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Matthew 28:16-20

~ The 3 C’s Of A Healthy Christian Church~

Introduction Mr. Nose & Mr. Hand were sitting in the church pew talking to one

another on a Sunday morning. The morning service, led by Ear and

mouth had just come to a close and Hand was telling Nose that he and

his family had decided to look for another Church.

“Really?” Nose responded… “But Why?”

“Well… I don’t know…” hand said as he looked down toward the out of

date and overly worn-out carpet. “I guess because the Church doesn’t

have what Mrs. Hand and I are really looking for…”

“Well…what exactly are you looking for?” Replied Nose.

Hand had to think before he answered…

“I guess, we’re looking for a place where people are more like us… we

tried to spend time connecting with the legs but that didn’t really go down

too well; they just kept talking about style and mannerisms… and we

tried to join the small group for toes, but they just kept talking about

socks, and shoes, and bad odors, and that didn’t really interest us… and

we attended the Sunday school for all the facial features but everyone just

wanted to talk, and listen, and smell, and taste, and it just felt like no one

really wanted to get their hands dirty…

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Anyway… Mrs. Hand and I were thinking about checking out that new

Church over on the East Side… we hear they do a lot of clapping and

hand raising, which is closer to what we need right now…”

“Right….” Nose replied “I see what you mean brother… well we’d hate

to see you guys go, but if you really believe that that’s what you need

right now, then as sad as it is, we love you and we hope you can connect

over there…”

At that moment, Mrs. Hand, who had been caught up in another

conversation, turned back to join her husband and Mr. Nose… and truth

be told, Mrs. Hand (like her husband) wasn’t overly sad to be leaving…

In the recent years her husband had made just enough critical comments

about the church that her heart had now begun to reflect his:

The small groups were a little cliquish…

The music was a little out of date…

The programs did seem a little silly…

And so in the end, it was hard for the two of them to put their fingers on

it, but they finally decided that this church just wasn’t for them…

What about you? And so what about you sitting here this morning?

What, do you think should be in a Church?

What exactly are you looking for in a mature and healthy church context?

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Perhaps you haven’t thought about that question in a while… perhaps you

don’t really care at the moment because you’re really just here to find a

future wife (young brothers)… but take a moment now to ask yourself,

what does the ideal Church look like in your mind?

What should a church be about?

How should a church act, and feel, think, and do…?

Music, preaching, and people Maybe…you think that the music is the final deal breaker in a

church…you don’t want drums and guitars ruining your worship, you

want an organ and a choir…

Maybe the music is not as important as the preaching…You want

somewhere that has good sermons and faithful studies; meaningful; but

not heavy; biblical; but not boring, practical; but not picky…

Or perhaps you are seeking a Church where the people are the same as

you…you’re looking for a church that can meet your spiritual diet and

challenge you in all the right areas of life…

A Church that makes you feel welcome and warmed…Where your kids

instantly make friends, and your wife has a solid network of women to

make her feel at home…

Brothers and sisters what should a healthy Christian Church be

about?!?!

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What does Christ expect?

No matter who you are, or where you’re from we all have theories and

expectations that we look for in a healthy Church…

But what about Christ?

What does He expect from His people?

What does Christ think that the Church should be about?

What does Christ believe that His followers on earth should be

doing…for their good and for His glory?

Here in Matthew chapter 28 I simply wish to point out 3 things that we

see reflected in our passage that every true Christian church and every

true Christian believer in a true Christian Church should be thinking

and reflecting and doing week in and week out as they seek to glorify

God and enjoy Him forever…

Outline: 3 things I want us to be thinking about and focusing on here this morning

from Matthew chapter 28:

Our Commitment to Christ

Our Commission from Christ

Our Confidence in Christ

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Main Point And our main point for this morning is going to be this:

Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth to build and to be

with His people

Now just to be clear; these 3 C’s are NOT exhaustive! This is NOT the

only thing that a Christian Church is committed to doing on the earth!!!

But in a very real sense this is (somewhat) the very least of what a

healthy church should be about!

