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And we praise Him, we praise Him that five years ago He brought us out and brought us to to be redeeming Grace Church. And it's a great privilege, isn't it, just to serve our Lord and His Kingdom. I pray today that this will be an encouragement to your soul.
Lord willing, next Lord's Day we will return to our exposition in the Gospel of John. But since today marks our fifth anniversary together as a small body, I'd like for us to refocus on our purpose and the mission of our Lord in which He has us together.
We have a great responsibility, church. And it's not given by the pastor, it's given by our Lord who is the head of the church. I'm just a voice. I'm just a voice to pass the baton, so to speak, to you.
I'd like to also set before you here, before we go to the text, Brother Keith reminded me in a constitution in which Redeeming Grace Church we put together roughly a few years back in Article I states our purpose and the purpose of this church shall be, number one, to glorify God, the God of the Scriptures, by upholding and promoting His worship both individually and corporately by edifying, strengthening, confirming, and equipping of His saints and by evangelizing sinners.
Two, to glorify God by the faithful proclamation of God's perfect law and of the glorious gospel of His grace to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Three, to glorify God by calling for holiness of life by turning from sin and worldliness, to warn against another gospel, and to expose and condemn the errors of anything which is contrary to sound doctrine and practice.
Four, to glorify God by being exemplary citizens and by obeying the laws of this land and its civil authorities in so far as they are not contrary to the Word of God and to the Holy Bible. Fifth, that Christ have the preeminence in all things.
Now, beloved, I said that before you because that's our purpose as Redeeming Grace Church. It's a biblical purpose. And I'm not here to preach an article, but I'm here to bring and preach to you the Word of God and everything that I've just mentioned is based upon the Scriptures.
The Scriptures, the 66 books which compiles the Bible, is our only rule and practice. I like what Spurgeon says is the only authority for the church is a thus saith the Lord. That is the only authority.
Our purpose as the church and as Redeeming Grace comes from our Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of the church. Now again, I set that purpose before you today because it's a biblical purpose and it's from the Bible.
Anything that's not from the Bible and accurately interpreted will be thrown out here. It must come from the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God. Now, today I'd like to speak to you about the master's mission to the church.
The master's mission to the church. And again, meaning that when you mention church to so many people in today's world, they think automatically of a building. We're not talking about the structure, the physical building.
Of course, we're talking about what Jesus is building, His people, His called out ones. Even though we are very thankful, amen, that God has given us this little place. I by no means take that for granted.
I'm so thankful that God and His providence has given us this and Lord willing, more will be added to that as He provides. I really do believe when God leads, He provides. He guides, He provides. I've seen this so often in my life, down through the years, and He's always faithful, beloved.
He's always faithful because He's the one that leads us. Now, our Lord has led us to this place and I'm thankful that we can meet together and worship. But again, the meaning of the church is ekklesia, ekklesia.
I'm probably mispronouncing that, but anyway, you know where I'm coming from. That's the Greek word of church. What does that mean? It means called out ones. Aren't you glad you're called out? You are a called out people, called out of darkness.
God has called us out of darkness and brought us into His marvelous light to proclaim the praises of Him. We are a body. We are a body that is set apart, called out from the world to reach the world, in the world, not to be polluted by the world, to be kept from the world, to be kept holy from the world, but yet saved from the world, in the world, but reaching out to the world.
And our hope and our message is the hope of the glorious gospel. That is our hope and that is the only hope that this old dying world has. So the glorious hope that is set before us comes from the master's mission for the church of Christ.
It's found in Matthew's gospel, chapter 28. So if you're not already there, please turn with me there to the gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, and let's look at this together as we refocus our purpose on this fifth anniversary as we meet together as God's people.
I'd like to read 16 to the very end, verse 20. Verse 16 through 20, hear the word of the living God. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded.
You.
And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Amen.
Please bow with me just for a moment as we seek our Lord in prayer within this hour of worship and call upon him in the help of his Spirit. Our Father and our great God, Lord, we do praise you today. We praise you, Lord, for the great salvation that you have provided in your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You have given us what we do not deserve, grace, but what we do deserve is justice. Father, we thank you for the precious blood of the Lamb. Lord, we praise you for you alone are worthy. And we praise you and we bless you as it has already been spoken from Psalm 103.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless your holy name. And Lord, help us not to forget your benefits. We thank you, Father, that today you are the author of goodness and truth and grace.
Lord, we praise you as the author of our faith and the finisher of our faith. You are the giver and sustainer of life and life eternal through Christ our Lord. And Lord, we praise you as the only wise God, sovereign ruler, as Paul said, eternal, king eternal, immortal, invisible God, only wise, be honor and glory forever.
