We invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to Matthew chapter 28.
! We had purpose today to get back into our study of Romans, and I must tell you that I'm very eager to continue considering and learning from verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1.
At this rate, we'll finish Romans about the time I retire as a pastor.
I do hope we'll be able to get in it and keep up a pace here very soon.
But this evening, we have an important members meeting to pray and discuss the future of our church.
You see, God has been blessing us with growth.
Good, healthy, steady growth.
And we feel it on a lot of Sundays, not every Sunday, because there's just been so much sickness as of late.
But when you really begin to pay attention and look at the numbers, we have a wonderful opportunity in front of us, and we're going to have to think together.
We're going to need to make some changes to the way that we meet if we are to stay on mission as a church.
So, as I have spent time working on a sermon for today, I have felt that the most important thing happening today is the work we will do together this evening, which is why I want to prime us for that meeting.
Now, if you're a guest this morning, whether a new guest or a long-time guest, I don't believe this lesson will be lost on you, so don't already check out on us.
In fact, perhaps it will help inform your church involvement.
So, I pray that this will be of good benefit for us all.
I'm revisiting this morning a sermon that I preached about six months ago when we were going through that resilient church culture kind of series that we were working through on the mission of the church.
What is the mission of the church?
If we are not crystal clear on why we exist, then we will always be distracted by some lesser purpose.
I think that we are God's people and we care about his word, but there's a lot of lesser purposes that can distract us from the purpose of the church.
We will need to readily identify what battles we ought to engage in and what the war is that we cannot avoid.
We must know the task the Lord has set before us if we are to make decisions both macro and micro that honor him.
So, we're going to look today at Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, 19, and 20.
A text that perhaps is familiar to you.
Maybe you've never heard it and thought about it in the context of a local church.
Before I read it, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us written for his glory and our good.
And so, we should listen to it so that we would believe its promises and that we would obey its commands.
Matthew 28, verse 18 and following.
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'm with you always to the end of the age.
Now, in considering this text, we must first consider the amazing Christological statement that Jesus makes concerning himself in verse 18.
He says there that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Let us not rush past this to the application, but stop for a moment to steep in this reality.
Jesus is totally in charge.
There's not an ounce of anything that happens in this world that our Lord does not reign over.
This episode, as Matthew records it for us, takes place just after Jesus' resurrection.
He has lived the perfectly righteous life that we cannot live, but that is required of us.
He has died a most gruesome death on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin.
A debt that with all our penitence we could not have repaid.
And he has risen from the grave, defeating death, guaranteeing that for those who place saving faith in his person and his work,
we will one day be resurrected.
It is on the heels of this that Jesus says,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Now, it takes a little imagination to think,
What must have the disciples thought at this point?
Where do our minds go if the risen Christ is before us and says,
All authority in heaven and on earth, this leaves nothing out, has been given to me.
And I just imagine it's where my mind goes.
Maybe it's where their minds went.
To a text like Daniel chapter 7, verse 13 and 14.
Where Daniel records,
I saw in the night visions and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.
And he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away.
And his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Right?
This, who we understand to be the Christ, the son of man, is given all the dominion so that peoples, nations and languages would serve him.
Right?
In his kingdom forever and ever.
If their minds happened to go to a text like this,
then Jesus' following command would not have been a surprise to them.
He has a reign that is going to include peoples, nations and languages.
So it makes sense that he says,
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.
Or in the Greek, ethnos.
Go, therefore, in response to what I have just told you of my authority.
Go, right?
Because I am in charge of all things.
Go.
And this Greek word for go, which I won't try to pronounce this morning,
means in the simplest of terms to go or to travel.
This is why this text is most classically used as a missionary text.
And it certainly is that.
As it speaks of all nations.
Right?
It is a missionary text, but not just a missionary text.
As a brief side note, I argue that this is a reference to peoples, not nation states.
It's a much more inclusive statement.
Right?
So it's a missionary text, but not just a missionary text.
You see, this Greek word go is in the errorist verb tense.
In this case, not indicating a particular moment of going.
It's in the passive grammatical voice,
which means the subject implied in this case as you is being acted upon.
So a fair translation of go could be in your God-ordained going about.
In all of your going in which the Jesus who reigns over all things sends you,
be about the work of making disciples.
So it is a missionary text because there are going to be people who go to the very ends of the earth.
But it is also a text for us today.
Jesus gives us a command to make disciples in our God-ordained going about,
which may include packing up and spending your life in a remote place.
Or it may include commuting to a thankless job.
But wherever you are sent, you are to be part of this disciple-making endeavor.
You see, even as Jesus has all authority,
he is pleased to use secondary means to bring about his purposes.
He includes us in his mission on the earth because he loves us.
And he knows that including us in his purpose grants us him as we see him work mightily in our disciple-making efforts.
This is not delegated authority.
He doesn't give us authority.
Jesus has the authority.
We have a command.
But because Jesus has the authority, it is an empowered command.
And he does not want us to miss this.
Which is why the text is bookended.
At the end of verse 20, he says,
And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
Jesus possesses all the authority,
commands us to make disciples,
and promises to accompany us with his authority.
This ought to embolden the listener to Jesus' words.
I have the authority.
I will empower you.
So, in your going about, as I've ordered it,
be about the work of making disciples.
We have nothing to fear.
For if God is for us, who can be against us?
As Charles Spurgeon once said,
Half our fears arise from neglect of the Bible.
Often Christians focus their minds on the going
and forget who has all the authority
and who goes with us.
So, Jesus gives us a command to go, therefore,
and make disciples of all nations
and a promise to empower the work with his authority.
But what are the means for this disciple making?
Perhaps you've gathered where I'm going with this
as I have posed the question to us this morning,
what is the mission of the church?
The means for the command to make disciples of all nations
is the church.
This is the mission of the church.
Here, in the simplest of terms,
to make disciples.
Now, how do I arrive at that from this text?
I want you to see these three verses
as highly ecclesiological.
If I can get there,
because I see two activities in our disciple making.
The first one we see is baptizing.
So we're to make disciples,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Now, Bobby Jameson, in his book,
Understanding Baptism,
defined baptism this way.
Baptism is a church's act
of affirming and portraying
a believer's union with Christ
by immersing him or her in water
and a believer's act
of publicly committing him or herself
to Christ and his people,
thereby uniting a believer to the church
and marking off him or her
from the world.
It's the believer's act
of declaring that they're in Christ.
They identify with Christ
and his people
and the church's act
of affirming
that they believe
that profession is credible.
It's one of the ordinances
we get from the Latin
to put in order.
It's the ordinance
by which we welcome people
into the church.
Now, we don't have time
to prove this definition out.
I think that book's out in the book nook
if you'd like to pick it up.
I'll be happy to put it in your hand.
But we believe as a church
that baptizing individuals
in the name of the triune God
is what marks them off,
is what welcomes them
into the life
of a local church.
Normatively,
churches baptize.
There's all kinds
of erroneous practice
of baptism in our culture.
But normatively,
churches baptize.
We can find an exception.
The case of the Ethiopian eunuch
being sent home
as the only Christian
to a people
who had yet to hear the gospel.
But this is not
the normative pattern
that we see
in the scripture.
People become Christians
and they're baptized
by a church
into the life
of a church.
Therefore,
it is an extremely fair assumption
that Jesus means
for us to understand
that in our God-ordained
going about
and making disciples,
we will be doing this
connected to a church.
It's right there in the text.
It's glaring at us
as he says,
make disciples,
baptizing them
in the name
of the triune God.
The second activity
that I see
is teaching.
Teaching them
to observe
all that I have
commanded you.
the church
is given
the ongoing work
of teaching
the ways
of Jesus.
Let me show you this
from an additional text.