So it’s not exhaustive but it’s also not a bad start….

Context And so if you have your bibles Matthew 28, and let me just set the scene

for you here…

In Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 28 is the final chapter in the book… and

if you know anything about Matthew’s Gospel then you’ll know that

you’ve seen and experienced many events that have occurred up until this

point in redemptive history…

Matthew has taken us through the virgin birth of the Son of God so that in

the birth of Christ we see the reality of God with us!

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Matthew has taken us through the wilderness temptation of Jesus Christ

so that in the wilderness temptation we see that God can sympathise with

us…

Matthew has taken us through the proclamation of the glorious Good

News that the Kingdom of heaven is here in Christ!

Mathew has demonstrated that Jesus has the ability to heal many sick, to

cast out many demons, and to upset many religious leaders…

And so finally (right before our passage) Matthew takes us to the cross…

he describes the death of the Lord Jesus, the burial of the Lord Jesus, &

the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead…

So now, all that is left to do in the last remaining verses of his Gospel, is

for Matthew to report Jesus’ Post-resurrection reunion with His weak

and waning disciples…

And that’s what we see here in Matthew chapter 28… The final address

that Christ gives to His Disciples!

Last Words/Events Now I don’t know if this has ever occurred to you, but generally, the last

words that are recorded of an individual are often seen to be the most

important words of an individual…

The last words of a person are like the finest piece of wisdom they have

before they leave from this world to go to the next!

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And so almost instantly Matthew pitches up the significance of the words

of Christ by immediately identifying these as the last words recorded in

his Gospel…

Now we know that Jesus said many other things outside of and after the

Great Commission here in Matthew 28…

But the point is, these are the last words that Matthew gives… and that’s

significant!

Jesus is about to say something very important and we as His disciples

must listen and obey!

So what are these last words (or last events) that are recorded for us by

Matthew in his Gospel?!?!

Well if you have your bibles please look with me at Matthew 28

beginning at verse 16:

No Judas

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which

Jesus had directed them.

Real quick! Matthew here wants to remind us about the tragic cost of

betraying Christ!

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He uses this phrase “the eleven disciples” so that we immediately

remember Judas and the tragic cost of a disciple who betrayed the Author

of life!

This is a sombre beginning to a spectacular task!

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which

Jesus had directed them.17 And when they saw him they worshiped

him, but some doubted.

#1 Worship Brothers and sisters wherever you find the Church of Jesus Christ, there

you will find her worshipping!

Our first commitment to Christ is a commitment devoted to

worshipping Him!

Where there is no worship to Christ, there is no church!

You and I have been created by, designed by, wired by God to be

worshipping Him for Who He truly is!

Where there is no worship to Christ, there is no true church!

There is something in the heart of all true believers, that when they see

Jesus for who He truly is… they will worship Him!

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Who is Jesus? Now this truth was reaffirmed to me in my own mind only a number of

weeks ago when I was chatting to Richard in the office a number of

weeks ago (Richard is one of our interns here at Grace)…and we were

talking about salvation, and conversion, and the true marks of a Christian

believer…

And we sort of asked the question:

How does one identify a true Christian believer from a false

Christian believer?

What are the marks, what are the evidences we need in order to identify

who is a true Christian believer rather than a false Christian believer?

And Richard very causally (in his serious English accent) said:

All I really need to know is what they think about Jesus?

What do they think about Jesus?

Do they love Jesus?

Do they worship Jesus?

Do they seek Jesus?

Do they honour Jesus?

Do they promote Jesus?

If you give me the answers to any of those questions, then I can tell

you whether or not I believe they’re a Christian!

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Brothers and sisters the Christian faith centers on Jesus!

It adores Jesus!

It worships Jesus!

It loves Jesus!

Worship exists because God exists, and God exists for the purpose of

worship!

Where you see the Church of Jesus Christ, there you will see her

worshipping!

But some doubted! But notice!

Notice that some doubted!

When they saw Him they worshipped Him but…some…doubted!

