The Great Commission

1. Read: Matthew 28:18-20

2. About the Text:

1) This text is normally referred to as the great commission.

2) The great commission was given after Jesus death and resurrection, but before his ascension.

3) We should not think of the great commission as a single isolated event.

4) The teaching in the great commission is the culmination of the work of Christ on earth.

5) No doubt, Jesus repeated this to his disciples many times during that 40 day period after his resurrection.

6) Each gospel writer records the words of the great commission with a different emphasis.

7) The words spoken were in the presence of all his disciples.

8) The final words of Jesus as he appeared to men on earth are encapsulated in these events.

3. The Texts

1) Matthew 28:18-20

2) Mark 16:15-20

3) Luke 24:44-49

4) Acts 1:3-8

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Make an opportunity for others to hear the gospel.

i. Matthew’s account records, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations” (28:19).

ii. Mark’s account records, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (16:15).

iii. Luke records that “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (24:47).

iv. Romans 10:14, 15 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

2. Teach others to believe the gospel.

i. Mark records, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16).

ii. Matthew records “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (28:20).

iii. Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

3. Tell them that they must repent of their sins.

i. Luke records “that repentance . . . should be preached.” (24:47).

ii. Acts 2:38

iii. Acts 26:20 “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

4. Let them know that they need to be baptized.

i. Matthew records, “Baptizing them into the name of the Father . . . .” (28:19).

ii. Mark records, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (16:16a).

iii. Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12, 38.

5. Let them know what will happen if they do not believe. (Mark 16:16b).

i. Acts 17:31 says that he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness.

ii. Acts 24:25 “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, “

6. Observing the great commission means observing this plan for man’s salvation. Will we do this?

7. Everything else in the Great Commission is related to this plan.

1. In the Great Commission

i. Matthew: “All nations.”

ii. Mark: “Into all the world” “To every creature.”

iii. Luke: “Among all nations.”

iv. Acts: “Uttermost part of the earth.”

2. The plan was universal in scope.

i. Titus 2:11 ” For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, “

ii. 1 Tim.2:3, 4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

iii. John 3:16

3. The plan was not discriminatory in race or nationality.

i. Romans 1:16, 17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel….” “To the Jews first….”

ii. Peter said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10:34, 35).

iii. Revelation 5:9, 10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. “

4. This is the only plan God has and all men will be judged by it.

i. Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

ii. 1 Tim.2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

iii. John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

1. In the Great Commission

i. Jesus said, “Go ye.”

ii. You are my witnesses.

iii. “Make disciples.”

2. The apostles were the people of the plan.

i. They had a unique responsibility to carry out this commission.

ii. They were to evangelize the world in their lifetime.

iii. They did this. Paul writes in Col.1:23 “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

3. Preaching disciples are part of that plan.

i. Jesus told the apostle to “teach them all things.”

ii. Part of those things that they taught was preaching the gospel to the lost.

iii. Paul said that he was a debtor to preach the gospel (Romans 1:14).

iv. 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. “

v. Paul said, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

4. Members are part of that plan as well.

i. You may not be able to publicly preach and teach God’s word.

ii. But each of us has something that we can do to further the cause of the gospel.

iii. 1 Cor.12:14-20 “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.”

iv. Phil.1:3-7 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”

1. In the Great Commission

i. Matthew: Make disciples.

ii. Mark: Shall be saved.

iii. Luke: Remission of Sins

iv. Jesus said, “I will be with you.”

2. The results for the individual.

i. They will be saved.

1) John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

2) Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” They called upon his name when they were baptized into Christ. (Acts 2:41) “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

ii. They will have forgiveness of sins.

1) Acts 2:38

2) Acts 22:16

iii. Jesus will be with them.

1) Isaiah 41:10 states, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

2) Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

3. The results for the church.

i. The church will be edified. Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

ii. The church will grow. Acts 2:47 “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

1. The Great Commission

i. Sets forth God’s plan for man’s salvation.

ii. Sets forth the scope of God’s plan.

iii. Sets forth the people of God’s plan.

iv. Sets forth the results of God’s plan.

2. Invitation

i. If you are a Christian but have fallen away

1) Why have you abandoned the commission of your Lord?

2) Jesus wants to be with you; let him this very hour.

ii. If you are not a Christian this morning . . .

1) You are under the authority of the great commission today.

2) You will be judged by Jesus words.

3) Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!

i) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”

ii) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”

iii) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).

iv) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt.16:16).

v) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).