Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20 – Bible study
The Great Commission
Matthew 28:19-20 by Cooper Abrams
Introduction: I recently read an article that said modern missions began in England in the 1787, withWilliam Carey. He was a cobbler and believed God. As a saved man Carey accepted God’scommandment to “to go into all the world and make disciples, first in Jerusalem, in all Judea,Samaria and to the uttermost part of the world (Matt. 28:19-20).
William Carey wanted to go to the Polynesian Islands, but God instead directed him to India. It was Henry Nott, that God wanted to send to these far away islands.
Henry Nott was a brick mason, who surrendered his life to Christ’s will and when God burdenedhis heart, he followed God’s call and arrived in Tahiti after a six month voyage in 1797. It wouldbe twenty two years before he would see the first person saved.
Our modern idea of the island paradise did not exist in 1797. It was a barbarous place of worst ofthe vilest of sins.
It was ruled by a evil King name Pomare. He was a huge man would, with his queen, would becarried on the shoulders of his subjects everywhere he went. He did not even feed himself, beingfed like a fish. This evil king was estimated to have killed 2000 people and sacrificed them to hisidols.
His wife was a member of a class of people called the “are-ois”. They blacken their bodies withcharcoal and planted their face red. Their only occupation was dancing, wrestling, boxing, andact of buffoonery. They murdered their children as soon as they were born. Po-mares’ wifeId-deah had killed three of their children.
The island was in a constant state of war. They burned their defeated enemies homes, killed allin the village. If one was to escape they would hunt him down until every one was killed. “O-ro”was the god of war and hundreds were sacrificed on his pagan altars to ensure victory in battle.
If one had been harmed he would hunt his enemy until the right moment would come and hewould then kill him in a fit of revenge. He would then take stones a beat the body to a pulp. The body would then be dried to a thin sheet and a hole cut in the middle. this would be placedover the head of the victor and worn as a “ti-bu-tia” a Tihitian garment. The victims armsdangled in the front the legs behind the back.
Children were sacrifice by throwing them alive to the sharks in the sea or into the fiery craters ofvolcanoes. Old people and those with handicaps would be taken to the sea shore under thepretence of being given a bath. They would be thrown alive into a hole in the sand, covered withstones and sand the tramped down with their feet. The would then go away divide up the personsbelonging completely unconcerned for the victims.
These were the people to God sent Henry Nott. Barbaric, heathen completely devoid of anydecency, morals or compassion or love. Yet, Nott knew that Jesus Christ died for people, he paidtheir sin debt and needed to know the love of Christ.
Two of Knott’s, fellow missionaries were murdered, several their abandoned their missions workand went into trading business. He was left alone, just he knew his calling was sure, and for22 years he preached with not one soul saved!
Pomare’s son became king and after many years, finally received Christ as his Savior. On May19, 1819, Nott baptized Pomare II. In a short time laws were passed that forbid all the cruelmurders. The islands were at peace.
I. The Great Commission.
William Carey, Henry Nott and thousands of other men just like you and I, after being born againhave accepted the commandment and commission of God to go into all the world and preach theGospel.
A. There is but one command in the commission: That is to “Teach” (V19), or make”disciples of all nations”. That is the verb of action.
B. The going V19, the baptizing, and teaching of V20 are participles. A participle is aform of a verb that has the qualities of both a verb and an also an adjective. It describes theaction of the verb.
C. Making disciples means to win folks to Christ! At times I think we have the mistakenidea that being a disciple of Christ Jesus is a part time affair or only for a small number of peoplein a congregation.
1. Often we think that the preaching and teaching is the job of pastor, SS teachers and oftenbecause of this false idea many in our churches, who are saved and born again believers, do notsee themselves as a vital part of God’s mission program.
2. However, the New Testament tells us that all believers are disciples and that the discipleis one who is deeply committed to Christ.
3. Once a person receives the Lord Jesus they become followers…or disciples of Christ. This is a vital part of being saved and involves God will changing our lives.
D. Thus, a follower of Christ believes God and seeks to make disciples of all nations. Hedoes that by: (1) Going, (2) Baptizing, (3) Teaching them.
1. Some misunderstand the way the Great Commission is worded that the command is to”Go.”
2. Turn To: Acts 1:1-5.
a. In verse 2, the commandments Jesus gave is Matt. 28:19-20.
b. Note something somewhat strange: “Jesus COMMANDED then not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…coming of the Holy Spirit.”
c. You see the disciples were eager to go and tell the world that the Messiah, Jesus was the Christ and He had come and paid the sin debt of the world. They could hardly contain themselves wanting to share the GOOD NEWS that the Redeemer had come. Jesus, told them they were to wait for the power of God. I see two things that stand out.
(1) They did not have to be told to GO, they had to be told to wait. It shows usthe burden for souls these men had.
(2) Jesus told them to wait until they would receive the promise of God, theindwelling of the Holy Spirit.
E. Note the last part of V20. “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”
II. THE LORD PROMISED US THAT HE WOULD GO WITH US!
A. Folks, the Command to win folks to Christ is hinged to a promise. That promise isthat Christ Himself is with us.
He enables, directs, protects, empowers, strengthens, and encourages us.
B. Thus, the heart of the Great Commission is an act of faith. It is carried out by thosewho believe God…..doing what God says do.
1. Who said he would be with us? Is God able to do what He says? Is God trustworthy? If he says He is with us then can we trust Him?
