The Great Commission

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0:00My name is Kurt Kenney, and again, a warm greetings from Stony Point Presbyterian Church, where I serve as pastor for Community Life. One of the big things I do there is I oversee our community groups, and just want to encourage you before I dive into the sermon this morning, just encourage you, I'm sure Joel has said this, but let me reiterate how important it is to be in a small group with believers gathered around God's Word, confessing our sin, dealing with the realities of life, the pain, the joy, not to just show up on a Sunday morning and shake hands with a few people, but to be in community throughout the course of the week, doing life together, find a group, and join it, and commit to it.

0:50Let me pray as we come to Matthew 28. Jesus, You have all authority. It's a privilege to be here at New Creation, because You are in the business of making all things new. And we look at the news, we look at what's happening around the world, we look at what's happening in our own lives, in our own families, and sometimes it doesn't feel that way. It doesn't feel like You are making all things new. But You promised us, Behold, I am making all things new.

1:30So You have all authority. That means You have authority over our hearts this morning. And I have to confess that my heart can be squirrely and reluctant and slippery and move in all sorts of different directions. So we come to You from all different backgrounds this morning. There are some who, like me, just stepped foot in this building for the first time this morning and were warmly greeted. And I'm thankful that they're here. There may be some here who don't yet know You and who are exploring the Christian faith.

2:06I'm glad they're here this morning. I pray that You would meet them, that You would welcome them, that they would hear the good news of the Gospel, that You would make a new creation. So speak to us now through these words of Jesus, His parting words that He gave to His disciples and that He gives to us. Help us to fulfill the mission of the church. In Your name we pray. Amen. Let me read these words from Matthew 28. And if you wouldn't mind, would you please stand for the reading of God's Word?

2:41Let's stand for the reading of God's Word from Matthew 28, 16-20. This comes after the resurrection of Jesus. This is what happened. Verse 16. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted. 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 and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

3:29And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. This is God's Word. You may be seated. All of Scripture, meaning the Bible, starting from the beginning of Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, is given to us by God. It's breathed out by God and it is powerful. We sit under the authority of Scripture. But you'll notice as you read the Scriptures, there are these particularly poignant and powerful moments. Consider the power of these words.

4:06In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Those are powerful words. And God said, Let there be light. And there was light. And then God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness. So He created man in His image. In the image of God, He created them. Male and female, He created them. Those are powerful words. And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And so we're here because of those words.

4:43Those are powerful words. We exist because of these words. We exist because God has the power to speak light into existence, to speak the world into existence, and to speak humanity into existence. Matthew 28 brings us to one of those powerful moments in Scripture where Jesus speaks and something incredible happens. We're sitting here today in this church in Curtis Elementary because of the words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 28. We call it the Great Commission.

5:21It's one of those poignant moments in Scripture and it's not overdoing it to say that these words have shaped the history of the world. Jesus, after His death and resurrection, through His words, speaks the church into existence with this powerful commissioning. This is what He told us to do. One of the questions we often find ourselves asking, indeed we ought to ask with some regularity, is what are we supposed to be doing as a church? There's so many wonderful things we can do.

5:53I'm sure Joel is often praying and sort of racking his brain as to, you know, should we focus on this? Should we offer this class for our kids or for our adults? Or what should the next sermon series be? Sometimes we need to go back to the basics and say, what are we about? What has God called us to as a church? Not only that, but we ought to ask to take stock and step back and say, how are we doing it? How are we doing what He has called us to do?

6:23What measure has He given us? The great football coach, Vince Lombardi, coached the Green Bay Packers, one of the greatest coaches to ever do it, famously began every football season by gathering the entire team into the locker room, veterans as well as new recruits, and he would hold up a football. Anybody remember what he would say? He would say, gentlemen, this is a football.

6:51He would then proceed to speak of the importance of the very basics, the fundamentals of the game of football as a foundation for the rest of the season. And you imagine these veterans coming in year after year and saying, coach, we got it the first time. We know what a football is. And yet he was one of the greatest to ever do it. Begin the season to say, here are the basics. Gentlemen, this is a football. John Wooden, one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, coached at UCLA and he was also known to begin a season by demonstrating to his players how to properly put on their socks in such a way that there was no bunching.

7:32Then how to put on, lace up, and properly tie their shoes in such a way that they would fit snugly, not too tight, not too loose to prevent blisters and shifting. It's important to go back to the basics. Can you imagine that? This world-class coach who comes in and says, gentlemen, let me tell you how to put on your socks and your shoes in the morning because he understands human nature. He understands that we need to be reminded of that to which God has called us.