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There will always be present in the people of God; men and women

who are prone to fear; prone to weakness; and prone to doubt!

Now how do you see Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, and think to

yourself “I’m just not too sure about this?!?!”

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I have no idea! But some did!

They saw the resurrected Christ! They heard His voice; they witnessed

His appearance, and yet Matthew tells us that part of these men actually

doubted the physical appearance of Christ!

Now maybe this is like those women who had fear and great joy when

they saw Jesus raised from the dead… We don’t really know… but what

we do know is that even amongst those who worship God, there has

always been (and will always be) people who are weak in faith!

Mr. Butterton It reminds me of a story I once heard about the Archbishop of Canterbury

and a man named Mr. Butterton the actor.

The Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1675 was acquainted with Mr.

Butterton the actor…One day the Archbishop said to Butterton:

“Please, inform me Mr. Butterton, what is the reason you actors on

the stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things

imaginary, as if they were real, while we in the church can speak

of things real which our congregations only receive them as if they

were imaginary?”

To which Mr. Butteron replied:

“Well my Lord, the reason is very simple. We actors on the stage

speak of things imaginary, as if they were real; while you in the

pulpit speak of things real only as if they were imaginary…”

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Friends, there will always be present in the people of God; men and

women who are prone to fear; prone to weakness; and prone to doubt!

Prone to speaking of things real as though they were imaginary!

But see and take comfort brothers and sisters!!!

Although our faith may be weak, our doubts as numerous as the stars…

we will worship our great God and King!

Our doubts do NOT take away from the fact that we (as God’s people)

are committed to worshipping Christ!

Those who are baptized

And so…

Your first commitment in this world (as disciples of Christ) is first

and foremost to worship Him!

Before you are disciples, making disciples; you are first and foremost a

disciple planted on your knees in worship!

That is your greatest passion and your greatest privilege in this world!

Where the Church of Jesus Christ is gathered, there she will be

worshipping Him!

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Our commission by Christ Secondly, where the Church of Jesus Christ is gathered, there she will be

making disciples…

Point 2: Our Commission from Christ!

Have a look at verse 18:

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.

One Command Now let me just get the technical stuff out of the way so that we can see

the implications of what Jesus is saying here…

Jesus wants us to be disciples making disciples for Him!

His number one priority, His number one concern; and His number one

care in this verse is on discipleship!

Jesus wants disciples NOT just decisions!

Jesus wants commitment NOT just converts!

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See in the original language, the word Go is not a command. The

word Baptize is not a command. The word Teach is not a command.

Now they may look like commands in our bibles, but in the original

language, the only command here is the command to make disciples!

Jesus wants us to make disciples!

Because discipleship was at the very heart and center of all that Jesus’

said and taught!

Jesus loved making disciples and He loves churches that love making

disciples – Disciples that look like and act like Jesus!

And so when we talk disciples making disciples; we are talking about

teaching people to love and to follow Jesus!

That’s essential what a disciple is, and does – a disciple is one who looks

like Jesus, and one who teaches others to do the same…

How do we make disciples And so if the emphasis is on disciples making disciples; the question then

becomes:

Well how do we do this?

How do we make disciples for Christ?

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And I think that’s why these 3 verbs (going, baptizing, & teaching are

being used)… although they are not commands in the Greek… they are

just as important as the command itself!

Because without these verbs we would not have any idea on how to

make disciples for Christ in the first place! Without these verbs we

wouldn’t have any idea on what a disciple is or does!

And so these 3 activities: going, baptizing, and teaching qualify what it

means to make disciples!

These 3 activities explain the very process of disciple making itself!

So that you cannot make disciples unless you are going forth and telling

people about Jesus… you cannot make disciples unless you are going

forth and baptising people because of Jesus… and you cannot make

disciples unless you are going forth and teaching people to obey Jesus…

So I think a better way of understanding these verses here in Matthew 28

is to understand them like this:

As you’re going (wherever you are), make disciples. As you’re

teaching (wherever you are), make disciples. As you’re baptizing

(wherever you are), make disciples.

