12.04.11 - Go, Therefore

Go, therefore

Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor

Grace Church, Sunday Worship (Pagano Commissioning Service)

Matthew 28:18-20

December 4th, 2011

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

INTRODUCTION

Marty and Selena, this is an exciting time as well as a sad time. It is only sad because we must part ways for a season, Lord willing. God’s calling has been on your life and this goes far back beyond your first visit to China in college. It goes beyond the time in your life when you look to Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and were saved. It goes on back before you were born and before God created the world.

This morning I want to offer you a charge from the Word of God. This Word is directed to you and it directed to you with your church body present called to take heed to pray, support and hold you to your calling (as well as follow Christ in this charge).

A CHARGE FROM THE GREAT COMMISSION

Here is the charge:

There are two main things that I want to say about your charge from this passage:

Remember your commission, while embracing your Commissioner.

1. Remember Your Commission

This passage is called the Great Commission.

Commission: “The act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty.”

This is the marching orders of the church. This is the heartbeat to the call of disciples of Jesus Christ.

I want to point out two aspects of this commission:

A. Go

The word for “go” in the Greek is a participle – “having gone”.

Not everyone is called to leave their home land but God does call many to do so. Paul was called to this:

Romans 15:20-21 ESV and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, (21) but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."

B. Make Disciples

The command or charge in this passage is primarily this – “make disciples” and then Jesus elaborates on what this entails.

· Baptizing

· Teaching

· Leading

The enemy will love for you to forget your mission. Forget your commission – the duty and great task that God is calling you to in China.

Your calling is to see people come to Jesus and be his disciples.

Behold the example of Paul is his commitment to the call:

Acts 20:22-24 ESV And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, (23) except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. (24) But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

2. While Embracing Your Commissioner

It is, however, so important that you remember that the text does say – “Go make disciples of the nations…” Instead it says – “Go, THEREFORE, and make disciples of the nations.”

The word THEREFORE is so important.

The only way to stay on mission; the only way to embrace your calling and commission and remain faithful is to embrace the GREAT COMMISSIONER.

Jesus is this great commissioner.

Look with me at two things related the Commissioner – Jesus.

A. His Authority

Listen to the words of verse 18: “Jesus said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore…”

Psalm 2 tells us that God tells Jesus to ask for the nations as an inheritance and He will give it to Him.

The NT says over an over that Jesus is now KING over all and the authority of the nations are in Jesus’ hand.

This is not just a systematic theology lesson that Jesus is giving that is unrelated to what He is talking about. Because all authority is given to me I am giving you authority to go make disciples of the nations and you are to go with the confidence and courage that it will happen.

The Scriptures says that the nations will come to the Lord. This is God’s promise and He is doing it and He is doing it through His church obeying this commission while embracing the commissioner who has been given all power.

Isaiah 2:2-3 ESV It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, (3) and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 49:6 ESV he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

B. His Presence

Look at the words that come at the end of this passage: “And, behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Commissioner gives a commission that he promises to fulfill, he has power to fulfill it and He sends you off on the commission saying that He is going with you to fulfill it.

This is meant to bring your comfort and security in Him.

This is not a promise of ease and freedom from pain or difficult.

Romans 8:28-39 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (29) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (30) And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (33) Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (34) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (36) As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." (37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (38) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.