Introduction

Friends, pull up a chair and breathe for a moment. The coffee might be cooling and the calendar might be crowded, but the King of heaven has a word for hearts like ours. He speaks to people who are still a little wobbly from the whirlwind of life, people who worship and sometimes wobble, people who love Him and still wonder, “Lord, can You use me?” If that’s you, you’re in good company. The Great Commission is Jesus taking us by the hand—steadying our steps—and sending us with His strength.

Think about where you live your days: the hallway outside a hospital room, the minivan line after school, the quiet corner of a cubicle, the kitchen table where worries and waffles are served in the same sitting. What if Jesus intends those places to be your pulpit? What if your ordinary hours are the exact stages where His extraordinary grace loves to stand? He is not recruiting the impressive; He is calling the willing. And He promises something our hearts crave—His presence. Always. Everywhere. Every step.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” He was speaking of the surrender that leads to real life—laying down pride, preference, and the need to be the hero, so that Christ can be seen, known, and trusted through us. That sounds weighty, and it is. But it’s also wonderfully freeing. When we go in His name, He carries what we cannot. He holds what we drop. He finishes what He starts.

So as we open this familiar text, let your shoulders relax. This is not a summons to strain; it’s an invitation to stay close to Jesus and step with Him. He sends us to people He loves more than we can imagine. He marks us with the name that is above every name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He teaches us to keep His ways, not to impress Him, but to enjoy Him. And He anchors us with a promise sturdy enough for every storm: “I am with you alway.”

Let’s read the Scripture together.

Matthew 28:16-20 (KJV) 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Opening Prayer: Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Son and the comfort of Your Spirit. Lord Jesus, You hold all authority in heaven and on earth, and yet You draw near to us with kindness. Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see Jesus clearly, open our ears to hear His commission plainly, and open our hearts to obey joyfully. Give courage to our timid places, clarity to our crowded minds, and compassion to our easily distracted hearts. Mark us afresh with the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach us to keep all that You have commanded, and let our obedience bear fruit that remains. And as we go—from this room to our neighborhoods and nations—let Your promised presence steady our steps. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Commissioned to go and make disciples

Go is a word that moves our feet. It means we step out. We walk toward people. We carry good news into real places. Streets and schools. Offices and parks. Homes and prisons. Ball fields and bus stops.

Go also means we cross lines we once stayed behind. Cultural lines. Language lines. Class lines. Age lines. Jesus points our hearts toward every kind of person. The nearby neighbor and the far-off nation both matter to Him. So we keep an open map, an open door, and an open hand.

This going is not aimless. It is tied to His rule. He said all authority is His. So our steps rest on solid ground. Fear has less room when the One who sends us reigns. We can take small steps with steady courage. We can take big steps with calm trust.

Going will look different for each of us. Some will pack a bag. Some will plant deep where they are. Some will learn a new tongue. Some will learn a new street name. All of us can take the next simple step and keep moving.

Make disciples is the core of the call. We do not only pass on facts. We share a way of life. A disciple is a learner who sticks with Jesus. A follower who keeps following. A person who hears and then puts it into practice.

This kind of work takes time. It looks like meals shared and questions asked. It looks like open Bibles and honest prayers. It looks like walking with people through both calm days and hard days. We stay close and we keep showing them Christ.

We model as we teach. People watch our words and our ways. They listen to how we speak about God and also how we treat a waiter. They hear our prayers and also see our patience in traffic. Jesus uses simple acts to shape hearts.

We also make room for slow growth. Seeds take time. Some weeks look quiet. Then fruit shows up in a kind word, a new habit, a small step of faith. We thank God for each step. We keep going with hope.

And this is personal and also multiplied. We help people walk with Jesus so they can help others do the same. A line of care forms. A chain of grace grows. This is how a neighborhood changes. This is how nations are reached.

Baptizing marks a new start and a new name. It is a sign that a person now belongs to God. They are washed into a new life and a new family. They carry His name with joy.

This is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One name. Three Persons. We do not use water as a bare symbol. We speak the name that speaks over us. We point to the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power of the Spirit.

Baptism ties people to a people. No one is meant to stand alone. A local church gathers around the font and then around the table. We welcome, we teach, we pray, we serve. The new believer learns the songs and the story, and finds brothers and sisters.

This act also sends a message to the world. It says, “I belong to Jesus.” It is public and clear. It invites questions. It opens doors for witness. And it gives the church a clear way to care for the new in the faith.

Teaching to obey shapes the whole life. Jesus did not hand us a few tips. He gave commands that lead to life. We take those words and we show how they touch money and mercy, words and work, rest and relationships.

We teach with Scripture open. We read the text in full and in context. We ask good questions. We help people see what it says, what it shows about God, and what it calls us to do today. Then we pray for help to do it.

Obedience grows through practice. We help each other forgive real hurts. We learn to pray out loud. We share our faith with a friend. We give with glad hearts. We guard our mouths. We keep our promises. We learn to repent fast when we fail.

This kind of teaching is for all of us. Old and young. New in the faith and long in the faith. We never age out. We keep learning the same gospel in deeper ways. We keep finding new rooms in the same house of grace.

And we teach with hope because we do not teach alone. Jesus stands behind His words with His power. The Spirit takes truth and writes it on hearts. The Father loves to give good gifts to His children. So we keep opening the Bible, opening our lives, and opening our mouths, trusting God to form people who look more and more like His Son.

Centered in the Triune Name through baptism and teaching

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