how deep the Father's love for us. The words are tremendous. I appreciate that hymn so much. And I should begin by saying good morning. It is a joy to be with you this morning and the opportunity to share God's word. It's a privilege. It is a responsibility. And I do not take this lightly. Honest. This is a very special time, Bonnie and I. are very thankful for the time that we have had with you. These past months have been special and they will be treasured as we look back at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. So this is of sorts a formal farewell, even though we still have two and a half weeks to linger with you before returning on onto Peru. And in part, I can relate to the farewell statement of the Apostle Paul before the gathered elders that came from Ephesus. Paul's departing words to them produced a tearful event as he told them that they would not be seeing him again. And so there was a lot of embracing, a lot of weeping. And then he went on giving his testimony that he had not failed to declare to them the whole counsel of God. And he encouraged them to be careful, to care for themselves and for the church. Now, we're about to return to Lima and to our friends in our ministry there. But we've also had a ministry here of sorts, for which I am very thankful. However, I would hope that you'll be able to see us again. But I would add that a lot could transpire in two years. There are a lot of health concerns represented in this room, and I include myself and my wife. So I would admonish us all to be faithful. Paul said that he had not failed to declare to them the whole counsel of God, and I would trust that we might all have that same loyalty to God's word and to persevere in the ministry that He has given us as believers in Christ Jesus. So, with this in mind, I think it appropriate to share with you one of the key passages that gives us our motivation for missions as well as our purpose and direction for life. Now, this is found in Matthew 28, and we'll be reading verses 16-28. Now, the outline that I will follow will serve to guide us through the passage. And this I would divide it into three sections. One, we have the authority to commission. Then we have the nature of the commission and the promise that sustains us as we carry out the commission. All right. The authority to commission the nature of the commission and the promise that sustains. And again, let's ask God's blessing upon the reading of his word and the application of it. Our Heavenly Father, thank you for this time together. We pray that you would bless in an unusual way that your your presence would be sensed among us and that we would not be indifferent to the working of the spirit of the living God. Take your word and apply it to our hearts. May we grow thereby and be light to those around us. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Matthew, Chapter 28. beginning 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. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. We will begin with the authority to commission, the authority to send. Paul wrote to the Philippians that God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, and that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2, verses 9-11. The fact that Jesus received all authority, was highly exalted, and received a name that was beyond comparison, that fact, that reality demands some contemplation. If we're to understand and appreciate the nature of the commission that we have, we need to comprehend the authority behind it. You see, if we move too quickly from that which He received, authority, to that which He commands, we'll certainly fail to appreciate the commission or the promise which follows. There is nothing in heaven or on earth over which Jesus does not have authority. He has the right and the power to do what He pleases, both the right and the power. This is an encouragement for us beyond words. However, what might give us some pause is the fact in our text, all authority was given. It is important to consider what this means. especially in the light of the fact that God is immutable and unchangeable, that God cannot change, especially since a change implies a need or a lack of something. And of course, God has no need or lacks nothing. So in the light of this, how are we to interpret the statement that all authority was given to Christ? Now, We are all aware that Christ was the God-man. He was 100% man, while at the same time 100% God. So we might say that the human nature received this authority. In Hebrews, we're told that Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered. When he was only 12 years of age, he was found by his parents in Jerusalem in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And we're told that all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. After this encounter, he returned to Nazareth with his parents and was submissive to them. He was a real child, a real man. Now, we know this, but what might be confusing or mysterious is that this post-resurrection appearance of Christ to his disciples was not just as the man Christ Jesus, but as the eternal Son of God. It was not just the human nature of Christ speaking and commissioning with all authority, but it was the whole Christ in His glory as the Eternal Son. What we have here, if we can just pause long enough to see it, is an expression of a mystery that is beyond words. The fact that the God-man received authority is in itself a mystery. The Confession of Faith in part, in part, it expresses it in this manner. The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him who made the world, who unfolded and governeth all things, took upon Him man's nature. with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin, so that two whole perfect and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person. Without conversion, composition, or