So Lord, we thank you. And Lord, we thank you that you are building your church and even the gates of hell itself will not prevail against it. Lord, we thank you, dear Lord, for by your grace of what you're doing.
Lord, help us to be effective for your cause and help us not to fail, God. Help us to be faithful until the very end of our lives or until Jesus comes. Help us to behold the Lamb of God. Father, I pray today, help me, Lord, speak the words of life to your people with clarity and truthfulness and power from your word.
Hide me behind thy cross, I pray. My prayer, Lord, is that you may increase and I may decrease. And Lord, that you may have us as part of your glorious kingdom. Lord, now speak to us through your word, I pray.
And Lord, I pray you fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit to empower us by your Spirit. To be effective. To be effective, Lord. And to obey your great commission that you have given to us through your Son.
We pray this for your honor and glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
You know, endings are always important, aren't they? The conclusion of a great story bears great significance. Often a reader may lose details in the plot of the story as it develops, but as a great story, we'll wrap it up at the end.
In a way, that's very meaningful, isn't it? Very memorial. Very memorable, I should say. These verses from the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew, no doubt speaks of a tremendous ending, but you can also look at it as a beginning.
Jesus Christ is glorified. He's accomplished redemption. Now He's given the great commission. These verses actually form the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew, being very Jewish, writing to the Jews, he echoes the Old Testament not only in content, but he also echoes it in form.
You see this all the way through his book as he presents Jesus as King, and you see the kingdom. There's the King and the kingdom all the way through this glorious book. But Matthew's purpose is to actually prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of Israel of the Old Testament.
Here in verse 16 to 20, we have our Lord's great commission, and we notice that the word all, the word all, occurs four times. I like to draw your attention to this because I'm going to actually speak around these four alls this morning.
Number one, Jesus possesses all authority. Two, He sends us to all nations. Three, we are to teach all people what He has commanded. And fourth, as we do, we are to know that Jesus will be with us all the days of our lives, or I should say always.
So, much is given to us in this text from our Lord Jesus Christ from verse 16 to 20 of great importance, great importance. But I like for just a few minutes to focus or refocus our attention on these alls from our Lord within this hour of worship as we look into His word and this great commission that He's given.
Now, this is actually to the church, but it's to us. We are the church. We are redeeming grace church by name, but we are God's people. But this is to all churches. This is to all of God's people, and it is the great commission.
First notice with me in verse 16, very, very significant. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. He appointed this. Now, the text tells us that the disciples went away into Galilee.
There was availability here. They showed up. Actually does not mean that in a sense that when they went into Galilee, that does not mean that only the eleven disciples were present. How do we know this?
Well, if you notice that after Jesus appointed a mountain for them to go to as a meeting place to show up, verse 17 suggests that more, more than eleven were present. Verse 17 says when they saw Him, they worshipped Him.
Now, I want you to underscore this. That is so, so important to everything that is being said here. Because first and foremost is always worship to our Lord. Out of worship goes service. It is not the other way around.
In order to be empowered to serve our Lord and to serve Him with fear and trembling as the text says, but we are to worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. We are to worship at His feet and be empowered to go out into the highways and the byways and to compel them to come to Christ.
Worship is a priority. Worship is paramount. When they saw Him, they showed up, didn't they? In order to win the lost, we must show up to a meeting place to worship Him and at His feet. And that is what we are doing today is we are worshipping Him as we gather together and to stir up one another and to encourage one another for the day is approaching.
We worship Him. And we worship Him because He is worthy of worship. But we worship Him as well as because He is Lord and He is risen from the dead. He is Lord and all authority is given unto Him. But if you notice what the text says, as they saw Him, they were looking upon Him, they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted.
This is very interesting, isn't it? You would think that this would cast some kind of doubt, a mention in people's minds about the Lord Jesus Christ, but don't you love the beauty of Scripture? This actually strongly suggests that there was more than 11 present and it is very likely that Jesus arranged this meeting in Galilee because most of His followers were there, but this also seems to be most likely a location for the massive gathering of the disciples that the Apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15, 6 and 7.
Let me read it to you. After that He was seen, speaking of Jesus, by over 500 brethren at once. So there was more. I believe Paul is speaking, no doubt, about this particular time in which it is recorded to us in the pages of Scriptures from Matthew, Levi, of what he is recording.
So Paul is bringing commentary on that. Over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Basically, they are dead. But Paul used that term in the sense that there will be a resurrection.
