Harvest University 

The Great Commission or the Great Suggestion

Matthew 28:18-20

 Calvary Baptist Church  2/2/03 PM

I. Introduction

A. Lieth Anderson-Pastor of Wooddale Church in Minneapolis

Few modern preachers have influenced me like Lieth Anderson, former president of Denver Seminary and CBA pastor from Minneapolis. In a sermon I heard him preach about 5 years ago, at a conference I attended, he told us this…

In the People's Republic of China, the largest nation in the world and a billion people strong, is what is called the Three-Self Church. That is the state-approved church. Several of us from Wooddale, a couple of years ago, were in Beijing, and we went to one of the services of one of the Three-Self Churches. It was an old building, built around the turn of the last century. We had a translator there. There were hymns sung, some of them were to western tunes which we knew. They read the Bible. They had prayers. There was a sermon, a Bible teaching, that I thought was fine.

But they're not allowed to evangelize. That's part of the deal with the state. "You can do your thing as long as your thing doesn't include sharing with somebody else."

There are about 50 million Christians in the People's Republic of China who have chosen not to be part of the Three-Self Church, and meet in house churches, because they're convinced you can't be a Christian unless you evangelize. They say that the two go together; and if you don't evangelize, you're not a Christian. They would say that those who are in the Three-Self church are really not Christians, as far as the New Testament definition is concerned. (Leith Anderson, "Making More Disciples," Preaching Today, Tape No. 165.)

How would you stack up to that definition of being a Christian?

I've heard one Christian leader say very cynically, "The typical church in the United States today is raising a whole generation of mules. They know how to sweat and work hard, but they don't know how to reproduce themselves."

B. What I Want to Do

Well, tonight I want to share something with you that is very foundational to intentionally getting involved in God's Harvest. It's called the Great Commission. But unfortunately, too many Christian men and women treat it as the Great Suggestion.

II. The Great Commission and those who follow it

Tonight, I want to look focus on two things. What do the words of the Great Commission mean, and what are the characteristics of the people who follow it.

A. What Does It Mean

The Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20...

Matt 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

After Jesus had resurrected from the dead, He met the eleven disciples (who were minus Judas Iscariot) on top of a hill in Galilee, and He gave them this authorization to act-this thing we call a commission.

To understand these three verses, you have to pay attention to one little word-the word ALL!

1. All authority

First of all, Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Illustration: A friend of mine whom I used to travel with doing teacher training seminars about 20 years ago, tells the story of a young first grader who had instructions from his mother to come directly home from school each day. But each day he arrived home late. Some days it was as much as 20 minutes late. So, his mother asked him, "You get out of school the same time every day. Why can't you get home at the same time?" He said, "It depends on the cars." "What do cars have to do with it?" The youngster explained, "The patrol boy who takes us across the street makes us wait until some cars come along so he can stop them."

That patrol boy had authority when it came to letting first graders cross the street. But Jesus was given ALL authority, no matter what the situation. That means that if someone -questions the exclusive nature of your faith, -or questions why you believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life, -or why all roads don't lead to heaven. We just have to go back to what Jesus said. We get our authority by repeating what He said. Because He was given ALL authority on heaven and on earth.

John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We can repeat that, because Jesus said that. And He can say that because He has ALL authority in heaven and on earth, given to Him by the Almighty God, king of the universe. So, if you don't like it, take it up with Him, not with me! I'm just His servant!

2. All nations

The next ALL statement is the words, "All nations." The phrase in verse 19 reads like this in the Greek...

"Therefore (because Jesus has all authority, and He's talking to you…) make disciples of everyone (imperative verb-a command) as you go (in other words, wherever you are)."

Simply put, "Where you are, there you are, make disciples."

-So, if you're at work; there you are, make disciples. -If you're taking a class in continuing education; there you are, make disciples. -If you're eating lunch at Whiskey Creek; there you are, make disciples. -If you're home schooling your kids; there you are, make disciples. -If you find yourself on the mission field in Japan; then there you are, make disciples.

I think you get the idea. Wherever a Christian is, anywhere on the face of the earth-all nations-there you are, make disciples.

3. All things

The next logical question is, "How do I make disciples?" Well, the Great Commission tells us two things-baptize them, and teach them ALL things that Jesus has commanded you to do. Let me explain what Jesus is talking about.

a. First of all, baptizing them isn't merely talking about the physical act of baptism-even though that is very important. But in the context of what Jesus is saying, he is talking about what baptism symbolizes. It symbolizes an identification with the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In other words, baptism is a symbol that you have taken the introductory steps toward a maturing faith in Christ.

Therefore when Jesus is talking about baptism here, He is not talking about dunking someone in this baptistery. What He's saying is we need to introduce people to Jesus. Also notice, it does not say we have to coerce them, or persuade them, or argue with them. We introduce them to Jesus.

b. The second thing involved in making disciples is teaching them to obey all the things that you know about your Christian faith. No one expects you to earn a Bible school or seminary degree, or become an expert in theology and Bible doctrine before you are ready to fulfill this Great Commission.

