Sermon Notes
Introduction
God has a grand plan for the ages: to redeem men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation. Central to that plan is the building of His church, and the church’s participation in His saving purpose. Missiologists often call this grand plan, the Missio Dei, the mission of God. More precisely, we should speak of the Missio Trinitatis: the mission of the Triune God. The Father, Son, and Spirit are the authors and owners of this mission; the church is graciously summoned to share in their work. That is why, before giving the Great Commission, Christ declared that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him, and why He concluded the command with the assurance of His abiding presence.
1. Authority and Promise
The Lord Jesus Christ is risen; moreover, He is sovereign above all. Some disciples worshiped Him, knowing that He was God, but some were doubtful. The audience in the text could probably be the five hundred to whom He appeared. Aside from His sovereign rule, He assured them of His presence until the end.
Matthew 28:18: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:20b: “...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2. Make Disciples
Because He has all authority, therefore, the disciples must make disciples of all nations, meaning peoples, tribes, and tongues. They must be baptized, which is a type of burial, a dying to self, and a rising with the Son of God. They shall be baptized in the name of the Triune God, meaning that is where their allegiance must be. Then they must learn and obey the Lord’s teachings.
Matthew 28:19-20a: 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…
3. Prophetic Promise
Matthew’s account of the Great Commission resembles the prophetic utterance of Daniel. Daniel wrote of the son of man having dominion and an everlasting kingdom. The dominion covered every language, tribe, and nation. Aside from Daniel, John wrote prophetically of people from every language, tribe, and nation praising the Lamb.
Daniel 7: 14a: 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
Revelation 7:9-10: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Application
- Our authority to make disciples comes from the Sovereign One who is above all. Our confidence in the mission is in His presence until the end. Therefore, we must have faith in who He is as the Sovereign One and submit to the mandate to make disciples.
- We must go out and meet people to call them to follow Jesus. We must present the gospel and call others to walk with us in this journey. We will persuade them to believe in the Triune God and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We will teach them His word and teach them to obey.
- Let us believe in the prophetic promise in Daniel and Revelation. It was prophesied, it was promised, and it will happen. The church will succeed in fulfilling its mandate to make disciples of every language, tribe, and nation. People from all tribes will praise and worship the Lamb.
Study Guide
- Who and what is the basis of the mandate?
- Explain the mandate.
- What is the significance of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation?