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Beyond the Basics

The Great Commission

 

 

 
bulletGospel – God’s power outside of us
bulletGrace – God’s power flowing into us
bulletGreat Commission - God’s power living out of us

 We’ve seen so far what the cross means to us as Christians.  The cross has brought us to a place of right relationship with God.  His Grace empowers us to be the people He has created us to be, and do what He has called us to do.  So that begs the next question.  What has He called us to do?  It’s a huge question.  The matter of “calling” is huge in the scriptures. 

One of the big questions if humanity is “who am I, and what am I doing here?”  As Christians there are answers.   Its true that a good question has power, but it is equally true that the right answers have greater power.  As Christians, we have some answers.  It is always okay for a Christian to admit that there are answers.  The source of those answers is in God and His Word.  In the truth of Jesus His authority and His Word there is purpose in living. 

In Matthew 28 Jesus words are recorded to His disciples after His resurrection.  They have become known as The Great Commission.”  You have to understand that even after Jesus had been crucified and emerged alive from the grace, even some of His own disciples doubted Him.  (see vs. 17)  It’s likely that one of them was Thomas.  The movement had stalled.  Jesus had turned Isreal upside down for three and a half years.  This culminated in death and life.  But so what?  Now what’s supposed to happen?   It’s a great question.  You did all this, but so what?  What does this mean to me?  Surely this can’t be all there is?

Then Jesus said this;

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Notice the five key commands of Jesus Commission. 

bulletJesus has all authority
bulletTherefore Go
bulletMake disciples
bulletBaptize them
bulletTeach them

 “There are a lot of Christians who claim to have great faith in God but are spiritually lethargic and don't do anything. Faith without action is not faith; it's dead, meaningless (James 2:17, 18)! If it isn't expressed, it isn't faith. In order to believe God and His Word, we must do what He says. If you don't do what He says, you don't really believe Him. Faith and action are inseparable.

 "Sadly, one of the common pictures of the church today is of a group of people with an assumed faith but little action. We treat the church as if it's a hospital. We get together to compare wounds and hold each other's hands, yearning for Jesus to come take us away.

"The church is not a hospital; it's a military outpost under orders to storm the gates of hell. Every believer is on active duty, called to take part in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20). Thankfully the church has an infirmary where we can minister to the weak and wounded, and that ministry is necessary. But our real purpose is to be change agents in the world, taking a stand, living by faith, and accomplishing something for God. You can say you believe God and His Word. But if you are not actively involved in His plan, are you really a mature believer?” ~Neil Anderson

It’s true that Jesus came to heal and bind up wounds.  (See Luke 4:18).  But right after Jesus took that scroll and set it down the people of His hometown were ready to throw him off a cliff!  Why?  Because Jesus was not all about making people comfortable.  He was about making them whole so that they could help in fulfilling His mission.  His mission had eternal scope.

 So what’s the plan?  Let’s look at it. 

bulletJesus has all authority
bulletAll means all.  The word all in the Greek actually means “every and any kind of whole.”  In other words, there is nothing that is not under His authority in heaven and earth.  
bulletThe word “authority” is “exousia”, which is the same word that John used to describe the authority He has given us to become children of God.  (See John 1:12)   It is the ability); privilege, force, capacity, competency, freedom, mastery superhuman, potential, control, delegated influence, authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.  Let’s get this one straight.  Jesus is God, and He has been given all authority.  That means Jesus is OUR authority.  When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, He told them to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”  We want to impose our will, but we don’t have that authority.  Jesus does.  (See Matthew 6:9)  When we are walking with Jesus, we want His kingdom to come and His will to be done in our lives.
bulletHeaven and earth is His realm.  Jesus has every kind of authority in the abode of God and the abode of man.

 

bulletTherefore, Go!
bulletHaving the right understanding of who the commander in chief is, on that basis, Go!  When we go, we go in the authority of His name. The word go in the Greek means to traverse. We’re told to travel. Literally we are to remove ourselves from where we are, depart, go away make a journey walk.  That means lots of things, and we spend our lives discovering what that is, but it certainly means that we are not staying where we are.  We are leaving our current place of abode, and going somewhere.  Where are you going?  Are you stuck in the same place you’ve always been?  Jesus is calling!