If you'd like to turn there,
this is Ephesians chapter 4
verses 11
and following
down through 16.
There we read,
and he,
referring to Christ,
gave the apostles,
the prophets,
which you've probably
heard me argue,
I think is the scripture
of our day.
He gave the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
the shepherd teachers
to equip the saints
for the work
of ministry.
So there's,
there's the task
of the leadership
of your church
is the equipping
of the saints
for the work
of ministry.
What is that work
of ministry?
Last part of verse 12,
for building up
the body of Christ
until we all attain
to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge
of the Son of God
to mature manhood
to the measure
of the stature
of the fullness
of Christ
so that we may
no longer be children
tossed to and fro
by the waves
and carried about
by every wind of doctrine,
by human cunning,
by craftiness
in deceitful schemes.
Boy,
does the church
lack
this kind of equipping.
The church
in our day
is so wind blown.
Rather,
verse 15,
speaking the truth
in love.
There's the teaching
ministry of the church.
Speaking the truth
in love.
We are to grow up
in every way
into him
who is the head
into Christ
from whom
the whole body
joined and held together
by every joint
with which it is equipped
when each part
is working properly
makes the body grow
so that it builds
itself up.
in love.
This work
that Paul describes here
will not be over
until Christ
returns.
This is the
age in which we live
that Jesus
accompanies us
on
with all of his
authority.
We need
to be taught
and taught
to observe
all that Jesus
has commanded us.
He is not suggesting
that we have
a simple course.
Someone's converted,
baptized,
and they take
the Christianity
101 course
and it's done.
What he's talking about
in Matthew chapter 28
is the life
of discipling
that happens
in a church.
church.
I am building
a house.
Many of you know
I'm building
a house
property.
I'm building
quite physically
with my hands
a house
for my
parents.
This task
will not be
completed
until the house
is completed.
We have that
CO
and probably
beyond that
I'll still have
some projects
to do.
I cannot
merely break
ground on the
job site
and say
that I have
built a house.
It's not built
yet.
We took a step
in the right
direction.
One of
thousands of
steps
but it's not
built yet.
I'm in the
process of
building
a house.
We will not
be done
until Ephesians
4 verse 13.
We all attain
to the unity
of the faith
and of the
knowledge
of the
Son of
God.
To mature
manhood
to the
measure
of the
stature
of the
fullness
of Christ.
Now I want
to take a
step away
from our
text just
for a bit
to consider
this further.
Jonathan
Lehman,
the editorial
director for
Nine Marks,
has characterized
in numerous
publications,
most recently
in a little
book entitled
What is the
Church's
Mission?
I don't
think this
one is out
there but
there's
quite a
few of
this
series
out in
the
book
nook.
But in
this What
is the
Church's
Mission
book,
he talks
about five
different
types of
churches,
each with
a different
mission.
And I
think it's
helpful to
us.
So the
first four
are erroneous
missions.
And I
think we
need to be
careful as
a church
that we
don't get
tempted to
begin to
think in
some of
these ways.
So let
me read
to you a
brief excerpt
from this
book.
So again,
he's going
through five.
My reading
starts,
Church
one
emphasizes the
Great
Commission
and Jesus'
command to
make
disciples.
Yet when
they say
make
disciples,
they really
mean make
converts.
So church
number one
gears everything
in the church
toward non-Christians
as if local
churches basically
exist for the
sake of
evangelism.
And he
means only
evangelism.
They talk
about Christian
growth some,
but their
programs focus
on individuals,
not the
corporate body
or family.
They don't
see the
connection
between their
evangelism and
being a
vibrant,
united,
otherworldly
family.
Based on
church number
one's mission
playbook,
let's call it
Seekers
Church.
Church number
two is similar
to church
number one,
but it
appeals less
to middle
class longings
for things
like purpose
and more
to basic
human desires
for health
and wealth.
Join their
service on
Sunday when
you hear about
God's desire
to bless us
if only we
would have
enough faith.