They are just sleeping for now.
Christ is going to raise them up. Verse 7, After that He had been seen by James and by all the Apostles. So they saw Him, see. They saw Him. All the Apostles, they worshipped Him. But some doubted. Some doubted.
It is a simple phrase. A very simple. The simplicity of Scripture. Don't you love the simplicity of Scripture? Don't you love the pure honesty of Scripture? It doesn't hold anything back. It says some doubted.
Again, the countless testimonies of the integrity of Scripture itself. The pure transparency. Scripture doesn't hold anything back. It tells us. Some doubted. And it is so honest in its statement. And like this, it shows that Matthew was not attempting to exclude or cover up any of the facts.
Some doubted. And that is what the Scripture says. There was some there. Some doubted Him. For the most part, they were worshipping Him. And Matthew, here again, is telling us the facts. And gives us the beauty of the perfection of that wonderful glorious moment.
In simplicity. Honesty. The facts are given. Some doubted. Some doubted. Notice with me in verse 18. And Jesus came and spoke to them. He came and spoke to them. And what did He say? Again, saying. All authority.
That means all power. Not some power. Not some authority.
All authority.
Listen to that. He is Lord, isn't He? He is Lord of heaven and earth. He says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Tremendous, powerful statement, beloved. First and foremost, we see from this text, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master.
We could take that through all the Gospels and through the Scriptures itself. But we are going to move on. Here we see and observe the first place in which honor, which God the Father has put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
All honor is given to Him. Our Lord says, all authority, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. This great truth is declared by the Apostle Paul again. Philippians chapter 2 verse 9. God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name.
That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is exalted now. The divinity, His deity, His name is above every name.
There is a declaration here that actually is in the councils of the eternal trinity. That Jesus, the Son of Man, is appointed heir of all things. That He is the mediator between God and man. And that salvation of all who are saved is laid upon Him alone.
No one else. There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved but through Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life.
There is no other way.
But aren't you glad there is a way?
There is a way. And beloved, in this world we live in, there is a way which seems right unto man but the end thereof is death. There are so many religions and so many false teachers now that is purporting a wrong way.
And that is the way the devil is. The devil is a very busy devil. He is deceiving. That is his business. But through the power of the Holy Spirit there is a way. There is the way and that is Christ. Not the best way but the way.
Aren't you glad? He alone is the great fountain of mercy. That He alone is love. That He alone is grace. Jesus alone is the life. Jesus alone is peace. Any wonder why this world is falling apart? Without Jesus Christ they will fall apart.
And perish. And be utterly destroyed. But beloved, you and I have the gospel. We have the hope. Not only within us by the Spirit of God. But we have the message to proclaim to a lost and dying world. And Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.
You see that in Luke 15. Especially there in the parable of the lost sheep. The lost coin and the lost son. You read that and you see the great love of the Father. Being demonstrated. That Jesus at the Father is concerned.
That is why He sent Christ. Is to bring in the lost. And beloved that is our mission. Now it is you and me. We are the body of Christ. And you know it is amazing. I was listening to MacArthur commenting on this text here.
And he was saying you know our responsibility really isn't just to meet together. Even though that is part of it.
Isn't it?
But our true responsibility is to reach and evangelize the lost. Now our responsibility. There is a great importance of coming together and meeting together. Not to forsake assembling ourselves together.
That is important. But our ultimately to speak of.
And our priority is to.
Our responsibility is to reach out to the lost and dying. To rescue the perishing. To rescue the perishing. Listen to the words of Fannie Crosby here. I want you to hear this. This is him. And we are not singing it today.
But listen to the words of Fannie Crosby. This little blind lady had such a vision of Christ. And such a vision also of the lost and dying. To snatch others from the fire and to save them. As Jude 23 says.
Her words and this hymn. Rescue the perishing.
Care for the dying.
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave. Weep over the erring one. Lift up the fallen. Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save. Though they are sliding him. Still he is waiting. Waiting the penitent child to receive.
Plead with them earnestly. Plead with them gently. He will forgive if they only believe. Down in the human heart. Crushed by the tempter. Feeling lie buried that grace can restore. Touched by a loving heart.
Awakened by kindness. Chords that are broken will vibrate once more. Rescue the perishing. Duty demands it. Strength for your labor. For the Lord will provide back to the narrow way.
Patiently win them.
Tell the poor wanderer a savior has died. Rescue the perishing. Care for the dying. Jesus is merciful.
Jesus will save.
Do you believe that? Jesus can and will save them. And you know what's glorious about that? He's willing to. He's willing.