 

bulletMake disciples of all nations.
bulletDisciples literally means, again from the Greek, to become a pupil, to enroll as a scholar, to disciple, instruct and teach.  There is, in my view, an unhealthy view of what teaching and discipleship mean to Christians.  Contrary to what some may say, we need to go deep into understanding God.   Jesus said we are to enroll as scholars and actually make other scholars.  This is underlined many times in the scriptures.  See (Hebrews 5:11-6:3, 2 Timothy 2:2).  We’re taking a walk from wherever we are to places unknown, and in the process we are following Jesus, making disciples of others so they can follow Jesus with us.  We are learning as much as we can from Him.  We are dwelling with each other, and we are learning from one another as a community of Christians.
bulletAll nations are to be touched by our discipleship.  It’s interesting that the word nations is the Greek word ethnos.  It means races of peoples, specifically non-Jewish Gentile heathens.  Even before Jesus left earth, he mandated the Great Commission to all the races of the world.  This is what the Apostle Paul became the great champion of. Many in the early church did not get this one, and it took a controversial rebel rascal to stand in toe to toe with the leaders of the church at Jerusalem and get it straight.  (See Acts 15)  In another event, Paul opposed Peter because he was shying away from Gentile Christians when Hebrew Christians came around.  (See Galatians 2:11-21) The Message of Jesus Christ is for all nations.  Including the Arab nations.  Ultimately, Jesus is the answer to the Palestinian conflict. ( See Ephesians 2:11-21)
bulletBaptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
bulletBaptize means “get fully wet.”  There is no place in the scriptures where infant baptism and sprinkling are described.  To get the picture of what New Testament Baptism is about, go to Matthew.  Baptism is a outward sign of repentance in the presence of witnesses by the command of and authority of Jesus.  It is a way of saying, Jesus has done something in my heart, and I am His now.  It has nothing to do with how good we are.  If you want to get baptized to prove to your girl/boyfriend that you’ve turned over a new leaf, you’ve missed the meaning.  It says, I have repented, and I am following Jesus now. Baptism is not optional for the Christian.  Its not the kind of thing where we ‘wait until we are ready.”  Jesus said do it, and that’s enough.  It is a step of obedience, and outward witness of inner faith.  Often if we wait until we think we are ready, we are really saying, I’m not ready to obey Jesus right now.
bulletThe Father Son and Holy Ghost.  Here is the wholeness of the Triune Godhead in witness to our obedience.  There are some who say that we should only baptize in the name of God.  This is not biblical. By the way, the word Ghost (speaking of the Holy Ghost) is interesting.  It literally means current of air, a breath or a breeze.  In Isaiah 40:6,7  there is a wonderful reference.  People are like grass, and their glory is like flowers in the field.  The breath of the Lord blows on them.  In John 3, Jesus likened the Holy Spirit to the wind.  You can’t see where it comes from or where it is going, but you can see its effects.  When you see the effects of the wind, or you feel a breeze on your face, be reminded of the breath of God, the Holy Spirit in, on and around you as you breathe.
bulletTeaching them to observe all I have commanded you.

o       Here again is Jesus emphasis on teaching in The Great Commission.  Teach means what it means, but the interesting word here is the word “observe”. Literally it means to watch; and to guard from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon; which is properly to prevent escaping. The word implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus.  Get the picture?  Jesus is saying, teach them (those you disciple and baptize) to watch, and guard, keeping your eyes on to keep from losing or getting hurt.  We don’t want anyone to escape or fall through the cracks.  We need to build a fortress around, and keep protected by all of the things that Jesus has commanded.  We must know the things that Jesus has said.  We must keep an eye on them.  We must guard ourselves with them so we don’t get hurt.  And we must teach them to others so that they can be protected from hurt, or from falling through the cracks.

 

o       As important as the work of evangelism is, it is one part of what Jesus commanded in The Great Commission, which includes making disciples, baptizing and teaching.

 

Finally Jesus said, “I am with you, even to the end of the age.”  We need to know that Jesus is with us.  Not only is He with us, He is for us (Psalm 124, 91).  He knows us better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139)  He loves us (John 3:16-18), and He is preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3). 

So these are three of the basics.  The Gospel, Grace, and The Great Commission.  I encourage you to become students of the Word so that you can get beyond the basics, and be ready to tell what is true from what is lies, not according to the standards of man.  The standards of man will shift and change, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.