife’s health, Carey continued because he knew that Jesus was with him until the end of the age.
When he died at 73 years of age, he saw the Scriptures translated into 40 different languages, countless people had been converted, he founded a college and an edict was passed prohibiting sati (burning widows on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands).
On his deathbed, Carey called out to a missionary friend, “Dr. Duff! You have been speaking about Dr. Carey; when I’m gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey – speak about Dr. Carey’s God” (adapted from “Profiles in Evangelism” by Fred Barlow).
William Carey not only talked about fishing; he fished for those who would follow Christ in India. This morning we have the privilege of commissioning two young ladies who have committed themselves to be involved in the mission of the Master, by serving cross-culturally for two weeks in India. I encourage you to pull out the pink insert and follow along as I summarize what Jamie and Lindsay Carley will be doing. Put this paper up on your refrigerator or in your Bible so you will remember to pray for them.
Jamie just graduated from Nursing School and Lindsay just graduated from Pontiac Township High School. They will be working with Project Compassion, a Christ-centered organization whose primary purpose is to share God’s love by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of all people through outreaches. They will be working on a medical team in clinics and will be seeking to meet physical and spiritual needs. They will see a large number of people that are suffering due to hard living conditions, poor nutrition, and lack of care.
When I went on the Project Compassion website (www.projectcompassion.org), I discovered that the mission is calling this trip “difficult” (other trips are referred to as “mild” or “moderate”). Jamie and Lindsay are really going to need our prayers while they are gone. They leave tomorrow and will return on June 13th.
According to the Joshua Project, of the 100 largest unreached people groups in the world, 44 of them are in India. 81% of the country is Hindu; 12% is Muslim; and only 2% is Christian.
In Acts 13, Barnabas and Paul were commissioned by the church in Antioch for missionary work. Listen to verses 2-3: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Notice that it was in the context of worship that God called forth two people to the work. The church then fasted and prayed, and placed their hands on them before they were sent off.
That’s what we’re going to do right now. I’m going to ask the Elders, Deacons and Missions Committee to come up so we can commission these two young ladies to catch some fish in the country of India.