That’s the first thing!

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You don’t need to be a missionary to be obedient The second thing is why this even matters!

Why is it important to distinguish between the main command

(discipleship) and these 3 activities that follow?!?!

Why am I making such a big deal out the command, as opposed to the 3

verbs?!?!

Well, it’s important to say all of this because I want people to understand

that you don’t need to be a full time missionary in Asia in order to be

obedient to Christ!

You don’t need to go overseas to South America in order to obey the

Great Commission!

You don’t even need to be a local evangelist on the street telling people

to repent in order to obey the Great Commission!

You don’t need to go somewhere specific in order to be obedient to

Christ!

But rather as you go, wherever you go, whatever you do, whoever you

talk to; tell them about Christ! Tell them the Gospel!

That’s the command that Jesus gives!

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No limits And the reason why Jesus gives the command this way, is so that you and

I don’t limit the Great Commission to simply those who have given up

their life to go be a full time missionary!

Friends, in order to obey the Great Commission you don’t need to go

overseas and preach the Gospel… you simply need to tell others about

Jesus Christ in your everyday walk of life…

You don’t need to be a full-time missionary on the mission field… you

simply need to explain the Gospel!

No matter where you are!

That’s what it means to be obedient to this command!

Telling people the amazing news of the Gospel and being invested in

their everyday walk of life!

God may be calling you

Now God may be calling you to full time missions… He may be

calling you to the mission field right now!

And I want to say that’s fantastic! We need more missionaries to give

their life for the cause of Missions!

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But the majority of people sitting here today, are not being called to the

mission field proper… because God has called you where you are

currently to make disciples for Christ in your own walk of life!

Everyone is a disciple maker! Every single Christian (no matter what context God has placed you in) is

by virtue of your salvation in Christ; a disciple making Christian!

If you are a Christian here this morning then you are by virtue of your

salvation; a Christian who makes disciples!

Whether in the home

Whether at work

Whether in your neighbourhood

Whether overseas or just over the road

No matter where God has placed you, this is your first priority as a

Christian!

Someone once said that:

“The Great commission is big enough to fill the whole world, and

yet small enough for each and every single one of us to play a

part…”

And that’s what Jesus is saying here…

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The emphasis and the pinnacle of this passage, is on making disciples!

That is the heart of Jesus’ message and ministry, and that is the heart of

this passage here in the book of Matthew!

Baptism & Teaching And so… No matter where you are in your walk of life; every Christian

sitting here today is a disciple making disciple… and Jesus has given us 3

primary ways of doing this:

1. Going

2. Baptizing

3. Teaching

# Going So let’s look at the first one there; going…

Jesus does not expect the world to come to the church. He expects the

church to go to the world!

Jesus expects that because we have the only message of hope and

eternal life, that we would NOT withhold this message!!!

That we would be Christians furiously engaged in telling people the Good

News of Christ!

That we would go out into our workplace, into our neighbourhood, into

our communities, into the byways and highways in order to call people

away from sin and into the marvellous light of the Gospel!

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Redlands Easter Outreach Just last week I was at an outreach event in the Redland Bay area… and

this event is run every year by local churches… And there were a number

of people from Grace Bible Church present at this event telling people

about Jesus, and the Good News that He brings to the world… and

Dalton (one of our members here) puts him arm around me and says:

Yes bro! Do you want some motivation for preaching Jesus to

people…?!?!

I said:

Yes please!

He said:

Over 50% of these people out here don’t know God, and they

are going to hell when they die… and we are the ones that

God has chosen to snatch them from the burning building!

And he’s exactly right! X2

Friends, people cannot be Disciples of Christ unless they first come to

know and love the message of the cross… and we (brothers and sisters)

are the means by which God uses to accomplish this glorious task!

We make disciples by going and telling people about Christ!

The Gospel is the only message that saves souls!

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# Baptism Secondly, we make disciples by baptizing those who profess faith in

Christ!