8:02What many thought was a waste of time was no such thing? Church, this is our this is a football moment where Jesus says keep coming back to these words time and time again because you're going to veer off. You're going to be distracted by other things, other pursuits, things that the Bible calls idols for many of us. He says, come back to this mission to which I've called you, the Great Commission. And so this is our purpose in the world and we do it to glorify God.

8:34And I want to draw out for you this morning three aspects of this Great Commission to which Jesus has called us. Three C's, okay? So I don't have it up on the screen. You can just keep these in your mind. Three C's. The claim of His authority, the command to go and make disciples, and the comfort of His presence. I'm going to be with you as you go. The claim of His authority, the command to go and make disciples, and the comfort of His presence. First, the claim of His authority.

9:07Notice what it says starting in verse 16. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted.

9:23You know that worship and doubt can go hand in hand. I worship and I doubt. And there are some here this morning who have worshipped and some here who are doubting. And that's okay. Jesus can handle worshippers and doubters. And He can still send you out to do His business in the world. Some worshipped and some doubted. And there's a pattern you notice in the Gospels is that Jesus will call people to Himself. He will say, stop what you're doing, drop your fishing nets, you're going to come with Me.

10:02Sometimes He'll even have the audacity when He calls them to give them a new name. I haven't done that to anybody recently. Have you? Come follow Me. And oh, by the way, I'm going to give you a new name. And yet they follow because they see something in Him. But they follow Him. They learn from Him. They spend time with Him. And then He doesn't keep them to Himself, but He sends them out in His authority. Each time it happens, they mature, they grow in their faith, they understand a little bit more of who He is.

10:37They follow Him a little more closely. We're all on the same journey if we're following Jesus. It's brilliant to see Jesus teaching them, modeling for them what it means to make disciples and then sending them out to make other disciples who will make disciples. That's how these words have transformed the world. He sends them out our family lives in Midlothian, kind of in the Salisbury area of Midlothian. And we live in a cul-de-sac and the street we live on is not quite flat.

11:14It's kind of a, as you come down our street, it's a slight decline down into the cul-de-sac. And then it ends in my neighbor's driveway and then there's grass next to his driveway. Perfect conditions for learning how to ride a bike. It's hard, right, to learn how to ride a bike on a flat surface. Sometimes you need a little momentum. And certainly it can be hard to ride a bike uphill as you're learning how it works. But I've had the privilege four times of teaching my daughters how to ride a bike.

11:46And it's a privilege and it's a rush every time it happens. They begin with training wheels. And what happens, you've noticed, if you've ever taught a child to ride a bike or maybe some of you have recently had training wheels, but they tend to lean on one side with the training wheels and that's just how they go. They're leaning on one side. And then as I'm teaching them, I encourage them and it's hard to do it with words. Sometimes you just got to go out there and do it.

12:19And they begin to lean to the other side, right? And now they're on the right side. Learning how to ride that bike with their training wheels. And this can go on for days. It can go on for weeks. It can go on for years. Depending on the child, they've been different with every single one. But then there's that moment where they start to feel what it's like to be in the middle. And it always has to happen with some momentum. They have to be moving forward.

12:44They have to have the courage to get up some speed. And I have to sometimes give them that nudge that they're not ready for. And they begin to feel what it's like to be in the middle and to actually ride a bike. Now, as that's happening, every one of them has said the exact same thing. Parents, you know what they're going to say. Dad, do not let go. Don't let go.

13:12And they don't say, Dad, don't let go because they don't trust me. They say, Dad, don't let go because they do trust me. And because they want me to hold on to that seat. And they want me to not send them off into the street and into peril. But I have to send them. I have to let go. Otherwise, they'll never learn how to ride a bike. And so as they begin what it means to learn how to ride a bike, and as they look back and they say, Dad, don't let go.

13:44And as some worshipped and as some doubted, Jesus took off the training wheels and says, you're ready to go. And so He sends them off into the world to fulfill His great commission. And for them, the balance is learning to remember who was Jesus and what was His message and what did He teach us. And Peter, over and over again, had made mistakes, right? He had betrayed Jesus. He had failed Him time and time again. And yet, Jesus sends him off into the world all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

14:27So it's time for the training wheels to come off. It's time to go off into the world to obey me and to trust me. Has any human in the course of history ever stood on the stage of history and said these words all authority. Notice, He doesn't say all authority in this world. All authority on the earth. That's not where He stops. He says all authority in heaven. The place where God dwells. I have it all. Every square inch is mine in heaven and on earth.

