The Church: Real Mission
Matthew 28:18-20
How many of you have heard a sermon on Matthew 28:18-20? How many have heard more than two sermons on Matthew 28:18-20? How about more than five? Many of you have heard a message preached on this passage before, so there’s not a great likelihood that I’m going to say anything incredibly new, innovating, and mind-blowing. But one thing I will say is this… a sermon on Matthew 28:18-20, what we call the “Great Commission” is like going back to the basics… practicing the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Think about Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods… two of the best athletes in the history of professional sports. How do you think Jordan got so incredibly consistent at his game? Hours upon hours upon hours of lay ups, free-throws, jump shots, and three-pointers… going back to the basics. Think about Tiger… how many hours do you think he spends on a putting green… how many thousands of balls do you think he’s sunk into the cup? Drive for show… putt for dough! Tiger practices and practices the basics. We have to continually go back to practicing the basics if we’re going to “succeed” at something.
And there’s a similar dynamic in the Christian faith… we need to go back to basics… and be reminded of the mission of the Church, straight from the lips of Jesus Christ. That’s what Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission, is all about. It’s going back to the basics.
We invite the people of our world into the life-transforming community of Jesus!
This is Jesus’ marching orders and mission to us, the Church, in Matthew 28:18-20… the last words that Matthew includes in His Gospel. It’s our part in the Story of God. This passage is Jesus’ mission for His Church. So His words have got to be very important… a command for us to remember and a calling for us to live by. So let’s read Jesus’ Great Commission which is our mission from Matthew 28:18-20:
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The mission and calling of the Church, is to invite the people of our world into the life-transforming community of Jesus. Now the question is how? There are three things that Jesus provides in this passage, and the first thing He provides for our mission is…
1. Power (v. 18)
All of the power and authority of the universe belongs to Jesus Christ, and it is by His power that we are sent and lives are saved and changed.
The context of this passage is immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So the eleven disciples (remember Judas, the betrayer, hung himself) and likely many other followers head up to Galilee in the northern part of Israel because Jesus has told them that He will meet them there.
I think there’s something very important about Jesus giving this Great Commission to His followers in Galilee. Galilee is called “Galilee of the Gentiles.” It is the northernmost part of Israel, there were many Gentile immigrants and mixed-race families that lived up in this area. Jesus in giving His great commission up in Galilee of the Gentiles let’s us know that this mission is way beyond simply the Jewish people… this is a mission that will change the world… people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will come to call Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.
And vv. 16-17 tells us that some of Jesus’ followers were “doubtful.” The word is better translated as “hesitant.” I think there was simply confusion present. Many of these followers had seen Jesus crucified on the cross. They had seen His body taken down and put in a tomb. And many hadn’t personally seen Him yet after His resurrection, and there was hesitancy. But they went any way. They needed to see Him with their own eyes… hear Him with their own ears. And what they would see and hear would change the world.
Can you imagine the scene? You’re gathered there in the hill country in Galilee… waiting with an overwhelming sense of expectation… and far off in the distance, you see Him… walking towards you… it’s true… He’s risen… all of your hopes haven’t been dashed… everything that you’ve given your life for in following Him, everything you’ve left behind, hasn’t been for nothing. He’s risen… and here He comes. And these first thing that He says to this gathered group of disciples and followers, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel is “all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” All of the power, the right to rule, and the victory belongs to Jesus. You’ve got to remember that Matthew’s Gospel is written primarily to Jewish people who are longing for the Messiah, and this last great proclamation from Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel let’s us know that Jesus has all of the authority and power of the Messiah because He is the Messiah. He is the Christ, the Savior of the world… the King of the Universe.
I believe that Jesus immediately tells them about His power and authority because His followers are going to need to know and believe that as they are sent out into the world. He knows that they are going to face overwhelming odds against them as they take the good news of Jesus Christ out into the world. Jesus knows that the gospel is going to turn the world and its system of rebellion and utter selfishness upside down. Jesus knows that His followers are going to be ridiculed and persecuted as they follow and proclaim Him. And Jesus ultimately knows that it is His power and His power alone that changes hearts and lives. So He begins with His power and authority. He sends us with His power. He goes before us with His power. He changes people’s lives as we pray for them in His power.
I was thinking about the need for power when you’re taking a risk. I love to ride off-road motorcycles. And I’ve got to confess, while I don’t go crazy, I like to catch a little air when I’m out riding. When you jump a dirt bike, you take a risk. And as you jump a dirt bike you’ve got to give the bike some power… you’ve got to lay on the throttle during the approach and then most importantly when you’re approaching the top lip of the jump, you’ve got to give it more throttle, more power. And once you’re on that jump, you’re committed, and you need the power to get up in the air. So you’ve got to give it throttle. It’s a bit on the scary side, but you can’t do it without the power of the motorcycle.