When a Christian is committed to being baptised into the body of Christ

by the local Church, then that person has chosen to identity their life as

one of submission and obedience to the plans, purposes, and pleasures

of God!

So in the book of Romans chapter 6 Paul says some the clearest and most

profound statements on the meaning of Christian baptism and what it

represents…

This is Romans 6 verses 3 & 4, Paul writes this:

“Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ

Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried

with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was

raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may

walk in newness of life…”

The earliest Christians practised baptism

So just a couple of things I simply wish to note here.

Number 1:

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This passage demonstrates that what Christ commanded, the early

Church did!

From the earliest conception of the Church, Christians have always

practiced baptising believers in Christ…

This was NOT just done by those who heard Christ give the Great

Commission on the mountain that day… this was likewise done by Paul

who we know was not physically present when Christ issued this Great

Commission on the mountain that day!

Even Paul assumed that these Christians in Rome (where Paul had never

visited before) were practicing baptism!

So that’s the first thing… the earliest Christian believers practised the

ordinance of baptism in the Church!

The Gospel displayed But secondly and more importantly Paul understood Christian baptism as

a visual representation (& declaration) of the glorious Good News of the

Gospel!

Paul wrote assuming that those participants in the baptism process were

themselves spiritually baptised into the death, the burial, and the

resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Easter

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So Just last week we celebrated Easter…Those two inseparable events

that changed the history of the world forever!

We celebrated the death of Jesus on Good Friday and the rising of Jesus

on Resurrection Sunday.

And here in Romans 6 Paul says that baptism points to the reality of both

of these days!

Baptism signifies that we have joined Christ in His death on the cross

But also

Joined Christ in His rising from the dead!

Baptism doesn’t save And so Jesus, & Paul, & Peter, & John, & James, & all the Disciples, and

(really) all of Christianity teach that Baptism doesn’t save a human

soul – baptism simply depicts an outward experience of an inward

reality!

Baptism doesn’t save a human being it simply affirms what has already

taken place on the inside!

Baptism is a visual representation of the glorious reality of the Gospel!

# Teaching Thirdly, we make disciples by teaching …

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Verse 20:

“Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…”

Above all brothers… above all sisters, …above all Grace Bible Church...

what the Christian desires most (more than anything else in this world) is

to know God!

This is their greatest desire; and this is their greatest concern!

The difference between us and the world…

Between a Christian and a non-Christian

Between a person who loves Christ, and a person who doesn’t love

Christ… the main difference between these 2 people is knowing God!

As one preacher has said:

The cry of the Christian is the cry of the Apostle Paul in

Philippians - "That I might know Him."

The main difference between being of the world and being of Christ is

that the world does not know Him and the Christian has tasted and seen

that the Lord is good.

Listen! If you are not currently pursuing knowledge and obedience that

the gospel produces…then you are not currently pursuing the main thing

of being a Christian!

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The main thing about being a Christian is knowing God!

It’s everything for him!

It’s everything for her!

It’s everything that our hearts desire; knowing God!!!

Jesus assumed that every true believer of God would be intimately

focused on knowing Him and teaching others to know Him!

It’s the reason we sing, the reason we pray, the reason we baptize, the

reason we preach, the reason for Communion….

It’s the reason why we are all gathered here today!

It’s because we wanna know God!

The true disciple of Christ teaches, and is taught by Jesus Christ in His

Word!!!

2 Timothy 3:16 says:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,

for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

Discipleship is knowing AND OBEYING!!!

It is teaching AND OBSERVING!!!

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It is seeing AND BELIEVING ALL the words & commands of

Christ!

Being a disciple of Jesus means teaching and obeying everything that

Christ Himself has commanded us to teach and to obey!

3. Our confidence in Christ And this leads us into our third and final point here today:

Our Confidence in Christ

Listen! I am with you! Have a look at verse 18:

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to

me in heaven and on earth…”

This is perhaps… the single greatest Christological statement that Jesus

has made – and will ever make about Himself!