Aren't you glad?
Our savior is a willing savior. To care for the dying. God break our hearts for these pitiful souls. That blaspheme God. They are our mission field beloved. Even the LGBTQ movement. Even as horrific as it is.
They are an abomination to God. Christ desires to save them. And to pull them from the fire. They are our mission field. The world about us is our mission field. So we need not to be slacking in that.
God save us from apathy. And this is our divine purpose from God. This is our commission from Jesus himself. Well if you look. As we go on. Verse 17. They saw him. They worshipped him. But some doubted.
All authority is given to our Lord. Sam. You think of it. Jesus himself. And it was for the joy that was set before him. That he endured the cross. And purchased. And accomplished salvation. There is nothing greater.
Matthew chapter 11 verse 27 says this. All things have been delivered to me. This is Jesus. Been delivered to me by my father. And no one knows the son except the father. Or does anyone know the father except the son.
And the one to whom the son wills to reveal. John 3 verse 35 says this. The father loves the son. And has given all things into his hand. Oh beloved listen to that. And Christ in Christ alone dwells. The fullness of him bodily.
He is the way the truth and the life. As I have already mentioned. If you turn with me to Colossians. This wonderful wonderful little epistle. Colossians chapter 1. Listen to this. In verse 13. He has delivered us from the power of darkness.
And conveyed unto us the kingdom of the son of his love. In whom we have redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God. The first born over all creation.
For by him all things.
There it is. All things were created. That are in heaven.
That are on earth.
Visible and invisible.
Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things. And in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body. The church.
Beloved this is our theme of redeeming grace church. Who is the beginning. The first born from the dead. That in all things. He may have the preeminence. For people that out there that does not know. Understand what preeminence means.
That means that Jesus is to have first place. In every single thing.
In the church.
In our lives. He is lord of all. And I used to hear the old Pentecostal preacher say.
If he is not lord of all.
He will be not lord at all. And there is a powerful saying behind that. Because they are right. We are to submit to his authority.
And not to waste our time. Our precious time.
But redeem the time. But give everything to him. Because he is lord of all. Everything else is going to burn up after all. So we observe first of all and foremost that Jesus. All power and authority is given unto him.
Alone.
He is the head of the church. For Christ is absolute sovereign. He is the sovereign lord. He is the lord of the church. He is the lord of all and over all. Clear proof of his deity beloved. For the time of his humiliation.
Here in the text. Back in chapter 28. At this point his humiliation has ended. Now God the father has highly exalted him. He is exalted on high. He is the lord. And he commissions him. Second we also see and observe.
The duty which our lord Jesus lays on the disciples. It's a duty given by him. And it comes from the heart of the father. And why the father sent him. Notice in verse 19. Go therefore.
Go.
First they showed up.
Right?
They are available. Now he is commissioning them to 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. Notice the transitional word.
Therefore.
That therefore connects something. Doesn't it? That therefore is connecting something. What is it connecting? The therefore is on the basis of the authority of Jesus Christ. Now I want you to think about this.
He has all authority.
All power is given unto him.
On that basis.
He commissions them.
To go.
And you notice what he says.
And I am not going to take this out of context. He doesn't first say go therefore and evangelize.
Even though it is part of it.
But he is basically saying go and make disciples of all nations. That is evangelizing. But what he is saying is. This gives a clear distinction of what evangelism truly is. The reason I mention that in the sense of evangelism.
Yes it is evangelism. But what he is saying to make disciples. This has been so misquoted. But in the sense of the priority is placed upon discipleship. You see what I am saying? I believe that is what the text is telling us.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit. There is identification with the Trinity. There is identification. By the way we will look in a few minutes. That is a public confession.
But for the world of an outward sign of baptism. What has happened that Jesus Christ. We have been united to Christ. We have died with Christ.
We have been buried with Christ.
We are raised with Christ.
All that is.
And baptism doesn't save us. But Jesus says follow through with that. Because it says something to the world. It says that you have died with him. You have been buried with him. You are living with him.
You are raised up with him.
It is glorious.
Read Romans 6. Read all the way through the epistles. United with Christ.
In communion and union with Christ.
Therefore on the basis of Jesus' authority. On the basis of his Lordship. The disciples were sent to make disciples of all nations. Not only to the Jews. Even though it is to the Jew first.
Jesus came first for the lost sheep of Israel. But they rejected him. They cast him aside. Paul deals with this in Romans 9, 10 and 11. They rejected him. But through the rejection. This is the way the gospel came through.