What this is saying is that as you learn things from the Word of God, either from my messages on Sunday morning, or from Adult Bible classes, or from Sunday School or from Christian radio or TV, that you don't keep these things secret, but you start talking about them, especially to those in your circle of influence who show an interest.

Illustration: One of the greatest experiences I ever had as a believer was when one of the men from my church in Upland who owned a paintless dent repair business, asked me to have a weekly lunch with him and some other vendors who did paint touch up, or interior repair, or detailing… for the dealers at the Claremont Auto Center in Montclair. I never prepared for these times, but I did what every Christian should be doing in preparation to accomplish the Great Commission-I regularly studied my Bible.

And it was amazing, as God showed me something new in my devotions or my study of the Word for a message, I would tell this group of vendors about it, and explain how it affected me. And what happened was they began thinking on what I said, they asked questions about it, and they "tried it on for size" in their lives.

Friends, all I was doing during those times was "teaching ALL that Jesus had commanded me."

The point is, you don't keep what you are learning about God, to yourself. The reason you learn is so you can share it naturally with your family, or your children, grandchildren, or your spouse, or your neighbors, or your co-workers, or anyone who is interested in hearing. This kind of sharing is a natural flow from a relationship with God.

4. Always

The final ALL word is found in the last sentence of the Great Commission, "And surely I am with you Always, to the very end of the age." To me, this is the most exciting part of this entire passage. It is basically saying that... ...no matter where I find yourself, ...no matter what the circumstance, ...no matter who I am talking to, whether I am talking about an introduction to my faith, or whether I am talking about something I have just learned from reading my Bible or listening to a sermon... ....THE GOD WHO SIMPLY SPOKE AND EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS CAME INTO BEING, is with me! -He promises to guide my speech. -He promises to guide my thoughts. -He promises to guide the conversation. Because He is God, He can do this…, and He promises He will.

It reminds me of the story about David and Goliath. Saul's soldiers thought Goliath was too big to kill. David thought he was too big to miss. Friends, when God says He will "be with you always", He will be with you ALWAYS--count on it!!

B. 10 distinctives of Great Commission Keepers - from Luis Palau

Luis Palau, the Argentinean born evangelist, who has spoken before more people in the past 39 years for Jesus Christ than even Billy Graham, spoke to us at a great gathering of past and future Christian leaders at, Leadership '88 in Washington D.C.. In his message he outlined for us the top ten characteristics or distinctives of Great Commission leaders during the past two hundred years. These are important things to use as measuring sticks if we are serious about keeping the Great Commission. Here they are...

1. Passion for those apart from Christ 2. Christ-centered message (not diluted with social issues, or hung up on political agendas or political correctness.) 3. Holiness in every area of life (no games played with God. Confess and admit sin and get on with it, making a commitment not to do it anymore.) 4. Boldness to try new methods (So what if we fail every so often? The important thing is that we are making an attempt.) 5. Willingness to endure criticism. 6. Commitment to a local church. This is the group that knows you, loves you, and seeks to help you. 7. Love for the whole Body of Christ-we seek the unity that is found through Jesus Christ. We don't care who gets the credit. 8. Sacrificial financial giving. This is a basic realization that life does not consist of accumulating more and more toys and things. It is a realization that everything we have belongs to God. 9. Serious about private prayer. Personal devotions are not just reading the Bible, but they are talking and listening to the still small voice of God. 10. Faithfulness to the end.

TRANSITION: How do you measure up to these ten? If not so well, let me suggest starting at the beginning. Start developing a passion for the lost. I think if we all need help with any of these ten distinctives, it is in this area. Including me...

III. Developing a passion for the lost

So, how do we develop a passion in ourselves for people who don't know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Let me offer four brief heart changes that I believe can lead to a stronger passion for the lost...

A. Make a decision that you are willing to help.

Number one is to make a decision that you are willing to help.

Illustration: When we lived in Missouri, I made an entire suite of bedroom furniture for our bedroom. Now, as I look at those finished pieces in my home today, I know every place where I made a mistake and I know every joint that turned out very well. You can look at it and admire it, or you can look at it and consider it pretty simple, but in reality, you don't know that project as well as I do, because I'm the one who made it.

Well, folks, that's the way God is with us. The Psalmist says, "It is He that has made us, not we ourselves." God knows us even better than we know us. So, when we make ourselves available to Him, to accomplish the Great Commission, we can relax in the fact that He won't ask us to do anything that is not in the realm of our capabilities or capacities. All He wants is our willingness.

B. Take pride in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The second thing is to take pride in the Good News of Jesus Christ

The apostle Paul writes in...

Rom 1:16 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...