2. IF the answer is YES, then the result of our faith, of our believing God is that we willdo what he says.
III. DO YOU FIND EXAMPLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT OF MEN GOING OUTBY FAITH? Acts 11:19-26
A. QUESTION? Who were the first missionaries in the New Testament who went to otherareas and preached the Gospel?
1. Peter was first to preach the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:41 about 300souls were saved. These were Jews and proselytes from 16 different nations. These men wentback into their countries and preached they Christ.
There is no record of who was the first to preach the Gospel in Roman. Yet, beforePaul went there, there was a large number of Christians. Acts 2:10 says there were Roman Jewssaved on the day of Pentecost.
Peter continued to preach in Jerusalem, later around Joppa and the Plain of Sharon.Acts 6:8-8:3 Stephen or Steven, preached and was stoned to death. Paul was there holding thecoats of those doing the stoning.
Acts 8:4..God raised up Philip. He faithful preached Christ to the Samaritans. TheJerusalem church then sent Peter and John to them to teach them. Acts 8:14
Acts 8:26, 40 Philip is sent of the Holy Spirit to a black man, the Ethiopian eunuch. He carried the Gospel to Africa.
Philip continue to preach in at near-by town of Azo-tus (20 miles), then journeyednorth about 120 miles to Caesarea.
2. The first were Christians fleeing persecution in Jerusalem. Acts 8:4-5.
Verse 8:1-3 tell how the Saul (Paul) was going house to house seeking Christiansand throwing them into prison. Yet, everywhere they went they preached the Christ Jesus.
In Acts 9: it records how that the Apostle Paul was saved on the Damascus road.
3. In Acts 10, Peter is sent to Cornelius.
4. Acts 11:19 They were some men from Cy-prus and Cy-ren-e who first preachedChrist to the Greeks who lived in Antioch. 300 miles north of Jerusalem. They believed God. The believed Matt. 28:19-20 and Acts 1:9
5. Note Acts. 11:21. Just like Christ said, “The hand of the Lord was with them and agreat number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
6. Their belief in the promises of God was their faith….and their trusting in thepromise of Salvation to all who would believe in the Lord Jesus made them share it with others,even Gentiles, when they were driven out of Jerusalem.
7. Who was the second missionary? Barnabas! When the church in Jerusalemheard of the Greeks being saved, they sent Barnabas.
8. Acts 11:24, says Barnabas was a good men, full of the Holy Spirit and ofFAITH! It was surely an act of faith for Barnabas to leave his home in Jerusalem and go toAntioch to preach.
9. Paul was the third missionary. V25 says Barnabas went to Tarsus and got Pauland they both returned to Antioch and preached and taught there for on whole year.
B. Is it not interesting that Paul had an unusual part in starting the church at Antioch. It was started by men fleeing the persecution he was perpetrating!
CONCLUSION:
1. NOTE who and how the Gospel was spread abroad.
2. Spread by those fleeing prosecution. They fled for their lives….yet they did not blame Godfor their misfortune!!
They believed the promise of God…I will go with you always…..folks that means even untodeath.
3. Some were called by Christ as leaders, their names are recorded. Peter, Stephen, Philip,Barnabas, Paul. Yet, Philip was a deacon, he started the work in Samaria.
Men from Cryene and Cyprus started the work in Antioch. They God sent Barnabas andlater Paul.
4. It was a partnership…it was a team work… Each believer being faithful in witnessingwhere he was and under whatever circumstances.
5. According to Acts 1:8, missions begin where???
a. The evangelistic work of this church is a part of God’s mission program.
b. The evangelistic work then extends outward from Jerusalem…unto the uttermost partsof the Earth.
c. It means that missions is this city, county, state, nation and foreign country are all aparto of God missions program. All are missionaries.
d. Without missions in Jerusalem….there can be no mission to the uttermost part of theearth.
6. There is no question about who are God’s missionaries. The question is where the child ofGod will serve as a missionary.
All are called in their families, in their homes and jobs.
All are called in their homes, job and all are called in their local church serving as SS and Bibleteachers, and on visitation and using what ever talent God has given them.
All are called in their families, home, church and some are called further to Jail ministries, workingin Old Age homes.
Some are called further to home missions to church planting in their own country taking theGospel to areas where it is not being preached.
Some are called to foreign fields outside our country.
Yet, all are called.
It is the local church that God commissioned and has the responsibility and privilege to take theGospel to the ends of the earth.
5. For a number of years after I was saved I thought of missionaries as being those people Godcalled to go to foreign lands.
You know it changed by whole life when I began to realize that although at that time I was notcalled to a mission field I was indeed in every way a missionary. I realized my calling was in myfamily, home, work and in my local church.
I realized that every one in the local church is called as a missionary, and we obey our call byserving, witnessing, teaching, and giving to missions.
6. In time God added another area to my calling, that being as a missionary pastor and churchplanter to the Inter-mountain West, to Mormon country to preach and teach the Gospel whereGod’s truth was not being preached….where Bible believing churches were often fifty to ahundred miles or more apart.
But I still do not go alone…I go as a church member called out of a local Bible believing church,supported in prayer and financially through the missions program of local churches. And I countit a privilege and a great responsibility to be God’s missionary where he has directed me.
I hope that you too count it a joy and a privilege to serve as a missionary where God has calledyou. I hope you the great responsibility it is and are faithfully serving our wonderful andGracious God.
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