confusion, each person is very God and very man, yet one Christ. the only mediator between God and man. You see, it was Christ who stilled the wind and the waves in Matthew 8 and caused the disciples to exclaim, what sort of man is this? Even the winds and the waves, they obey him? Who is he? And in Luke 5, Jesus told Peter to launch out from shore, put out your nets, Now that was remarkable because Peter had been up all night doing just that and he caught nothing. However, Peter said, at your word, I'll let down my nets. And the result was that the catch of fish was so large that the nets began to break, and when another boat came alongside to help, they filled both boats to the point that the boats were beginning to sink. And it was at that point that Peter realized the power of Jesus. And he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. You see, Jesus had power, and authority. And when John the Baptist was in prison, John sent messengers to inquire about the position, the power, the authority, the identity of Jesus. And the Savior responded by saying, the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them. What he's saying is that the promised Messiah, the one with all authority, was there. He had come. Don't be discouraged. And later, when Jesus declared to the Jews that your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see my day, he saw it. He was glad. And then he went on to say, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Now this was a startling revelation. He was relating himself to the self-existent God, and because of this declaration, the Jews wanted to kill him. In the recent Founders Conference, I picked up a new theological term. which speaks to this point. Now, it's new to me, but it has a long history. And the word is aseity. And it comes from the Latin, and it literally means from self, which is the property by which a being exists in and of itself. God has no beginning, no end. He is complete in himself. He cannot be added to or taken from. Now, there are certainly changes in the manifestation of God, but not in His nature. God is eternal, immutable, Malachi 3.6, for I, the Lord, do not change. What this means is that the scope and the magnitude of the authority of Jesus is infinite, because Jesus is one with God the Father. The Father has given Him all authority, and the declaration of this was a public affirmation of the divinity of Christ. A contemporary theologian expressed this truth by saying that When deity shares infinite authority with deity, neither loses nor gains anything, but remains infinitely full and triumphant and all-sufficient. Now that is a lofty claim. Our Lord Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth because our Lord Jesus is God. And no one can give anything to God, but God can give to himself. And this was a public recognition of the power and the authority of the God-man to commission and to send. In Matthew 11, Jesus said, all things have been handed over to me. by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him." And that's summarized in Daniel 7, verse 14. And to him was given dominion and glory in a kingdom that all people's nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away in his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed. Now this declaration of authority is supremely, exceedingly important. And before moving on, we need to recognize its importance in two areas. First, it established the unassailable position of Christ before the gathered disciples. And then secondly, it established the right to commission. Now first, it established the unassailable position of Christ before the gathered disciples. Chapter 28, verse 16 and 17. They read as follows, again. Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted. The disciples were present. Jesus was there. They worshipped Him, but some doubted. The fact that some doubted had to be addressed in the manner which this was taken on was by his declaration of authority. He stood before them as a sovereign lord altogether worthy of adoration because he had received all authority. You see, this provided credibility for the position of Christ, worthy of all adoration, worship, and obedience. And it's also important because it then established his right to commission and to send, which he went on to accomplish. And now the nature of the commission. Verse 19, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." That is the commission. And it is all about expansion. Sharing, giving, teaching, preaching, baptizing. In other words, the commission is not about promotion of self self-interest, or self-centeredness. It is not about comfort, security, health, or the accumulation of wealth, but rather, this is a mandate to share the life-changing, soul-cleansing, righteousness-imparting, mind-boggling news of a risen and reigning Savior. who can transform any life and can forgive any sin. That's the commission. Now perhaps the nature of this commission might be summarized by the repetition of one small word in both verses. Verse 19 and verse 20. It's the word all. In verse 19, it is all nations. In verse 20, It is teaching them all that has been commanded. So in verse 19, we have the scope of the command. In verse 20, we have the content of the command. All nations. In verse 19, this has a historic and a theological context. If we think back to Abraham, we should be able to see the background of what is being said here. In Genesis chapter 22 and verse 17, the angel of the Lord declares to Abraham, I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore and your offspring shall possess the gates of the enemies And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you obeyed my voice. Now, the nature of this commission, the expanse and the power, it's found throughout the scripture. It is the fulfillment of the promises shared with Abraham and David, the prophets, and was a source of great joy and celebration in the Psalms. Psalm 96. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name. Tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations. His marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. Isaiah wrote that the nations would be changed, they'd be transformed. And there would be a movement to know and to worship God. In Isaiah chapter 2, it says, all the nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths. And then in Isaiah 49, verse six, I will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. And of course, then there's Psalm 67. May the Lord be gracious to us and bless us. Make his face shine upon us. Selah. Think about this now. Think about this. that your way may be known on the earth and that you're saving power among all the nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth. Selah. Think about it. And in Psalm 67 concludes with these words, God shall bless us. Let all the ends of the earth fear him. Now, the culmination of this is found in the commission which the risen Savior gave prior to his ascension. This is the post resurrected, the post resurrected Savior. We are to go to the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We all have a part in this. We are all ambassadors with the same commission. Now, of course, there are senders and there are goers. We have differing gifts, abilities, and callings, but the same commission. William Carey, the father of the modern missionary movement. translator, social reformer, preacher, cultural anthropologist, is well known for his sermon on Isaiah 54. It was the year 1792, and Cary stood before a gathering of local pastors, and he preached upon that text, Isaiah 54, verses 2 and 3. This is the text. Enlarge the place of thy tent. Let them stretch forth the curtains of thy inhabitation. Spare not. Lengthen thy cords. Strengthen your stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. The title of that message was Expect Great Things from God. Attempt Great Things for God. It was a revolutionary call for the church to see the vision of reaching beyond its national borders and into the heathen lands all around the world. You see, this is the scope of the command, all nations. And if we're in Christ, we have received this mandate. And before a small band of brothers, Cary said, well, I'll go down, and referring to India, I'll go down if you'll hold the rope. You see, no one can go unless there is an agreement that this commission touches us all, and that there is a need to not only go, but to support the effort. We need to accept, appreciate, and apply our collective position as goers and senders, as rope holders and sent ones. Now, I need to repeat what I said earlier. And it is that we are all to have a part in this commission. We are all ambassadors with the same commission. Of course, as I said before, there are senders and there are goers. We have differing gifts, abilities and callings, but we have the same commission. This passage is not just about challenging a given church to send out missionaries. This is not a promotional sermon for missionary recruits. If you think that this is what this is about this morning, you're mistaken. What we have here is an orientation showing us how we are to live. This is a description of the lifestyle of a true believer. Do you see it? It's here. If we are in Christ, we have been called, commissioned to follow the example of the one who gave himself for us. If we are in Christ, this is the orientation of our lives. It is no longer my goals, my plans, my rights, my preferences, but rather His plan, His direction, His glory. Being a Christian is not about an occasional church visit, or an occasional offering, or an occasional Bible reading. No, the commission that we have is not a promotion of self-centeredness. It is not about comfort, security, health, the accumulation of wealth, but rather it is a mandate to share the life-changing news of a risen Savior, a reigning Savior who can transform anyone. Now, if you've not seen that, If you have not seen, if you have not embraced that, then listen, please. This morning, you need to run to the one who has all authority. You need to get alone and to confess yourself, centeredness, the pride, the lust, the fears, and surrender to the one who gave everything to save sinners. Then and only then can you understand the nature of this commission. And then and only then will you be able to apply this to your life. It starts with a relationship with Jesus. Just before his ascension, Jesus told the disciples that they would be, he said, my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. So turn yourself over to Christ and you'll have something to share. And you will be able to be a witness. Without Christ, you're only witnessing yourself. You're only building yourself. You need Jesus. And this is the scope of the command. But we're also reminded here of the importance of solid teaching. It is a message with content. Remember Paul, before the Ephesian elders, he said, I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Now, the book of Titus is a letter from Paul to Titus, giving him instructions on how he should live and how he should instruct everyone in sound doctrine, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you. Chapter one, Paul says, this is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put in order what had been left unfinished. Then in chapter two, he told him, teach what accords with sound doctrine. And in chapter three, he had said, but avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, genealogies, dissensions, quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and they're worthless. Teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you there must be content to take seriously God's Word God has spoken what a treasure that we have And this is our