15:14There's really only three options for somebody who would make such a claim to such authority. He must either be a liar. He must be out of his mind. He must be someone like a Hitler or a Stalin. Although, I don't even think Hitler or Stalin would say such audacious words. They might say all of this land belongs to me. But who in their right mind would say all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to me. Only one man in his right mind could ever make such a claim.

15:52And that makes a world of difference. Church, this is a football. This is the claim that Jesus has made that He has all authority and it's been given to Him. Christ rules. This is what it says in Luke 8. Who then is this? The apostles cried that He commands even the winds and the water and they obey Him. See, they're starting to see glimpses of His authority when He calms the storm and when He heals the sick and when He casts out demons.

16:29One writer put it like this, there's not a plant or flower below but makes Thy glories known and clouds arise and tempests blow by order from Thy throne. Jesus has all authority and it's because He has all authority that one day we will all answer to Him.

16:55Notice it says all authority has been given to me. What does that mean? Does that mean there was a point at which He had no authority? He didn't have any authority? What does He mean when He says all authority has been given to me? It makes sense when you read Philippians chapter 2. He never lost His authority without His own willing intentions. Here's what it says in verse 5. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though He was in the form of God He was with God He was God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped or to be held on to but He emptied Himself.

17:40by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. He who had all authority gave up His position of power. He came to serve and to save and to be a ransom not to be served but to serve and so therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

18:31Who are we to go to our neighbors and to go to the world and to go to millions who are Muslims who are Hindus who are Mormons people who do not profess faith in Christ and say we have the market cornered on religion. We've got it figured out and you have to get with the program as what we have with Jesus or you're going to spend eternity suffering apart from God. That feels, I don't know if you can relate to this, but I've often felt like gosh, that's an audacious claim.

19:10That sounds pretty prideful to say we, this group of Christian people understand how to get to God and nobody else does. You can see how that could be offensive to many, to billions around the world unless Matthew 28 is true.

19:31If He has all authority in heaven and on earth, it's not a prideful claim. We're just speaking the truth. We're offering the only hope that exists in the world and the only way. Jesus is the only way to the Father. And He comes not like a dictator taking over, but He comes in humility. He comes in humble circumstances. That's one of the things I love about coming into a church plant. Because there's a humility to say, Lord, we're depending on You for many things.

20:06For our finances, for our location, for the way we're going to do things, for the way we're going to structure things. There's a real humility and a dependence on the Lord. And Jesus comes in the same way. Obeying the Father in humility, in humble circumstances. The One who had all authority gave it up and died for us so that we might be saved. And then He who has all power and all authority sends us out into the world to bring the message and the good news of the Gospel.

20:39And we look to the One who saves us to all of our neighbors and says, because this is true, because He has all authority, turn to Him and be saved. Secondly, the command to go and make disciples. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. So this is what it means to make disciples. Read these words carefully. 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.

21:15This is one of those pivotal moments. Just as God called Abraham and sent Abraham. Just as God called Moses and sent Moses. Just as God called Isaiah. We read these words this morning and Isaiah saw the glory of God and he said, Lord, I am a man of unclean lips.

21:37You see, Isaiah knew prior to that who God was. But it wasn't until he had an experience of God's glory and said, God, in comparison to you, I am a man of unclean lips. That all I deserve is your punishment. And yet, he receives the forgiveness of the grace of the Gospel. And what does God do immediately? He sends them out. He sends them out. And Isaiah says, Here I am, Lord. Send me.

22:10He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He also had authority over Isaiah's heart. And I wonder if he has all authority over your heart. I wonder if you're willing for him to send you into the world in humility, serving Christ, being incarnate, and going to all nations. this word ethne doesn't simply mean a nation state or a country, but it means every group of people. If these words are true, if he has all authority, then we are to go to every neighbor, but also to the far reaches and the far ends of the world.

22:52Every group of people that share a common language and customs, that have a sense of shared identity. One of the best resources is you go to thejoshuaproject.org and you can see almost in real time where the gospel is going and has gone in the world and to consider the unreached places in the world. Here I am, Lord. Send me. This is the fundamental question. Are we fulfilling this great commission of making disciples? And notice that it's not only that we share the good news of the gospel, as we should, but we don't then just move on and say my work here is done.

