The Great Commission, part 2: Our Master

Presentation on theme: "The Great Commission, part 2: Our Master"— Presentation transcript:

1 The Great Commission, part 2: Our Master
(Matthew 28:16-20) Mike Taylor Forest Community Church Sunday 11 August 2019

2 Who is this God that we worship?
Why should anyone care? Why does he matter? Why should we do what he says?

3 Baal Astoreth El

4 Sennacherib’s taunt Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me? — 2 Kings 18:32b-35.

5 Similar questions today
Why Jesus? Why not Buddha or Mohammad?

6 Everything rests on who Jesus is
This is the second part of a four-part series on Matthew 28:16-20. — Our Mission — Our Master — Our Directive — “Make Disciples” — Our Promise — “I am with you always”

7 Everything rests on who Jesus is
This is the second part of a four-part series on Matthew 28:16-20. — Our Mission — Our Master — Our Directive — “Make Disciples” — Our Promise — “I am with you always” This passage gives us a great commission, a job to do. But who are we doing it for?

8 Everything rests on who Jesus is
We respond differently to tasks depending on who gives them.

9 Everything rests on who Jesus is
We respond differently to tasks depending on who gives them.

10 Everything rests on who Jesus is
We respond differently to tasks depending on who gives them.

11 The Great Commission Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him — but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:16-20.

12 These five verses … They are the very last words in Matthew's gospel.

13 These five verses … They are the very last words in Matthew's gospel.
They are also the only words that Matthew records Jesus speaking after his resurrection.

14 These five verses … They are the very last words in Matthew's gospel.
They are also the only words that Matthew records Jesus speaking after his resurrection. They are the words that Matthew most wanted us to remember. What can they tell us about who Jesus is?

15 1. The disciples worship Jesus

16 1. The disciples worship Jesus
When they saw him, they worshipped him — but some of them doubted! — Matthew 28:17.

17 1. The disciples worship Jesus
When they saw him, they worshipped him — but some of them doubted! — Matthew 28:17. The word “worship” or “worshipped” appears ten times in Matthew, seven of them in reference to worshipping Jesus.

18 1. The disciples worship Jesus
When they saw him, they worshipped him — but some of them doubted! — Matthew 28:17. The word “worship” or “worshipped” appears ten times in Matthew, seven of them in reference to worshipping Jesus. But only God is worshipped.

19 1. The disciples worship Jesus
“… Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” — Matthew 28:19.

20 1. The disciples worship Jesus
“… Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” — Matthew 28:19. Jesus speaks of himself (the Son) as equal to the Father.

21 1. The disciples worship Jesus
“… Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” — Matthew 28:19. Jesus speaks of himself (the Son) as equal to the Father. … and establishes the Trinity.

22 2. Jesus has all authority

23 2. Jesus has all authority
I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations. — Matthew 28:18b–19a. Jesus begins by establishing his new status.

24 2. Jesus has all authority
I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. — Matthew 8:9.

25 2. Jesus has all authority
What we see here is the greatness of Jesus: his awesome power and authority.

26 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?

27 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour. — Philippians 2:9a. But why “God elevated him”? Wasn't he already in the place of highest honour?

28 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” — Hebrews 2:9a.

29 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” — Hebrews 2:9a. From the beginning, Jesus was God, equal with the Father. In a fundamental sense, all authority was originally his.

30 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” — Hebrews 2:9a. From the beginning, Jesus was God, equal with the Father. In a fundamental sense, all authority was originally his. But incarnated as a man, all power was given to him.

31 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” — Hebrews 2:9a. Jesus voluntarily gave up his status of equality with the Father, and is now raised back up to that position.

32 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour. — Philippians 2:8.

33 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour. — Philippians 2:8. That particular place of honour from which he can tell us to go. Whatever we suffer for him is nothing to how he suffered for us.

34 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. — Hebrews 2:9b-10.

35 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. — Hebrews 2:9b-10. Jesus can lead us through suffering because he, too, has suffered.

36 3. Why was Jesus given all authority?
What we see here is the goodness of Jesus: his compassion and kindness.

37 Follow the chain of logic
“He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8.

38 Follow the chain of logic
“He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8. “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names.” — Philippians 2:9.

39 Follow the chain of logic
“He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8. “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names.” — Philippians 2:9. “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” — Matthew 28:18b.

40 Follow the chain of logic
“He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8. “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names.” — Philippians 2:9. “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” — Matthew 28:18b. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.” — Matthew 28:19a.

41 Why do we obey his command?
He is worthy of our obedience because he is great. We want to obey because he is good.

42 Polly Toynbee vs. Aslan “Christ should surely be no lion (let alone with the orotund voice of Liam Neeson). He was the lamb, representing the meek of the earth, weak, poor and refusing to fight.”

43 Polly Toynbee vs. Aslan “Christ should surely be no lion (let alone with the orotund voice of Liam Neeson). He was the lamb, representing the meek of the earth, weak, poor and refusing to fight.” The whole point is that he is both!

44 Follow the chain of logic
We follow the commission of the lion who is the lamb. But what actually is the commission? Tune in next time!

45 The Great Commission, part 2: Our Master
(Matthew 28:16-20) Mike Taylor Forest Community Church Sunday 11 August 2019