The Boss Has A Job For Us

The Boss Has a Job for Us…

Matthew 28:16-20

November 29, 2009

NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT IS FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."

Introduction

Today we finish what has been a pretty long journey through the book of Matthew.

We actually started going through this book six years ago.

We’ve taken a number of detours, like for Christmas seasons, Easters, and various other series and messages from time to time, so it’s not like I’m just extremely slow, okay?

But today we finish this up. And we finish it up with one of the last things Jesus tells His disciples before going to the Father in heaven.

It’s some of His last words.

If you knew you were about to leave the earth, and you had your closest friends and family around, what would you say?

Jesus takes this opportunity to pass on something. It’s a task – a commission that He wants us to take care of until He comes back for His people.

Now, everything Jesus said was important, right? But these words that we’re going to look at today are important because He tells us that we have a part to play in His kingdom.

God: Matthew 28:16-20 (p. 706) –

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.

Here is what in your note-taking guide is the “prelude:” some of the disciples, here in the presence of the risen Savior, doubted.

What did they doubt? The passage doesn’t tell us, and the commentaries I looked at didn’t have much for answers, because there are a lot of different ways to look at it.

I think that maybe all of us have doubted God at one time or another.

There have been times even since becoming a pastor that I’ve laid awake at night and it wasn’t just insomnia, and said, “What if it isn’t true?”

If it’s not true, then I’ve been guilty of not only believing a lie, but persuading other people to believe a lie. And that’s a pretty scary thought.

To me the issue isn’t the doubting. The issue is what you do with it.

Do you let the doubts carry you away from Christ, or do you see the doubts as an opportunity to learn?

I can tell you that my faith is all the more stronger because of my doubts as I’ve faced them and really investigated them.

Again, the Scriptures don’t say just what the doubts were that these guys face. But apparently Jesus was able to help them through those doubts, because every single one of them endured suffering, persecution, and even death for Jesus – with the exception of John – he only suffered and lived through it.

Folks, don’t let doubts drive you to despair. Let them drive you to action. Do something to learn about what is at the bottom of your doubts, and allow the truth of Christ to fill your hearts with an even stronger faith through your doubts, okay?

And by the way, hoping your doubts “will just go away” isn’t doing something! They will never go away by just ignoring them.

For some of you, all you might be able to do at this point is to simply say like the man who brought his son to Jesus for help, “I do believe – help me in my unbelief!”

That’s a great start – and I’ll guarantee you that if you’re serious about it, Jesus will grant your prayer.

Okay, let’s move onto the rest of the passage.

In these next three verses, Jesus gives us three things we need to understand in regard to His mission for us, this thing we call “the Great Commission.”

1. Jesus is the Boss.

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

You’ve got to understand this.

All authority has been given to Jesus. The Father said, “Okay, Jesus – it’s all Yours. I’m giving You the authority. You’re the Boss.”

Over all of heaven and earth. Over everybody in heaven and earth.

He’s the Boss.

He is the Master of the universe – and He has the authority over all those who call themselves Christians.

God help us to live like we really believe that – and Lord, start with me.

Because I don’t always live like He’s the Boss of my life. I think I’m in pretty good company.

And not only does He have authority over you and me, if we call ourselves Christians, it means He also has authority over the Church – both here and around the world.

And Church, the Boss has a job for us, and that’s the second fact about what Jesus tells us here…