Bound up in this one verse is everything we need to know about our

confidence in Christ and His ability to fulfil this Great Commission!

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus by God The

Father so that we can know with absolute assurance that the task will be

accomplished!

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All authority in heaven and on earth!

All authority to forgive sin!

All authority to defeat death!

All authority to give life!

All authority over the wind and the sea!

All authority over sickness and disease!

This is Matthew’s Gospel! All of these authority statements and authority

claims that Jesus makes in this book it all points to this one statement

given here in verse 18: all authority in heaven and on earth!

Listen I will be with you! But now look back at verse 20, where Jesus says also says this:

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So the very One who has all authority in heaven is also the One Who is

with us every step of the way…

Now Matthew begins his Gospel with this very same idea…

Matthew chapter 1 verse 23 says:

“and behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they

shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)…”

And now here in the very last verse, of the very last chapter, we have this

same promise; God with us!

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God with us So like one of my favourite pastors in the states has made this claim and I

think he’s absolutely right… that from Genesis to Revelation the entire

bible can be summed up with these 3 words: God with us!

That’s the story of the bible, and that’s the story we all know and love as

Christians!

Eden

So like the Garden of Eden was the place where God and man communed

in this loving and peaceful relationship by grace; God with us!

Exodus Think back to the children of Israel being rescued from the land of

slavery in the book of Exodus, and God brings them out and says: “I did

that; I rescued you”; God with us!

Tabernacle Think back to the wilderness and the people of God building the

tabernacle in the wilderness! The tabernacle is a representation of

what?!?! God with us!

Solomon’s temple Solomon building the temple; God with us!

Incarnation

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Christ coming, putting on flesh, and dwelling among us in the

incarnation; God with us!

Pentecost Pentecost! The coming of the Holy Spirit is about God with us…

Revelation The New Jerusalem that we read about in the book of Revelation where

God comes and dwells with His people; God with us!

This is the very means, the very meaning, and the very message of the

bible; God with us!

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, and so

remember this:

I am with you!!!

I am with you to the end of the age…

God with us!

That is our hope and that is our confidence in Christ!

Brothers and sisters do you know this real Jesus?!!? Do you know the

Man who is God with us!

The Gospel

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See the Good news of the Gospel has been sung, and seen, and heard, and

proclaimed in every aspect of the service today!

And it would be foolish of me to assume that every single person here has

met and is following the real Jesus we see here in Matthew 28…

This Jesus stands before you in Scripture today proclaiming the truth that

He has all authority in heaven and on earth to forgive your sins and to

cleanse you from all unrighteousness in the sight of God!

And the bible tells us that we have all broken His commands, we’ve all

fallen short of His Holy standards; He has given us the list of commands

and we have broken every single one of them… and God stands ready to

judge all those (here today) who continue to reject and rebel against Him!

But Jesus Christ (God’s Own Son); the 2nd Person of the Trinity; God in

the flesh has come into our world in order to live the life that you could

never live, and die the death that you should have died!

Taking the sin, punishment, and blame that we should have taken!

3 days later He rose victorious from the grave; conquering death,

conquering sin, and conquering Satan!

And one day we will all meet the real Jesus who rose from the dead and

came to those disciples on the mountain that day!

We will meet the Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth; you

will either meet Him in His grace and love because you have chosen to

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follow the One who gives eternal life; or you will meet Him in His wrath

and fury because you have chosen to reject and rebel against this

glorious Christ!

And the bible says that all those who trust in His life, death, and

resurrection to save them from their sin, they too can have eternal life

with God and be forgiven of all of their sin and made right with the One

who made their souls!

We were created for a purpose; we were created to know, love, obey, and

worship God!

And now He calls all people here this morning to repent (to turn from

your life of sin) and to trust in this One and only Saviour who loves you

enough to die for you!

Friends if you don’t know the real Jesus being presented before you here

today, let me just encourage you to talk to someone! Talk to your friend,

talk to your neighbor, talk to me or one of the pastor here today! But

don’t leave this service until you know that it is well with you and God!