It goes to the Gentiles. He is not giving up on Israel. He is not giving up on the Jews. There is a time coming. But at the same time. They will come in. They will be saved. The Messiah will come. But let me say this.
Not all Jews. Only those that believe. But the scriptures. You can't prove me wrong on this.
The Jew first.
But also to the Gentiles. Also to the Greeks. Actually if you look at it in the Old Testament. That was the purpose of Israel. They were actually to be a vehicle. To reach out to the Gentiles. To the other world.
And others heard it.
And look at the story of Joshua. We are coming up here real soon. Of Rahab the harlot. She even mentions. And what she does. She hides the spies.
Joshua and Caleb.
They have faith.
And they go in. And she hides them. And she even mentions that. I have heard of what great things. That your God has done. In departing the seas. This came from a Gentile. And notice the Gentiles.
How great.
Even in the Old Testament. Graciously. Some believed. It's glory.
That's God's intention.
Was always to reach the world. But they rejected God as King. They rejected their King Jesus. They hung Him on a cross. But yet through all this. And through God's wisdom beloved. It's glorious. Through the rejection of the Jews.
The Gospel comes to the Gentiles. Isn't that glorious?
We have the Gospel.
But you see. This Gospel is to the whole world. I like what Spurgeon said.
This Gospel.
The whole Gospel is for the whole world. Christ Jesus died for sinners. Now what does it mean to evangelize? Well basically I've already given it away somewhat. It means to disciple. The text here. That the Master Himself gives us.
Verse 19. Go therefore and make disciples. This is the mission. This is the command. This is the mandate. The disciple. The word disciple is a learner. A follower of Christ. Now in the noun form. Disciple simply means a follower of Christ.
But it was also used to refer to the 12 disciples. That is in founded the Scriptures. That is also used 25 times in the book of Acts. To refer generally to any follower of Jesus Christ. And in fact in Acts 11.
Luke tells us explicitly. That the followers of Christ. The disciples were called Christians. And the word Christians actually came about. If you read very closely. Is a disdain. To those who followed Christ as disciples.
Of the way.
They were originally basically disciples. I even at times like to go back to that. Because the word Christian is so loosely mentioned in America. How about a disciple of Jesus? Have you ever thought about asking them that?
Are you a follower of Christ? And as Ravenhill said. He said. I basically looked people in the eye.
And I said.
He says.
Does Christ live in you? Now that pretty much will clarify and answer. Whether a person is a true follower of Christ or not. Does Christ live in you?
Oh my.
How glorious is that? So a disciple in the noun form. Is a follower of Christ. But to disciple in the verb form. Is to follow Christ. Now that sounds very close together. There is two layers to the verb here.
Of the meaning in the Greek.
Let's look at it.
It's very simple. It's not complex.
One.
Is personal. There is a personal meaning. The other is relational.
It starts with us.
Inside of us. As we follow Christ. As we believe Christ. We follow Christ. We are a learner of Christ. So our whole life is about Christ.
Because he is Lord.
And he is Savior. But it's personal. But it's relational.
It starts within us.
Then it flows out from us. In service. Notice. This is actually the order of the text. They were available. They came to the mountain.
They showed up.
To the place that Jesus appointed them. They worshipped him. They loved him. They adored him.
They were in awe of him.
Of his resurrection.
Of who he is.
And how great and glorious he is. It starts always within us. Worship. One is personal. One is relational.
So.
To follow Christ. In their lives. But simply put. Discipleship is being a disciple.
A follower of Jesus.
And.
Discipling means to make disciples. To make disciples.
Now beloved.
This is the command. That I like to put it this way. That blows up the notion. That the great commission is just a manifesto. For just overseas missions. And even though. We believe in overseas missions.
And we support missionaries. But let me say this.
Missions.
You and I are missions. We are missions. Your next door neighbor is a mission field.
To the people that are lost.
That surround you.
Are missions.
Mothers. Fathers.
That are within this sanctuary. Your mission field is your children. Is to make disciples. Right in your home. Right in your. Right where you are.
That is very important.
Don't never think that's not important. Because we're not a great missionary or something.
Overseas.
Winning the people over there.
And the other side of the pond.
It's where we are beloved.
We are missions. Missions is here.
And I'm telling you this.
This.
America is really a serious mission field. Just look around. I've never seen so many people's hearts waxing cold. But Jesus said that's exactly what's going to happen before he comes back. So it's just not the manifesto for overseas missions.
That puts us.
It puts really a severe and biblical limits on the great commission. Doesn't it? It's a call to every person. Our responsibility. To reach out to the lost and dying. It's a call. It's a command. It's a commitment.
