The Mission and the Motive (part 1)
The Fundamentals -What are we here for? Why does the church exist on earth? What are we supposed to be doing? Why are we to do that? How do we do that? How are we doing at doing that? Where am I at in this process? Where are we at in this process?
The Mission
- So, the first thing we’re going to think about is our mission. What is our mission?
- As a church body, as believers in Christ, our mission is the Great Commission.
- “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.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
Make disciples of all nations.
- If we profess to be disciples of Christ, this is the mission that Jesus has given us today as well.
- The primary command is “make disciples of all nations”. Make disciples reminds us that disciples are made. Disciples are not spontaneously created at conversion; they are the product of a process involving other believers. And don’t miss that it says, of all nations. The mission to the church, to disciples of Jesus, is to go to all nations and make disciples. The Great Commission is more than a lifestyle command. It’s a summons to join God on his mission to redeem a people from every single tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9).
- Definitions:
- Disciple – someone who is following Jesus and is committed to the mission of Jesus.
- Disciple maker – a disciple of Jesus who enters into relationships to help people trust and follow Jesus, which includes the whole process from conversion through maturation and multiplication.
- Discipleship – the state of being a disciple.
Go.
- Go, implies there’s a destination, an objective, a forward moving mission, an active mission.
- As Christians we are to intentionally go, here (to our community, region, and nation) and there (to the nations), making disciples.
- This is an intentional, all-encompassing mission. We are on earth to go and make disciples of all nations. All of our daily, practical lives should fit into that one primary mission.
- It’s not, live your life and as you go make disciples. It is, make disciples and as you go live your life.
Baptizing.
- The second thing we see there is to baptize.
- “… baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
- Part of making disciples is baptizing, a step of obedience for a believer.
- It’s a public declaration and identification with Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. (Romans 6:4-11)
- We’re basically proclaiming to the world through baptism that I am following Christ, I’m dying to myself, I’m rising again to walk in newness of life, in obedience to the commands of Christ.
Teaching.
- We’re called to teach people to obey the Word of God.
- “… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…”
- Sometimes we might stop at the baptism part and when someone gets saved, they get baptized, we think, great just made a disciple.
- But making disciples and being a disciple is a lifelong journey of growing in obedience to Christ’s commands. (Observe all that I have commanded)
- It’s a lifelong journey. It’s not just an eight-week course.
- This is a very familiar passage here in Matthew 28:18-20.
- But the question is not, “Do you know the great commission?” or even, “Can you quote this verse?”
- The question is, “Are you obeying what Scripture says?”
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples…
- We’re not going out and making disciples in our own authority.
- The King of kings and Lord of lords has commissioned us to go and make disciples.
- It is His authority that sends us, His authority that guides us, and His authority that empowers us.
- So, when a lesser authority tells us not to try and make disciples’ who are you going to obey?
- Jesus tells them very clearly from the beginning, it’s in My authority that you’re going out to proclaim the gospel and make disciples.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- And He finishes this command by telling them that He is with them always.
- You’re going on Jesus’ authority and Jesus will be with you.
- He’s not abandoning us on the battlefield with an impossible mission to accomplish. He is with us, in us, interceding for us, and will never leave us or forsake us.
Illustration: Do you have a cruise ship mentality of church ministry or a battleship or aircraft carrier mentality of ministry?
- Luxury cruise ship:
- Do I like the music they play in the ballroom? Do I like the captain and his crew? Is the service good? Am I well fed? Are my needs met promptly? Is the cruise pleasant? Am I comfortable? Do I want to cruise with them again?
- Battleship mentality:
- Is the ship on a clear and noble mission? Are we aware of the enemy and his tactics? Everyone on the ship has responsibility. Do they take the battle seriously? Does the ship have adequate first aid and medical help? Is the ship sending out planes on specific missions?
- If a church is to fulfill its mission to make disciples of all nations, to seek and to save the lost, then it must resemble a battleship, not a cruise ship.
This is the mission of us as individuals and collectively us as a church body.
Living Hope Ministries 