Illustration: This past Wednesday, I went to the DMV. In front of me was a lady who had just moved here from another state, and had just taken the California written driving test. I got in line just as the DMV clerk told this woman, "You got them all right!" The lady replied, "I knew all the answers. I didn't have to guess at one." She was obviously pretty proud of herself.

Listen to me friends. By being a Christian... ...you have the right answer to the drug problem in the United States. ...you have the right answer to the communication problems that exist in your workplace or in a marriage. ...you have the solution to the violence that has permeated our society. ...you have the answer to the problems that are caused by racial tensions. ...you have the answer in your Christian faith to every single problem, predicament, difficulty and argument that modern man and woman came think up.

As Christian men and women, we must wake up to the fact that our hope doesn't lie in political ideology, or our protection from Al Quaida, or more education, or some social program.

Our hope is in the power of lives being transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is a power that I am not ashamed of having. Every man, woman and child on the face of the earth needs it!

C. Gain an understanding of those outside of Christ.

The third thing is to gain an understanding of those outside of Christ.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 8 out of every 10 Americans claim to be a Christian. But when asked to define what they meant, the following reasons were given... 1. being born in America 2. thinking positively 3. living a good life 4. attending church 5. giving to others 6. receiving a sacrament 7. believing in God 8. talking about Jesus 9. praying 10. reading the Bible

Now, these are all good things, but they don't make you a Christian. If that's what people believe makes them a Christian, they are deluded. They are believing lies. Or they are putting their faith in outward behaviors, rather than an inward belief.

Illustration: A few years ago, a young lady and her fiancé came to my office for wedding counseling. Before they came, I saw on their application for marriage that she had put that she was a Christian. The reason she gave was that she believed that Jesus was her "higher power." As I questioned her about this, it became apparent that she had mixed some Hindu rituals, new age verbiage and the name of Jesus all into one. And by trying to live out this mixture of religious things, she thought she was a Christian. Until I pointed out the simple verse in Romans...

Rom 10:9 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

She said she had never known that before. So when I shared my favorite verse in the Bible with her…

John 3:16 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. …with her, the Holy Spirit took over, and she said she wanted to ask Jesus to be her Savior. And she did.

Friends, so many people today are taking the outward trappings of the Christian faith, and making that their faith. And they are being duped into believing a system of doing, instead of faith through believing. They are settling for religion, rather than a relationship.

D. The gospel isn't just for "nice" people

Finally, the fourth thing you need to know is that the gospel isn't just for "nice" people.

C.S. Lewis wrote the quote on the top of your handout for tonight..."There is even, when you come to think it over, a reason why nasty people might be expected to turn to Christ in greater numbers than nice ones. That was what people objected to about Christ during his life on earth: he seemed to attract such awful people."

People like Zaccheus and Levi, the cheating tax collectors, Mary Magdelene, the prostitute; Simon Peter, the big mouthed liar, and many others all were attracted to Jesus, because of their sins.

Jesus said in Luke 5…, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (from: Luke 5:29-32).

We need to pray and ask God to save the "Not-so-nice" people in our schools, or our businesses, or in our neighborhoods.

III. Conclusion

If you study history, you'll see that there are a lot of similarities between the United States of today and England about 300 years ago.

Back in England, morals were all but gone from most people. -The slave trade was at its height. -A godless prison system entertained the people with public hangings. -Gambling was a national obsession--one historian said that England was nothing more than a vast casino. -Drinking dominated the pastime of men and boys. -False rumors were regularly used to manipulate the financial markets.

Also, the Anglican church was in decay. -Among the pastors, if you had an excitement about the gospel, it was considered professionally dangerous. -20% of the clergy had been removed or dismissed because of moral and ethical failures. ----Bishop George Berkeley wrote at the time, "It is to be feared that the age of monsters is not far off."

Onto that scene came some young men known as the Holy Club of Oxford. John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, and others made a mission statement together. It said, "We want to reform the nation, particularly the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land." From that small group of college students, the face of England was completely changed. Even to the point where most historians agree that the revival that happened under those young men in England saved the English people from the bloody revolution that France went through.

I really don't know what is going to happen in the future. -I don't know if the economy is going to improve. -I don't know if we are going to go to war with Iraq. -I don't know if DWP is going to sell off any more land. But I do know that the only answer to the spirit of despondency, the spirit of separatism, the spirit of impurity, the spirit of guilt and the spirit of selfishness that pervades our society right now... is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. People need the message that God loves them, and offers them the chance to start over, have their sins forgiven, and experience reconciliation.

And friends, if you and I can live this out like never before. If we can become passionate about the Great Commission, and not treat it as merely "the Great suggestion", Calvary Baptist church will make a huge difference in Bishop, the surrounding areas, and the world.

For such a time as this, God has chosen you and me… …to be right here, …at this church, …for His purpose… …to go and make disciples in all of Bishop, immersing them in a relationship with God, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus is teaching us.