For Christians.
All disciples.
All followers of Jesus. To make disciples. Everywhere that they might be going in life. Look with me very quickly to Mark's account. Chapter 16. Let's look at that. Look at Mark's account chapter 16. At the end.
Let's kind of look at the end of the gospels. And what each of these perspectives.
These writers.
These evangelists. Were speaking of. About the account. Right before Jesus ascended on high. Now I love this. Mark speaks to the Romans. In his short powerful account. And he gives the great commission.
Verse 14 of chapter 16. Look at verse 14 of chapter 16. Later he appeared to the eleven. As they sat at the table. And he rebuked their unbelief. Listen to that. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart.
Because they did not believe those who had seen him. After he had risen. He rebuked them before it. Because of the unbelief and hardness of heart. And then he said to them. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Basically making disciples. And he who believes and is baptized will be saved. But he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe in my name. They will cast out demons.
They will speak with new tongues. And they will take up serpents. And if they drink anything deadly. It will no by means hurt them. And they will lay hands on the sick. And they will recover. Now he is speaking to his own apostles here.
In which he ordains and commissions them.
A lot of preachers.
Basically I have heard. Especially within the Pentecostal groups. Takes this. As if this is basically what you are to do as a preacher. Is demonstrate the gospel. And all these signs should follow you.
That is out of context. Jesus is commissioning them specifically. And notice in verse 19. So then after the Lord had spoken to them. He was received up into heaven. And sat down at the right hand of God.
That is a place of power and majesty. Now he is making intercession for all the saints.
And then he says.
And they went out. Talking about the apostles.
The disciples.
And preached where? Everywhere. Not some places.
Everywhere.
They preached everywhere.
Did you know.
I really believe this.
That I was listening to this yesterday. As I was at the dealership. Getting my oil change from my truck. And I was listening to Pastor MacArthur. And there was a question and answer series. And it is very updated.
And I really appreciate the questions. That they were asking about over 60 years of ministry. And one particular pastor. That was studying to be a pastor.
A young man.
And basically asked. This wise old saint. That has been down the road. That knew much about discipleship. Over 60 years experience. He basically asked a question about making disciples. And I praise God for that.
It is so important isn't it. He said how can we be effective in making disciples. And you know what he said to the pastor. He said the greatest way. That you can make disciples and equip the saints. Is through the preached word.
He says your people. And he was talking about those who have larger churches. You may not be able to personally. Person one on one with everyone. But he said I am telling you. They will hear the preached word.
He said never ever underestimate.
Excuse me.
The power of the preached word of God. It is through the preaching that God has ordained. What a mysterious thing. But God has ordained preaching folks. And that is God's means. To making disciples. And I thought that was a fantastic answer.
They preached everywhere. They preached. The Lord working with them and confirming the word. Through the accompanying of signs.
Now. Go to Luke.
Go with me to the last of Luke. Let's listen to what Luke says. Luke says in chapter 24.
Verse 44.
And then he said to them. These are the words which I spoke to you. While I was still with you. That all things must be fulfilled. Which were written in the law of Moses. And the prophets and the Psalms.
Concerning me. All through the scriptures is all about Jesus. He opened their understanding. That they might comprehend the scriptures.
Christ. As we study the word of God.
As we worship him. And stand in awe of him. We must come to his feet as a disciple. And ask the Lord to open up our understanding.
Of who he really is.
That's what he did. He opened their understanding. That they might comprehend the scriptures. Don't you want to comprehend the scriptures? Oh I have a hunger for that. Verse 46. And he said to them.
Thus it is written.
And thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer. And to rise from the dead.
And the dead.
The third day.
Listen to this.
This is our message folks. That repentance. And remission of sin should be preached. There it is.
Preached.
In his name to all nations. Beginning at Jerusalem. Our Jerusalem is right here folks. This is our Jerusalem.
Or in your home.
And you are witnesses. Of these things. Behold I send the promise of my father upon you. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem. Until you are endued with the power from on high. He knew that they need power.
The power of the spirit of God. To do such a great task.
A great commission. We can't do that in our own strength.
Can we? That's why we need to come before him. In humble submission before him. As we worship him. And ask oh God fill us afresh with your spirit. And that we may have the power. To go forth in boldness.
Before the face of God. And before a lost and dying world. And he led them out as far as Bethany. And he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Don't you love that? He blessed them. And now it came to pass while he blessed them.
He was parted from them. And carried up into heaven. And notice again in verse 52. And they worshipped him. Returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And were continually in the temple. Praising and blessing God.