Let’s pray.

Matthew 28:16-20 Discussion Questions

[Read Matthew 28:16-20]

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Main point: Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth to build

and to be with His people.

Q1. We all have ideas and assumptions about what we think the Church’s

mission is, according to these verses, what is the main mission of the

Church?

Q2. Is worship to Christ an important aspect to the life of a Christian

believer? What does this teach us about Christ’s nature?

Q3. Why did Matthew think it was significant to mention that some of the

disciples doubted? Does this teach us anything significant about brothers

and sisters in our local church body?

Q4. In the original language the word “Make disciples” is a command,

but the words “go, baptize, and teach” are qualifying verbs relating to the

main verb “making disciples”; why is it important to note this distinction?

Q5. What is discipleship? How does it happen?

Q6. Does one need to go somewhere in particular, or live a certain way,

or work a certain lifestyle (i.e. full time missions) in order to obey the

Great Commission? How would a full time mother obey the Great

Commission?

Q7. Is there only one right way in doing evangelism? What are some

other ways that you have found to be helpful in telling people about

Jesus?

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Q8. Why is baptism an important ordinance (decree) for the individual

Christian and for the Church body?

Q9. Why is teaching a person to observe the teaching and commands of

Christ an important aspect of Discipleship?

Q10. What comfort/ promises does Christ give to us here in the Great

Commission? How do these 2 promises/statements make you feel?

Q11. Think back how many disciples of Jesus were on that mountain that

day, and now think about how many professing Christians and faithful

bible churches there are around the world. What does this teach us about

Christ’s comforting promises?

Application Questions

Q1. What opportunities have you had to tell someone about Jesus this

week?

Q2. How do the promises of Christ’s authority and presence help you to

share your faith?

Q3. How do the promises of Christ’s authority and presence comfort you

when you feel like a failure in discipleship?

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Q4. Who is currently discipling you in the Church? Who are you

currently discipling yourself? What things have you found helpful in your

discipleship that you can share with the group?

Q5. As a Christian does your desire to know and obey God continue to

increase? If not, do you see that as a problem?

Q6. How often do you feel that Christ is powerfully with you in your

evangelism moments?

Q7. What are some ways of reminding yourself that God is with you in

those moments?

Q8. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being horrible; 10 being awesome) how

difficult is it to tell others about Jesus?

Q9. Is there a non-Christian neighbor/friend/family member that we can

be praying for?

EXTRA NOTES

How discipleship looks practically:

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/ordinary-christianity/

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John piper said that:

The goal of missions is the gladness of people, in the greatness

of God! X2

Our mission is to make people love Jesus!

Far too many Christians are simply bored with God… bored with the

Gospel, and bored with Jesus, because they don’t see Him for Who He

truly is!!!

But not His Disciples!!!… no no no His disciples worship Him! They

adore Jesus Christ!

Because their hearts are drawn to that which is all together lovely!

The state of the Church Why would Jesus begin the Great Commission in this way?!?!

Why would He seek to comfort them with the words All authority, and I

will be with you?!?!

Well… let’s think about the situation of the Church as it stands here in

Matthew 28… At this point in history (in Matthew 28) the Church

consists of about 11 guys… 11 people whom God has entrusted to

evangelise the entire world! There were 12 but one of them betrayed God

in the flesh!

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Now on top of this, they go a mountain where they see their risen Lord

and Saviour raised from the dead, conquering the grave, defeated Satan,

but at the same time some doubted!

What is a disciple? A person who is faithfully following Jesus and His teaching…

A disciple is simply a student (a follower of Christ)… a disciple is a

person committed to learning and following what a teacher says and

does!

And so typically (in the ancient world), a young man aspiring to be a

Rabbi would ask a practicing Rabbi to accept him as a disciple…The

disciple is expected not only to learn what the rabbi teaches, but also

expected to practice what the rabbi preaches…

And so when we say making disciples; we are talking about teaching

people to love and follow Jesus Christ!