Our Great Task

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:59

Today I'm going to be talking about our great task. We'll be looking at the Great Commission recorded for us in Matthew chapter 28, verse 18 to 20. Let's read it from the English Standard Version of the Bible. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. We're going to take a fresh look at the Great Commission, because it's the reason that the Church is on earth. It is the mission that Jesus has given us, and every generation has the responsibility of obeying the Great Commission in its generation. I would like to share six thoughts with you from the Great Commission, and to make it easy to take notes and follow along, I'm going to use a word for each point that starts with the letter P. Point number one, potentate. In Matthew 28, verse 18, it says, And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. I've chosen to use the word potentate as my first point, because a potentate is a sovereign ruler who has unlimited power and authority. Even the President of the United States of America, who's often referred to as the most powerful person on earth, is limited in power and authority. Jesus Christ is the only potentate. Jesus Christ has unlimited power and authority. The Passion Translation puts it this way. This word potentate, is it found in the Bible, you may ask? Well, I'm glad you did. Let's look at 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 15. And in the New King James Version it tells us, he, talking of Jesus, is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Think about that for a moment. There's nothing in the whole universe that's not under the authority of Jesus Christ. There's no problem beyond his ability to solve. There's no power on earth that is not subject to him. We serve the only potentate who has all authority and all power. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Number two, my second word is privilege. In Matthew 28 verse 19, we read go therefore. We have been sent on a mission by Jesus Christ. We have a great task because it's been given to us by Jesus Christ. In the United Kingdom, we often see businesses advertise themselves as members of the Royal Warrant Holders Association. You'll see on vehicles or advertising they use this phrase by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen. The Royal Warrant of appointment is a mark of recognition of those who have or are supplying goods or services to the royal household. And it's for businesses or individuals who've served the royal household with their goods and services for at least five years and who have an ongoing trading arrangement. There currently, I understand, are over 800 individuals and companies who have received this honor. It's a privilege and honor to be commissioned by the monarch to serve and to provide goods and services. You and I have been commissioned by Jesus Christ to represent him. We are told, go therefore by appointment, by the only potentate, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Often people think that they're making a great sacrifice to go and tell others about Jesus Christ, but I want to say today that that is wrong thinking. I like the way David Livingston, the missionary explorer, put it. Listen to how Paul explained it in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 20, and I'm reading it from the New International Version of the Bible. It says, We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. We have a great task. We have the privilege of taking the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to a world that so desperately needs to hear it. Number three, people. In Matthew 28, verse 19, we read, go and make disciples of all nations. We have been sent to all nations, to all peoples, to all tribes and all tongues. God's will is that all people hear the gospel. That heaven will be full of people representing every nation, every people, every tribe, and every tongue. Let's look at two verses that tell us this, and they are Matthew 24, verse 14, and Revelation 7, verse 9 and 10. Jesus said, And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed through the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. We want to see people all over the world in our generation have the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. We cannot fulfill this great task in our own strength or on our own. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and we need to work in partnership with others. Number four, purpose. In Matthew 28, verse 19 and 20, Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples. Then he continues, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. We're commissioned to make disciples, not just converts. A disciple is a person who faithfully follows Jesus Christ and is obedient to his teaching. I like the way the Passion Translation puts Matthew 28 and verse 20. It says, and teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. That's what a disciple is: someone who faithfully follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now our primary purpose as River Church, and this should be the primary purpose of all churches, is to make disciples for Jesus Christ. We want to encourage, equip, and empower every member of River Church to be a disciple who makes disciples. Number five, process. In Matthew 28, verse 19 and 20, we read, Jesus said we should baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He has commanded us. This process of making disciples is best fulfilled in relationship with other believers. And this is why we want to plant and strengthen churches all over the world. If you are watching River Church Online today, then why don't you, wherever you are in the world, prayerfully consider inviting others to join you and watch our online service together and then begin to develop a relationship through prayer and mutual encouragement and start to grow together. If you start a group in your home, we will do our very best to help you. Please get in touch with us and we'll help you however we can to grow in your relationship with Jesus and become disciples who make disciples for Jesus Christ. If you are a part of our church family, then prayerfully consider what is your next step in following Jesus Christ. We see in Matthew 28, verse 19 that Jesus said we should be baptized. Perhaps that's your next step in following Jesus, making a public declaration of your faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to find out more about water baptism, then I invite you to watch a four-minute video talk on our website that explains water baptism and then let us know if you'd like to make your next step in making a public declaration of your faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that every believer should be an active member in a local church. If you're considering joining River Church, then please do our membership course. It's available on our website and includes a 15-minute video and a set of notes, and then you can get in touch with us and discuss your next steps in your relationship with Jesus. The process of becoming a faithful follower of Jesus Christ isn't just one or two steps, but it's a lifelong pursuit. God intended us to live our lives as Christians in relationship with Him and with others. We are to love God and to love people and to tell others about His goodness and love. And finally, number six, the word promise. In Matthew 28, verse 20, Jesus said, And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. We have a wonderful promise given to us in the Great Commission. We promised that Jesus Christ would be with us as we endeavor to fulfill this great task. I like the way the Passion Translation puts it. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age. Thank you, Jesus, that you've promised to never leave us or forsake us. Thank you, Jesus, that you promise to be with us always. I love the way Jesus tells us to go, and then he says that he will be with us. In the King James Version, we see the word go and we see the word low. He promises, Lo, I am with you always if we go. If there's no go, then there's no low. And there's a particular presence of God that we're promised if we go and tell other people about Him and make disciples of all nations. River Church, we're not on our own. We don't have to do this in our own strength. Jesus Christ is with us in this great task. So, in summary, we've taken a fresh look at the Great Commission today. We've broken Matthew chapter 28, verse 18 to 20 down into six words that all start with the letter P. They are potentate, privilege, people, purpose, process, and promise. Let me read Matthew 28, verse 18 to 20 again from the English Standard Version of the Bible, and then I will lead us in prayer. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 that I have commanded you, and behold I am with you always, to the end of the age. Let us pray together. Father God, thank you for the great task that you have given to us. We thank you that you are with us. We ask you to give us opportunities this week to tell others about your goodness and love. Holy Spirit, please show each of us what our next step is in being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. We ask you to help us to play our part in partnership with others in following the Great Commission in our generation. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.