Glorious. How glorious is that? Well baptizing them. First they had to go make disciples. To preach the gospel. Baptizing them in the name of the father and son of the Holy Spirit. That's Trinity. That's Trinitarianism.
The father, the son and the spirit. We believe in the Trinity. That's a public confession before the world. What God has done within us. Again it doesn't mean that there's just the empty rites or ceremonies that take place here.
It's a vital part of a relationship with Jesus. It means first of all that at some point one's commitment to Jesus as a disciple, a follower, as a Lord and Savior must become.
Public.
We believe that don't we? Our faith is not hidden. Our faith is public. So that's what baptism speaks of. Now I've got to hurry up. Verse 20. Now we have. Christ is visible.
To.
His visible body, the church. He teaches them to teach them to observe all things I have commanded you. This is the third universal great commission. At the command to teach those that we evangelize. Teaching them to observe all things.
It's not this very searching expression. Let me give you what J .C. Rowell says here in his commentary on expository thoughts on Matthew. This is very searching. Listen to what he says here.
Quote.
It profits nothing that we go to a place of worship and hear Christ as ministers and approve of the gospel if our religion goes no further than this. Question. What are your lives? What are your lives?
What is our daily conduct at home or abroad? What is our daily conduct at home or abroad? Is the sermon on the mount our rule and standard?
Do we.
Strive to copy Christ's example? Do we seek to do the things that he commanded? Rowell says these are the questions that must be answered in the affirmative. If we would prove ourselves born again in children.
Of God.
That's true sanctification folks. That's the end quote. Obedience beloved is really the only proof of the reality of what God has done within us. Is our obedience to God. What a word. James said faith without works is what?
Dead.
We have living faith. Our faith is alive. It's a living faith that obeys Christ. And he says faith without works is dead being alone.
Jesus.
Says if you are my friends you do whatsoever I command you. I don't know how convicting that is but that hits home right here. Right here. This comes down.
To where I live.
If I truly love my Lord and the Lord Jesus who died for me and gave himself for me.
And ransomed me. Now he sends me out.
As the Father sent him then I'm going to obey everything that he has spoken. To observe all things. Teaching these who has come to Christ. To disciple them. And what does he say.
Last?
And lo I'm with you always. Even to the end of the age.
Remember.
In the beginning of Matthew it speaks about Emmanuel. Emmanuel translated means what? God with us. Beloved that is not his presence sufficient. It's not his presence that as brother Ben read this morning of Joshua as I was with Moses.
I will be with you.
I will go.
With you. He leads me beside the still waters for his name's sake. David understood this. David said that he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
You see the Lord is with us. We should take courage in this beloved. No matter what's before us and how high the task is we are to know that God is with us and Jesus promised it and if Jesus promised it that means he's with us.
Lo I'm with you even to the end of the age. Until Jesus comes back.
This is sufficient. This.
Really puts the application onto everything that he has said before that I commanded you. He says you're available. Make ourselves available to evangelize to make disciples. They showed up to worship Jesus in verse 17.
They were in submission to his authority. We're to submit to God's authority. To his lordship. To be obedient to his commands. To make disciples. To observe all things that Jesus has commanded us and the promise of God's presence is with us to the end of the world.
The end of the age. Until Christ comes back. Glorious is that. How glorious. Now in conclusion very quickly.
I.
Like to give a little application from Hebrews. There's so many different applications I can turn to but I'm choosing Hebrews because there's much here of what the writer of Hebrews speaks of to us in chapter 12.
It's an exhortation of what he tells us and I like to run it all the way to chapter 13 but start with chapter 12 verse 18 listen to what it says. For you have not come to the mountain that you may be touched and burned with fire.
He's speaking of Sinai here. To the blackness and darkness of the tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.
They were fearful of that of the holiness of God and the justice that was being poured out. Ten commandments was given verse 20 for they could not endure what was commanded. They couldn't endure it because it was just too much.
Actually they were talking about the writer of Hebrews actually speaking of what happened there in Exodus 19 when God spoke they thought they were going to die. They said Moses you speak to us we can't bear God speaking to us.
They literally thought they were going to die. It was so fearful.
And then he said this.
And if so much as best touches the mountain it shall be stoned and shot with an arrow. Speaking of God's holiness they would not even to touch the mountain. And he says this in verse 21. So terrifying was the sight that Moses said I'm exceedingly afraid and trembling.
But the.
Transition. But there's the hinge that opens up the revelation.
You have.
Come to mount Zion to the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and church of the first born who are registered in heaven. To God the judge of all to the spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than of Abel.