We desperately need Jesus’ power. We need His power to give us compassion for the lost right around us. We need His power in praying for courage and conviction in our own lives to share Him with our world. We need His power to go before us and begin to soften the hearts of the people that we are led to share the gospel with. It is His power that sends us and His power that changes lives. Will you commit to praying for Jesus’ power in our lives… to sending us out on a mission… to giving us the words to say to the people we love who don’t know Him… to change the hearts of the lost to see their need for Jesus Christ? I’m going to ask you to regularly pray for three things: (1) pray for your own heart and compassion for the lost people right around you… pray that Jesus would give you His heart; (2) pray that your church would be re-energized with a deep sense of mission to be externally focused as you reach out to your world… locally and globally; and (2) would you pray for three people with whom you can share your faith. Begin to pray for the heart and the courage to share your faith. Let’s pray for Jesus’ power to change our hearts and peoples’ lives.
2. Presence (v. 20b)
Not only does Jesus gives us His power, He promises that He’ll walk with us every step of our lives as we pursue Him and His mission to the world. And as Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered and transformed… we see the people around us in a different light. We begin to see the world the way Jesus sees it.
“and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The very last verse in Matthew’s Gospel, the climax, is the promise of Jesus’ presence with us. There are bookends to Matthew’s Gospel. In Matthew 1:23, we find that God is with us… it’s a promise of presence. Matthew 1:23 read, “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” And as we get to the end of Matthew’s story of Jesus, that promise of presence, God with us, holds true until we see Him again
But here’s the question… what does “presence” have to do with mission? Why does Jesus, after giving us the Great Commission, the mission for our lives and for the church, remind us that He’s here with us? Here’s why I believe that is so important… as our lives are transformed from the inside out by the presence of Jesus through His Holy Spirit, we begin to truly believe, not only intellectually but also experientially, that Jesus is real… that His love, His grace, and His lordship actually makes a difference in our lives. And when we’ve experienced something life-changing, we tend to want to share that with other people. As we are changed, we want people we know and are about to be changed by the very same power and presence that has changed us. As we experience the presence of Christ, comforting us, guiding us, challenging us to trust, we are overwhelmed and overcome by the love of God. And when that happens, we can’t help but share that. It simply overflows in mission.
I love “Northshore stories.” I love to witness when Jesus transforms lives… and especially when that transformation goes “public” and overflows to the world in mission. Here’s another beautiful Northshore story… the story of Bob and Jane Sturm who are preparing to go to Ethiopia. It’s a story of Jesus’ presence with them… always… every part of their day… through the tragic ups and downs of their story… and His presence is simply overflowing in compassion and mission.
The country and people of Ethiopia have long occupied a place in the hearts of the Bob and Jane Sturm. Jane grew up there, a daughter of missionaries serving in the rural parts of the country. In 1979, soon after Bob and Jane were married, they returned to Ethiopia to teach school for two years. While there they sensed God calling them to Ethiopia to work as missionaries. That became their “plan”—25 years ago.
But, as Bob puts it, “our lives were re-directed.” While completing physical exams required for travel to Africa, their son John was diagnosed with a rare disease that would require constant care. In the following 20-year period three of the Sturm’s five children would be diagnosed with the same disease. There was no cure. Bob and Jane graciously and lovingly cared for John, Mark and Chrissy until their deaths. And Jesus walked with them every step of the way, through all of their pain and sorrow with all of His grace and joy.
Ethiopia today is one of the poorest countries in the world. Ravaged by cycles of drought and famine, the people of Ethiopia struggle daily to find food, water and means for basic subsistence. Add to that the devastating effects of widespread HIV/AIDS and Ethiopia is, indeed, a country desperate for hope. And now, 25 years after their first endeavor to go to Ethiopia, they’re finally returning. The Sturm’s are going full-time to be a part of God’s answer to bring hope to his people in Ethiopia.
Serving with SIM, Bob will be the Program Administrator for an HIV/AIDS program with nine clinics. Jane will care for her family as well as reach out to women, children and AIDS orphans in the area. Matt will attend high school in Ethiopia. He sums up his feelings this way: “It’ll be scary, but…if that’s what God wants, then I’ll do it!” Amy is a sophomore in college and will stay in the U.S., hoping to make several trans-Atlantic trips to her beloved second country of Ethiopia.
The Sturm’s story is the story of Jesus’ presence overflowing in their lives and spilling over to the world around them. God is using all of the experiences and pain of their lives to paint a new picture of hope. It’s the hope of the good news of Christ—and it will change the nation of Ethiopia.
