THE GREAT COMMISSION


TEXTS: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, and Luke 24:46-49 "He said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 Ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high."

I.INTRODUCTION--These verses are called the "Great Commission." They were given to the Apostles as their general orders for the Christian Age.

A. Before there was a "Great Commission," there was work for them to do under what is termed (for convenience) the "Limited Commission."
1. This commission was given before the death of Christ, and during His personal ministry. Matthew 10:5-8 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out de-mons: freely ye received, freely give."
2. The message was a follow up to John's ministry.
a. John had preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"(Matthew 3:2)
b. Jesus preached the same message. (Matthew 4:17)
c. The disciples preached the same. (Matthew 10:7 above)
3. There was a difference in method between John's work and that of the Apostles.
a. John "did no sign" except to prophesy. John 10:41
b. Jesus gave the Apostles "signs" to do. (Matthew 10:8 above)
4. The "limit" of the "Limited Commission" to the Apostles was also the limit of John's, and Jesus', and of the Apostles.
a. John was a messenger to the Jews. Luke 1:15-16 (Gabriel said) "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall He turn unto the Lord their God."
b. Jesus said He was "sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:21-28 (Jesus to the Syro-Phoenician woman.)
c. The Apostles were not to go to Gentiles, but to Jews. (Matthew 10:5-6)
5. During the ministry of John, and of Jesus, and the Limited commission of the Apostles, all parties were held in bondage under the Law of Moses.
a.Galatians 4:3-5 "So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: 4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

c.Jesus took away this barrier later on the Cross. Ephesians 2:11-16 "Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; 12 that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.


B. The death and resurrection of Jesus changed the picture entirely.
1. The Kingdom of Heaven had come, so the thrust of preaching changed to "remission of sins" to "all the nations." Luke 24:46-47
2. The ultimate sign had been given. Matthew 12:38-40 "Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: 40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
3. There was no longer any "limit" to opportunity for salvation. Acts 2:38-39
4. A New Covenant replaced the Law of Moses. Romans 7:6 "But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter."
a. The Old Covenant sacrifices could not "take away sins." Hebrews 10:1-4 "For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. 2 Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins."
b. All things are now forgiven under the New Covenant in Christ. Acts 13:38-39 "Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: 39 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

II. LESSON--What is so great about the Great Commission?

A. It is "great" in authority.
1. Before giving it, Jesus said, "All authority has been given unto me." Matthew 28:18
a. But Jesus was not without authority before his death and resurrection.
(1) He had creative power before his birth. John 1:2-3 "(He) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made."
(2) He had dominion over principalities. Colossians 1:16 "...for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;"
(3) He spoke as one having authority. (Matthew 7:28-29)
b. After his death and resurrection, he is "crowned with glory and honor." Hebrews 2:9-10 "But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man.

2. The complete authority claimed in Matthew 28:18 was "redemptive."
a. This was God's plan. Colossians 1:19-22 "For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell; 20 and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. 21 And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, 22 yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:"
b. The Apostles confirmed this. Acts 4:12 "And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved."

B. It is "great" in its message. Mark 16:15-16
1.By the preaching of the "gospel" men are to be "discipled." 1 Corinthians 1:21
2. The Gospel is the "Power of God to salvation." Romans 1:16
3. The Gospel is beneficial only if received and obeyed.
a. "Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." James1:21
b. We "purify our souls by obedience to the truth." 1 Peter 1:22
c. Christ will take vengeance on those who "know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus." 2 Thess. 1:8

C. It is "great" in promise.
1. It promises salvation through reception of the Gospel. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 14 "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (This faith must be confessed. Romans 10:9-10)
2. By repentance, we can obtain the remission of sins. Luke 24:47
a. Repentance commanded to all by God. Acts 17:30-31
b. "Godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation." 2 Corinthians 7:10
c. "The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." Romans 2:4
3. By obeying the command to be baptized, we can receive many benefits.
a. We can be "saved." Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21
b. We can have "remission of sins." Acts 2:38
c. We can "wash away our sins." Acts 22:16
d. We can be "in Christ." Galatians 3:26-27
e. We can have "newness of life." Romans 6:4 "We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life."
f. We die to sin. Romans 6:5-11 "For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; 7 for he that hath died is justified from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. 10 For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus."

III. APPLICATION---

A. Any who believe the Bible to be truly God's Word, and that Christ is truly the Son of God, having "all authority," must obey without dispute the specific terms of the Great Commission. 2 John 9-11
1. Do we dare to change the conditions of the "Commission?"
2. Do we dare to add to them, or subtract from them?

B. To the believer, the glorious example of Acts 2 must have only one meaning. Acts 2:22-41
1. The Gospel was preached.
2. Disciples were made (through belief).
3. The terms of salvation declared.
4. The promises made.
5. The obedient were SAVED, ADDED, and CONTINUED.

APPEAL-- Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,"