Based on
its playbook,
let's call
church number
two Prosperity
Church.
While church
churches number
one and
number two
emphasize how
Jesus is here
for us,
churches number
three and
number four
emphasize how
we are here
for Jesus.
Church number
three we can
call Justice
Church.
Join them on
Sunday when you
hear the preacher
say we should
care for the
downtrodden,
wake up to the
nation's structural
injustices,
attend to the
environment,
and generally do
good in the
world.
church number
four is another
version of
church number
three,
but it focuses
on the
structural
injustices that
concern political
conservatives like
abortion,
same-sex marriage,
and religious
freedom.
Call it
Righteous Nation
Church.
It wants to
save the nation
from moral decay
and make it
safe for
Christianity.
At best,
both Justice
Church and
Righteous Nation
Church focus on
discipleship,
the moral shape
of Christians
and the command
to love our
neighbors.
At worst,
they risk sliding
a foot or at
least a toe
into Phariseeism,
meaning they lay
down laws and
political certainties
where Scripture
doesn't.
Members leave
church on Sunday
not so much
thanking God for
His grace in
their lives,
but feeling
superior to
other people
because of
their moral
and political
convictions.
To be sure,
many churches
occupy a couple
of these
examples.
I'm simply
outlining stock
types, not
trying to
caricature your
church so
that we can
all be more
careful.
Furthermore,
I trust that
some variety
between churches
is God-given.
Just like an
individual Christian
working on Wall
Street and one
teaching in a
run-down school
will have
different daily
ministries,
so a church
in the suburbs
might have a
strong counseling
ministry,
while a church
next door to
a refugee camp
might excel in
serving the
poor.
Praise God.
Still, there's
a difference
between being
sensitive to
the economic
waves and
political winds
surrounding us
and being
driven by
those waves
and winds.
When churches
are driven,
their playbooks,
their sense of
their mission
easily succumb
to biblical
imbalances
and worldly
agendas.
Seekers' church
shows signs of
having succumbed
to consumerism,
prosperity church
to materialism,
justice church
to political
progressivism,
and righteous
nation church
to nationalism,
even if all
four have
orthodox
statements of
faith.
So,
seekers,
prosperity,
justice,
righteous nation,
church.
But Lehman
goes on to
speak of the
church he
believes is
most biblical,
that is the
church I am
making a case
for today by
asking two
important questions.
First, he
asks,
what is the
mission of
the church
acting all
together,
and what is
the mission
of church
members
throughout the
week when
we're not
gathered together,
or what is
our mission
and what is
your mission?
He then
answers these
questions simply
and I believe
correctly by
saying,
number one,
so what is
our mission
acting together
as a church?
Our mission
is to make
disciples.
Number two,
living as
individual church
members throughout
the week,
our mission
is to be
disciples.
So,
the church
acting together
reads the
Bible,
preaches the
Bible,
prays the
Bible,
sings the
Bible,
and sees the
Bible in the
ordinances of
baptism and
communion.
we do so
by the
prescription of
the Bible.
This is called
the regulative
principle.
This disciple
making together
will include
things like
sending you to
your respective
spheres to share
the good news
of Jesus,
teaching you to
be faithful
husbands and
wives,
parents and
children,
equipping you
to work as
unto the Lord
and not for
men.
It may also
include things
like starting a
biblical counseling
center or a
pastoral residency
or planting new
churches or
starting a
school,
but the efforts
of the church
acting together
must always be
aimed at
going therefore
and making
disciples of
all nations,
baptizing them
in the name of
the Father,
Son,
and the Holy
Spirit,
teaching them
to observe
all that
Jesus has
commanded us.
Church members
then will be
equipped to be
salt and light
in their
respective spheres
always with a
mind to the
collective work
of the church's
mission to
make disciples.
Disciples of
Jesus will be
rightly concerned
with seeing
others become
disciples of
Jesus.