responsibility We need to support this promote this participate in this encourage this and to move ahead with purpose We need to remember that after Jesus gave the commission to go and to teach all that had been commanded, after these words were spoken, Jesus was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid them from their sight. He ascended. Now, that would be incredible. He's speaking and then he goes up in a cloud. And I can understand the fact that those present were totally taken back. They were stunned. They were astounded. Their eyes were frozen to the heavens and they were speechless. Now, at that point, two heavenly messengers appeared. and said to them, men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you seem to go into heaven. What these two messengers were saying was enough of this. It's time to get to work. Pray, fast, witness, live the life that reflects Jesus and take seriously this commission. Let's move on. One of my favorite movies of all time is Hoosiers. I don't know if you've seen Hoosiers. It's about the small town Indiana high school team that made it to the state championship game They won, beating the large city school. Okay, Hoosiers, I love it. Well, leading up to that game, the assistant coach, a recovering alcoholic by the name of Shooter, he called the last play in that particular game, which was used to win the game. The name of the play was the Picket Fence. Do you remember this? Picket fence, okay. Now this is how he called the play. I cannot imitate his accent, I won't try. It's unique. You could probably find it on Google. But he told the guys, they were around him, just a few seconds left in the game. They were waiting for his words. And he said, now listen to me. This is the last shot that we got. We're going to run the picket fence at him. Meryl, you're the swing man. Jimmy, you're at solo right. Now Meryl should be open swinging around the end of that fence. Now boys, don't get caught watching the paint dry. Now maybe you have never seen the movie, or maybe you do not care anything about basketball. But the point is that we can't allow ourselves to be distracted watching the paint dry. Just looking at the heavens, concentrating on the failures of leadership, focusing upon the disappointments of life, or even being taken up with theological abstractions. We have a commission. There's a game to win. And why do you stand here looking up at the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, He'll come back in the same way that you've seen Him go. Now, this is difficult. We are surrounded by difficulties, distractions, pain, illness, temptation, and sin. However, I would conclude by saying that we have, at the end of this Great Commission, a promise that sustains and motivates us, because Jesus said, and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. My friends, we're not alone. In Psalm 73, Asaph spoke of his experience with God. He said, Yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. And afterward, you will take me up into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Why do we meet on Sunday? Or why should we take out time out of a busy day to meet for prayer on a Wednesday night? Now, there are, of course, a number of ways to respond to that question. But one answer is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew and should never cease to amaze and to encourage us. Jesus said, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them. Deuteronomy 31, Moses gave these words of encouragement to the people of God. It is the Lord who goes out before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. This is the promise. that sustains us. I am with you always to the end of the age. You see, this morning you either have that promise as your own or you do not. Is he abiding with you personally? Does He sustain you? Are you in Him and He in you? If so, the commission is yours as well as the promise. However, if you are not in Christ, if He is not the ruler, the guide, the governor of your life, then quite frankly, you're alone. But I'd like to leave you with a word of hope and a challenge. And it is that Christ experienced separation, isolation from the Father so that you could enjoy peace and an ongoing fellowship with the reality of God. You see, this gives hope. You don't have to be alone. On the cross, Jesus took upon himself sin, experienced hell in his agonizing separation from the Father, and he cried out, using the words of this 22nd Psalm, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer by night, but I find no rest. You see, he endured it all. to give us hope, but there's much more. He secured for us life, peace, forgiveness, and communion with Him. Now, the challenge is for you to acknowledge Him this morning. for you to acknowledge Him in all of His resurrected glory, to turn from your self-serving rebellious ways, to run to Him, acknowledging that He has given this commission and to embrace it. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. In Proverbs chapter three, verse six, we read, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord. and turn away from evil. Come unto me, all that you are heavy laden, I will give you rest." That's the promise that comes from Jesus. Do you know Him? Are you serving Him? If not, run to Him today. Get alone. Bow before Him. Submit. Embrace His promises. Let's pray together. Our merciful father, we thank you for your love, your mercy, for the completed work of Christ Jesus, our Lord. We pray now that you'd be working in our hearts. Draw us. Draw us to yourself. Help us to see that this commission is ours. We have a duty to fulfill. And we pray, Lord, O spirit of the living God, that you would grant a time of revival in gathering a time of refreshment to the end that you would receive glory. This is our prayer. And we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.