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As we learned last Sunday, this ‘great commission’ was given to the disciples collectively. It was told numerous times during the 40 days between Christ's resurrection and ascension. It was utmost on the mind of Christ. A version appears in every gospel and the book of Acts. Here in St. Matthew's Gospel, it is the last thing Jesus said before ascending back to heaven.
A couple of interpretive mistakes are often made with this text:
1) Interpreted as a commission to individuals. Not one time was the commission given to an individual, always to a group of disciples. In other words, the great commission is not for individuals, it is for the church. Is every believer expected to make disciples of all nations? Impossible. Was Jesus speaking facetiously? Never. The church has this task. Every person plays their part according to their spiritual gifts.
- The United Methodist Church speaks of this as 'connectional.' John Wesley spoke about and developed an interlocking system of classes, societies, and annual conferences. So, what does it mean to be connectional? "Simply put, no congregation is the total body of Christ. United Methodist churches and organizations join in mission with one another and with other denominations." (United Methodist Church Handbook 2014)
2) Thinking that the imperative in the Great Commission is "Go." Normally only used in missionary contexts. That is a great loss for the church.
- Actually, a literal translation reveals quite a different emphasis and calls for a radically different interpretation:
"As you go, therefore, disciple all the peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to guard all things whatsoever I did command you. And lo, I myself am with you all the days until the consummation of the eon."
- There is only one imperative in the Greek, but it is not "go." Instead, the one imperative is "make disciples." Matheteusate. The imperative means "to turn into disciples" and it's aorist form conveys the thought that this is actually to be done. The other three participles are auxiliary to the main verb and describe how this is to be done: going, baptizing, teaching.
Christ makes it clear that the church’s one task plain and simple is to make disciples.
C. S. Lewis (known by many today as the author of Chronicles of Narnia, but considered the greatest Christian thinker of the 20th Century):
"..the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.”
The Great Commission:
Extending the kingdom of God by making disciples everywhere we go. Kingdom Growth, not church growth. Not mutually exclusive terms. However, the Bible does not speak of methods to help a church grow numerically. It's concern is expanding/ extending the kingdom of God throughout the world and among all the people's of the world.
I. EVANGELISM IS THE FIRST STEP IN DISCIPLESHIP (v. 19).
“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
1. Jesus was intentional in reaching out to the lost and hurting.
Jn 3:22, “After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.”
Jn 4:2, “The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.”
2. The people Jesus reached out to read like a cast of outcastes: Fishermen, Tax collector, Jewish ruler, Samaritan woman of questionable character, demon possessed, tax collector/thief, etc.
3. We too must be intentional about reaching out. It is the first step in getting to Christ's imperative/command to "make disciples."
1) Evangelism is a necessary step in discipleship, but evangelism that stops with “accepting Christ” is not valid evangelism.
- This is the reason so many church members can’t be found. The back door is open wider than the front door.
- This statement allows for no separation of evangelism from discipleship.
II. DISCIPLESHIP IS MORE ABOUT RELATIONSHIP THAN INFORMATION (v. 20).
"Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
1. Notice the strong ethical emphasis: to make disciples is not complete unless it leads to a life of observing Jesus’ teachings.
1 Jn 2:5-6, “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
2. Teaching is more than simply conveying information, it's about seeking a total transformation.
Paul Hiebert on worldview shift:
1) Cognitive—information (average Christian knows more than majority of pastors in two-thirds of the world)
2) Affective—emotions
3) Evaluative—values, behavior> relationship
Cognitive alone never changes behavior. Only when connected to relationship.
*We make disciples by establishing relationships that serve as a model for changed behavior.
Levels of effectiveness in discipleship:
- Large group (Sermon on the Mount) – Anonymous
- Small group (Apostles) – Accountability is introduced
- One-On-One (Inner Circle—Peter, James & John) –Unable to avoid accountability
CLOSE:
The ultimate goal of discipleship is for the disciple to think like, look like, desire like, act like his/her master.
We make disciples by developing personal relationships that result in transformed lives. This is the Great Commission.
- Who are you impacting with the gospel through your relationship with them?
- Will those who know you personally be influenced to become 'little Christs?'
(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)
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