You've heard me
sum up much of
what I've just
said by saying
the church
gathers to
go,
bring you here,
equip you to
send you,
and we go in
order to gather,
continue to
gather the
church together.
The church is
not merely an
evangelistic outreach
or a place for
therapeutic lessons
or a lecture or
concert series.
The church is not
only meant to be
your social network.
The church is not
a theological
club.
The church is not
a thing to be
consumed.
And beloved,
hear me,
it's altogether
possible to
consume a
church that's
not trying to
offer consumables.
What you might
be consuming is
small church
or relationship
or expositional
preaching or
wordy songs or
the list can go
on and on and
on.
The church is a
people called
by God and
given a divine
mission with a
guaranteed
outcome.
Jesus has all
authority in
heaven and
earth.
Go therefore and
make disciples,
baptizing them and
teaching them all
that I've commanded
you.
Another text that I
want to show you
that drives at this
point is from
Matthew chapter 16.
So do please join me
in Matthew chapter 16
beginning in verse
13.
We'll close with
this text and a
few comments
about it.
Jesus is traveling
with the disciples
and when he comes
as verse 13 to the
district of
Caesarea
Philippi,
he asked his
disciples,
who do people
say that the
son of man
is?
And they
said,
some say John
the Baptist,
others say
Elijah and
others Jeremiah
or one of the
prophets.
He said to
them,
but who do you
say that I
am?
Simon Peter
replied,
you are the
Christ,
the son of
the living
God.
And Jesus
answered him,
blessed are
you,
Simon Barjona
for flesh and
blood has not
revealed this to
you,
but my father
who is in
heaven.
And I tell
you,
you are Peter
and on this
rock,
and maybe
clear,
he's referring
to the truth
that Peter
has declared
doing some
play on word
there,
but he's
referring to
the truth
that Peter
has declared
that he is
the Christ
on that
rock.
Jesus
says,
I will
build my
church.
Right?
This Jesus
all authority
in heaven
on earth
who's going
to accompany
us in this
disciple-making
process of
building churches
says,
I will
build my
church.
He is
primary means,
we are
secondary means.
And then he
says,
and the gates
of hell
shall not
prevail
against it.
If you've
been here,
you've heard me
say this,
my mind
flipped this
text for
years,
for years.
I don't
know why,
the text
is really
plain,
but I
had the
church in
the defensive
position,
right?
Holding at
bay the
world.
It's very
clearly not
that,
right?
It's very
clearly the
church is on
the advance.
Hell is in
the defensive
position,
and the gates
of hell will
not prevail
against it.
Jesus is
talking about
his global
church,
his church
everywhere
and across
all time
here,
and I
want to be
very careful
at this
point to
say,
the gates
of hell
can prevail
against this
church.
It will
not prevail
against the
church.
Boy,
I want to be
part of that
church,
right?
I want to be
included in
that number
that take
the gates
of hell
for the
glory of
Christ.
If we are
not crystal
clear on why
we exist,
then we will
always be
distracted,
by some
lesser
purpose.
We will
need to
recognize and
remind one
another that
the church
has a
mission to
make disciples
of the Lord
Jesus Christ
by the power
that belongs
to the Lord
Jesus Christ.
We will
have to be
readily reminded
of this as
we are slow
learners and
quick to
forget.
This coming
year and
the years
beyond it
will be a
great test
of our
collective
understanding
of the
mission of
the church.
I can
promise you
that it
will not
be easy.
If you're
a member of
this church,
I just want
you to
wad up all
the comfort
that you
have right
now and
throw it
out the
window.
It's not
going to be
easy.
That is not
the point.
It's going
to take
sacrifice
on our
behalf.
but the
reward will
be great
because we
will experience
God as he
empowers the
mission that
he has
given us.
I can
close with a
quote from
Thomas Brooks.
He once
wrote,
Christ dwells
in that heart
most imminently
that hath
emptied itself
of itself.
May this be
true of us.
Let's pray
to that end.
Let's pray.