Imagine yourself 2000 years ago as a follower of Jesus. You are huddled with others in a small room in Jerusalem. The Feast of Pentecost was going on but that was the farthest thing from your minds.
You were thinking about all that had gone on the previous 8 weeks. It started out in a glorious way. Jesus rode into Jerusalem like a king. People lined the streets and shouted out his name as he rode by. Some even threw their coats in the street in front of him. Others lined the way with palm branches—symbols of peace.
You were proud and ecstatic at the recognition he received. You knew it was time. Soon he would be king. He would deliver them from the hated Romans.
But that didn’t happen, did it! Jesus was arrested! Frightened, you and the others ran for your lives. You, too, might be arrested and executed. Your dream was destroyed. You were devastated.
Two thousand years later we know the rest of the story. The day after the Sabbath the two Mary’s went to his grave to finish preparing his body for proper burial.
They heard the angel proclaim the most wonderful news the world has ever known, “He is not here. He has risen just as he said. Come; see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples…” (Matt. 28:6)
The Mary’s did tell. And the word spread: Jesus was alive, raised from the dead. Now your sorrow turns to hope, then joy. Over the next 40 days Jesus meets with His followers—even you. Your dream is reborn; not the same dream, but a dream that encompassed not just your little nation, but took in the entire world.
With the others on a mountain in Galilee you listen to Jesus say:
Matthew 28:18 - 20 18“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You knew you had discovered your mission, your ministry, your very purpose for life. But, according to Jesus’ instructions, first you waited in Jerusalem until God clothed you with the power of the Holy Spirit.
When all of you received this special gift of the Spirit you began spreading the wonderful news in Jerusalem, and in Judea and in Samaria, and, in fact, to all the known world. (Acts 1:8).
Now stop imagining. You live in the here and now. What Jesus told them is the same for you and me today. Every believer’s marching is to go and make disciples of all the nations. Why? Because people matter to God.
Jesus returned to heaven. He left the work of the Kingdom in our hands. He empowered us with the Holy Spirit. Within 40 years that small band of believers turned the world upside down with the Good News of Jesus Christ. How could these cowards possibly do that?
Because they were absolutely convinced that Jesus was alive, and that He was the only hope for lost humanity. They took the Gospel to the world. They obeyed Jesus because people matter to God.
The mission has not changed. Our purpose is to introduce people to Jesus—here in our city and throughout our world.
We recently sent a mission team to Nicaragua. They went because they care. They went because people everywhere matter to God. They went because we, their church family are obedient to the Great Commission to go and make disciple in all the world.
Today we hear their report. (End of message. Mission’s report)
Matthew 28:18 - 20 18“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(v. 18). 18“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
We don’t send missionaries or even become missionaries just because we want to. We understand that we are under the authority of Jesus Himself. He told us that in His authority and with His power we are to share the Good News of Jesus with the world.
(v. 19-20a). 19”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, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
The transitional word is therefore. Jesus is saying to us, “Because I am sovereign Lord of the universe, I have both the authority to command you to be My witnesses and the power to enable you to obey that command.”
So, in His authority, He commissions each of us to go and make disciples in all the nations. In fact He trusts that we are doing just that—“As you are going into the world, tell people about Me…”
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, take every opportunity to tell others about Jesus.
Every Christian receives the exact same commission—to be a witness for Christ wherever we are.
(v. 20b). 20b“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus is saying, “Now pay special attention to what I am about to say; because it is the most important of all. I, Myself, your divine, resurrected, living, eternal Lord, will be with you always, even to the end of time.”
We would be useless without the last, namely; the power that the Lord Jesus Christ offers through His continuing presence.
Not only did Jesus promise His power and authority, but He also promised that He would be right there with us as we go into our world to share the Gospel.