23:31We've made some converts and we move on. No, then we get to the hard work of making disciples. Of others who will learn to follow Jesus in ways in which they're leaning on one training wheel or leaning on the other training wheel to learn to come back to the gospel as they're learning who Jesus is and how He lived. As they're reading Philippians 2 and realizing His humility and saying, Lord, what are the ways in which my life doesn't line up with Yours?

23:59It's the long, arduous work and the beautiful work of being a disciple. Learning to observe all that He has commanded. Confessing our sins when we stray off the path. Coming constantly back to the grace of the gospel. Considering even in a church like this one, Lord, how can You use me? How can I serve? Maybe I can serve with the worship team. Maybe I can volunteer with the children. Maybe I can serve with the sound crew. Whatever the case may be to ask, Lord, here I am.

24:29Send me and use me in this church to fulfill Your great commission. I just told you I spent the last week on the beach in North Carolina and it was absolutely beautiful. I have discovered a few years ago what I am convinced is the perfect beach umbrella. It's just perfect in every way. It's an engineering feat. It's part umbrella, part tent. And some of you know what I'm talking about. It's called the Nesso. Hopefully that's not going to be the only thing you remember from this sermon this morning.

25:11But it's the Nesso. And it's a beautifully designed tent. I mean, it uses these lightweight, it's very lightweight. I can kind of carry it easily on my back. Not like those big heavy beach umbrellas with the wooden spear that goes down into the sand and if the wind kicks up then it's like a deadly weapon flying down the beach ready to impale someone. The Nesso doesn't have that problem. It's also not like the Shibumi. I hate the Shibumi. The Shibumi is just this piece of fabric or plastic flapping in the wind.

25:41I saw a group of people next to us on the beach who had the Shibumi and suddenly the wind changed direction and it's just hitting them in the face on the beach. I'm saying, you've got to get the Nesso. The Nesso is where it's at. Now, I don't have stock in Nesso. There's no ulterior motive that I hear. I'm not here to sell you on the Nesso tent. But I want to tell you that I've told many friends about the Nesso because of how it has changed my beach going experience.

26:12What if the same was true about the gospel? Right? The good news of Jesus Christ is a little bit more important than the Nesso. And yet, I have to confess that there are times when I've been more eager to share about the wonders of this silly little beach tent than to offer the hope of eternal life for those who are going to suffer apart from Him.

26:42I wonder if it's because I don't believe He has all authority. And I wonder if it's because I've gotten distracted from the Great Commission. Some worshipped and some doubted. Now let me say this. People like Abraham, people like Moses, people like Isaiah didn't go out in mission because they wanted to save the lost. That wasn't their first experience. Their first experience was an encounter with the living God. And they hit the floor. They were on their knees.

27:19And it's when that happens in your life, when you encounter the living God, when He convicts you of your sin and you receive the grace of the Gospel, then you say to your neighbors, I've got to offer you some good news because it's changed my life. And then we go into mission. Alright, I'm almost done here. The comfort of His presence. The claim of His authority. The command to go and make disciples. But then remember what I said to you about my kids saying, Dad, don't let go.

27:49Don't let go of my bike seat. I can't do this without you. There's good news. Behold, I'm with you always to the end of the age. I'm with you here in the cafeteria of Curtis Elementary. I'm with you in a public school system that denies me. I'm with you with your neighbors who see you come home after church on a Sunday kind of dressed up and funny looking and saying, why would you spend your morning doing that? I'm with you as you go and you share the gospel.

28:27I gave that quote earlier. I don't know if you saw it on the bulletin. I think it's on the front of your bulletin. But it says this. I want to reread it. I've just been reading Radical Disciple by John Stott recently and I commend it to you. It's a short little book. Radical Disciple by John Stott because it talks all about discipleship. But he quotes in it William Temple who says this, It's no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear and telling me to write a play like that.

28:54Shakespeare could do it and I can't. It's no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it. I can't. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me then I could write plays like his. Listen carefully. If the spirit of Jesus could come and live in me then I could live a life like his. This is what you need most. It's his Holy Spirit in you. And through his spirit him reminding you saying my hand's on the back of that bike.

29:31I'm with you. I'm with you always to the end of the age. And so though you make mistakes as you go and though you bumble your way through mission I am with you and I'm teaching you and I'm using you in the world.