3. Process (vv. 19-20a)
As Jesus has promised His power and authority to change our own hearts, to give us a passion for a broken world filled with broken people and broken lives, and as He promises to be with us in the beauty and ashes of our own lives, He also gives us a process to help clarify what we’re called to do on this mission. He tells us to go, to multiply, to baptize, and to teach.
“Go” – there’s been a lot of discussion about the translation of this word in Matthew 28. It’s not the main verb… and it’s not actually an “imperative command” in the original language. It actually means “while you’re going…” As you’re living life in the world… as you build relationships with people that God puts in your path and in your life. But there is the force of a command because it assumes that we’re going… it assumes that we’re not cloistering ourselves in a Christian sub-culture never interacting with or impacting the world around us. So Jesus tells us to “go” because we are the sent ones.
“Multiply” – as we go, we interact with people of our world. And as we go into their lives and their world, we begin to build relationships with them. And then as the Lord leads, we share Jesus with them, and we invite them into the life-transforming community of Jesus. We multiply followers of Christ. That’s what “make disciples” means. As disciples, we are followers and learners (pupils) of Jesus Christ. And as we live in the midst of a broken world, we live Jesus, our Lord, our Master, and our Teacher, out in the midst of the world… and we invite those people into the life-transforming community of Jesus. We invite them to give their lives to King Jesus… to learn from Him… to experience His gracious and life-transforming presence. And we are a part of the multiplication mission of Jesus to the entire world… across the street and across the globe.
“Baptize” – as we go, and as we share Christ and invite people into relationship with Him and His life-transforming community, the Church, we baptize them. Once again, baptism, immersion in water, is not what saves you. But it is what publicly identifies you as a Christ-follower… as a disciple. Baptism means that your allegiance is now to King Jesus… you are part of a new kingdom… and you have a new Master. Baptism means that for the rest of your days, you associate yourself with Jesus Christ… He is at the center of your life. And baptisms means that you surrender to Jesus’ authority… His loving, sacrificial leadership in your life. Baptism shows that you are following Him.
“Teach” – as we go, as we share Jesus, and as people are baptized after they’ve given and surrendered their lives to Him, then we teach them what it means to follow Him for a lifetime. We disciple people… we teach them the how to study the Word… we teach them how to pray… we teach them how to obey Jesus in loving and gracious accountability. We teach them how to be a part of the life-transforming community in relationships with other believers, and we teach them how to go into the world and join us on this mission. Evangelism cannot be separated from discipleship.
Jesus gives us a process… go, multiply, baptize, and teach… and the process continues to repeat over and over… life after life. We exist to invite the people of our world into the life-transforming community of Jesus.
What does it mean for us to be a church on mission, reaching out with the power, presence, and process that Jesus gives locally and globally? How do we truly invite the people of our world into the life-transforming community of Jesus? How do we experience His power and presence and follow Him in His process of mission and multiplication?
There are many things that we can and will do collectively as a church body… from serving our world locally and globally… to continuing to develop our Local Impact Initiative which will reach out into our local community with the good news and good words… to planting churches regionally and globally… to sending short-term teams and long-term missionaries all over the world. And we are working hard through the power of the Spirit, seeking wisdom and discernment on how to best do that. But… I am fully convinced of this… it comes back to us as individuals who are a part of this local church. Will we individually be willing to go into our world, into peoples’ lives, and invite them to be a part of ours? Will we as Christ-followers be willing to intentionally build real relationships with people who don’t know Christ… simply to be a part of their lives… to pray for them… to share with them… and to live out Christ in their midst? And when the best time comes, will we be willing to share the hope that resides within us? I’ve got to confess to you. A pastor once said, “if you’re not fishing, you’re not following.” Jesus tells us to go, to multiply, to baptize, and to teach. And this is done so that we can invite the people of our world into His life-transforming community. And it starts with us as individuals who are a part of the community of Christ. It began on a hill with God hanging from a cross 2000 years ago… it continued with the stone being rolled away and death being defeated as Jesus got up and walked out in newness of life… it continued with God sending the Holy Spirit into the lives of a bunch of sheepish Christ-followers who would be empowered to change the world… and it continues with us praying His power, rejoicing in His steadfast presence that comforts us, gives us joy, and transforms us, and then we go with joy and excitement into the world and simply make Jesus look good. He has given us His power… He has given us His presence… and He has given us a process. Now it’s up to us to be joyfully obedient and join Him on His mission of re-creation… for His glory and for our good… and for the good of a lost, broken world out there. Let’s join Him!