How glorious is this? Listen to this. See that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth. Much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven whose voice then shook the earth.
But now he is promised saying yet once more I shake not only earth but also heaven. Now this yet once more indicates the removal of all the things that are being shaken. The things that are made and the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. Then he says this let brotherly love continue and isn't it amazing he goes from our God is a consuming fire.
But let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing you some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them those who are mistreated since you or yourselves are in the body.
Also marriage is honorable to all among all the bed is undefiled but fornicators and adulterers God would judge let your conduct be without covetousness be content with such things as you have. For he himself said I will never leave you nor forsake you there it is so we may boldly.
Say.
And what can we boldly say. The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me.
If.
God be for us. Who could be against.
Us who shall.
Lay any charge against God's elect.
It is God who justifies.
The Lord is our helper he will never leave us nor forsake us. Beloved let me leave you with this as God.
Has led us here.
Five years in his good grace we have a great work to do and to labor for his kingdom. Jesus is worth it. We are to call men to repentance and Jesus.
Has provided the.
Redemption.
Upon the cross.
So we are to say be reconciled to God. We had the ministry of reconciliation.
Now there is mercy.
And we are to plead. That is what Paul actually says almost in the sense we beg people to be reconciled to God.
Come to him.
While there is breath.
In their nostrils. Now is the time to awake out of the slumber and it makes me think of what is said.
In Esther.
For we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. The urgency is great.
The world gets.
Darker. But we have the light of the gospel. Beloved may we awake from our slumber and our sleep and go forth and tell people about Christ and compel them with tears in our eyes not to be bombastic not to be harsh but to plead with them in grace to speak the truth in love and say.
Come to Christ while you.
Are living and breathing.
Because.
Any of us can die. They can die at any moment.
For how perishing.
Our life is like a sigh like a vapor like a shadow and next thing you know.
We are in eternity.
That is the urgency isn't it.
Eternity.
Is before us but here we have first. How can.
We be effective.
Don't you want to be effective. I do. For the Lord's sake for the church and may the church be the church. It is such a time as this we are to rescue the perishing for the glory of God and reach out for the lost and dying and for Jesus sake.
Because actually in.
Acts 1 it.
Basically says you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be what witnesses unto me. You know what that means. Our witnessing is before the face of God. Before the face of God first and foremost we are to worship Him but our witness goes.
Out relational.
Remember those two things. It's personal.
It's relational.
It makes me think of the cross vertical horizontal.
What did.
Our Lord say love the Lord thy God with all your heart soul mind and strength. Second is this love thy neighbor as thyself Jesus says you can hang all the law and the prophets on that one thing that one command that is the first and great command and it ties in with the great commission.
Vertical worship. Make yourself available. We show up to worship Him. Then we tell it to the whole world amen. May it be so God give us grace redeeming grace. Church in your home as mothers.
Fathers.
On this father's day to make disciples of your children how critical is that it's at home and abroad all for the glory of God. Nothing else nothing else it's all for God's.
Glory.
And the gates of hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus builds.
Let's pray our father and our God I pray Lord fill us afresh with your spirit. We thank you for this time together Lord to look just briefly at these gems that's given to us through these wonderful commands that your son that you have highly exalted on your right hand that is before.
He left.
Gave this great commission. Oh God stamp this on our eyeballs as you would stamp eternity on our eyeballs. God burn this within us. God may we never forget that we the only bible.
That this.
Lost and dying world will ever read is our lives. Oh God help us not to fail you in this desperate hour.
Lord while.
We see decay and sin like a cancer and polluting this land but oh God it's not without hope for the salt of the earth and the light of the world will rise up. Oh God that we will wake it out of our sleep and go forth in the name of Jesus and boldly proclaim the gospel.
Lord help us. I pray we humbly come before you. We ask you Lord to fill us afresh with your spirit and we know that you have promised to be with us. May we take heart may we take courage as we go forth to obey and help us Lord to be effective for the gospel's sake and for your sake Lord that we go forth bold as a lion.
To tell.
This world about Jesus Christ to rescue the perishing for Jesus you came to seek and save the lost. We thank you Lord. Lord as we go out in the highways and byways may they see Jesus in us. May they read Christ in us.
The only Bible they will ever read is our lives. We are walking sermons from Monday to Saturday. Lord we just come together today to worship you and honor you and thank you and Lord help us to now not only as we worship you in the beauty of your holiness as we leave.
And exit.
To serve on our mission field for your glory. We ask these things in the wonderful name of Jesus.
Amen and Amen.